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Biden adds stop to North Carolina trip to visit with families of fallen law enforcement officers

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Biden adds stop to North Carolina trip to visit with families of fallen law enforcement officers


WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, who heads to Wilmington, North Carolina Thursday to talk about the economy, is detouring to Charlotte to meet with the families of law enforcement officers shot to death on the job — just a week after he sat down with the grieving relatives of two cops killed in Upstate New York.

The visit is expected to take place with little fanfare behind closed doors, as the White House aims to respect the privacy of grieving families and avoid the appearance of using their grief for political purposes. The meeting was expected at the airport, an option meant to be the least taxing for local law enforcement still reeling from the deaths but who would have a hand in securing the president’s trip.

Once again, Biden will seek to be an empathetic leader for a community reeling from gun violence, while also calling for stricter rules around firearms and better funding for law enforcement on the front lines.

Four officers were killed earlier this week in North Carolina, when a wanted man opened fire on a joint agency task force that had come to arrest him on a warrant for possession of a firearm as an ex-felon, and fleeing to elude capture. They were: Sam Poloche and William Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer; and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks.

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Four other officers were wounded in the gunfire; the suspect was killed. An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 40-caliber handgun and ammunition were found at the scene.

An AR-15 is among the weapons most often used in mass shootings, and it’s the type of gun Biden is talking about when he says the U.S. should ban “ assault weapons.” Congress passed the most comprehensive gun safety legislation in decades in 2022, after a horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. But it didn’t go far enough, Biden often says.

And as he campaigns for the 2024 election, Biden has made curbing gun violence a major campaign platform, elusive to Democrats even during the Obama era, as he fends off attacks from Republican challenger Donald Trump that he is soft on crime and anti-police.

Biden said this week in a statement after the North Carolina killings that the U.S. must “do more to protect our law enforcement officers. That means funding them — so they have the resources they need to do their jobs and keep us safe.”

The violence came just about two weeks after another fatal shooting of law enforcement officers in Syracuse, New York; Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and Officer Michael Jensen were killed while looking for a driver who fled a traffic stop. After his speech, Biden met with relatives of both of the officers’ families.

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Biden had already been scheduled to come to Syracuse to celebrate Micron Technology’s plans to build a campus of computer chip factories, but the local police union said officers were still coming to terms with the deaths and weren’t happy with the president’s trip and had hoped he would delay.

On Thursday, Biden will also travel on to Wilmington, where he’s announcing his administration is providing states an additional $3 billion to replace lead pipes across the country, building on $5.8 billion in federal funds for water infrastructure projects around the country announced in February.

Money for the pipe replacement comes from one of the administration’s key legislative victories, the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law that Biden signed in 2021. The infrastructure law includes over $50 billion to upgrade America’s water infrastructure.

“It’s far past time to get the lead out once and for all,″ Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said Wednesday. “This is a matter of public health, a matter of environmental justice, and a matter of basic human rights.”

Biden and his administration are committed to using all tools available “to achieve a 100% lead-free future for all Americans,” Regan told reporters at a White House briefing. “Every single day we are one step closer to a future where no child has to suffer from the lasting effects of lead exposure.″

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The new round of funding will help pay for projects nationwide as Biden seeks to replace all lead pipes in the country.

EPA estimates that North Carolina has 370,000 lead pipes, and $76 million will go to replace them statewide. Biden also will meet with faculty and students at a Wilmington school that replaced a water fountain with high levels of lead with funding from the law.

___

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Matthew Daly and Josh Boak contributed to this story.



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North Carolina advisory group recommends legalizing marijuana

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North Carolina advisory group recommends legalizing marijuana


North Carolina advisory group recommends legalizing marijuana for adults

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PUMP STATION AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLIC USE. A NORTH CAROLINA STATE ADVISORY GROUP WANTS LAWMAKERS TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR ADULTS IN A TIGHTLY REGULATED SYSTEM. THE RECOMMENDATION CAME IN AN INTERIM REPORT FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA ADVISORY COUNCIL ON CANNABIS. THE GROUP SAYS LEGALIZATION FOR ADULTS 21 AND OLDER WOULD MAKE CANNABIS USE SAFER BY REPLACING UNREGULATED SALES WITH TESTED, CONTROLLED PRODUCTS. IT COULD ALSO GENERATE MILLIONS IN TAX REVENUE FOR THE STATE, ACCORDING TO THE MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT, NORTH CAROLINA IS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF STATES THAT DO

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North Carolina advisory group recommends legalizing marijuana for adults

Updated: 9:46 PM EDT Apr 6, 2026

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A North Carolina state advisory group wants lawmakers to legalize marijuana for adults in a tightly regulated system.The recommendation came in an interim report from the North Carolina Advisory Council on cannabis. Officials said legalization for adults 21 and older would make cannabis use safer by replacing unregulated sales with tested, controlled products.It could generate millions in tax revenue for the state.According to the Marijuana Policy Project, North Carolina is one of a handful of states that do not allow either medical or recreational use of marijuana.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here

A North Carolina state advisory group wants lawmakers to legalize marijuana for adults in a tightly regulated system.

The recommendation came in an interim report from the North Carolina Advisory Council on cannabis. Officials said legalization for adults 21 and older would make cannabis use safer by replacing unregulated sales with tested, controlled products.

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It could generate millions in tax revenue for the state.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, North Carolina is one of a handful of states that do not allow either medical or recreational use of marijuana.

Watch:NOWCAST streaming newscasts

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NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |

Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here

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Carrie Everett, crowned Miss North Carolina in 2024, dies of stomach cancer, family says

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Carrie Everett, crowned Miss North Carolina in 2024, dies of stomach cancer, family says


Carrie Everett, who was crowned Miss North Carolina in 2024, has died of stomach cancer, family members tell WRAL News.

Everett’s parents told WRAL News their daughter died late Sunday night, asking for privacy. They shared the following statement:

“Carrie Everett transitioned on Easter Sunday with her family and friends surrounding her with love. The family is spending time together as they celebrate her memory. They ask that you continue to pray for them [and] celebrate her memory.”

Everett attended North Carolina Central University, where she majored in vocal performance. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer in July 2025, when she was 21, after scans found masses in her abdomen.

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In March, family members posted on a GoFundMe page that Everett’s chemotherapy treatments weren’t working and shared plans to move her out of state for treatment. 

Everett spoke to WRAL News last year after the diagnosis, sharing her plans to go back to college and her dreams of becoming a gospel singer.

A year earlier, after claiming her Miss North Carolina title, she told WRAL News her parents immigrated to the United States from West Africa. Growing up, she said her family struggled with finances, and the journey to the crown was a challenging one, and many of the gowns she wore during the pageant were borrowed or from thrift stores. 

Everett was the fourth Black woman to win the title since the pageant began in 1937. She dreamed of working in girl’s education and creating accessibility for future generations.

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UNC basketball coach candidates: 10 names to consider as search hits roadblocks

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UNC basketball coach candidates: 10 names to consider as search hits roadblocks


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Tommy Lloyd signed a new deal.

So did Nate Oats.

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Dusty May is a “no” as well.

So where does North Carolina turn now for its open men’s basketball coach position? Here are 10 names to consider:

Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls

Donovan is the big fish still swimming in the pond. Can UNC hook him? Donovan has been linked since the Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis on March 24. The Bulls’ season ends April 12, and they won’t be in the playoffs. Is UNC willing to wait and miss out on the first week of the transfer portal? For the right fit, why not? Plus, the Bulls are reportedly set for a front office shakeup, so it may be time to jump ship.

After 11 years away from college basketball, is Donovan ready for a return to campus? College ball is basically pro ball, anyway now. He’d be the candidate most UNC fans are pinning their hopes on after other high-profile rejections.

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Mark Byington, Vanderbilt

Byington, 49, played at UNC Wilmington and was an assistant at Virginia and Virginia Tech, so he’s got some familiarity with the state and ACC. He may not have the name recognition as some of the other coaches linked to the job, but he’s averaged 25 wins across his past four seasons as a head coach, including 27 victories this season in his second year at Vanderbilt

He’s never made a Sweet 16, but he’s never been at a program like North Carolina, either.

Todd Golden and Nate Oats had never been to a Sweet 16 before coaching at Florida and Alabama, respectively. Now, they’re two of the best coaches in the sport.

Sean Miller, Texas

Miller is a winner. He’s coached in 14 NCAA tournaments, reached the Sweet 16 nine times and the Elite Eight four times.

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Miller spent five seasons on Herb Sendek’s NC State staff, so knows the state. His firing at Arizona will raise some red flags with his involvement in 2017 Adidas FBI probe, but if Rick Pitino, Will Wade and Bill Self (among others involved) can still coach at the top level, why shouldn’t Miller?

He just finished his first season at Texas, going 21-15, taking the Longhorns from the First Four to the Sweet 16, and a last-second tip-in away from the Elite Eight.

Ben McCollum, Iowa

McCollum is a proven winner at multiple levels and a program builder. The 44-year-old coach won four Division II national championships before jumping to the Division I level. He’s won more than 80% of his games, leading Drake to 31 wins before making the move to Iowa and taking the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament this season. Imagine what he could do with a blue-blood program?

Scott Drew, Baylor

Two years ago, Drew claimed a spot near the top of Kentucky’s wish list. He turned down the Wildcats, a humbling blow to UK. Two years later, you must wonder whether Drew would benefit from a restart. His Baylor team went 16-16 and got trampled within the Big 12. Drew last reached a Sweet 16 in 2021, when he produced a national title.

Take the macro view, and Drew’s Baylor accomplishments are phenomenal. He rescued from the trash bin a program that had been rocked by a deadly scandal. He took the Bears up, up, up, until they reached the top of the sport.

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Zoom in, and you realize Drew’s best days at Baylor are behind him. He’s still widely respected, and if Drew, 55, is ever going to leave Baylor, right now is likely his last best chance.

Josh Schertz, Saint Louis

Schertz was in the mix for the NC State job before saying he was staying with SLU. Would UNC make him reconsider?

Like McCollum, Schertz cut his teeth coaching in Division II, reaching four Final Fours at Lincoln Memorial. His 2024 Indiana State team was electric — and an NCAA Tournament snub before reaching the NIT final. He’s rebuilt Saint Louis in just two seasons and plays a brand of basketball that’s easy on the eye.

Grant McCasland, Texas Tech

All but one of his 12 seasons as a head coach have been in Texas. It’ll likely be hard to pry him East, especially with the deep pockets in Lubbock.

But he’d be an interesting option. Another former Division II and JUCO head coach, McCasland’s teams win. He won the NIT at North Texas in 2023 and led Texas Tech to the Elite Eight in 2025. Had JT Toppin not gotten hurt this year, who knows how far the Red Raiders could have advanced.

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Jerry Stackhouse, Golden State assistant

Stackhouse is a candidate if the Tar Heels stay in the family, His Vanderbilt tenure was up and down, and before the Commodores really dipped into the NIL space. He had two winning seasons in his five years in Nashville, but that 28-60 SEC record will be hard for UNC fans to swallow.

Mike Malone, former NBA coach

An underrated possibility, the 54-year-old Malone is a championship-caliber coach and has a daughter who plays volleyball at UNC. He’s been around the Tar Heels’ basketball program at times and has history as a college and NBA coach. Malone led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA title in 2023.

T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State

If UNC wants to build its identity around defense, Otzelberger is the guy to do it. The 48-year-old coach has produced top-10 defensive units in four of his five seasons at Iowa State. The Cyclones are elite at creating turnovers. The Heels would have a clear identity and structured program under Otzelberger. Considering what he’s built in Ames, this could be UNC’s safest, most reliable option.

USA TODAY Sports reporters Blake Toppmeyer and John Brice contributed to this report.



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