Southeast
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper among Kamala Harris' possible VP picks: A look at his 16 years as AG
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is being considered as a top contender for Kamala Harris’ vice president on the 2024 Democratic ticket.
Originally from Nash County, Cooper, 67, practiced law for 18 years and then served in the state legislature before serving four terms as attorney general between 2001 and 2017.
“Democrats are likely to see Roy Cooper as a good match for Kamala Harris for multiple reasons. First and foremost, Cooper helps bring North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes into play in a way other candidates do not,” John Locke Foundation senior political analyst Mitch Kokai told Fox News Digital. “He has won six statewide elections since 2000. That’s an impressive accomplishment for a Democrat in a state that has trended right during the same time period.”
By contrast, Kokai said, Democrats have only won a single U.S. Senate contest over the same period in North Carolina.
WHO IS ROY COOPER? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR AND POSSIBLE VP PICK
Originally from Nash County, Cooper, 67, practiced law for 18 years and then served in the state legislature before serving four terms as attorney general between 2001 and 2017. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
“Cooper has been the Democrats’ brightest star in North Carolina in recent years, and so-called ‘Cooper-Trump’ voters helped him win his races for governor at the same time the Republican nominee won in this state during the last two presidential races,” he explained. “Cooper offers a clear demographic contrast to Harris, and he also presents a calm, sober, constrained personality that might help counter some of the criticism Harris has faced about her interactions with interviewers and the public.”
Despite his 16 years as attorney general – winning four AG elections back-to-back – “few people are likely to remember any significant accomplishment that could be attributable directly to Cooper’s work,” Kokai said.
In perhaps his biggest moment as attorney general, Cooper made headlines across the nation when he declared three Duke University lacrosse players innocent in 2007 after an exotic dancer they had hired for a party in 2006 accused them of rape.
“We believe these three individuals are innocent of these charges,” Cooper famously said at the time.
HARRIS SNUBS ONE OF THE FEW DEMS OPEN TO BEING HER VP: REPORT
Gov. Roy Cooper makes remarks to the crowd before President Biden during a visit to Wolfspeed, a semiconductor manufacturer, on March 28, 2023, in Durham, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
During his final years as attorney general, Cooper challenged HB 2, a law requiring people to use bathrooms corresponding with their sex at birth, that he called unconstitutional. When he became governor, he repealed the law.
“For over a year now, House Bill 2 has been a dark cloud over our great state. It has stained our reputation. It has discriminated against our people. And it has caused great economic harm to many of our communities,” he said at the time. “Today, we repealed House Bill 2. We begin to end discrimination. We begin to bring back jobs and sporting events. And we begin to repair our reputation. It is an important step, but it cannot be the only step.”
He also supported legislation allowing for same-sex marriage in the state, which has been legal since 2014, in his capacity as AG.
Cooper’s website touts a 30% decrease in crime during his tenure as AG.
IS NEWSOM OUT OF THE RUNNING IN HARRIS’ VP SEARCH? A LOOK AT THE 12TH AMENDMENT
Cooper’s website touts a 30% decrease in crime during his tenure as AG. (Julia Nikhinson/Bloomberg)
“He cracked down on child predators, worked to increase penalties for drug dealers, and oversaw a sharp (30%) decrease in crime,” his site states. “Roy also prioritized consumer protection, and fought to keep utility rates low, putting predatory lenders out of business and cracking down on telemarketers.”
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI) Crime Reporting data shows total statewide offenses decreased more than 24% between 2001, the year he was sworn into the AG’s office, and 2017, the year he became governor.
However, the murder, aggravated assault, rape, and motor-vehicle theft rates per 100 people increased between 2013 and 2022, more recent SBI statistics show, most of which spiked during the 2020-2021 period. North Carolina saw one of its most drastic upticks in homicides between 2020 and 2021, as did many other states and cities. While overall crime has decreased recently, it is still higher than before 2020.
“I cannot say whether the crime rate is 30% lower now than when Roy Cooper became attorney general 24 years ago. If so, that’s much more likely due to factors affecting the nation as a whole than to anything special Cooper did while leading the North Carolina Department of Justice,” Kokai said.
JOSH SHAPIRO EMERGES AS POTENTIAL KAMALA HARRIS VP: A LOOK AT HIS RECORD AS PA’S TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL
Cooper was effective in staying out of the spotlight during his time in the AG’s office, the senior political analyst said. (Grant Halverson)
Cooper was effective in staying out of the spotlight during his time in the AG’s office, the senior political analyst said.
“His tenure was so unremarkable that Republicans didn’t bother to field a candidate against him during one of his re-election bids,” he said. “In that respect, his record, style, and accomplishments would be unlikely to overshadow Kamala Harris. Plus, he might help her swing 16 electoral votes that have gone to Republicans in every election since 2012. That might be exactly what the presumptive Democratic nominee is seeking in a running mate.”
Cooper also worked in his authority as AG to combat opioid addiction across the state and hold companies accountable for promoting drugs that lead to addiction.
In his capacity as governor, Cooper did initiate COVID-19 lockdowns, temporarily shuttering certain restaurants and businesses, and passed strict masking mandates. In April, an appeals court ruled that the governor overstepped when he allowed restaurants to reopen a few months after COVID-19 came to the United States while forcing standalone bars to remain closed. The court described Cooper’s orders as “illogical” in the decision, according to The Associated Press.
DEM WHO CRITICIZED VP HARRIS’ HANDLING OF SOUTHERN BORDER ENDORSES HER FOR PRESIDENT
In his capacity as governor, Cooper did initiate COVID-19 lockdowns, temporarily shuttering certain restaurants and businesses, and passed strict masking mandates. (Grant Baldwin/Bloomberg)
“He offered an annual update on crime statistics, and he occasionally promoted efforts to fight scams targeting seniors or other vulnerable groups. But it would surprise me if one in 100 people stopped on a North Carolina street could name anything special Cooper did as attorney general,” Kokai said. “To some extent, that’s good news for Cooper because his tenure did involve some clear problems. The Crime Lab at the State Bureau of Investigation faced a serious scandal that led to a number of prosecutions being thrown out.”
Kokai noted that North Carolina developed “a noticeable backlog of untested rape kits” under Cooper’s time as AG. His Democratic successor, Josh Stein, “made a big deal out of clearing the backlog, never emphasizing the degree to which the problem stemmed from operations during Cooper’s tenure,” the senior political analyst explained.
Republican North Carolina state Sen. Warren Daniel also weighed in on Cooper’s potential nomination as Harris’ VP, stating simply: “I would love to have Mark Robinson as acting Governor of North Carolina while Roy Cooper is out traveling the country in support of a losing presidential ticket.”
Read the full article from Here
A Georgia man’s encounter with a mass gathering of alligators in the Okefenokee Swamp that was captured on video has prompted researchers to investigate why so many of them congregated in a relatively small stretch of canal.
Marty Welch and his wife were boating through the Georgia swamp at Stephen C. Foster State Park on their way to Billy’s Lake when they happened upon the gator cluster, he told Fox News Digital.
Cellphone video of their July 14 encounter was shared on Welch’s Facebook page two days later and has been viewed more than 930,000 times as of Monday.
SLY ALLIGATOR LURKING UNDER PUBLIX SHOPPING CARTS CAUGHT ON VIDEO IN SOUTH CAROLINA
“Look at the gators. Man, there’s a lot of them,” Welch is heard saying in the video. “Look at ’em. There’s probably 50 or 60.”
“More than that,” his wife Tina Welch is heard telling him, adding that she thought there “had to be over 100.”
Marty Welch and his wife, Tina Welch, pictured at right during their trip through the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, happened upon a mass gathering of alligators in a canal on their way to Billy’s Lake. (Marty Welch via Storyful; Marty Welch)
The swarm of gators is seen in the video crossing the canal in both directions.
At times during the video, they were bunched so close together that they could be heard and seen crawling on top of each other in the water.
PREHISTORIC-LOOKING ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLES TO BE REINTRODUCED INTO KANSAS WATERS
“Look at all the gators,” Marty Welch is heard saying. “There’s gators everywhere.”
The video caught the attention of researchers at the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.
Marty Welch’s video shows alligators on top of each other in the water. Right, an alligator is seen in a stock photo on a canal bank in the Okefenokee Swamp. (Marty Welch via Storyful; iStock)
“We went out to try and see it for ourselves and document the event but were a bit too late,” the university’s Coastal Ecology Lab wrote in a July 22 Facebook post.
Student researcher Mark Hoog spoke about the “fairly rare event” in a Facebook video.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ALLIGATOR ‘STOLEN’ IN GEORGIA, PROMPTING FRANTIC CRIES FROM OWNER AND SOCIAL MEDIA FANS
“What we’ve noticed is it happens during periods of low water, so we think it might have something to do with resources,” Hoog said.
“It was really amazing to see something like that.”
He noted it could be a “feeding event” that is bringing the gators together “when there’s not a ton of resources.”
Although researchers “didn’t see the actual congregation, we did see the aftermath,” the Facebook post said.
Researchers counted 151 gators within about a mile-and-a-half of each other, Hoog said.
Marty Welch, left, navigated an alligator-infested canal at Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee Swamp. (Marty Welch; Marty Welch via Storyful)
“That’s a lot of alligators,” he added.
The Okefenokee Swamp is considered one of Georgia’s seven natural wonders and the largest blackwater wetland in the South, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“Perhaps the most famous inhabitant of the Okefenokee Swamp is the American alligator,” according to the website for Stephen C. Foster State Park.
“Officials estimate that 12,000 of the country’s largest reptiles live within the refuge.”
But the swarm of gators that Welch stumbled upon didn’t deter him from navigating through the infested canal.
It’s estimated that Stephen C. Foster State Park in Georgia is home to 12,000 American alligators. (iStock)
“We were able to idle right on through and go out into Billy’s Lake,” he told Fox News Digital.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle
Living in Georgia, Welch says he’s accustomed to seeing alligators in the water, but even he was impressed.
“It was really amazing to see something like that,” he said.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper withdraws from consideration to be Kamala Harris' running mate
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is no longer in the running to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate this election season.
The governor confirmed the news in a statement on X. The New York Times broke the story on Monday evening, reporting that Cooper informed Harris’ team about his decision to withdraw.
It was originally unclear what caused the decision, but Cooper said in a statement released on Monday evening that it “wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me.”
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President,” Cooper’s statement read. “I know she’s going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role.
TRUMP TELLS JESSE WATTERS THAT HE WAS NOT WARNED ABOUT GUNMAN, DESPITE REPORTS
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is reportedly no longer in the running to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate. (Getty Images)
“This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” the North Carolina Democrat added. “As I’ve said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins.”
Cooper was considered a top contender among Harris’ potential running mates in recent days. After President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris began running her campaign, her team sent vetting materials to Cooper, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., were reportedly sent vetting materials as well.
John Locke Foundation senior political analyst Mitch Kokai told Fox News Digital earlier on Monday that the North Carolina governor was considered “a good match” for Harris.
WATCH: THOUSANDS DESCEND ON MICHIGAN TOWN FOR FIRST TRUMP RALLY SINCE FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper reportedly withdrew from consideration to be VP Kamala Harris’ running mate. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
“Democrats are likely to see Roy Cooper as a good match for Kamala Harris for multiple reasons. First and foremost, Cooper helps bring North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes into play in a way other candidates do not,” Kokai explained.
“He has won six statewide elections since 2000. That’s an impressive accomplishment for a Democrat in a state that has trended right during the same time period.”
The political analyst called Cooper “the Democrats’ brightest star in North Carolina in recent years.”
“Cooper offers a clear demographic contrast to Harris, and he also presents a calm, sober, constrained personality that might help counter some of the criticism Harris has faced about her interactions with interviewers and the public,” Kokai added.
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on July 18, 2024. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Cooper’s office and the Harris campaign for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
9/11 terrorist fears Trump will be elected and execute him as lawmakers urge DOJ against French transfer
A 9/11 terrorist’s plea to a Virginia judge that he be sent home to France from a federal Supermax prison to avoid the prospect of Donald Trump ordering his execution led to outrage from lawmakers on Monday.
A letter from Zacarias Moussaoui to federal Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria lays out the so-called “20th hijacker’s” concerns that a future Trump administration will lead to his swift demise.
In his letter sent from ADX Florence in Colorado, Moussaoui argued he previously pledged his “collaboration” with U.S. authorities against al Qaeda operatives like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and asked Brinkema to order the transfer.
“Instead, your honor might concur that there is a possibility of, not a probability, that if the ex-U.S. President Donald Trump was to be reelected, he will sentence me to death by presidential executive order,” the terrorist wrote.
MAYORKAS ‘BASICALLY TOOK A CRAP ON 9/11’ BY INVOKING DOMESTIC POLITICAL EXTREMISTS AT MEMORIAL: GUTFELD
Donald Trump and French-born al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui. (Getty Images)
In his lengthy, handwritten letter laying out his argument, he made references to presidential power as well as the Trump Justice Department’s decision to drop charges against Gen. Michael Flynn, now retired, after a guilty plea for lying to federal agents.
Critics argue that France’s strong opposition to the death penalty presented a significant obstacle for the U.S. when seeking the extradition of Earth Day co-founder Ira Einhorn from France to Philadelphia in 2001 to stand trial for the murder of his girlfriend.
Moussaoui’s letter depicted a marked change in his previous demeanor, as his 2006 trial was rife with insults and courtroom outbursts, including his refusal to stand and a retort after learning he escaped the death penalty: “You’ll never get my blood: God curse you all.”
In court, he also claimed – then recanted – that he was supposed to have hijacked a fifth plane and flown it into the White House.
In the letter, the terrorist further wrote he believes there is still time before Inauguration Day 2025 for a transfer to be worked out with French authorities: “May your honor and your court enter an order as soon as your court finds appropriate and grant me my different request petition.”
The Eastern District of Virginia clerk’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Brinkema’s chambers had received such a letter. A copy was first published on the Legal Insurrection website.
9/11 VICTIMS BLAME ‘SPINELESS’ POLITICAL LEADERS, SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER BIN LADEN LETTER GOES VIRAL
Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City. (Robert Giroux/Getty Images)
In response, a dozen U.S. senators wrote to both President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging them to ignore the plea.
“It has come to our attention that Zacarias Moussaoui – the only person to be convicted in a U.S. court for his role in the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 – has submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Justice to be transferred to his home country of France to serve the remainder of his life sentence,” the letter reads.
“No consideration whatsoever should be given to this convicted terrorist’s preferences for where to serve his sentence for his heinous crimes, and we demand that you swiftly deny his transfer request and force him to spend the remainder of his pathetic life imprisoned in the country he and his fellow terrorists attacked 23 years ago,” continues the letter, which was spearheaded by Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, R-Fla.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who also signed the letter, added that Moussaoui and his co-conspirators “committed a heinous crime against our nation, inflicting damage and grief upon the victims and their families that can never be repaired.”
The Brooklyn Bridge and the Tribute in Light (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins/File)
“The Biden administration must deny this request and ensure he continues to face justice in the U.S.,” Hoeven said.
Another signatory, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said any terrorist who played a role in 9/11 should never leave a U.S. prison.
“Under no circumstances should Zacarias Moussaoui be allowed to serve his sentence in France,” Blackburn said.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, echoed that sentiment, saying Biden and the Justice Department should “unequivocally deny this request. Moussaoui committed heinous acts against the United States on September 11 and he should remain imprisoned in the country he attacked.”
Other signatories included Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Idaho Republicans James Risch and Mike Crapo.
Moussaoui was originally arrested in August 2001 after suspicions about his attempt to take flight training classes. He also allegedly received $14,000 in a wire transfer from fellow 9/11 co-conspirator Ramzi bin Alshibh, who never made it to the U.S. because his visa application was denied.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department said it is a matter of policy not to discuss prisoner transfer requests or whether they are pending.
However, the spokesperson added that Moussaoui is serving a life sentence for “terrorism offenses” and the DOJ plans to “enforce this life sentence in U.S. custody.”
The White House did not respond to a separate request for comment.
Read the full article from Here
Trap Review: M. Night Shyamalan’s Silly, Self-Aware Thriller Is A Messy Tale Of Two Movies – SlashFilm
Yousie Toddler Girls Kids Jumpsuit One Piece Floral Dinosaur Playsuit Strap Romper Summer Outfits Clothes
New Yellowstone Spinoff Eyes Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell and Patrick J. Adams to Star (Exclusive)
Video: Harris Remembers Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
HGH Hormone for Weight Loss: How It Boosts Slimming
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Trump replies to DA Bragg in case to get conviction tossed in light of Supreme Court immunity decision
Balkans battle wildfires from prolonged heatwave in Europe
Vance focuses his border attacks on the 'Harris administration'
Democrats start virtual roll call to nominate Harris to be the party's nominee against Trump
Extensive Russia-US prisoner swap under way: Sources
-
Mississippi2 days agoMSU, Mississippi Academy of Sciences host summer symposium, USDA’s Tucker honored with Presidential Award
-
News1 week agoHow the Trump Rally Gunman Had an Edge Over the Countersnipers
-
World1 week agoTyphoon Gaemi barrels towards China’s Fujian after sinking ship off Taiwan
-
Politics1 week agoTop five moments from Secret Service director's hours-long grilling after Trump assassination attempt
-
World1 week agoViolence against women, girls at ‘epidemic’ levels: UK police
-
News1 week agoGeorge Clooney Endorses Kamala Harris, Says Biden Is ‘Saving Democracy’
-
News1 week agoVideo: Secret Service Director Faces Bipartisan Calls to Resign
-
News1 week agoA coup, fake signatures and deepfakes are the latest conspiracy theories about 2024