South Carolina comptroller to resign after $3.5B error
Embattled South Carolina Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom will resign next month after a $3.5 billion accounting error in the year-end financial report he oversaw. The state's chief accountant will leave the elected post he has held for 20 years on April 30, according to a copy of the resignation letter obtained by The Associated Press. “I have never taken service to the state I love or the jobs to which I have been elected lightly, endeavoring to work with my colleagues, from constitutional officers to members of the General Assembly, to be a strong defender of the taxpayer and a good steward of their hard-earned tax dollars,” Eckstrom wrote in the March 23 letter to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
news.yahoo.comScout Motors picks South Carolina for new $2B EV plant
COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — A Volkswagen Group-backed automotive company announced plans this week to open a $2 billion electric truck and SUV manufacturing plant just outside of Columbia, South Carolina. Scout Motors Inc. and South Carolina officials said Friday that the company would be establishing its first manufacturing plant in Blythewood at an industrial site. Scout Motors, an independent company headquartered in Virginia and backed by Volkswagen, plans to produce all-electric trucks and SUVs in the style of the Scout vehicles produced by International Harvester between 1960 and 1980. “Scout Motors will provide thousands of South Carolinians with previously unimagined opportunities and prosperity for generations to come,” McMaster said in a statement. The Scout deal is expected to receive county-level tax incentives that have already received initial approval, The State reported.
wftv.comNikki Haley planning Feb. 15 launch for 2024 White House bid
Haley, 51, served as South Carolina's governor for six years before serving as President Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations. Trump was in South Carolina Saturday for the initial campaign swing of his 2024 campaign, standing alongside Gov. During the Trump administration, Haley feuded at times with other White House officials while bolstering her own public persona. After the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, Haley initially cast doubts on Trump’s political future but said she wouldn’t challenge him in 2024. In 2021, Haley told The Associated Press that she “would not run if President Trump ran,” but she has since shifted course.
wftv.comTrump opens 2024 run, says he's 'more committed' than ever
Former President Donald Trump has kicked off his 2024 White House bid with stops Saturday in New Hampshire and South Carolina, The appearances in the early-voting states mark the first campaign events since Trump announced his latest run more than two months ago.
Trump to be joined by Graham, McMaster at Jan. 28 SC event
COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will be joined by two of his highest-profile South Carolina supporters — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Henry McMaster — at the first public campaign event of his 2024 White House bid later this month in the early voting state. Trump will be at the Statehouse in Columbia on Jan. 28 and will unveil his South Carolina leadership team, according to a person familiar with the plans. Trump's campaign had previously confirmed the South Carolina event but hadn't provided details. A Scott spokesperson did not immediately comment Tuesday when asked if the senator would attend Trump's event.
wftv.comTrump to be joined by Graham, McMaster at Jan. 28 SC event
Former President Donald Trump will be joined by two of his highest-profile South Carolina supporters — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Henry McMaster — at the first public campaign event of his 2024 White House bid later this month in the early voting state. Trump will be at the Statehouse in Columbia on Jan. 28 and will unveil his South Carolina leadership team, according to a person familiar with the plans.
news.yahoo.comTrump to hold 1st public campaign event in South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is planning to hold the first public campaign event of his 2024 White House bid in the early-voting state of South Carolina. Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Associated Press on Thursday that Trump will visit South Carolina later this month. The South Carolina visit, first reported by Politico, comes as Trump's campaign has faced criticism, even among some longtime allies, for its low profile since the announcement. The governor’s spokesman said he would wait for an official announcement from the Trump campaign to comment. Trump's visit to South Carolina comes as two of the state's top Republicans mull 2024 bids of their own.
wftv.comTrump to hold first public 2024 campaign event in SC
COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is planning to hold the first public campaign event of his 2024 White House bid in the early-voting state of South Carolina. Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Associated Press on Thursday that Trump will visit South Carolina later this month. The night that Trump announced his 2024 bid, South Carolina Gov. The governor’s spokesman said he would wait for an official announcement from the Trump campaign to comment. Trump's visit to South Carolina comes as two of the state's top Republicans mull 2024 bids of their own.
wftv.comSouth Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban
COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a ban on abortion after cardiac activity is detected — typically around six weeks — ruling the restriction enacted by the Deep South state violates a state constitutional right to privacy. Currently, South Carolina bars most abortions at the gestational age of 20 weeks. The state Supreme Court temporarily blocked it this past August as the justices considered a new challenge. With federal abortion protections gone, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic sued in July under the South Carolina constitution's right to privacy. They argued previous state Supreme Court decisions already extended the right to bodily autonomy.
wftv.comSouth Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban
COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court struck down Thursday a ban on abortion after cardiac activity is detected — typically around six weeks — ruling the restriction violates the state constitution's right to privacy. The state Supreme Court temporarily blocked it this past August as the justices considered a new challenge. With federal abortion protections gone, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic sued in July under the South Carolina constitution's right to privacy. In South Carolina, lawyers representing the state Legislature have argued that the right to privacy should be interpreted narrowly. They argued previous state Supreme Court decisions already extended the right to bodily autonomy.
wftv.comSouth Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban
The South Carolina Supreme Court struck down Thursday a ban on abortion after cardiac activity is detected — typically around six weeks — ruling the restriction violates the state constitution's right to privacy. The 3-2 decision comes nearly two years after Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed the measure into law.
news.yahoo.comMaryland bans TikTok in state agencies, latest state to act
Kristi Noem, also a Republican, banned state employees and contractors from accessing TikTok on state-owned devices, citing its ties to China. Henry McMaster, also a Republican, on Monday asked the state's Department of Administration to ban TikTok from all state government devices it manages. While there has been much debate about whether the Chinese government is actively collecting TikTok data, Triplett said the app poses a clear vulnerability. Tony Evers to delete the video platform TikTok from all state government devices, calling it a national security threat. “The question is, how much more does China obtain by having access to TikTok data that is not publicly available?
wftv.comPhotos: The aftermath of Hurricane Ian's destruction
Hurricane Ian continued to hammer the southeastern United States, making landfall in South Carolina two days after devastating parts of Florida. Biden is expected to visit Florida, as well as Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from being hit by Hurricane Fiona, on Monday . While both South Carolina and Georgia have declared states of emergencies, there were no evacuation orders. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster acknowledged that the storm had lessened in power but urged residents to remain vigilant.
wftv.comMcMaster pauses campaign events as Hurricane Ian hits SC
CHARLESTON, S.C. — (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has temporarily suspended campaign activities as he leads the state's response to Hurricane Ian. Politics and campaigns often collide in South Carolina, where the final months before the November general elections can turn into busy storm seasons. In 2018, both McMaster and his Democratic opponent, then-Rep. James Smith, pulled down their campaign events as Hurricane Florence approached the state. “They’ve been helpful and cooperative and, as we all know, when there’s a hurricane, there's no politics involved there,” McMaster said.
wftv.comLive Updates: Charleston airport closed as Ian approaches
The Latest on Hurricane Ian:CHARLESTON, S.C. — The main airport in Charleston, South Carolina, has closed ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Ian. Officials with the Charleston International Airport said Friday they had shuttered the airport, where airlines had already canceled dozens of fights, and winds reached 40 mph. The airport will remained closed until 6 a.m. Saturday. South Carolina Gov. The area was inundated with rain as Hurricane Ian passed through the state Thursday.
wftv.comSouth Carolina senators reject a near-total abortion ban
Davis said he promised his daughters he would not vote to make South Carolina's current six-week abortion ban stricter because women have rights, too. After a recess to work through their options, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey conceded the abortion ban likely couldn't pass. “We were never going to pass a total abortion ban," Massey said. South Carolina's six-week ban is currently suspended as the state Supreme Court reviews whether it violates privacy rights. ”I don’t think abortion should be used as birth control.”Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto said Republican women stood up for all women in South Carolina, while Republican men let them down.
wftv.comNew South Carolina juvenile justice chief pushes reforms
Juvenile Justice South Carolina FILE - Eden Hendrick speaks after Gov. Henry McMaster nominates her to be the next director at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. South Carolina's juvenile prisons carry the legacy of more than a decade under federal oversight around 20 years ago. I’m not particularly amenable to the ‘trust us, we’re fixing it’ argument,” said Allen Chaney, an attorney with the ACLU of South Carolina. Texas has spent 31% more on juvenile justice and South Carolina 27% more over the past decade, according to the Justice Policy Institute, which aims to make jailing children a last resort.
wftv.comSC Governor seeks to protect port from landmark's pollution
The nation’s ninth-busiest port is at risk of pollution by more than 100,000 gallons (378,500 liters) of fuel from a Navy aircraft carrier that served in World War II and the Vietnam War before its decommissioning and designation as a National Historic Landmark. The USS Yorktown — located in Charleston Harbor — is experiencing continued corrosion on its outer hull. If hazardous materials leak into the harbor, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster warned it would impair commercial shipping and harm the ecosystem.
news.yahoo.comSC Democrat seeks age limit for 'geriatric' politicians
(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) (Meg Kinnard)CHARLESTON, S.C. — (AP) — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Joe Cunningham is proposing an age limit for South Carolina politicians — a cap that would cut off the 75-year-old incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster — and making a veiled argument that even fellow Democrats like President Joe Biden are staying "in office way past their prime." South Carolina currently requires judges to retire officially at age 72, although jurists are allowed to stay on the bench in a fill-in capacity beyond that age limit. However, 8 in 10 Republicans do not have much or any confidence in either his physical health or mental capacity. Republicans including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, have called on Biden to resign, calling him “incoherent, incapacitated and confused.” Former South Carolina Gov.
wftv.comSC Dem seeks age limit for 'geriatric' politicians
(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) (Meg Kinnard)CHARLESTON, S.C. — (AP) — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Joe Cunningham is proposing an age limit for South Carolina politicians — a cap that would cut off the 75-year-old incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster — and making a veiled argument that even fellow Democrats like President Joe Biden are staying "in office way past their prime." South Carolina currently requires judges to retire officially at age 72, although jurists are allowed to stay on the bench in a fill-in capacity beyond that age limit. However, 8 in 10 Republicans do not have much or any confidence in either his physical health or mental capacity. Republicans including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, have called on Biden to resign, calling him “incoherent, incapacitated and confused.” Former South Carolina Gov.
wftv.comGov. McMaster renominated as Democrats vie to oppose him
South-Carolina-Transgender-Youth-Sports FILE - South Carolina Gov. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File) (Jeffrey Collins)COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster won his party’s nomination for a second full term Tuesday, while five Democratic gubernatorial candidates were vying for their party’s nomination. If McMaster wins the general election in November and completes the term, he will become the longest-serving governor in the state's history. She said South Carolina needs an alternative to the string of "Republican Light" Democratic men who have run and lost the past five gubernatorial races.
wftv.comAppeals court mulls arguments on South Carolina abortion law
The “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act" is similar to abortion restriction laws previously passed in a dozen states that became tied up in the courts. South Carolina's law requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for fetal cardiac activity, which can typically be detected about six weeks into pregnancy. Circuit Court of Appeals centered on its notion that Planned Parenthood doesn’t have legal standing to bring the challenge on behalf of women who would potentially be prevented from getting abortions. Texas’ abortion law, the most restrictive in the nation, also bans abortions as early as six weeks but, unlike South Carolina's law, has no exceptions for rape or incest. Legal challenges against that measure are ongoing, but the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed Texas' law to remain in effect.
wftv.comGovernors turn to budgets to guard against climate change
Climate Change State Spending FILE - California Gov. Newsom deemed climate change one of five “existential threats" facing the nation's most populous state when he rolled out his proposed state budget this past week. Beyond increasing climate spending, states are looking to the windfall to pad their reserves, cut taxes, boost funding for education and increase affordable housing. California-based companies that work to address climate change and develop green technologies could be eligible for tax credits. Democrats who control Maryland's legislature are pushing a climate change measure that would reduce methane emissions, modernize the electric grid and invest in green technology.
wftv.comFormer SC gov candidate John Warren launches Bitcoin venture
Warren Bitcoin FILE - Republican John Warren participates in a gubernatorial primary debate at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., on June 5, 2018. The multimillionaire businessman who forced South Carolina Gov. Warren on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, launched GEM Mining, to be headquartered in Greenville, S.C. (Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via AP, File) (Grace Beahm Alford)COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — John Warren — the multimillionaire businessman who forced South Carolina Gov. “We saw huge opportunities with our connections to mining,” Warren told AP. Warren told AP his PAC will “play a very, very large role in next year’s elections, especially with superintendent of education and several House races."
wftv.comDebate over explicit memoir becomes a focus of GOP gov races
Debate over a memoir that contains explicit illustrations of sexual acts is surfacing in a handful of states where Republican governors are gearing up for reelection next year, foreshadowing a recurring theme for conservative leaders in the coming campaigns. The book in question, Maia Kobabe's “Gender Queer,” has been the focus of ire from Republican governors in various states, most recently playing a role in the Virginia governor's race. In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster on Wednesday released a letter — similar in nature to one days earlier by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — calling on Superintendent Molly Spearman to perform a systemic review of “inappropriate” materials in the state's schools.
news.yahoo.comThe Latest: Judge: Masks OK in So Carolina school districts
Virus Outbreak South Carolina FILE - Camden Elementary School students in masks listen as South Carolina Gov. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File) (Jeffrey Collins)COLUMBIA, South Carolina — School districts in South Carolina now have the authority to require masks, the state’s education chief said Wednesday. There were 14 reported deaths on Tuesday for a total of 12,620 in the nation of 5.5 million, the most since mid-June. ___MOSCOW — Russia is reporting record coronavirus deaths for the second day in a row, but authorities say they are not considering imposing nationwide restrictions. Russia’s state coronavirus task force on Wednesday registered 857 deaths, the country’s highest daily number of the pandemic.
wftv.comFederal judge overturns South Carolina school mask ban
Virus Outbreak South Carolina Two Camden Elementary School students in masks listen as South Carolina Gov. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) (Jeffrey Collins)COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — A federal judge Tuesday suspended South Carolina from enforcing a rule that banned school districts from requiring masks for students. Henry McMaster and GOP lawmakers who said parents should decide whether students wear masks, not school officials. The budget provision didn't outright ban districts from requiring masks, but said state money couldn't be used to enforce a mask requirement. “Some have also contended that the politicalization, by both opponents and proponents, of the decision to forbid local school districts from requiring students to wear a mask at school is gravely wrong.
wftv.comThe Latest: SC schools without mask mandates get virus wave
State health and education officials say the statewide mask ban in schools took away one of their best tools to stop the spread of COVID-19. The country is recording over 30,000 new COVID-19 cases a day. ___JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Military leaders on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have declared a public health emergency in response to increasing COVID-19 cases in Alaska. Hospitalizations and COVID-19 cases across the state have increased as a result of the highly contagious delta variant. — A child is among the latest to die from COVID-19 in Louisiana, state health officials said Friday.
wftv.comSchools get the brunt of latest COVID wave in South Carolina
Virus Outbreak South Carolina Two Camden Elementary School students in masks listen as South Carolina Gov. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) (Jeffrey Collins)COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — In the past few weeks, South Carolina has set records for COVID-19 hospitalizations and new cases have approached peak levels of last winter. Classes, schools and entire districts have gone virtual, leaving parents frustrated and teachers quitting weeks into the school year. Though not an outright ban, the proviso prevents school districts from using state money to enforce a rule requiring masks. Lawmakers stuck the proposal in the state budget two days after McMaster ended the state of emergency.
wftv.comGOP prosecutors threaten lawsuits over vaccine requirement
Biden President Joe Biden leaves after speaking about the economy in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in Washington. "Your plan is disastrous and counterproductive," the prosecutors, led by Attorney General Alan Wilson of South Carolina, wrote in a letter sent to President Joe Biden. The letter is the latest GOP opposition to sweeping new federal vaccine requirements for private-sector employees, health care workers and federal contractors announced by Biden earlier this month. The OSHA rule, which covers nearly two-thirds of the private sector workforce, would last six months, after which it must be replaced by a permanent measure. In lieu of vaccine or weekly testing requirements, the prosecutors proposed that some companies could have employees work remotely, rather than report in person.
wftv.comSouth Carolina officials want out of mask mandate ban suit
The plaintiffs are challenging a budget measure passed this summer that prevents South Carolina districts from using any state funding to require masks in schools. In papers filed last week, attorneys for McMaster — a Republican who has said repeatedly that parents alone should decide if children wear masks in schools — argued that the ACLU and its clients “have not alleged, and they cannot reasonably or plausibly allege, that Governor McMaster acted with bad faith or gross misconduct.”
news.yahoo.comBiden's vaccine rules ignite instant, hot GOP opposition
Henry McMaster says he will fight “to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian.” South Dakota Gov. More than 208 million Americans have received at least one vaccine dose, but some 80 million remain unvaccinated, driving infections. Vaccine mandates are supported by a small majority of Americans. Overall, 55% back vaccine mandates for government workers. And about half of working adults favor vaccine mandates at their own workplaces.
wftv.comDeSantis rips into Biden’s strategy to mandate vaccines for millions of workers
ORLANDO, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis is tearing into President Biden’s strategy to mandate vaccines for millions of workers. Biden announced sweeping vaccine mandates Thursday, including requiring private businesses with 100 or more employees to have staff vaccinated or be tested weekly. Less than 24 hours after Biden’s announcement, DeSantis said the president’s actions are unconstitutional and threaten the jobs of people in his state. WATCH: Central Florida businesses face changes after Biden’s vaccine executive order“I’m standing for them, we are going to protect their jobs from federal overreach,” DeSantis said. READ: Alaska Gov: Biden’s vaccine order ‘un-American’DeSantis is not alone.
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