Southeast
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper among Kamala Harris' possible VP picks: A look at his 16 years as AG
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is being considered as a top contender for Kamala Harris’ vice president on the 2024 Democratic ticket.
Originally from Nash County, Cooper, 67, practiced law for 18 years and then served in the state legislature before serving four terms as attorney general between 2001 and 2017.
“Democrats are likely to see Roy Cooper as a good match for Kamala Harris for multiple reasons. First and foremost, Cooper helps bring North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes into play in a way other candidates do not,” John Locke Foundation senior political analyst Mitch Kokai told Fox News Digital. “He has won six statewide elections since 2000. That’s an impressive accomplishment for a Democrat in a state that has trended right during the same time period.”
By contrast, Kokai said, Democrats have only won a single U.S. Senate contest over the same period in North Carolina.
WHO IS ROY COOPER? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR AND POSSIBLE VP PICK
Originally from Nash County, Cooper, 67, practiced law for 18 years and then served in the state legislature before serving four terms as attorney general between 2001 and 2017. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
“Cooper has been the Democrats’ brightest star in North Carolina in recent years, and so-called ‘Cooper-Trump’ voters helped him win his races for governor at the same time the Republican nominee won in this state during the last two presidential races,” he explained. “Cooper offers a clear demographic contrast to Harris, and he also presents a calm, sober, constrained personality that might help counter some of the criticism Harris has faced about her interactions with interviewers and the public.”
Despite his 16 years as attorney general – winning four AG elections back-to-back – “few people are likely to remember any significant accomplishment that could be attributable directly to Cooper’s work,” Kokai said.
In perhaps his biggest moment as attorney general, Cooper made headlines across the nation when he declared three Duke University lacrosse players innocent in 2007 after an exotic dancer they had hired for a party in 2006 accused them of rape.
“We believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges,” Cooper famously said at the time.
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Gov. Roy Cooper makes remarks to the crowd before President Biden during a visit to Wolfspeed, a semiconductor manufacturer, on March 28, 2023, in Durham, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
During his final years as attorney general, Cooper challenged HB 2, a law requiring people to use bathrooms corresponding with their sex at birth, that he called unconstitutional. When he became governor, he repealed the law.
“For over a year now, House Bill 2 has been a dark cloud over our great state. It has stained our reputation. It has discriminated against our people. And it has caused great economic harm to many of our communities,” he said at the time. “Today, we repealed House Bill 2. We begin to end discrimination. We begin to bring back jobs and sporting events. And we begin to repair our reputation. It is an important step, but it cannot be the only step.”
He also supported legislation allowing for same-sex marriage in the state, which has been legal since 2014, in his capacity as AG.
Cooper’s website touts a 30% decrease in crime during his tenure as AG.
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Cooper’s website touts a 30% decrease in crime during his tenure as AG. (Julia Nikhinson/Bloomberg)
“He cracked down on child predators, worked to increase penalties for drug dealers, and oversaw a sharp (30%) decrease in crime,” his site states. “Roy also prioritized consumer protection, and fought to keep utility rates low, putting predatory lenders out of business and cracking down on telemarketers.”
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI) Crime Reporting data shows total statewide offenses decreased more than 24% between 2001, the year he was sworn into the AG’s office, and 2017, the year he became governor.
However, the murder, aggravated assault, rape, and motor-vehicle theft rates per 100 people increased between 2013 and 2022, more recent SBI statistics show, most of which spiked during the 2020-2021 period. North Carolina saw one of its most drastic upticks in homicides between 2020 and 2021, as did many other states and cities. While overall crime has decreased recently, it is still higher than before 2020.
“I cannot say whether the crime rate is 30% lower now than when Roy Cooper became attorney general 24 years ago. If so, that’s much more likely due to factors affecting the nation as a whole than to anything special Cooper did while leading the North Carolina Department of Justice,” Kokai said.
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Cooper was effective in staying out of the spotlight during his time in the AG’s office, the senior political analyst said. (Grant Halverson)
Cooper was effective in staying out of the spotlight during his time in the AG’s office, the senior political analyst said.
“His tenure was so unremarkable that Republicans didn’t bother to field a candidate against him during one of his re-election bids,” he said. “In that respect, his record, style, and accomplishments would be unlikely to overshadow Kamala Harris. Plus, he might help her swing 16 electoral votes that have gone to Republicans in every election since 2012. That might be exactly what the presumptive Democratic nominee is seeking in a running mate.”
Cooper also worked in his authority as AG to combat opioid addiction across the state and hold companies accountable for promoting drugs that lead to addiction.
In his capacity as governor, Cooper did initiate COVID-19 lockdowns, temporarily shuttering certain restaurants and businesses, and passed strict masking mandates. In April, an appeals court ruled that the governor overstepped when he allowed restaurants to reopen a few months after COVID-19 came to the United States while forcing standalone bars to remain closed. The court described Cooper’s orders as “illogical” in the decision, according to The Associated Press.
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In his capacity as governor, Cooper did initiate COVID-19 lockdowns, temporarily shuttering certain restaurants and businesses, and passed strict masking mandates. (Grant Baldwin/Bloomberg)
“He offered an annual update on crime statistics, and he occasionally promoted efforts to fight scams targeting seniors or other vulnerable groups. But it would surprise me if one in 100 people stopped on a North Carolina street could name anything special Cooper did as attorney general,” Kokai said. “To some extent, that’s good news for Cooper because his tenure did involve some clear problems. The Crime Lab at the State Bureau of Investigation faced a serious scandal that led to a number of prosecutions being thrown out.”
Kokai noted that North Carolina developed “a noticeable backlog of untested rape kits” under Cooper’s time as AG. His Democratic successor, Josh Stein, “made a big deal out of clearing the backlog, never emphasizing the degree to which the problem stemmed from operations during Cooper’s tenure,” the senior political analyst explained.
Republican North Carolina state Sen. Warren Daniel also weighed in on Cooper’s potential nomination as Harris’ VP, stating simply: “I would love to have Mark Robinson as acting Governor of North Carolina while Roy Cooper is out traveling the country in support of a losing presidential ticket.”
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Southeast
Family member of American killed by Cuban forces in boat shootout says he was on ‘diabolical’ mission
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The brother of an American citizen killed in a brazen boat clash with Cuban forces says his sibling was consumed by an “obsessive and diabolical” push to free the island and that “no one knew” what he was planning.
American citizen Michel Ortega Casanova, who worked as a truck driver, was one of 10 passengers on a Florida-registered boat that allegedly opened fire on Cuban soldiers in an attempt to infiltrate the island.
A Monroe County Sheriff’s Office incident report obtained by Fox News noted the boat’s owner reported it stolen Wednesday after hearing about the Cuba shootout on the news.
The owner, who did not speak English, told deputies his 24-foot vessel went missing, and he suspected an employee named Hector — who had two young daughters in Cuba — may have taken it.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed an incident involving Cuban forces and a speedboat Wednesday before returning to Washington, D.C., after meetings with Caribbean Community leaders at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool/Reuters)
Ortega Casanova, who lived in the U.S. for more than two decades, was one of four killed in the attempt. He is survived by his wife, mother, brother, two sisters, daughter and unborn grandchild.
Six other passengers, all Cubans living in the U.S., were injured. It is unclear if Hector was on board.
Ortega Casanova’s brother, Misael, told The Associated Press Wednesday that his brother had an “obsessive and diabolical” pursuit for Cuba’s freedom.
“Only us Cubans who have lived over there understand [the great suffering],” Misael said.
He said “no one knew” about his brother’s plans to infiltrate the island, noting their mother is “devastated.”
“They became so obsessed that they didn’t think about the consequences nor their own lives,” Misael said.
While Ortega Casanova’s family did not recognize any of the other passengers, Misael said, “maybe [the attempt] will justify that some day Cuba will be free.”
CUBA IS APPROACHING ITS BERLIN WALL MOMENT — AMERICA MUST HELP THEM BREAK THROUGH
Cuban Coast Guard forces reported an exchange of gunfire with a U.S.-registered speedboat Wednesday. (Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)
He refrained from labeling the group heroes, describing the idea as “ignorance.”
Cuban officials said many of the boat passengers, who were intercepted roughly a mile northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast, had a known history of criminal and violent activity.
Passengers Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez were wanted by Cuban authorities for their involvement in the “promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of actions carried out in the national territory or in other countries, in connection with acts of terrorism,” according to the government.
Cuban politician Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla posted to X after the incident, claiming a “rigorous investigation” is being conducted to clarify the facts.
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“Cuba has had to face numerous terrorist and aggressive infiltrations originating from #EEUU since 1959, at a high cost in lives, injuries, and material damage,” Rodriguez Parrilla wrote in a post. “The defense of Cuba’s coasts, of the national territory, and of national security is an ineludible duty.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is working to determine whether the passengers were American citizens or permanent residents.
U.S. officials said at least two of the people on the bat were U.S. citizens, and another was on a U.S. K-1 visa — which is granted to fiancées of U.S. citizens for 90 days.
“We have various different elements of the U.S. government that are trying to identify elements of the story that may not be provided to us now,” Rubio told reporters in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
“Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day. It’s something, frankly, that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time.”
Cuban officials said the vessel’s passengers were intercepted off the country’s northern coast. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto)
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Rubio said the U.S. will verify the facts independently, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Coast Guard are investigating.
Vice President JD Vance said he was briefed on the incident, and the White House is monitoring the situation.
“Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be,” Vance said.
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Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier said prosecutors will work with federal, state and law enforcement partners to start an investigation.
“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” Uthmeier wrote in a social media post.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A North Carolina woman whose disappearance in 2001 triggered a 24-year search is now facing criminal charges from the year she vanished.
Michele Hundley Smith, now 63, was located Feb. 20 at an undisclosed location within North Carolina after detectives received new information about her case, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office said.
Smith was 38 when her husband reported that she left their Eden home Dec. 9, 2001, to go Christmas shopping in Martinsville, Virginia, and never returned. Her vehicle was never found.
An extensive investigation followed, and, despite years of investigative work, her whereabouts remained unknown until last week.
The 63-year-old woman posted $2,000 bond on a failure to appear charge related to a DWI from the month before she vanished for 24 years. (Robeson County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities said Smith told investigators she left on her own accord and referenced “domestic issues.”
Sheriff Sam Page told Fox News Digital the sheriff’s office had no prior record of domestic incidents at the home. No criminal charges are expected in her disappearance. However, following her identification, investigators discovered an outstanding order for arrest dating back to 2001.
A missing persons flyer circulated at the time of Michele Hundely Smith’s disappearance in December 2001. (Bring Michele Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)
MISSING NORTH CAROLINA MOM FOUND ALIVE AFTER 24 YEARS REVEALS WHY SHE LEFT
In a statement, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office said that, after consultation with the District Attorney’s Office and further investigation, authorities identified an outstanding order for arrest for Smith for failure to appear.
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The order stemmed from a DWI charge issued by the Eden Police Department Nov. 11, 2001. Smith failed to appear in court Dec. 27, 2001, for that charge, the statement said.
On Feb. 25, 2026, Smith was taken into custody by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at the request of Rockingham County authorities. She later posted a $2,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court March 26, 2026.
A missing mom found alive after 23 years reveals she left due to domestic issues. (Bring Michele Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)
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On Thursday, the New York Post reported it had located Smith in a trailer in a rural community near the South Carolina state line. Smith told the outlet she is trying to make amends with her daughter and the family she walked out on decades ago.
“My daughter is forgiving me. We are in contact, so leave me alone,” she told the outlet.
Smith’s neighbors said she had “been here for years and years” and mostly keeps to herself.
“We asked why she didn’t come out of the house much, and she said her husband passed. He passed last year. … She was really sad about it. She said she was depressed and stayed inside,” the neighbor said.
Michele Hundely Smith disappeared after leaving her home in North Carolina to go Christmas shopping in Virginia in December 2001. (Bring Michele Hundely Smith Home/Facebook)
In a 2018 interview on “The Vanished Podcast,” her daughter, Amanda Hundley, said her mother’s marriage was unraveling under the weight of alcohol abuse, infidelity and escalating marital arguments.
Smith had recently lost her job at a veterinary practice after being fired for drinking on the job, Hundley said.
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“My dad didn’t like the fact that my mom hid her drinking. I knew about it, and I was the only one. And I felt, you know, I was young, and I felt obligated not to say anything to betray my mom,” Hundley said on the podcast.
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According to Hundley, her father suspected the drinking but did not fully understand the extent of it until after Smith vanished.
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“He said, ‘Do you know where she kept the bottles at?’ And I showed them we had a little red building outside, and it was full of rum bottles, the empties, the ones that she had already drunk,” recalled Hundley, who was 14 at the time.
The couple’s relationship had also deteriorated. Hundley said both her parents had affairs during the marriage. She described frequent arguments that “got physical a few times.”
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Southeast
Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’
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An Atlanta-area police department issued a blunt notice to parents after officers claimed a child brought a vodka-based beverage to school — tucked beside Doritos in a packed lunch.
The City of South Fulton Police Department sounded off about the incident in a now-viral Facebook post, warning parents to “CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX.”
“Say Twin… Before you send them babies off to school… CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX. Because why are we getting reports of juice boxes sitting next to… Cutwater margaritas??” the department wrote.
Officials also shared a photo of the alleged lunchbox, containing what appears to be a child’s lunch, Doritos and a Cutwater Lemon Drop Martini.
The police department shared a photo of a Cutwater canned cocktail in a lunchbox. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)
“That is NOT Capri Sun. That is NOT Apple Juice. That is a whole ‘Parent had a long night’ starter pack,” the department wrote. “Now little Johnny done pulled up to 3rd period talking about: ‘Who want fruit snacks?’ knowing good and well he got a Lemon Drop Martini in the zipper pocket.”
Cutwater Lemon Drop Martinis, as found in the lunchbox, are 11% ABV ready-to-drink cocktails made with vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and natural flavors.
They come in 12-ounce cans, similar in appearance to a soda can.
The City of South Fulton Police Department issued a statement after the apparent mishap. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)
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The department said it understands mornings can be hectic, but issued a stern notice to parents to “TIGHTEN UP.”
“Your child shouldn’t be the only one in the cafeteria with a beverage that requires an ID,” authorities wrote. “If it says 12% ABV… it does NOT belong next to a PB&J.”
Officials also provided a “quick parent checklist,” with items including: “Homework,” “Lunch packed,” and “Alcoholic beverages.”
Boxes of Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Strawberry Margarita canned cocktails. (Gado/Getty Images)
“Check the lunchbox before the Fulton County Schools Police resource officers gotta do inventory at recess,” the department added.
It is unclear if any parents or students were disciplined in relation to the mix-up.
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Fulton County Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The City of South Fulton, Georgia, is a rapidly growing municipality located about 20 minutes from Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
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