RICK GUNN FACES ALIENATION OF AFFECTION LAWSUIT OVER AFFAIR WITH EMPLOYEE: A lawsuit accuses a North Carolina state senator of breaking up a marriage by having an affair with his legislative assistant. Arthur Johns’ lawsuit accuses Sen. Rick Gunn of having an affair with Johns’ wife, Karen, leading to their divorce. The five-term senator, a Burlington Republican, is not seeking re-election. He announced that decision in November 2019, four months after the Johnses divorced. The lawsuit says Gunn employed Karen Johns until recently. She has worked in the legislature as a legislative assistant since 2011, according to her LinkedIn profile. As Gunn’s legislative assistant, she was encouraged to spend time with the senator outside his working hours, respond to his constant communication immediately and travel alone with him, the lawsuit alleges.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article244881977.html

$300 BOOST TO UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS WILL ONLY LAST 3 WEEKS: Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that he expects North Carolinians on unemployment will see the $300 federal boost in their checks next week. "We're hoping that's when that's going to happen," Cooper said Wednesday afternoon, during a news conference on his new budget proposal. That money won't last long. So far, the federal government has approved only enough money to cover three weeks of payments, all of which have already passed. The benefits will be paid retroactively. Congress may eventually approve more funding, and it's possible that the North Carolina General Assembly will increase state-funded benefits when they gather for another legislative session next week. A $600-a-week unemployment boost, also funded by the federal government, ran out in late July.
https://www.wral.com/cooper-nc-unemployment-checks-could-include-extra-money-as-soon-as-next-week/19...

REP. ALMA ADAMS GRILLS LOUIS DEJOY OVER POSTAL SERVICE SHENANIGANS: "The recurring theme I kept hearing from Postmaster General DeJoy was 'I don't know'," said Congresswoman Adams. He doesn't know how many blue boxes were taken. He doesn't know why our Veterans are getting their medications late, or why goods that our small businesses rely on are arriving spoiled. He doesn't know the cost of Priority Mail or the kind of stamp he needs to mail a postcard. He doesn't know if his own mail is coming. The fact is: he just don’t know. Unfortunately for us, Mr. Postmaster General, not knowing is not good enough." "What I know is that our most vulnerable neighbors are relying on institutions like the US Postal Service for critical deliveries. Our courageous postal workers and letter carriers have been essential in keeping our country on track during this pandemic. Meanwhile, our Postmaster General has been getting in their way. He doesn't know if he's talked to the Trump Administration, but he's made quite the mess out of something that he's inherited. If I asked him if that sounds like our President, I already know what the answer would be: 'I don't know'," concluded Adams.
https://adams.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/postmaster-general-louis-dejoy-rep-adams-i-dont-...

LEGISLATIVE BLUSTER DOESN'T HELP UNEMPLOYED MAKE ENDS MEET: It wasn’t Roy Cooper who enacted the stingiest unemployment benefits in the nation. Phil Berger and his allies in the General Assembly did and it was signed into law by former Gov. Pat McCrory. Roy Cooper didn’t enact the shortest duration of unemployment benefit payments in the nation. Phil Berger and his followers in the General Assembly did -- with the giddy backing of the state Chamber of Commerce. Instead of issuing ultimatums to the governor, Berger should be apologizing to the 854,000 workers who are out of jobs, have been receiving unemployment benefits and are desperate to figure out how to keep a roof over their families’ heads and struggling to put food on the dinner table. Instead of pointless political posturing, he should be pledging to reform the unemployment system he created to provide benefits that at least match the national average.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/editorial-legislative-bluster-doesn-t-help-unemployed-make-ends-mee...

DAVID LEWIS TAKES PLEA DEAL IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE SCHEME: One of the most powerful Republicans in the state legislature was charged with federal financial crimes Thursday, in what prosecutors say was a scheme to take money from his political donors for personal use. Harnett County Rep. David Lewis has been a state lawmaker since 2003 and for the last several years has been chairman of the influential House Rules Committee. Thursday afternoon, he suddenly announced he was resigning from the state legislature, effective immediately. He reported that his campaign was sending money to the North Carolina Republican Party but in reality, the court document says, he was writing checks to a bank account he controlled. He put the account in the name of a company — which federal prosecutors say never existed — that he called “NC GOP, Inc.” to disguise what was going on.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article245118325.html