ROY COOPER

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper blasted Trump for vacillating between "indifference and obstruction" during the pandemic.

Cooper weighs in on whether his state would support Trump again in 2024: "I do not believe that North Carolina will make that mistake again."

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's veto power remains intact after the GOP failed to gain a majority in the Senate. Republicans currently hold 28 seats.

An antiabortion amendment was defeated in conservative Kentucky, while voters in Michigan backed a measure enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution.

In Georgia, voters say the balance of power in the Senate will shape their vote; more than half in the state say it's the single most important consideration.

State Rep. Terence Everitt (D) shared his family’s experience with abortion on the campaign trail in the final stretch before Election Day.

The stakes in elections for a pair of North Carolina Supreme Court seats this fall are high.

There are 49 recipients across 24 states, who will recieve grants and loans to enable rural communities to access high-speed internet.

RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — The Agriculture Department announced Thursday it is making available $759 million in grants and loans to enable rural communities to access high-speed internet, part of the broader $65 billion push for high-speed connectivity from last year's infrastructure law. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House senior adviser Mitch Landrieu unveiled the grants during a visit to North Carolina. “Rural communities are the backbone of our nation, but for too long they’ve been left behind and they have been underrecognized,” Landrieu said. That’s just beyond unacceptable that that’s not available to rural America.”Vilsack said he and Landrieu would “learn firsthand” from people in North Carolina about the opportunities internet access can create. They met with state and local officials including North Carolina Gov.

The Agriculture Department has announced $759 million in grants and loans to enable rural communities to access high-speed internet.

A food processor that is based in South Carolina is building a facility in North Carolina. The food processor is known for supplying the military with combat rations.

The power balance of the state’s legislature is up for grabs and could have major consequences.

With the 2022 midterms just over the horizon and Biden’s decision about running for reelection not far behind, here are our latest rankings.

A suspect was taken into custody Thursday before 10 p.m. Police haven't announced a motive or their identity.

RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — A 15-year-old boy killed five people and injured two more in a shooting rampage in Raleigh, police said, horrifying a community that is now mourning victims whose lives were cut short as they were going about their daily routines. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said the teen was captured hours after the victims were gunned down Thursday evening. Police said from there, the teenager fled to a nearby walking trail and continued shooting. The Raleigh shooting was the latest in a violent week nationwide. The walking trail was quieter than usual Friday.

An off-duty police officer was among those killed Thursday by the suspect, who police only described as a white, juvenile male. Officers from numerous law enforcement agencies swarmed the area, closing roads and warning residents to stay inside while they searched for the shooter. Two people, including another police officer, were taken to hospitals. The Raleigh shooting was the latest in a violent week across the country. Five people were killed Sunday in a shooting at a home in Inman, South Carolina.

An off-duty police officer was among those killed by the suspect, who police only described as a white, juvenile male. Two people, including another police officer, were taken to hospitals. “We have much to do, and tonight we have much to mourn.”The Raleigh shooting was the latest in a violent week across the country. Five people were killed Sunday in a shooting at a home in Inman, South Carolina. A mass killing is defined as when four or more people are killed excluding the perpetrator.

Police say a 15-year-old boy fatally shot five people in an attack that stretched from the streets of a Raleigh neighborhood to a nearby walking trail.

The suspect is a white juvenile male and has been arrested, police in North Carolina said Thursday night. An off-duty police officer was among those killed, said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. Authorities have said that he opened fire along a walking trail in a residential area northeast of downtown. Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman in Silver Spring, Maryland and Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

The suspect is a white juvenile male and has been arrested, police in North Carolina said Thursday night. An off-duty police officer was among those killed, said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. Authorities have said that he opened fire along a walking trail in a residential area northeast of downtown. Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman in Silver Spring, Maryland and Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — North Carolina city officials said a suspect has been arrested after shooting and wounding at least four people in a residential neighborhood on Thursday. The city of Knightdale tweeted that a suspect was in custody, after the shooting in the neighboring city of Raleigh. Numerous police vehicles and multiple ambulances swarmed the Hedingham neighborhood starting in the late afternoon, and officers remained in place for hours during an apparent manhunt. “State and local officers are on the ground and working to stop the shooter and keep people safe,” Gov. At least four people connected to the shooting were being treated at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, but no other information was immediately available, hospital spokesperson Deb Laughery said.

RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — North Carolina city officials say that a suspect has been arrested after a shooting that wounded at least four people. The city of Knightdale said in a tweet Thursday night that a suspect had been captured after the shooting in a nearby part of neighboring Raleigh. The shooting drew numerous police to the scene. Multiple people were wounded Thursday evening in what authorities described as an “active shooting” in a residential neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina. At least three people connected to the shooting were being treated Thursday evening at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, but no other information was immediately available, hospital spokesperson Deb Laughery said.

The Raleigh Police Department said it was "on the scene of an active shooting" and advised residents in multiple neighborhoods to stay in their homes.

The Raleigh Police Department said it was "on the scene of an active shooting" in a statement via Twitter, and advised residents in multiple neighborhoods to stay inside their homes.

RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — Multiple people were wounded Thursday evening in what authorities described as an “active shooting” in a residential neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina. “State and local officers are on the ground and working to stop the shooter and keep people safe,” Gov. The Raleigh Police Department said it was “on the scene of an active shooting” in a statement via Twitter, and advised residents in multiple neighborhoods to stay inside their homes. The neighborhood borders the Neuse River Greenway Trail, and is about 9 miles (14 kilometers) northeast of Raleigh's downtown. At least three people connected to the shooting were being treated Thursday evening at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, but no other information was immediately available, hospital spokesperson Deb Laughery said.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Police in Raleigh, North Carolina, responded to the scene of an active shooting on Thursday evening, authorities said. >> Read more trending newsWTVD, quoting “law enforcement sources,” said one police officer was killed and four or five other people were fatally shot. The Raleigh Police Department is currently on the scene of an active shooting in the area of the Neuse River Greenway near Osprey Cove Drive and Bay Harbor Drive. I have spoken with Mayor Baldwin and instructed state law enforcement to provide assistance responding to the active shooter in East Raleigh. Roy Cooper tweeted that he has spoken with Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and has ordered state law enforcement officials to provide assistance.

Multiple people were wounded Thursday evening in what authorities described as an “active shooting” in a residential neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina. “State and local officers are on the ground and working to stop the shooter and keep people safe,” Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted. The Raleigh Police Department said it was “on the scene of an active shooting” in a statement via Twitter, and advised residents in multiple neighborhoods to stay inside their homes.

Raleigh, North Carolina police said it was responding to an active shooting on Thursday afternoon and are warning residents to "remain in their homes."

Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and his attorney general are urging the Republican-controlled state legislature to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The Latest on Hurricane Ian:RALEIGH, N.C. — Power outages have increased and some coastal rivers rose in North Carolina as heavy rain and winds from Hurricane Ian crept into the state Friday from the storm’s South Carolina landfall. More than 55,000 customers in North Carolina were without power as of mid-afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us, which aggregates outages nationwide. ___MIAMI — Hurricane Ian has made another landfall, this time in South Carolina, after carving a swath of destruction across Florida earlier this week. ___TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning and team owner Jeff Vinik are donating $2 million toward Hurricane Ian relief efforts. ___CHARLESTON, S.C. — The main airport in Charleston, South Carolina, has closed ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Ian.

Governors races often are overshadowed by the fight for control of Congress during midterm elections.

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — A student has died and another was injured in a stabbing that happened at a North Carolina school on Thursday. One teacher was also injured in the incident. >> Read more trending newsIn a news conference, the Jacksonville Police Department said that at around 7 a.m. Thursday, a school resource officer asked for assistance with an incident at Northside High School, said WSOC. One of the students who was stabbed died at the hospital. JPD said that a teacher was also injured but not stabbed, according to WSOC.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — (AP) — Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. said Thursday it no longer plans to create an East Coast campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, a project first announced in 2020 and already under construction. Roy Cooper had described the planned expansion as the state's largest single jobs announcement by number in nearly two decades. The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County no longer plan to follow through on incentives that had been promised in conjunction with the project, spokespeople told the newspaper. The news of Centene's plans was first reported by the Charlotte Business Journal. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Charlotte Observer.

Prior to the ruling, abortions were legal in North Carolina until fetal viability, which generally falls between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

Medicaid Expansion North Carolina Rebecca Cerese, a policy advocate at the North Carolina Justice Center, speaks at a vigil in front of the North Carolina Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, July 26, 2022, to remember people lacking Medicaid coverage or insurance who have died. “We need coverage in North Carolina for the working poor.”The two chambers couldn’t work out their differences before adjourning, and talks between legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. They said the state’s Medicaid program — now with 2.7 million enrollees — had been overspending for years and was ill-prepared to take on more. Republicans say North Carolina Medicaid spending is now largely under control and they don't think Congress will increase the state's share of the cost beyond 10%. He signed this year's, saying "we are closer than ever to agreement on Medicaid expansion," and a veto "would be counterproductive."

A deal on Medicaid expansion in North Carolina is within reach after both legislative chambers passed competing measures before ending their annual session.

Always a contender in CNBC's annual state competitiveness rankings, North Carolina finishes on top for the first time.

Roy Cooper signed an executive order Wednesday to protect abortion providers and patients from extradition to states that have banned the practice. Connecticut was the first state to pass a law to protect abortion providers, patients and others from legal action taken by other states. One of the largest abortion providers in Texas announced Wednesday that it's planning to move its operations to bordering New Mexico. The Democratic-controlled Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a bill that aims to protect abortion providers and people seeking abortions from actions taken by other states. The executive in the county surrounding Seattle said Tuesday that its sheriff's office and other executive branch departments will not cooperate with out-of-state prosecutions of abortion providers or patients.

The U.S. Supreme Court's landmark abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade is prompting efforts in liberal states to protect providers and patients who have traveled for a legal procedure.

The Supreme Court’s apparent intention to abolish a nationwide right to abortion, spelled out in a draft opinion leaked this week, will not be the final chapter in the nation’s most pitched culture battle.

Wisconsin is one of four states emerging as top priorities for Democrats in an election year when the party is facing fierce political headwinds.

Ammonium nitrate is the same chemical compound behind the massive 2020 Beirut port explosion.

Boom-Jet Plant North Carolina Gov. (Walt Unks/Winston-Salem Journal via AP) (Walt Unks)RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — A Colorado-based aviation company announced Wednesday that it has chosen a North Carolina airport as the manufacturing site for next-generation supersonic passenger jets. Boom Supersonic announced that Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro will be the home for its first full-scale manufacturing plant, including the final assembly line, testing and delivery center for its proposed Overture supersonic airliner. “Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines,” Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl said in the release. Boom is one of several companies trying to revive supersonic passenger travel, which died with the grounding of the Concorde nearly two decades ago.

Boom says the Overture will fly at a top speed of mach 1.7, approximately 1,300 miles per hour, allowing it to shave hours off of some international flights.

The winter blast could ice over a large swath of eastern North Carolina and the northeastern corner of South Carolina, while dumping snow around Norfolk, Virginia, the National Weather Service said. North Carolina Gov. He said 114 National Guard troops were staging in central and eastern North Carolina to prepare to move to the affected areas. An ice storm warning was issued in northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina, where rain was expected to change to mixed precipitation that includes freezing rain. To the north in Virginia, Virginia Beach also canceled after-school activities and went to an asynchronous schedule for Friday.

The winter blast could ice over a large swath of eastern North Carolina and the northeastern corner of South Carolina, while dumping snow around Norfolk, Virginia, the National Weather Service said. North Carolina Gov. He said 114 National Guard troops were staging in central and eastern North Carolina to prepare to move to the affected areas. An ice storm warning was issued in northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina, where rain was expected to change to mixed precipitation that includes freezing rain. To the north in Virginia, Virginia Beach also canceled after-school activities and went to an asynchronous schedule for Friday.

Trooper James "Nick" Horton was trying to give his older brother and fellow trooper, John Horton, backup at a traffic stop.

And there are only plans to study the broad Medicaid expansion he's sought for years, with no promise for an actual vote. “The good outweighed the bad, and it was time to move forward,” Cooper said in an interview with The Associated Press. Some Democratic legislators who were committed to upholding Cooper’s 2019 budget veto were determined this year to enact a plan. Massive amounts for building construction and other special projects sprinkled nearly everywhere in the budget appeared to give Republicans leverage, too. Democrats and allies are suing GOP leaders to halt Republican redistricting maps that would help retain or expand GOP majorities.

In politically divided North Carolina, hostilities between Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and majority-Republican lawmakers have eased somewhat as 2021 nears its end.

After GOP shows strong performance in Virginia and New Jersey elections, Democrats pivot to emphasize local impact of Biden's agenda.

After GOP shows strong performance in Virginia and New Jersey elections, Democrats pivot to emphasize local impact of Biden's agenda.

NC Governor Roy Cooper signed the new HB 91 bill that will change the way public high school sports are handled in the state.

The pardon allows Dontae Sharpe to apply for compensation for his wrongful conviction for first-degree murder. A witness against him said her claims were made up, based on what investigators told her.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday pardoned a man who spent 24 years behind bars for a murder he has long said he did not commit. Cooper’s pardon of innocence allows Dontae Sharpe to apply for compensation up to $750,000 for his wrongful conviction. “Mr. Sharpe and others who have been wrongly convicted deserve to have that injustice fully and publicly acknowledged," the governor said in a statement announcing he had pardoned the man after a careful review of the case.

Roy Cooper of North Carolina signed a milestone energy bill into law Wednesday that aims to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the state's power plants by 2030, celebrating the legislative accomplishment with Republican lawmakers. At least 16 states previously have passed legislation establishing greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. To get there, coal-fired power plants operated by Duke Energy, the state's dominant utility, are expected to be retired early, replaced by an evolving mix of alternate fuels for electricity. The new law also allows Duke Energy to seek multiyear rate increases and performance-based earnings incentives from the state Utilities Commission — a significant win for the Charlotte-based company. This led to extensive talks between state senators and Cooper for an agreement that was announced almost two weeks ago.

A milestone energy bill that targets sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions from North Carolina power plants has become law.

The move late Wednesday makes Oakland Unified the first school district in Northern California to adopt a vaccine requirement. Kathy Hochul says state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker has submitted his resignation. Education Commissioner Randy Watson said Wednesday that state health officials told him the child died this week. State health officials said they are investigating the report. Meanwhile, state health officials reported 11 new COVID-19 clusters at schools.

Friday’s ruling is the latest development in a state battle over voting rights that has drawn national attention.

The school is secure, but police are still searching for the suspect, who is believed to be a fellow high school student, according to the police chief.

The school is secure, but police are still searching for the suspect.

Republican-controlled legislatures across the country are advancing measures to limit how students can be taught about race and racism.

Thousands of social media posts have misleadingly painted President Joe Biden and his administration as catalysts of chaos who not only mishandled the temporary shutdown of the nation’s largest fuel pipeline last Friday, but engineered it.

Apple plans to invest more than $1 billion in North Carolina to build the company’s first East Coast campus.

Authorities say seven North Carolina deputies have been placed on leave in the aftermath of a Black man being shot and killed by members of their department serving drug-related search and arrest warrants.

The race is on to vaccinate as many Americans as possible against COVID-19, but a significant number of people in the U.S. are still reluctant to get the shots, even in places where they are plentiful.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, center, celebrates with teammates Patrick Marleau (12) and Mario Ferraro (38) after scoring a goal against Minnesota Wild during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The San Jose Sharks have returned to practice and are set to play the St. Louis Blues as scheduled on Saturday night after having one game postponed because a player tested positive for the coronavirus. Tomas Hertl was placed on the COVID-19 list on Wednesday, leading to the team canceling practice that day and postponing Thursday’s game against Vegas. With no other players or staff testing positive since then, the Sharks were allowed to return to practice Friday and will host St. Louis the next night. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference will expand use of KINEXON SafeTag contact tracing devices by equipping players, coaches and Tier 1 personnel for its upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Owner Richard Dobkin, right, photographs the damage at Ocean Ridge Storage Solutions in Brunswick County, N.C. near the town of Sunset Beach, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that the state must learn from the surprise tornado that struck Ocean Isle Beach with little or no warning, leaving three people dead and 10 injured. The governor surveyed the brunt of the damage, at Ocean Ridge Plantation, a neighborhood where residents recounted near-death experiences from the powerful EF3 tornado that approached swiftly. Some said they received a warning alert on their phone two minutes after the tornado had already passed. AdBefore the tornado hit his Ocean Ridge Storage Solutions business about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Ocean Ridge Plantation, he said he was already struggling financially from the governor's pandemic-related business restrictions.

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)The Latest on winter weather across the U.S. (all times local):WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden offered his administration’s assistance Tuesday in a call with at least seven governors of states impacted by severe winter weather this week. Among those on the call were Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. Biden, who was heading to Milwaukee to participate in a CNN town hall, declared the weather there “cold as the devil up there.”___KENSINGTON, Md. The events show how vulnerable America is to extreme weather —both hot and cold— which increases with climate change, scientists said. J.B. Pritzker has declared a disaster proclamation after a winter storm blanketed the state with snow and caused power outages.

Authorities in Greece have extended a curfew in the country's two largest cities after a new rise in COVID-19 cases . ___THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:Spain surpasses 3 million coronavirus cases, seventh highest total in the world. The governor got his Pfizer shot along with Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and several other state officials who are newly able under Louisiana’s latest eligibility criteria. Health officials reported 1,526 new confirmed infections Tuesday — half in the greater Athens region — and another 20 deaths. AdAcross the state, officials have started to vaccinate people 65 and older and some workers who can’t do their jobs remotely.

(Peter Meecham/New Zealand Herald via AP)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Travelers returning to New Zealand will face stricter rules at quarantine hotels as health authorities investigate how up to three people got infected with the coronavirus while isolating at Auckland’s Pullman Hotel. The record increase of 65 deaths is three more than the previous one-day record reported on Jan. 6, according to health department records. The university and county health department are asking students to limit leaving their residence to going to classes, getting food, work and other necessary in-person activities. The health department said in the news release that if the case counts continues to rise, stricter measures will have to be applied. The previous one-day record of 62 was reported Jan. 6, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Scott Applewhite, File)President-elect Joe Biden announced Thursday that he had chosen North Carolina regulator Michael S. Regan as his nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his pick for interior secretary. Biden will introduce Regan, Haaland and other newly named nominees at an event Saturday. North Carolina Gov. In North Carolina, Regan led the negotiations that resulted in the cleanup of the Cape Fear River, which has been dangerously contaminated by PFAS industrial compounds from a chemical plant. With Duke Energy, he negotiated what North Carolina says was the largest cleanup agreement for toxic coal ash.

Hong Kong on Wednesday reported an additional 100 cases, bringing its two-week total to 1,274. Hong Kong has reported a total of 7,075 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, with 112 deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services also said 9,028 people were hospitalized across the state. Since late November, the new daily cases have soared past 10,000 on several days, with 15,103 new cases reported Tuesday, according to state health officials. ___BOISE, Idaho — Idaho public health officials abruptly ended a meeting Tuesday evening after the Boise mayor and chief of police said intense anti-mask protests outside the health department building — as well as outside some health officials’ homes — were threatening public safety.

State health officials decline to identify which hospitals have expressed interest, but say there is need statewide. Hospitalizations have not yet reached their summer heights in Georgia, but beds are filling rapidly with COVID-19 cases. ___HARRISBURG, Pa. — States faced a deadline on Friday to place orders for the coronavirus vaccine as many reported record infections, hospitalizations and deaths. Ukraine, which is facing a rapid rise in coronavirus cases, tightened weekend restrictions last month but lifted them this week. ___ATLANTA — Vice President Mike Pence is trying to boost Americans’ confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines that are awaiting regulatory approval and distribution.

“This was a status quo election.”Heading into Tuesday, Republicans had full control of 29 state legislatures compared to 19 for Democrats. “The reality is we are still running on very gerrymandered maps,” said Christina Polizzi, national press secretary for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. They were countered by the Republican state leadership committee, which had a target of about $70 million. But Republican redistricting power will be diminished in some states because of changes that occurred in recent years. Instead, Republicans added to their House ranks with more conservatives, increasing the potential to override vetoes by Democratic Gov.

Mike Parson, and State Auditor Nicole Galloway are seen onstage before the Missouri gubernatorial debate at the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, Missouri. Democrats are hoping to gain control of more state legislative chambers after Republicans scored huge wins in 2010. The only governor's job to change parties is in Montana, where Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. The national Democratic and Republican governors associations and the campaigns themselves have contributed more than $24 million to the race. In Missouri, incumbent Mike Parson, a Republican, defeated Nicole Galloway, the state auditor who was the Democrats' best chance to pick up a seat.

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 file photo, Missouri Republican Gov. Its the most hotly contested of the nations 11 governors races this fall. Which party holds the governor's office could be especially consequential over the next few years. In governor’s races, many of the attack ads are funded by each party’s governors association. In the governor’s race, he said Gianforte’s financial support of a Montana museum dedicated to creationist beliefs was a big problem.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference Tuesday with the top elected officials of 10 states that together account for about 80% of Indias total cases, urging them to rigorously apply the strategies of containment, surveillance and contact tracing to drive the fatality rate below 1%. Those measures appear to have been successful in bringing numbers down from the more than 100 new daily cases reported at the end of last month. ___MEXICO CITY Mexico reported a near-record 926 newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, bringing the countrys accumulated total to 53,929. The Health Department reported 6,686 new coronavirus infections, bringing the countrys total confirmed cases so far to 492,522. At that rate Mexico will reach a half million confirmed cases soon, but given the extremely low rate of testing less than 1.1 million tests in a country of almost 130 million inhabitants the number would like be a vast undercount.

FILE - In this July 21, 2016, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump smiles as he addresses delegates during the final day session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. North Carolina public health officials told the Republican National Committee the party can have more than 10 people in a room to conduct official convention business while in Charlotte. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)RALEIGH, N.C. North Carolina will ease gathering restrictions for the Republican National Convention in Charlotte this month after a push by the national party for the state to be more accommodating. The RNC has estimated it would have no more than 500 delegates per day at the Charlotte Convention Center and the Westin hotel. The back-and-forth between the state and RNC comes amid a months-long battle between Trump and North Carolina's Democratic governor.

With reported coronavirus cases rising rapidly in many states, governors are getting lots of advice on what they should do. Dr. Brian Labus, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Public Health and a member of the medical team advising Sisolak, said he knows the governor has to weigh public health advice against political and economic considerations. The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases per day in the U.S. hit an all-time high of 40,000 Friday. In Utah, coronavirus cases have been surging since most businesses were allowed to reopen in May. As West Virginia has seen a spike in reported virus cases, Gov.

Democrats will hold an almost entirely virtual presidential nominating convention Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee using live broadcasts and online streaming, party officials said Wednesday. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi will serve as convention chair, party officials said. Unlike this president, Joe Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting the health and safety of the American people, Perez said. Besides events in Wisconsin, Democrats plan other events in satellite locations around the country to broadcast as part of the convention. Veteran producer Ricky Kirshner, who has worked on every Democratic National Convention since 1992, will lead production of the convention, including the satellite broadcasts.

Sundays work follows the removal of two other Confederate statues on the state Capitol grounds in Raleigh on Saturday. Cooper ordered the statues removed after protesters toppled two other Confederate statues Friday night, stringing one up by the neck and hanging it from a light pole. Cooper has advocated the statues removal for years. In another case in California, symbols of the Black Lives Matter movement have been targeted in recent weeks with vandalism. The Ventura County Sheriffs Office said late Saturday that a tarp painted with the letters BLM has been repeatedly damaged in Thousand Oaks.

Roy Coopers administration has ordered closed a small stock-car track thats allowed large crowds to gather repeatedly for weekend races well above COVID-19 limits for mass gatherings. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP)GRAHAM, N.C. A North Carolina judge on Thursday ordered a small stock-car track to halt racing after state health officials declared large weekend crowds at recent races violated an executive order by Gov. Media reports indicated many gathered at three weekend races since late May sat and stood near each other, and few wore masks. Kitchen also argued that the Turners constitutional rights were being violated and that they were subject to selective enforcement of Coopers order. If its wrong to have races, than all races have to be shut down, Kitchen said.

But she made clear that Jacksonville is the favorite now that Charlotte, North Carolina, the official host of this summer's Republican National Convention, has balked on promising Trump a full-blown convention free from social distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic. Shame on him, because he put politics over the people of his state and revenues coming into his state, McDaniel said in the radio interview. Mayor Len Curry is a former chair of the state Republican Party and the area is the home base of GOP Gov. We are going to keep our convention of, the business of the convention in Charlotte. Charlotte officials on Wednesday said that despite public comments from Trump and GOP officials, they had not been officially informed of any intent to move any part of the convention.

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump participates in a briefing about Hurricane Dorian with North Carolina Gov. Trump's tweets Monday about the RNC, planned for Charlotte, come just two days after the North Carolina recorded its largest daily increase in positive cases yet. A draft of the bill, authored by Republican State Rep. John Torbett of Gaston and circulated last week by North Carolina Republican Party chairman Michael Whatley, calls for convention events in Charlotte to be held at full capacity, just as Trump had demanded from Cooper. The bill would require attendees to complete both pre-attendance and daily health surveys and have their temperatures taken prior to entry. Torbett's bill is unlikely to garner support among Democratic state lawmakers, who are concerned about reopening the state too soon and holding mass gatherings.

Trump and the RNC had demanded that the August convention be allowed to move forward with a full crowd and that participants not have to wear face coverings. Protecting public health and safety during this pandemic is a priority.A traditional GOP convention brings together roughly 2,500 delegates, the same number of alternate delegates and many times more guests, journalists and security personnel. They agreed to continue talking about ways to have a safe convention in Charlotte.But Cooper made clear to Trump that those conditions would likely be impossible to accommodate. The RNC's leader, Ronna McDaniel accused Cooper of dragging his feet on giving them guidance for proceeding with convention plans. Tennessee's Bill Lee said GOP officials were coming to scout Nashville on Thursday.

We have been committed to a safe RNC convention in North Carolina and its unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe, Cooper tweeted in response to the decision. Protecting public health and safety during this pandemic is a priority.A traditional GOP convention brings together roughly 2,500 delegates, the same number of alternate delegates and many times more guests, journalists and security personnel. The Republican governors of states including Tennessee, Florida and Georgia had said they would be interested in hosting if North Carolina fell through. Changing sites had been seen as difficult for reasons including the contract between GOP officials and Charlotte leaders to hold the convention there. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tenn.; Jonathan Drew in Durham, North Carolina; and Tom Foreman Jr. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, contributed to this report.