Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo speaks during a House Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce on June 26. She announced a $750 million investment to help North Carolina’s Wolfspeed build a facility on Tuesday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 15 (UPI) — The Biden administration said on Tuesday that North Carolina’s Wolfspeed Inc. has entered into an agreement with the Commerce Department to receive $750 million to help create a new silicon carbide wafer manufacturing facility.
The plant, which will be built in Siler, N.C., will help the country build a reliable domestic supply of semiconductors during the artificial intelligence boon and future energy economy, the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology said in a statement.
The funds will come from the CHIPS and Science Act.
“Artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and clean energy are all technologies that will define the 21st century and thanks to proposed investments in companies like Wolfspeed, the Biden-Harris administration is taking a meaningful step toward reigniting U.S. manufacturing of the chips that underpin these important technologies,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.
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Wolfspeed said it is the largest producer of silicon carbide technology in the world, pioneering the technology more than three decades ago. It is one of the fastest-growing components of the broader semiconductor industry.
“As a key player in the semiconductor industry, this proposed investment will enable us to solidify our leadership position with a first-of-its-kind 200-mm silicon carbide manufacturing footprint in upstate New York and central North Carolina, while contributing to the resilience and competitiveness of the U.S. supply chain,” said Wolfspeed CEO Gregg Lowe said in a statement.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said the CHIPS and Science Act is allowing local semiconductor companies like Wolfspeed have an international impact by building their domestic capacity.
“Wolfspeed is a homegrown semiconductor innovator and manufacturer creating great jobs in North Carolina and it’s important they receive this major grant,” Cooper said.
DALLAS — Lexi Donarski had 15 points, Alyssa Ustby scored 12 and matched her career-high with 18 rebounds and No. 14 North Carolina rolled to a 64-33 victory over SMU on Thursday night.
Donarski did her damage from 3-point range, sinking 5 of 6 attempts for the Tar Heels (16-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Ustby collected her seventh double-double of the season with five of them coming in the last six games.
Indya Nivar had 11 points and Maria Gakdeng totaled 10 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina, which has won three in a row and 6 of 7.
Kaysia Woods scored 12 to lead the Mustangs (10-8, 2-4).
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Nivar had nine points in the first half as North Carolina turned a 13-6 first-quarter lead into a 31-14 advantage at halftime. The Tar Heels shot just 39.4% from the floor before the break, but that looked red-hot compared to SMU, which shot 13.8% overall (4 for 29).
Donarski hit her only two shots of the third quarter — both from beyond the arc — and the Tar Heels led 44-22 heading to the fourth.
Woods had five points in the final period to help SMU top the 10-point mark in a quarter for the first time in the game.
North Carolina guard Alyssa Ustby dribbles during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against SMU, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Dallas. Credit: AP/LM Otero
SMU allowed the biggest comeback in NCAA women’s basketball history its last time out when the Mustangs saw a 32-point lead with 1:37 left in the first half turn into a 72-59 loss to Pittsburgh. SMU was outscored 28-0 in the third quarter and 26-10 in the fourth.
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North Carolina travels to play Pittsburgh on Sunday. SMU travels to play No. 3 Notre Dame on Sunday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – As wildfires ravage parts of Los Angeles and Southern California this month, federal, state, and local authorities have mobilized resources to combat the flames and assist affected communities.
Their response echoes the efforts made in North Carolina just months ago, when Hurricane Helene left widespread devastation in its wake.
A viewer named Dina asked the following question: “Why is the federal government covering 100% of the recovery costs for the California wildfires, but not doing the same for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in North Carolina?”
Her question relates to a claim being spread around social media that the government is allegedly paying for 100% of the damage in California, but not in North Carolina.
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WBTV’s Fact Check team investigated the claims and found them to be false.
Here’s what we found.
Federal funding for wildfire recovery
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, President Joe Biden announced that the federal government would cover 100% of certain wildfire recovery costs in California for the next 180 days.
“The federal government is going to cover 100% of the cost for the next 180 days for things like firefighter overtime pay, debris removal, temporary shelters … It’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles back to where it was,” Biden said during a press conference.
Typically, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, aka FEMA, covers 75% of disaster recovery costs, with the remaining 25% funded by state and local governments. However, under federal law, the U.S. president has the authority to increase the federal cost-share for recovery efforts.
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Beach front homes are destroyed by the Palisades Fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)(Mark J. Terrill | AP)
What about North Carolina?
Turns out, less than a week after Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina in September 2024, President Biden and FEMA announced that the same adjustment was made for Helene recovery in North Carolina.
Put another way: North Carolina has also had 100% of public recovery funds covered by the federal government since Oct. 2, 2024.
A release from the North Carolina governor’s office and FEMA explained how the president raised the federal contribution from 75% to 100% for the first 180 days of recovery. (The same time period that was just established in California).
After the six-month period, the cost-share for public assistance projects was increased from 75% to 90%. Click here to read the official FEMA release about this.
—> North Carolina Red Cross volunteers deploy to support wildfire victims in California
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The verdict
President Biden’s decision to increase the federal cost-share for California wildfires is consistent with the aid provided to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
Claims that the federal government is covering a higher percentage of recovery costs in California compared to in North Carolina are false. Both states received identical cost-share adjustments.
If you have further questions or claims you’d like us to investigate, feel free to reach out to us at factcheck@wbtv.com.
—> State releases names of 104 Helene victims in North Carolina for 1st time: See list here
A federal rule proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) that would have dealt a devastating blow to businesses and tourism along the East Coast, from Massachusetts to Florida, including North Carolina, has been withdrawn by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
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