Green: Taxpayers’ $3 Billion Supplying Clean Ports Program

NC Port

The Biden administration’s choice for zero-emissions operations in America’s ports was boosted Wednesday with the opening of applications for $3 billion from taxpayers in the Clean Ports Program.

Equipment and infrastructure needs can be met that “reduce mobile source emissions at U.S. ports,” a release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. EPA Administrator Michael Regan was in Wilmington, N.C., alongside Gov. Roy Cooper, whose administration he previously worked in, to make the announcement.

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North Carolina Governor Signs Amendment to 12 Week Abortion Ban into Law

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina signed an amendment to the state’s 12-week abortion ban into law late Thursday evening.

The legislation is currently under review by a federal judge after a lawsuit was filed by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, who argued that the law was vague and potentially violated women’s constitutional rights, according to CNN. Republicans introduced and passed an amendment Tuesday to the bill to clarify some of the language, which Roy signed before the new abortion law takes effect on July 1.

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North Carolina Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto of 12-Week Abortion Ban

North Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday overrode the veto of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to enshrine into law a ban on most abortions in the state after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Both chambers of the legislature have Republican supermajorities, though the governor had hoped at least one Republican lawmaker would vote to uphold his veto and traveled the state last week to convince a lawmaker to take that stance, the Associated Press reported.

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North Carolina’s Veto-Proof Republican-Led Senate Passes 12-Week Abortion Bill

The Democrat governor of North Carolina has vowed to veto a 12-week bill that would ban some abortions after the veto-proof Republican-controlled Senate approved the measure Thursday night. On CNN Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) begged one Republican from each chamber of the North Carolina legislature to uphold his veto of Senate Bill 20, known as the “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act,” a measure he called a “disastrous abortion ban.”

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North Carolina to Have GOP Supermajority in Legislature as Democrat Expected to Switch Parties

North Carolina Republicans are slated to have a supermajority in the General Assembly if state Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat, switches parties as expected Wednesday.

Cotham is slated to announce her decision to join the GOP during a press conference, according to Axios. Republicans are one seat away from having the supermajority, and the switch would give the party more power to override any vetos from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

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Insurer Centene Plans 3,200 Jobs at New N.C. Regional Hub

Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. said on Wednesday it will build an East Coast campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, developing a $1 billion construction project that’s expected to create more than 3,200 new jobs by 2032.

Gov. Roy Cooper described the expansion as the state’s largest single jobs announcement by number in nearly two decades.

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Trump via Twitter: Republican Convention Not happening in North Carolina

In a series of tweets, President Donald Trump said the Republican National Convention will look at states other than North Carolina to host August’s event, blaming Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Cooper and North Carolina officials had been going back and forth with Republican officials over safety concerns regarding hosting a convention during the coronavirus pandemic.

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North Carolina Gov. Stands Ground, Says GOP Conditions for Convention Are ‘Very Unlikely’

Uncertainty surrounding the 2020 Republican National Convention increased Tuesday as Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper rejected the GOP’s request to have a full, in-person convention.

In a letter addressed to the Republican National Committee (RNC), Cooper cited his concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

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Commentary: Rigid Lockdowns vs. Relative Freedom

In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper has adopted the policy premise that anything done in the name of safety from the coronavirus trumps all other interests, including economic, religious, or other health considerations. Despite comparatively low numbers in the Tar Heel state, the ninth most populous state in the United States, and with no evidence of the healthcare system being overwhelmed, North Carolina has been in full lockdown for over a month.

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