North Carolina
Trump executive orders cause concern for North Carolina environmental community • NC Newsline
North Carolina environmental advocates are worried about the flurry of executive orders that President Donald Trump signed within hours of returning to the White House this week.
The mandates include removing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement — a move that reprises an action from Trump’s first term — and declaring a “national energy emergency.“
The initial U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement — a landmark international pact that aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius — lasted only four months. Although Trump declared his intentions in 2017, the formalities didn’t occur until late 2020. The U.S. reentered the accord during the Biden administration in 2021.
During that brief period, however, the withdrawal harmed international climate diplomacy and tarred the U.S.’s reputation on the world stage, TIME reported.
Advocates voiced concerns about the latest action and its consequences for North Carolina and the U.S., as well as the global implications.
“That puts us up there with countries like Libya and Iran, that have not joined the Paris Accords, and that’s usually a list that we don’t want to be part of,” North Carolina League of Conservation Voters governmental relations director Dan Crawford said. “The United States has led by example, and that’s not going to happen anymore.”
Some environmental advocates are questioning the legality of Trump’s actions — whether he’s able to take such drastic measures on the environmental front.
Even so, there’s worry over the impacts.
“Though the legal ground he stands upon is shaky, the damage this administration could do to our environment and our children’s future over the next four years is unspeakable,” Erin Carey, the North Carolina Sierra Club’s state conservation policy director, said in a statement. “For those of us who value clean air, clean water, and a livable planet for future generations, Monday, Jan. 20, was a dark and frightening moment.”
Trump’s other environment-oriented executive orders target, among other things, deemphasizing the development of electric vehicles and encouraging fossil fuel drilling, freezing environmental protections rules, and seeking to prohibit offshore wind projects.
He’s also reversed a series of orders adopted by the Biden administration that incorporated environmental justice into federal policymaking — measures that were lauded by advocates in the environmental community.
“Trump’s executive orders read like an industry fever dream: no protections, no limits, no rules,” Carey said.
Climate issues are taking center stage in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene wreaked catastrophic damage in western North Carolina at the end of last September.
Recovery efforts are still underway, with natural disaster aid and oversight as top priorities for the state legislature’s 2025 session.
Extreme weather events associated with climate change and their destructive impacts have occurred in other portions of the country in recent weeks including drought- and wind-driven fires in Southern California and the ongoing record cold in parts of the southern U.S.
“We need to be the leaders on clean energy. We need to be the leaders facing climate change,” Crawford said. “Scientists have warned and warned and warned us that we need to do something.”
Trump is scheduled to visit the hurricane-damaged western portion of the state on Friday. Specific details around the trip have not been released as of Thursday midday, but Buncombe County officials warned of “significant traffic impacts” to the Asheville area, according to the Asheville Citizen Times.
Jen Duggan, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said the executive orders will “expose Americans to more dangerous air and water pollution and fuel climate catastrophes.”
From an economic standpoint, the mandates benefit large corporations while hurting individuals, she added.
“While these orders do nothing to address voter concerns about cost-of-living affordability, they will increase already astronomical profits for fossil fuel companies at the expense of everyday Americans,” Duggan said.
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Wednesday, July 8, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing
12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 8 drawing
Day: 2-9-0, Fireball: 5
Evening: 7-9-6, Fireball: 6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 8 drawing
Day: 8-9-6-6, Fireball: 6
Evening: 3-4-8-5, Fireball: 4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from July 8 drawing
07-13-19-23-33
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from July 8 drawing
01-03-14-18-32
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing
16-18-43-48-50, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
North Carolina
Damaged Flock camera in North Carolina town sparks online debate over surveillance tech
RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (WLOS) — A damaged Flock Safety camera in Rutherfordton has reignited debate over the use of license plate reader technology, with thousands weighing in online after police shared a photo of the vandalized device.
The Rutherfordton Police Department posted an image of the damaged camera on social media, where the post quickly gained more than 20,000 comments. While some users condemned the vandalism, others praised the person responsible, with comments including “Not all heroes wear capes” and “Give them a medal.”
Local law enforcement officials said there is too much misinformation online about the cameras.
FLOCK CAMERA DAMAGED IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWN, PROMPTING POLICE STATEMENT
“We’re seeing a lot of misconceptions that these cameras collect more data than they actually do,” said Capt. Ryan Bailey with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. “The camera itself is only capturing the vehicle traveling down the road.”
Bailey said Flock cameras do not record video. Instead, they take still images of passing vehicles and capture license plate information. According to the sheriff’s office, those images are automatically deleted after 30 days.
The department also says safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of the system. Deputies are required to enter a case number before searching the database, allowing administrators to audit searches and ensure the technology is being used appropriately.
JULY 8, 2026 – A Flock camera in Rutherford County, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Despite those protections, opinions among residents remain divided.
“I don’t like that idea at all because of the over-abundance of electronics and interference in our privacy,” Rutherfordton resident Rachel Alexander said.
Others believe the cameras are a valuable investigative tool.
“I have no really negative opinion with them. I think they’re really helpful, especially with criminals and children abductions,” said local homeowner Phyllis Irvine.
POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FLOCK CAMERAS?
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office says the cameras have also proven useful in locating vulnerable people, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disabilities who may have gone missing while driving.
Officials say the technology has become an important resource for investigations and emergency response across the county.
Flock cameras cost about $3,500 each. Law enforcement officials say anyone caught intentionally damaging one could face charges.
North Carolina
North Carolina Republican operative shaping the state’s early voting plans is reassigned
North Carolina state Auditor Dave Boliek has reassigned a staffer working on state election preparations following reporting illustrating how the longtime Republican operative was using his position to shape county’s early voting plans.
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