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North Carolina approves party seeking to put RFK Jr. on the ballot, rejects effort for Cornel West – The Boston Globe

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North Carolina approves party seeking to put RFK Jr. on the ballot, rejects effort for Cornel West – The Boston Globe


RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s election board voted Tuesday to certify a political party that wants to put Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the state’s presidential ballot this fall. The panel rejected a similar petition effort by a group backing Cornel West, citing questions about how signatures were collected.

After weeks of reviewing the signature drives, the board voted 4-1 to recognize the We The People party that supporters of Kennedy, an author and environmental lawyer, are using as a vehicle for him to run in a handful of states. The election board decision means the party can place Kennedy on statewide ballots.

But the board’s Democratic majority voted 3-2 along party lines to block the Justice for All Party of North Carolina from ballots. That group supports West, a professor and progressive activist.

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Board staff said We The People and Justice for All each collected enough valid signatures from registered and qualified voters. The 13,865 required are a small fraction of those needed to run as an independent candidate in North Carolina, which Kennedy initially attempted.

Board Chair Alan Hirsch, a Democrat, said that while he believed thousands of signatures turned in by Justice for All were credible, he had serious misgivings about the purpose of signature collectors unrelated to the group that also turned in petitions.

In a video presented to the board, a pro-Donald Trump activist collected signatures for West outside a Trump rally in North Carolina and said getting West on the ballot would take votes away from presumptive Democratic nominee and President Joe Biden.

Separately, Hirsch pointed to the group People Over Party collecting signatures to support West’s candidacy. He said its attorney refused to provide information sought in a board subpoena. A People Over Party lawyer called the subpoena requests overly broad and subject to attorney-client privilege.

“I have no confidence that this was done legitimately,” Hirsch said of the petition drive.

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Board staff also said that of nearly 50 people contacted at random from the Justice For All petition list, many said they didn’t sign the petition or didn’t know what it was for.

The election board’s two Republican members said both groups should have been recognized as official parties.

“Justice for All has submitted well over the number of petitions required. And if we don’t approve them as a new party in the state of North Carolina based on talking to 49 people, I think that would be injustice for all,” GOP member Kevin Lewis said.

Republicans and their allies have said the board’s Democratic majority was trying to deny ballot access to candidates who would take away votes from Biden in the battleground state won by Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Justice for All Party of North Carolina Chair Italo Medelius said he expected the party would soon ask a federal judge to order its candidates be placed on the ballot. The Kennedy campaign didn’t immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment on We The People’s recognition.

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Not including North Carolina, Kennedy’s campaign has said he is officially on the ballot in nine states and that signatures have been submitted in 14 more. The West campaign said it has secured ballot access in 10 other states, but acknowledged some certifications must still be finalized.

In some states, the drives to get West and Kennedy on ballot have been backed by secretive groups and Republican donors.





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Officials urge caution as invasive armadillos move into western NC

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Officials urge caution as invasive armadillos move into western NC


An animal more commonly found in the South-Central U.S. is making its way into western North Carolina.

Armadillos are beginning to show up more frequently, according to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Office in Henderson County.

IF YOU SEE AN ARMADILLO IN NORTH CAROLINA, WILDLIFE OFFICIALS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

They’re considered an exotic invasive species and can cause damage to yards, buildings, and even forest ecosystems.

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AS TICK BITES SURGE NATIONWIDE, VETERINARIANS SAY MOST CASES START WITH PETS

Trapping is considered the simplest way to remove armadillos; they can also be hunted with a permit.

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Officials advise people to keep their distance if they encounter an armadillo in the wild.

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JetZero Breaks Ground on First Aircraft Factory in Greensboro, North Carolina

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JetZero Breaks Ground on First Aircraft Factory in Greensboro, North Carolina


JetZero will make the Z4 in Greensboro. Designed for the unserved commercial middle market, with 250 passenger capacity on a range of up to 5,000 nautical miles, the Z4 will be up to 50 percent more fuel efficient with an elevated passenger experience and will readily fit into today’s airport infrastructure.

“Today, a great new chapter in North Carolina’s storied history of flight is taking off,” said Governor Josh Stein. “JetZero’s decision to build here is a vote of confidence in North Carolina’s workforce, our universities and community colleges, and our long aerospace tradition. These 14,500 jobs and $4.7 billion in investment will transform the triad region for generations. North Carolina is not only First in Flight, we are the future of flight, too.”

“It should come as no surprise that JetZero is breaking ground here in North Carolina – the first in flight state,” said Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero. “North Carolina has a vision for its future as a global aerospace hub, and JetZero shares that vision. We believe the time has come for an all-wing airplane, to support the industry’s need for more efficient airplanes that also deliver an incredible experience. We intend to reshape aviation, from right here in North Carolina.”

JetZero is also designing military variants of the Z4, including an aerial refueler and transport aircraft. As a refueler, the all-wing design allows for twice the range or twice the payload to support U.S. air power.

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With America’s 250th birthday just three weeks away, the timing of today’s groundbreaking carries special meaning. As the nation celebrates a quarter millennium of innovation and independence, JetZero’s commitment to reinventing how aircraft are designed and built stands as a testament to that same pioneering spirit, carrying American aviation boldly into the next century.

Digital-First, AI-Native Smart Factory 
JetZero’s Greensboro plant will be designed using advanced digital and AI native platforms developed in collaboration with Siemens and Deloitte. These platforms and tools allow engineers to build a complete digital twin of the factory before any concrete is poured — testing how machines, people, and materials will move through the building, and making changes on a screen rather than on a job site. That flexibility is rare in aerospace manufacturing and will make the Greensboro facility the most efficient and adaptable plant of its kind anywhere in the world.

“Our partnership with JetZero demonstrates how cutting-edge industrial technology can help reindustrialize America,” said Ann Fairchild, President and CEO, Siemens USA. “Our digital twins help bring the next generation of manufacturing facilities to life faster and with greater confidence. We’re proud to help JetZero build a world-class aerospace facility that will create thousands of jobs and strengthen North Carolina’s position as the next great U.S. aerospace hub.” 

“By pairing advanced AI and digital tools with our deep operational and industry experience, we’re helping JetZero set a new standard for manufacturing speed, quality, and scale,” Kelly Herod, chief client officer, Deloitte. “Our work with JetZero brings automation and AI together with data strategies informed by our experience at The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita—connecting design, the shop floor, and the workforce.”

Construction in Greensboro begins immediately, with hiring expected to ramp in phases over the next decade as the facility comes online.

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About JetZero
JetZero is an American aerospace company developing a new generation of more efficient commercial and defense aircraft. The company partners with leading manufacturers and technology providers to advance the future of flight through innovation and American manufacturing excellence.

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[email protected]

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North Carolina gains inside track to College World Series finals with 5-2 win over West Virginia

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North Carolina gains inside track to College World Series finals with 5-2 win over West Virginia


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gavin Gallaher’s two-run triple gave North Carolina the lead in the seventh inning to help send the Tar Heels to a 5-2 win over West Virginia in the College World Series on Sunday night.

The Tar Heels (52-12-1) opened a CWS with two straight wins for the first time in eight appearances since 2006 and need one more victory to reach the best-of-three finals next weekend. They’re off until Wednesday, when they’ll meet the winner of a Tuesday elimination game between the Mountaineers (46-16) and Troy.

“Our goal is to play really well on Wednesday,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said, “but I think I’ll sleep pretty good tonight going 2-0.”

The Tar Heels scored three unearned runs against Big 12 pitcher of the year Maxx Yehl (9-3) to break a 2-all tie in the seventh with country music star and North Carolina booster Eric Church cheering them on in a suite.

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They had runners on first and second after West Virginia third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Brodie Kresser couldn’t come up with grounders. Gallaher lined a ball deep into the gap in right center for a 4-2 lead and he came home when Owen Hull grounded a ball up the middle for a single.

“When you give a great team five outs, it’s hard to get through it,” Mountaineers coach Steve Sabins said, “and the groundball broke our back.”

An inning earlier, Forbes called a team meeting in the dugout and, according to ESPN, told his players they needed to play looser and have more fun. The Tar Heels went three-up, three-down in the sixth, but the next inning Gallaher and his teammates were having a jolly time on a clear and cool evening at Charles Schwab Field.

Forbes called Gallaher “Mr. Clutch” for his history of coming up with big hits in critical situations over his three years in the program.

“I just try to keep everything the same, stick to my routine and trust my preparation,” Gallaher said. “I keep grinding.”

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Gallaher said he also finds comfort having Forbes coaching third base.

“Always has a smile on his face, and that takes weight off your shoulders,” he said.

The mood in the Tar Heels’ dugout changed in the ninth. Walker McDuffie (9-3), who relieved starter Ryan Lynch in the fifth, gave up a walk and single to bring Ben Lumsden to the plate as the potential tying run with one out.

Caden Glauber, who pitched 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief in a 6-2 win over Mississippi on Friday, came on and struck out Lumsden and Hall to earn his fifth save.

Sabins said the task they face to reach the finals is difficult but not insurmountable. The Mountaineers won three elimination games in regionals.

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“We were able to scratch back and claw back,” he said. “You get a little bit more rest in this event. So guys get rested, recover, come back and try to eliminate a team in a day.”



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