North Carolina
2022 North Carolina A&T football season preview
2021 season: 5-6, 3-4 within the Huge South (third within the Huge South)
Head coach: Sam Washington (fifth season)
As soon as once more, it is going to be a season of transition for North Carolina A&T in 2022. After only one fall season within the Huge South following a transfer from the MEAC, the Aggies are on the transfer once more, this time to the Colonial Athletic Affiliation. Earlier than then, although, head coach Sam Washington’s workforce has one final probability to make some noise within the convention, and it appears poised to do exactly that.
Final 12 months was not the perfect for the Aggies, who posted their first dropping file since 2011 in a international setting. Their pretty even mark in convention play was good for third place, nonetheless. Now, one other 12 months faraway from its spring season cancellation in 2020-21 and certain a bit extra at dwelling within the Huge South, North Carolina A&T ought to be ready to contend for a title.
With undefeated reigning champion Kennesaw State off to the Atlantic Solar Convention, there’s a energy void atop the convention, and the Aggies ought to be a part of Bryant and Campbell in vying to fill it. A giant a part of whether or not they are going to achieve doing so is the play of redshirt senior quarterback Jalen Fowler. The 6-foot-3 Fowler stepped into the beginning position for the primary time in 2021 and confirmed glimpses, racking up a powerful 7.8 yards per completion, with out ever breaking out. He stays an thrilling prospect, however North Carolina A&T will want higher than a 5-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio to rise to the highest.
Fortunately for the Aggies, they’ve a defensive tandem to lean upon in junior linebacker Jacob Roberts and redshirt senior defensive finish Jermaine McDaniel Jr. Roberts got here into his personal as a sophomore, beginning 10 video games and amassing a team-leading 84 tackles. In the meantime, McDaniel offers North Carolina A&T one thing that only a few groups have in a move rusher that have to be accounted for on the sting. With these two main the way in which, the Aggies—who fielded the convention’s third-best scoring protection—ought to solely develop into a stronger problem for opposing offenses.
By way of scheduling, the Aggies have one Energy 5 matchup schedule at in-state foe Duke. Past that, it’s one final Huge South gauntlet for North Carolina A&T earlier than transferring on as soon as once more.
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| Sports activities Editor
Jonathan Levitan is a Trinity junior and sports activities editor of The Chronicle’s 118th quantity.
North Carolina
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper backs out of consideration to be Harris’ running mate
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has informed Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign that he does not want to be under consideration in her search for a vice presidential candidate, the governor said Monday night.
Cooper said in a statement explaining his decision that although he was taking himself out of consideration for the role, he’s still backing Harris’ candidacy.
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President,” Cooper said. “I know she’s going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket.”
“As I’ve said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins,” he added.
The New York Times first reported that Cooper was withdrawing his name from consideration.
One source directly involved in Harris’ search for a running mate said Cooper took himself out of the mix because he wants to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. The source said Cooper never indicated to the campaign that he wanted to be vice president and told Harris aides that he did not want to be considered.
NBC News previously reported that interviews with some Democratic insiders pointed to Cooper, along with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as top contenders to join Harris on the Democratic ticket.
Other governors, including Kentucky’s Andy Beshear and Minnesota’s Tim Walz, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are among those who have also been floated as potential running mates.
The Harris campaign previously said she plans to select a running mate by Aug. 7.
North Carolina
Feds approve Cooper plan to relieve up to $4B in NC medical debt, as Harris weighs in
A plan unveiled at the beginning of this month by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to leverage Medicaid funds to help North Carolinians struggling with medical debt has been approved by the federal government.
On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a plan that has the potential to relieve $4 billion in existing hospital medical debt for people in the state, according to a news release. In order for the plan to take effect, hospitals would need to sign on.
“Unlike most other debts, medical debt is not intentional because people don’t choose to get seriously ill or have an accident,” Cooper said, according to the news release.
“Medical debts are often beyond people’s ability to pay, ruining their credit, keeping them from getting credit cards, loans and jobs and sometimes driving them into bankruptcy. That’s why we’re working with hospitals and federal partners to help relieve the burden of medical debt for North Carolina families,” he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris — who appears set to become the Democratic presidential nominee for the November election, and has been considering Cooper as a possible running mate — has been “coordinating” with state officials on the medical debt plan, The Washington Post reported.
“No one should be denied access to economic opportunity simply because they experienced a medical emergency,” Harris said in a statement sent as part of a news release Monday.
“Yet today, more than 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt — making it more difficult for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan, which makes it more difficult for them to just get by, much less get ahead.”
“I applaud North Carolina for setting an example that other states can follow by advancing a plan that has the potential to relieve $4 billion in medical debt for two million individuals and families. This critical step also strengthens financial assistance for emergency medical procedures moving forward,” Harris said.
Harris wrote that over $650 million in medical debt had been forgiven through the American Rescue Plan, which was passed under the Biden administration.
The News & Observer has contacted several hospitals and the North Carolina Healthcare Association, which represents hospitals, regarding their stances on the plan.
UNC Health “continues to have discussions with state and federal officials,” UNC Health spokesperson Alan Wolf said in an email.
“We support efforts to reduce medical debt and we expect to receive more details on the approved plan soon,” he said.
Medical debt relief provided
According to Cooper’s news release, hospitals that opt in to the plan must implement the following to be eligible for enhanced payments offered under the plan:
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For those on Medicaid, relieve all unpaid medical debt dating back to Jan. 1, 2014.
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Relieve all unpaid medical debt that has become virtually impossible to collect dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for people not enrolled in Medicaid whose income is at or below at least 350% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or whose total debt exceeds 5% of their annual income. A family of two at 350% of the FPL makes about $71,000 a year.
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Provide discounts on medical bills for people at or below 300% FPL.
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Automatically enroll people into financial assistance, known as charity care.
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Not sell medical debt of people making below 300% FPL to debt collectors.
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Not report debt covered by policies laid out in the plan to a credit reporting agency.
Patients of participating hospitals will not need to take any actions to benefit from medical debt relief, according to the news release.
Plan to leverage Medicaid funds
When the state expanded Medicaid in December, it implemented a mechanism that allowed hospitals to receive higher federal reimbursements in return for paying the state’s share of costs under the expansion bill.
The federal government covers 90% of Medicaid coverage costs for the expansion population, while the state covers 10%. This funding mechanism was called the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program.
The medical debt relief plan further leverages federal funds by providing higher HASP payments to hospitals that choose to implement the plan.
Hospitals often only collect a small fraction of the medical debt they are owed, Cooper said during a press conference announcing the plan on July 1.
However, large debts that remain on the books can prevent people from buying a home or getting a credit card and sometimes can lead people into homelessness and bankruptcy, he said.
North Carolina has one of the highest percentages — 13.4% — of adults with medical debt, according to KFF, a health policy organization. About 20 million people — or nearly 1 in 12 adults — owe a combined total of at least $220 billion in medical debt in the United States, KFF says.
North Carolina
Officials warn against swimming in French Broad River due to dangerous bacteria
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) — A North Carolina river is deemed ‘too dirty’ to swim in.
People are advised to refrain from swimming in the French Broad River near Asheville for 24 to 48 hours, or until the water is less muddy.
Samples showed high levels of bacteria, including e-coli from recirculating water. According to officials, it’s because of the recent heavy rains.
“What we recommend for folks to do is…find somewhere else to go swim,” Anna Alsobrook, the watershed science and policy manager at MountainTrue, said. “We’ve seen everything from ear infections to GI issues (to) sinus infections.”
Officials are also telling people to avoid ingesting any water until the quality level improves, which could be in a matter of days.
French Broad River flows from North Carolina into Tennessee.
SEE ALSO | NC farmer losing crop because of unsafe levels of chemicals in water
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