LEGISLATIVE PARTISANSHIP TRIUMPHS OVER REAL PROGRESS FOR NC: Their top priorities: Playing election-year politics; Pointless partisan jousting with the governor; Token headline-grabbing that could leave public health at risk; and Providing more places for people to carry concealed weapons. In the midst of a very real pandemic, what they are not about is working with Gov. Roy Cooper to beat the virus and plan for the future; to best position the state so it can rapidly recover when the opportunity becomes clear; or even to set examples for healthful behavior. Republicans who refuse to wear masks in the Legislative Building are acting like children. Their actions and the dangerous example they set, is helping, not slowing, the spread of COVID-19. They jeopardize our state and nation’s recovery from the ravages of the coronavirus. They need to grow up. Legislators should be heeding the advice of experts who know what they’re talking about rather than yahoos on social media spreading deadly falsehoods.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/editorial-legislative-partisanship-triumphs-over-real-progress-for-...

GOVERNOR COOPER VETOES 8 POLITICAL STUNTS: On Thursday, he vetoed bills that would have reopened bowling alleys, skating rinks, amusement parks, event venues and other businesses, as well as another attempt to get gyms operating again. He also vetoed a measure that would have prevented cities from using the pandemic as a reason to halt any local Fourth of July parades or fireworks shows sponsored by private groups. A fifth vetoed bill would have prohibited any governor from extending a state of emergency for more than 30 days without the approval of the Council of State, a group of 10 statewide elected officials. Likewise, the Council of State would have to sign off on any effort to shut down an entire business segment. "The Emergency Management Act clearly provides the Governor with statutory authority to direct the state’s response to a public health emergency that could affect the entire state’s population," Cooper wrote in his veto message.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/cooper-vetoes-slew-of-reopening-bills/19171981/

LAW THAT SHIELDS POLICE DEATH INVESTIGATIONS TO BE REVISED: “It may not have been anticipated by some, but SB 168 appears to invite less transparency into death investigations by Medical Examiners instead of more,” said Mike Tadych, a Raleigh attorney who frequently represents news organizations on public records issues. “It’s clear that our society is demanding greater access to information about deaths occurring while people are in police custody. Thus, it’s hard to reconcile making this change now.” If an unnatural or unexpected death is deemed to be under medical examiner jurisdiction, related records are then passed to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Such records include death investigations by law enforcement. When those investigative records, which are exempt from public records law, leave law enforcement hands they become public. SB 168 would change that, mandating death investigation records remain confidential when they reach the medical examiner.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article243896002.html

NC'S CORONAVIRUS TESTING PERSISTS AT 10% POSITIVE RATE: At least 62,142 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 1,322 have died, according to state and county health officials. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday reported an additional 1,605 cases of the virus, down from 1,719 on Saturday. Four deaths were reported. At least 890 North Carolinians were hospitalized with COVID-19 Sunday, up slightly from 888 on Saturday. On Sunday, 78% of hospitals reported data to the state, compared to 90% Saturday. Health officials on Sunday reported completing an additional 16,774 coronavirus tests, for a total of 871,905. The percentage of positive tests Sunday was 10%. It was the third consecutive day in which the percentage of positive tests was 10%, according to state data.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article243859427.html

RALEIGH BARS OPEN THEIR DOORS DESPITE GOVERNOR'S ORDER: On Friday afternoon, Governor Roy Cooper ordered bars to remain closed during the pandemic, citing an upward trend of coronavirus cases in the state. But this weekend, some downtown Raleigh bars were reopening on Friday anyway. Bar owners who spoke to WRAL News said it's the first time they've been open since the shutdown in March. Initially, bars would not be allowed to open until Phase 3 of Cooper's plan to reopen the state amid the pandemic. However, Cooper delayed that reopening because of worrisome upward trends in coronavirus cases in North Carolina. As of Saturday, about 10% of coronavirus tests done by the state are expected to come back positive. Texas and Florida had to also clamp down on bars due to coronavirus infections reaching an all-time daily high. In one day, Florida saw nearly 9,000 new cases. Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has been critiqued for not shutting down more businesses -- particularly bars -- in Florida. That changed after cases surged this week.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/several-raleigh-bars-open-in-defiance-of-state-order-nc-coronavirus...