North Carolina
Scoop: NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson to announce campaign for governor
Photograph illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photograph: Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg through Getty Photos
North Carolina’s Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is predicted to announce his long-anticipated run for governor April 22, Axios has realized.
- And he’ll do it in a spot that turned the hornet’s nest of hostility towards Democratic insurance policies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: Alamance County’s Ace Speedway.
Driving the information: The announcement will come three months after Democratic Legal professional Normal Josh Stein straight attacked Robinson in launching his personal marketing campaign for governor, who has up to now solely hinted at his plans to run.
Why it issues: Robinson and Stein are predicted to be the ultimate contenders within the race to exchange outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who’s blocked the Republican-controlled legislature from advancing their agenda since 2016.
- If Robinson wins, he can be North Carolina’s first Black governor, and he’ll have ascended from web sensation to the state’s highest elected place in simply six years.
Context: In 2018, Robinson — then a manufacturing unit employee — went viral in a video of an affidavit he gave about gun rights to Greensboro Metropolis Council. He launched his marketing campaign for lieutenant governor a 12 months later.
- His reputation amongst Republicans and ire from Democrats has been compounding ever since.
- Robinson has gained notoriety particularly for his championing of a slate of conservative training points, like increasing voucher packages for constitution faculties and guaranteeing mother and father’ proper to have a say in what their youngsters are taught.
- He is additionally criticized important race concept and stated elementary faculties should not educate historical past in some grades.
The intrigue: Robinson’s political positive factors have come regardless of a firehose of controversies which have clouded his tenure.
What they’re saying: “Mark Robinson spent the final two years successful the 2024 Republican main for governor,” prime Republican political operatives stated in a December polling memo. “Anyone who challenges him at this level goes to be a bump on his street to the nomination.”
What we’re watching: Former Congressman Mark Walker and State Treasurer Dale Folwell, each Republicans, are additionally contemplating leaping within the governor’s race.
- “In touring throughout the state on our seven-city enterprise tour, I’ve have been overwhelmed with the variety of North Carolinians asking us to contemplate a gubernatorial run,” Walker advised Axios Wednesday.
- “As I’ve talked to of us, one query is obvious: Who’s one of the best candidate to symbolize our values, that may win each republicans and unaffiliated voters and beat Josh Stein or the Democrat nominee? We’ve elected one Republican governor this century and it’s going to be essential to get it proper.”
Lucille’s thought bubble: Robinson’s announcement on the rally subsequent month will set the tone for his marketing campaign and point out whether or not or not he’ll match the rhetoric Stein started the race with in straight attacking Robinson.
Between the strains: The setting for Robinson’s rally may be acquainted to you, even in case you do not reside in Alamance County.
- In late Might 2020, whereas the remainder of the nation was nonetheless principally shut down as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, the speedway made nationwide headlines for conducting races with out masks or social distancing.
- Cooper, the Democratic governor, known as the occasions “harmful and reckless,” after which ordered the observe shut down.
- Ace Speedway responded by suing the state, as WRAL reported.
North Carolina
Chance of snow this week more likely east and south in central NC
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — We’re not even one month into 2025, and there’s already a second chance to see snowfall in central North Carolina.
Most of the week will be rather cold with temperatures in the 30s to 40s.
Spotty showers are likely on Sunday, amounting to 0.10 to 0.20 inches. This is not all that impactful for the region, and it’s too little rainfall to make any big dent in the drought conditions across the Triangle. The chance for any backside mixed in snowflakes Sunday afternoon looks fleeting, but you’re more likely to see it in far eastern portions of the viewing area.
Another chance for precipitation will be on Tuesday night (more snowy) and Thursday into Thursday night (more icy).
Tuesday: There can be a path of 1 to 3 inches of snow in the southern/eastern parts of central NC.
Thursday: There is a risk of some freezing rain at night, more likely in the eastern parts of central NC. Details beyond this are limited.
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MORE COVERAGE
WATCH | First Alert to Winter Special 2024
In this week’s special First Alert to Winter show, the team looks at snow chances, the winter forecast and getting ready for wintry weather.
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North Carolina
Key Ole Miss Transfer Target Thaddeus Dixon Chooses North Carolina Over Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels have made strong moves in the transfer portal this offseason, but the program missed out on a key contributor on Saturday when cornerback Thaddeus Dixon pledged to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Ole Miss was in the race late for Dixon, but a deciding factor in his decision to join the Tar Heels may have boiled down to Carolina’s hiring of former Washington assistant Armond Hawkins as defensive backs coach. Dixon is a transfer from the Washington Huskies, so familiarity in his new home likely played a role.
READ MORE: Will Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons Continue Playing Baseball in 2025?
So, where do the Rebels go from here? Ole Miss has already gained some key pieces in its secondary out of the transfer portal (including CB Jaylon Braxton of Arkansas), but Lane Kiffin’s team will probably still be seeking some help in the defensive backfield as the transfer portal continues to move.
According to On3’s current transfer portal class rankings, Ole Miss has the third-best haul in the country, behind Texas Tech and Missouri. The Rebels have seen 23 players transfer into the program so far this offseason, and that number could continue to grow between now and kickoff of the 2025 season.
Ole Miss opens its 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 at home against Georgia State.
READ MORE Ole Miss Rebels News:
Ole Miss To Host Former Penn State WR Trey Wallace
Ole Miss Rebels DT Jamarious Brown Named Freshman All-American
Ole Miss Lands Former Louisville QB Pierce Clarkson Via Transfer Portal
Former Ole Miss Football Superstar AJ Brown Named AP All-Pro Second Team
The Pete Golding Effect: How Ole Miss Football Will Reload Defensively in 2025
North Carolina
Thaddeus Dixon Joins in Husky Exodus to North Carolina
In a postseason recruitment that was raw and revealing at times, where decorated cornerback Thaddeus Dixon suggested in social media postings that University of Washington football fans wanted him to come back more than the coaches, apparently received all the assurances he needed at North Carolina.
On Saturday, the senior defensive back from Long Beach, California, told On3 he would join the Tar Heels for his final season of college football, adding to a growing list of one-time UW players and coaches headed to Chapel Hill.
So far, the departing group includes linebacker Khmori House, safety Peyton Waters, wide receiver Jason Robinson Jr., defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and defensive analyst Armond Hawkins, all moving from Montlake to the ACC.
The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Dixon would have given the Huskies three highly accredited corners, joining fellow UW starter Ephesians Prysock and Arizona transfer Tacario Davis, to fill out a secondary that could have had few equals this coming season, and still might.
Dixon reportedly took recruiting visits to Mississippi and North Carolina, and fielded overtures from Michigan, before settling on the Tar Heels.
The disconnect for Dixon appeared to show up when the Huskies landed a portal commitment from the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Davis, a second-team All-Big 12 pick this past season, presumably to take his vacated spot.
The 6-foot-4, 193-pound Prysock and Davis teamed together at Arizona in 2023, with both earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention accolades.
Dixon originally was supposed to run out of college eligibility when the season ended, hence the Huskies went looking for cornerback help, but the NCAA gave the veteran an extra year when it changed the rules governing players with junior-college backgrounds. He came to the UW from Long Beach Community College.
One of the Huskies’ top individual success stories this past season, Dixon went from a back-up player in 2023 to unseat returning starter Elijah Jackson, who opened all 15 games for the national runner-up team.
Moving into the lineup, Dixon started 12 of 13 games and received All-Big Ten honorable-mention honors for Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff. He had a team-best 10 pass break-ups, an Apple Cup interception and several textbook tackles in the open field. He’s easily made himself into an NFL prospect.
With three accomplished cornerbacks, the Huskies could have picked two starters and put the odd man out at nickelback.
Dixon clearly wasn’t going to go that route at the UW, likely figuring his past performance should have provided him with more cornerback guarantees.
For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington
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