North Carolina
AG Jeff Jackson wants the president to negotiate change from Chinese apps that fund fentanyl
North Carolina’s top prosecutor is asking the president for
help in the fight against fentanyl. Attorney General Jeff Jackson says
criminals are using Chinese apps to launder millions of dollars which fund
the fentanyl epidemic in the US. He thinks the president can negotiate a
change.
The effort hits home for the Nash family. This past weekend
marked four years since Jeff Nash lost his daughter, Amanda.
“It was a tough weekend. It was. I don’t think it gets
any easier,” Nash told WRAL.
Nash is one of thousands of fathers who knows what it feels
like to lose a child to fentanyl. And he knows what people will say…
“His daughter should have known not to do it. No one
forced her to do it. She was a grown woman. She was an adult who made her choices
and this was the natural consequence of her choice. And to say that would be
right. I understand that. However, two things can be right. It also is right for
our federal, state and local governments to do everything they can to keep this
poison away from our people,” Nash said.
Fentanyl is the primary driver of the opioid crisis in North
Carolina, contributing to over 75% of fatal drug overdoses in recent years. But
a small change gives cause for hope. 2025 and early 2026 data from the state office
of the medical examiner indicate a potential decline in fentanyl-positive
deaths for the first time in years.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said there is
still work to do.
“We’re losing six people a day. I’ve spoken to a lot of families
who have lost people. I told them I’ll do whatever I can and one thing I can do
is go after the money. If you go after the profitability of a crime, you’ll
reduce the prevalence of that crime,” Jackson said.
More than $100 million a week flow through Chinese owned
apps to support the sales of fentanyl in the US, Jackson said.
Over the last year, his office got one app called WeChat
to agree to be more responsive with investigators and make encrypted spaces on
the app more hostile to fentanyl money laundering. But its sister app, Weixin is
not subject to US laws and wants the White House to take action.
In a letter to the president, Jackson and five other
attorneys general from Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Kentucky and South
Carolina urged the president to take action. It states that despite the agreement
with WeChat to work with investigators, neither it nor Weixin agree to share
data from the ap.
“In practice, this means that law enforcement can only see
one side of illegal transactions, shielding Chinese-based users from justice,”
the letter said.
Nash wondered why only six attorneys general would support
the effort. Jackson said the focus was to get a request to the president that
was not political, bipartisan and clear.
He believes President Trump has the ability to negotiate with the
Chinese to effect change when it comes to money changing hands through its
apps.
“I think we recognize that the Chinese government is
different than the American government and if the leader of China decided to
make a change, that change would be made,” Jackson said.
Nash was reluctant to revisit his pain discussing his
daughter’s death, but said it’s worth it if this letter gets people talking or
gets any government movement to reduce the flow of fentanyl into the US.
Nash was one of the subjects in the WRAL documentary, ‘Crisis
Next Door – The Fentanyl epidemic.’
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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