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5 things to know: New school year begins, COVID numbers climb again in N.C.

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5 things to know: New school year begins, COVID numbers climb again in N.C.


Faculty college students are beginning to transfer again into their dorms. Youthful college students in North Carolina’s traditional-calendar faculties are on the point of begin a brand new 12 months in a pair brief weeks.

North Carolina’s coronavirus case numbers have seen a bump in current weeks, fueled by yet one more new variant. However greater than two years into the pandemic, the talk has modified.

Faculty boards in North Carolina, for essentially the most half, have dropped the heated, divisive discussions on masking. Vaccines are extensively out there, even for the youngest college students. And most of those that will not be vaccinated have some immunity as a result of they’ve already had the virus, public well being consultants say.

With a brand new time period on the horizon, right here’s what we find out about COVID to start out the third college 12 months of the pandemic:

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What’s the COVID state of affairs in North Carolina?

COVID numbers in North Carolina have gone up over the summer time, this time pushed by the BA.5 variant.

 

There are greater than 1,350 folks within the hospital with the virus, based on the Division of Well being and Human Companies. North Carolina hasn’t had that many COVID sufferers within the hospital since late February.

Wastewater monitoring, a measure of how a lot virus is in wastewater across the state, continues to extend. With folks doing extra at-home assessments, public well being officers use wastewater monitoring as a extra reliable measure of how many individuals are contaminated.

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Well being officers say that fewer individuals are ending up within the hospital or in intensive care due to vaccinations and new remedies for folks vulnerable to COVID’s worse signs. DHHS knowledge reveals that on common there have been 152 sufferers with the virus in intensive care models across the state.

Out of 100 counties in North Carolina, 67 are thought-about “excessive danger” by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. The CDC advises folks to put on masks in public indoor areas in high-risk counties.

How many individuals are vaccinated or immune?

“Over 95% of the inhabitants in most of our districts will both be vaccinated, contaminated or each previously 12 to 18 months, which places each kids and adults within the college setting at a great state of affairs for COVID,” mentioned Dr. Danny Benjamin, a Duke pediatrician who studied masking in faculties in the course of the pandemic. He additionally suggested Wake County faculties on COVID insurance policies.

Statewide, about 63% of individuals are absolutely vaccinated, based on DHHS knowledge. About 59% of individuals in North Carolina have obtained not less than one booster shot.

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Vaccines at the moment are out there for all age teams, together with the youngest college students.

The very best vaccination charges within the state are within the Triangle. Dare and Hyde counties on the coast, Inexperienced County within the east, and Buncombe County within the mountains all have vaccination charges about 65%, based on DHHS knowledge.

“There are some counties in North Carolina the place the vaccination charges are fairly low,” Benjamin mentioned. However, he added, “The mixed complete of vaccination plus an infection can be a excessive quantity in every of the counties in North Carolina.”

 

 

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Are any faculties requiring masks?

No public college methods in North Carolina plans to require face masks originally of the college 12 months.

“We’re not listening to an entire lot of speak about COVID points from our members,” mentioned Leanne Winner, head of the North Carolina Faculty Boards Affiliation. Her group represents college boards from throughout the state.

“Our members are extra centered on staffing points and faculty security,” she mentioned.

“We’re at a degree within the pandemic the place many of the faculties act more often than not as if we’ve moved from an acute pandemic stage again to a give attention to training and scholar emotional wellbeing and the full well being of the scholar,” Benjamin mentioned.

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“That’s excellent news not just for dad and mom and kids but additionally for directors and faculty boards,” he mentioned.

 

When ought to faculties require masks?

Benjamin, who spent a lot of the final two years determining how you can hold COVID out of colleges, mentioned requiring masks in faculties must be a final resort.

He mentioned it’s time for varsity well being insurance policies to get again to extra routine approaches to preserving college employees and college students wholesome. Consider how faculties dealt with the flu in 2019, he mentioned.

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However his analysis does present that if faculties get a critical outbreak, whether or not that’s COVID or the flu, masks can sluggish the unfold.

“Implement masking provided that it’s to maintain the college open or if it’s in a particular circumstance, like we get a brand new variant sooner or later,” Benjamin mentioned.

If a virus received so dangerous that it threatened to close down a college with instructor absences, that’s when a college ought to think about a brand new masks mandate, he mentioned.

“In the event that they get a brand new variant or have a lot of infections, whether or not it’s influenza, RSV or another virus, then they’ve instruments at their disposal,” Benjamin mentioned.

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What about youngsters and employees who’re in danger?

Benjamin mentioned anybody who’s medically susceptible must be vaccinated and, in the event that they’re eligible, boosted.

“Any little one who’s significantly susceptible or at larger danger medically, clearly you ought to be in contact along with your little one’s pediatrician,” he mentioned. “Sporting a masks for that individual little one will not be as properly researched as common masking however most likely helps some.”

“It’s one thing that oldsters might do in the event that they so select,” he mentioned.

For employees and college students with at-risk relations at house, he mentioned they need to use at-home assessments to ensure they aren’t bringing the virus house.

Analysis revealed not too long ago by Benjamin and Duke Medical’s ABC Collaborative discovered that when kids get COVID at college they typically solely transmit that to somebody at house 25 to 30% of the time.

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The principle message from Benjamin is that this 12 months faculties must be able to get again to educating college students, with out face masks, however be prepared to reply in case there’s a giant virus outbreak, whether or not that’s the annual flu or a brand new spike in COVID circumstances.



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Latest challenge to North Carolina’s power-shifting law focuses on state elections board control

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s current governor and his successor tacked on another lawsuit Monday disputing a key provision within a GOP law that erodes the powers of several incoming Democratic state leaders — the latest in a longstanding power struggle between North Carolina’s executive and legislative branches over who controls the state’s elections.

The lawsuit challenges one of the law’s core power shifts that move the ability to appoint members of the North Carolina State Board of Elections from the governor’s authority to the state auditor’s office — which will be run by Republican Dave Boliek next year. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Gov.-elect Josh Stein, who currently serves as the state attorney general, filed the suit in Wake County Superior Court on Monday, saying in the complaint that the provision is unconstitutional and violates the separation of powers.

The change to state election board appointments will take place next spring if it isn’t blocked in court. The state elections board would likely remain under GOP control for the next few years and would trickle down to county boards as well.

“We have had the same structure for our state board of elections for nearly a century and it has served North Carolina well, with fair and secure elections across our state through every cycle,” Cooper said in a news release Monday. “These blatantly partisan efforts to give control over elections boards to a newly elected Republican will create distrust in our elections process and serve no legitimate purpose.”

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The suit from Cooper and Stein is the second challenge the pair has levied against the GOP-controlled state legislature concerning the law. Cooper and Stein are also contesting another provision that prevents the governor from choosing his State Highway Patrol commander.

Those alterations to the governor’s powers were part of a larger swath of changes to several statewide offices that Democrats won in November and will preside over next year — such as attorney general, state schools superintendent and lieutenant governor.

If the law withstands the court challenges, it would further underscore the GOP-led legislature’s tightened grip over the other two branches of government since Republicans took control of the General Assembly more than a decade ago. Last year, GOP supermajorities in both the House and Senate firmed up power even more.

Pending legal disputes in a few outstanding races, Republicans could lose their supermajority if Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn’s attempt to oust incumbent Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon proves successful. That would give Stein a slightly more effective veto stamp on future Republican legislation if Democratic lawmakers stay unified.

Republican legislators passed the law in both chambers earlier this month — not without scathing disapproval from crowds of protesters in the building.

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The bill drew the ire of House and Senate Democrats, as well as some community organizers, who denounced it as a “power grab.” They also criticized Republican lawmakers for tying the power shifts to disaster relief funding for western North Carolina in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath. Most of the $252 million in recovery funds included in the law can’t be spent until the next time the General Assembly acts.

But GOP legislators defended the bill, with incoming House Speaker Destin Hall saying during the House vote that the changes are within the legislature’s constitutional right. Republicans also point to previous Democratic actions, such as weakening the state’s first GOP governor in 1972, as reasons necessitating the legislation.

Spokespeople for Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore — who are both defendants listed in the lawsuit — did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday evening. A state elections board spokesperson also did not immediately respond.

Changes to the state elections board aren’t a first for GOP lawmakers. Previous attempts have been blocked by courts, including a suit last year that would move board appointment authority from the governor to the General Assembly. Berger and Moore’s attorneys moved to dismiss that case last week, and the new lawsuit from Cooper and Stein seeks to replace it.



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College basketball winners and losers: North Carolina saves season, Auburn dominates

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College basketball winners and losers: North Carolina saves season, Auburn dominates


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It’s not even the end of December and North Carolina badly needed a win.

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The schedule was tough, and almost every test resulted in a loss. The promise that came with a top 10 preseason ranking was fading; and the Tar Heels were headed toward spending the rest of the season on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament bubble

But the Tar Heels finally came through with a defeat of UCLA in New York City.

What has hurt North Carolina for much of the season has followed the same script: slow starts that mostly has been too much to overcome. It happened against unbeaten Florida team. UNC managed to lead in the second half before the Gators rallied. 

Against UCLA it looked like it was headed down the same path. The Bruins came out hot, and after the Tar Heels showed some fight, UCLA got the lead to 16 points with 12 minutes left. Then North Carolina stopped making mistakes. The baskets started to go in. Senior guard RJ Davis overcame some earlier mistakes by hitting the game-winning free throws to knock off the Bruins. 

Come tournament time, North Carolina will benefit from playing one of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules All five losses have been by teams ranked in the top 20. Saturday’s victory was the second Quad 1 win for the Tar Heels. They’ll need more to justify putting a spot in the field. 

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Still, there’s most of the ACC schedule to play, and Hubert Davis’ squad has some much-needed momentum heading into January, making North Carolina one of the biggest storylines from the past weekend of hoops.

Auburn looks like the best team in the country

Yes, there’s no No. 1 next to Auburn’s name. Nevertheless, the Tigers are playing like the top team in the nation after another crushing win over a ranked team.

Purdue hung around for about eight minutes before Auburn went on a 16-2 run over a seven-minute span. It was the Tigers’ ninth double-digit victory and sixth against a Quad 1 opponent.

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As Auburn has looked like the top team in the country, its big man Johni Broome continues to look like the best player in the country. His 23-point, 11-rebound performance was his eighth double-double of the season, and he did it on a bad shoulder. 

Ohio State plays big against Kentucky

What a Saturday it was in Columbus. Not only did the football team win its first-round game of the College Football Playoff on campus, but the men’s basketball squad went to New York City and handled Kentucky by 20 points. It was the most surprising result of the weekend given how good Kentucky has looked under Mark Pope and how shaky Ohio State has looked. 

It was one of the worst shooting nights for one of the best offenses in Kentucky, but the Buckeyes deserve credit for taking advantage of it by controlling the paint and getting a career-night from junior guard Bruce Thornton. One week prior, Ohio State lost to Auburn by 38 and didn’t look like much. Seven days later, the Buckeyes look capable of competing in a crowded Big Ten.

Connecticut back as a contender

Remember when the sky was falling in Storrs after Connecticut didn’t win a single game in Maui?

It seems like ages ago with the Huskies not faltering since then, winning six-straight that includes wins over Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga. The latest result came with UConn holding off a pesky Butler team on the road to move to 2-0 in Big East play. 

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Mississippi State overpowers Memphis

As if the SEC needed another solidified contender, Mississippi State picked up the best win in the conference with a thrashing of Memphis on the road. The Bulldogs went into FedEx Forum and quickly forced turnovers while knocking down their 3-point shots, and by the time Memphis realized what happened, Mississippi State had already had a firm grasp on the game.

The key to Mississippi State’s success has been taking care of the ball and generating steals. While the Bulldogs uncharacteristically turned the ball over more often on Saturday, they were stripping the ball away from Memphis with 15 steals, the fourth time they’ve had at least 10 in a game this season. 

The dominant win over Memphis gives Mississippi State three Quad 1 wins. It’s a crowded SEC, but Mississippi State is looking less like a bubble team and more like one eyeing a top four seed in the tournament.

Creighton shoots its way to much-needed win

Before the season, Creighton was expected to be a squad that could possibly dethrone UConn in the Big East. It hasn’t looked like one to start the season, but the Bluejays got a boost by beating Villanova.

Creighton lives and die by the 3-point shot and they made 14 on Saturday. While both teams could’ve used the victory, the Bluejays needed it with a slate coming up that includes St. John’s and Marquette next and Connecticut in the middle of January. It could be a slate that determines whether Creighton is legit or not. 

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Rutgers gets stunned and continues to drop

The arrival of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey gave optimism for Rutgers to be a relevant basketball team. So far, it’s not working out well.

The Scarlet Knights had a win snatched away by Princeton in the final second for their fourth loss in six games. To be fair, Harper and Bailey have been sensational and have lived up to expectations. The problem has been the defense, which is allowing opponents to stick around and capitalize late. It’s those mistakes that currently doesn’t have Rutgers on a trajectory toward the tournament, which would be a massive disappointment for Steve Pikiell given the talent he brought in.



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Steve Belichick heads to North Carolina as defensive coordinator

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Steve Belichick heads to North Carolina as defensive coordinator


In the 11 days since Bill Belichick officially became the head coach at North Carolina, not much information has surfaced about his coaching staff.

One big — and expected — piece fell into place today.

Via Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Steve Belichick will become the defensive coordinator at UNC. He has spent 2024 as the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington.

During Bill’s courtship by the Tar Heels, reports and speculation emerged regarding an effort to create a succession plan that would make Steve the next head coach after Bill leaves. The contract negotiated and published by North Carolina makes no mention of that.

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Still, if things go well and if Belichick remains until he’s ready to retire, he’ll be in position to make a strong case for family continuity. Especially if Bill is poised to become, essentially, coach emeritus of the program with Steve in charge.





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