TRIANGLE MAYORS PROTEST INTRUSIVE ICE RAIDS TEARING FAMILIES APART: Mayor Steve Schewel has condemned last week's immigration raids that took 25 people into custody in the Triangle, including people in the country illegally who were not the initial targets. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency made arrests of valued Durham residents, including people who are parents of U.S. citizens," Schewel said in a statement. "As mayor of the City of Durham, I condemn these arrests in the strongest possible terms." Last week's raids also brought condemnation from the mayors of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, who said their towns did not know about the raids ahead of time and their police departments did not assist in them. Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said he also did not have prior knowledge.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article208984369.html

SINCLAIR SOWS DOUBT AND DISTRUST, FAILS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THE VALUE OF NEWS: Stating what a station believes in, building a brand that deserves trust, reminding audiences that reporters are committed to giving the audience the information needed to make decisions, is a real plus and a service to your communities. Cutting down the media and playing into the fake news tirade does not build trust. It only feeds into the anxiety about news today. I am not against a corporate owner articulating core values for its properties and asking leaders in their news organizations to be bridges with the audience. However, dragging down others as proponents of fake news, sowing doubt and distrust, does not help build confidence in our business or its values. Saying “We’re concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country” without providing facts does not fit a reporter’s role. I would have declined to read that—no matter what the consequences.
http://www.wral.com/susan-king-sinclair-sows-doubt-distrust-fails-to-build-confidence-in-news-busine...

DAN FOREST "RETREATS" TO THE MOUNTAINS FOR ALL-MALE CHRISTIAN BONDING: Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and dozens of other Christian men spent last weekend in the North Carolina mountains at an invitation-only retreat organized by Forest and his supporters. They slept 10 to a room "like a summer camp," according to Forest's chief of staff and campaign manager Hal Weatherman. “There’s no political conversation," Forest told host Pete Kaliner. "There’s nothing political at all.” The event has a website, but the site makes clear participation is invitation only. Weatherman said volunteers recruit attendees from around the state to create "a strong geographic reach." “Many of you share my concerns about the cultural decline of our country, our state and our communities," Forest, a social conservative widely expected to run for governor in 2020, says on the website. "To combat this decline, I’m continuing to hold the annual Black Mountain Weekend. ... Speakers and presenters will share their real-world experiences and lead the group in discussions on issues that confront our nation, state and communities."
http://www.wral.com/lt-gov-forest-holds-men-only-christian-retreats-in-nc-mountains/17482130/

COOPER WANTS MORE FUNDING FOR DEQ TO ADDRESS GENX CHALLENGES: Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that he plans to include $14.5 million in his recommended budget to address health and safety threats posed by GenX and other emerging contaminants. "Protecting the water we drink and the air we breathe is critical, and my budget recommendations will give state agencies the tools they need to continue keeping North Carolina families healthy," Cooper said in a statement. "Our administration has taken strong action to hold polluters accountable, but we need meaningful investments in water testing, permitting and scientific analysis to protect our environment statewide." Cooper last year sought $2.6 million for the state Department of Environmental Quality and the state Department of Health and Human Services to study GenX and its long-term health effects, but lawmakers provided only $435,000 to the local water authority in Wilmington and scientists at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington studying GenX.
http://www.wral.com/cooper-seeking-14-5m-in-state-budget-to-address-genx/17477015/

REPUBLICAN CLERK OF COURT TELLS STAFF THEY MUST WORK ON HER CAMPAIGN: The memo said employees would be required to campaign for her, including taking vacation time so they weren't doing political work while on the clock. "You will be required to stand at the polls on May 8th for half day. Vacation leave will (be) taken." was the second item on the list. The third item said staffers were required to attend a Republican forum at a church. She also wrote that she would ask staffers "to go out with me on Saturdays or during the week to speak to people you know. You will take vacation leave." After the memo was published, Surry County Clerk of Court Teresa O'Dell told the Mount Airy News that she doesn't require staff to work for her campaign. She acknowledged that the memo "seemed to indicate otherwise" and sent a follow-up note.
http://www.wral.com/court-clerk-despite-memo-staff-not-required-to-campaign/17471424/