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The Ayden Rotary Club has announced its 2023 scholarship winners.
South Central High School junior Matthew Paciullo has been named winner of the North Carolina First Congressional District Artistic Discovery Contest, hosted by U.S. Rep. Don Davis.
The Ayden Rotary Club has announced its 2023 scholarship winners.
Email announcements at least a week in advance to community@reflector.com.
The Winterville Kiwanis Club recently awarded a pair of scholarships to two local students for outstanding service to the community.
The Greenville City Council has directed city staff to develop a policy allowing the sale of liquor on the Town Common.
Greenville City Council unanimously approved its $160.5 million budget, keeping its current property tax rate at 48.95 cents for the new fiscal year beginning July 1.
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This marks the first weekend without East Carolina baseball since early February.
With the arrival of another June comes another summer of American Legion Post 39 baseball, a long-standing local tradition.
The only NCAA conference that will enter the new athletic year with both a New Year’s Six Six bowl game winner in football and a men’s basketball Final Four team concluded its annual meeting last week in Vail, Colo.
East Carolina made it to the doorstep and knocked twice. In the end, the Pirates couldn’t find their way past Virginia. Omaha will have to wait.
East Carolina will play for the Charlottesville Regional championship.
East Carolina’s path to a regional championship just became more difficult.
Freshly armed with a supermajority in the state legislature, North Carolina Republicans are picking up an old tactic: making it harder to vote.
With her wild hair, peekaboo sweater and extraordinary claim that then-presidential candidate Joe Biden had sexually assaulted her, Tara Reade merited considerable skepticism. Any such accusation deserved a hearing, of course, but Reade was an obvious nutjob and Putin shill. Why did she have to be "believed" right off the bat?
Nonetheless, The New York Times opinion pages flogged this unlikely story to the point of imbecility — thus jeopardizing the candidacy of perhaps the only Democrat who could defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election. The Times is not the only newspaper in America, but it was considered one of the more reliable sources back then. And it set much of the national conversation.
The writers repeated with utmost seriousness Reade's charge that "Biden pinned her against a wall, shoved his fingers up her skirt and digitally penetrated her." Biden completely denied the story. He was known at the time to affectionately nuzzle the backs of women's heads, but nothing in his long history suggested anything approaching violent behavior.
In a Times column titled, "Will Biden Play by the Rules?" Jennifer Senior wrote that, whatever the truth in this story, "It's going to be a fiery orange asterisk next to his name." After all, Reade's mother confirmed it.
In another Times essay, Elizabeth Bruenig cast some doubt on Reade's account but seemed to regard it as a reason to drop Biden as a presidential candidate. She speculated that "it will demoralize voters and place Mr. Biden at a disadvantage against Mr. Trump in the general election."
Left unsaid was that both Bruenig and her husband Matt Bruenig were prominent supporters of Bernie Sanders, then Biden's rival for the Democratic nomination. How interesting that the column's headline read "Democrats, It's Time to Consider a Plan B."
Another vertigo-inducing piece, by Linda Hirshman, was titled, "I believe Tara Reade. I'm Voting for Joe Biden Anyway."
A Times editorial called for opening Biden's then-closed Senate record for possible evidence of a sexual crime. Gobsmacked by that insane coverage, Biden asked the Senate secretary to do an extensive search for "any and all other documents in the records that relate to the allegation."
"This is a start," the editorial declared, "but it does not go far enough." Any serious inquiry had to include opening closed records from Biden's Senate career.
Then there was the piece by media writer Ben Smith, accusatorily titled "Why Won't TV News Book Tara Reade?"
Perhaps it was because her story was increasingly looking like 100% BS. Perhaps it was all the lies popping out of her biography. Perhaps it was her gushing over the magnificent virility of Vladimir Putin, his love of animals, his gentleness combined with strength.
It was no secret that Putin wanted the malleable Donald Trump as president. Biden was the strongest candidate to beat his boy.
The children at the left-wing site The Intercept were totally in the bag for Sanders. They thus found use for the Reade story and, who knows, may have actually believed it. Ryan Grim went to far as to call out The Times for treating questions about Reade's phony academic claims with inadequate sensitivity.
"The documents do make it clear" Grim wrote, "that the story Reade told of her graduation — that it was handled in a unique, private way due to her domestic violence-related legal name change — is consistent with the records in her file."
Fox News picked up on it all. Why wouldn't they?
Russian spy Maria Butina is now helping Reade obtain Russian citizenship. "When I got off the plane in Moscow," Reade said, "for the first time in a very long time I felt safe, and I felt heard, and I felt respected."
Lordy.
Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.
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Last Updated: Wednesday, Jun 07, 2023 10:06:07 -0700
On paper, has there ever been a more qualified candidate for president than Mike Pence? Twelve years in the House of Representatives, four as governor of Indiana and four as vice president of the United States. No president in at least the last 30 years has come to office with that kind of resume.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan was just sworn in for a third term after 20 years in power. And apparently there’s nothing quite like an uncontested electoral victory guaranteeing another half-decade in power to rev up the backpedaling by the backstabbers.
After negotiating a deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to avoid a catastrophic default on America’s debt, President Biden observed: “Now, this agreement represents a compromise, which means not everyone gets what they want. That’s the responsibility of governing.”
A provision included in the Senate budget proposal would direct $1.4 billion in taxpayer funds to a project to subsidize select private businesses.
Ayden-Grifton High School has announced its 2023 marshals. These top-ranking high school juniors will serve at the graduation ceremony scheduled for 6:30 p.m. today at Minges Coliseum in Greenville. Above, from left, are Ashton Watkins, Cooper Sutton, Haley Pasour, Ava Casey, Ashani Garris, …
Dear Readers: When I suggest people check the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredient label before they buy their food I get pushback: “Who has the time when shopping!” Here are three suggestions that might help.
It’s officially grill season. While you’re brushing off the grill grates and prepping your proteins and vegetables, don’t forget to make a bright and zesty sauce for serving. Herbaceous, citrusy condiments, such as salsas and pestos, will complement and elevate your charred grill food. And z…
Q I had severe pain in my neck and couldn’t turn my head. I saw an orthopedist, and she diagnosed me with bone spurs on my vertebrae. Apparently, my choices are doing physical therapy, seeing a pain specialist or having surgery. Can you please talk about these options?
The overwhelming joy of having pets is unfortunately accompanied by the inevitable sadness that comes with the ending of their lives. As humans, sometimes feeling like parents, we must be witnesses to the death of our family member, our pet. Unfortunately, we are placed in the unique position of having to make a life/death decision of when it’s time to say goodbye to our friend, a process ...
Graduations are over and college towns are quieter. But in Chapel Hill faculty members and some university supporters are deeply worried. They fear the loss of faculty control of the university’s curriculum.
State AP Stories
President Joe Biden signed an executive order aiming to bolster job opportunities for military and veteran spouses whose careers are often disrupted by their loved ones’ deployments. Biden used a visit to the recently renamed Fort Liberty in North Carolina to highlight the order. Less than 100 miles away at the state’s Republican Party convention on Friday evening, GOP presidential contender, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, vowed to restore the former name of the base if voters elect him president. The president made no mention of renaming of the base that officially shed its former name Fort Bragg, which honored a Confederate general, last week.
Trump set for first public appearances since federal indictment, speaking in Georgia, North Carolina
Former President Donald Trump is set to make his first public appearances since his federal indictment. He is speaking on Saturday to friendly Republican audiences in Georgia and North Carolina as he seeks to rally his supporters to his defense. Trump is expected to use state party conventions in the two states to amplify his assertions that he is the victim of a politically motivated prosecution by President Joe Biden’s Justice Department. His appearances will come a day after a 37-count felony indictment was unsealed accusing the president of willfully defying government demands to return documents he had taken and enlisting aides in his efforts to hide the records.
More changes could be coming to voting districts in some states. The 2022 elections marked the first using new districts for Congress and state capitols that were drawn from updated census data. But they could be short-lived in some places. That's because court challenges could force some states to redraw districts again before the 2024 elections. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a ruling that Alabama's congressional districts should be redrawn to enhance Black voting strength. That ruling also could lead to new House districts in Louisiana, and potentially Georgia. Some other places in line for new districts include New York, North Carolina and Ohio.
Americans may not like political gridlock, but a new Associated Press analysis indicates that the closely divided Congress relatively accurately reflects the desires of voters. The AP used a statistical formula designed to detect political gerrymandering to analyze the outcome of the 2022 elections. The results show that Republicans won just one more seat than would have been expected based on the average share of the vote they received nationwide. That's essentially a political wash — and sharp contrast to the significant edge the GOP enjoyed the previous decade. The 2022 elections marked the first under new districts drawn based on the 2020 census.
Former North Carolina state Commerce Secretary Jim Fain has died at age 80. He was the state’s primary economic recruiter during Democratic Gov. Mike Easley’s eight years in office. Fain's son said Friday that his father died on Wednesday in Raleigh after a period of declining health. During his tenure he helped bring in companies from the pharmaceutical, financial services and aviation sectors to build in the state. Another Easley administration official credited Fain with helping create the state's chief financial incentives program still in use today, called the Job Development Investment Grant. A memorial service will be held next week.
President Joe Biden has called the smoke from Canadian wildfires in the eastern U.S. “another stark reminder of the impacts of climate change” and has offered additional help to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Biden also has postponed a Pride Month celebration on the White House lawn set for Thursday night because of poor air quality in Washington. It will be held Saturday instead. It remains unclear when more than 12,000 Canadians displaced by the fires will be able to return home. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths, or damage to homes in Quebec, but no rain is expected until next week and temperatures are expected to rise.
The Republican Party’s 2024 presidential field is all but set after a trio of new announcements this week. There are at least 10 high-profile Republican candidates officially seeking their party’s nomination. And with the announcement phase of the primary campaign largely over, several leading Republican contenders will gather in North Carolina this weekend to begin a more aggressive sorting period. It will be a long road to the GOP’s national convention in Milwaukee next summer and surprises are guaranteed. But as of now, most Republican White House hopefuls are looking up at former President Donald Trump, who is the undisputed front-runner in the crowded contest.
Ben Crump has become a powerful figure in the movement seeking equality for Black Americans and justice for those killed by police. The Florida attorney has won multimillion-dollar settlements over the past decade for the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Tyre Nichols. Veteran civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton has called him “Black America’s Attorney General” because Crump takes cases others won’t touch. This week, he’s standing with the family of Ajike Owens, a Black woman fatally shot after going to the Ocala, Florida, apartment of her white neighbor. He called on the state attorney’s office to “zealously prosecute” the shooter.
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National & World AP Stories
COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — Students spread out in their rural Kansas classroom, answering questions with a partner about invaders atop elephants attempting to sack Rome more than 2,000 years ago.
Renowned photographer and artist Roger Ballen is staging an art exhibition in the heart of Johannesburg that is addressing the destruction of African wildlife and the relationship between humans and animals on the continent. From the killing of elephants in the 18th century that began the ivory trade to the decimation of the rhino population from hunting, Ballen argues through his provocative art installations and multimedia artworks that humans remain at the forefront of the destruction of African wildlife. The exhibition continues to draw crowds nearly three months after it first went on display.
Four Indigenous children survived an Amazon plane crash that killed three adults and then wandered on their own in the jungle for 40 days before being found alive by Colombian soldiers. The announcement of their rescue on Friday brought a happy ending to a saga that had captivated many Colombians, a watch with highs and lows as searchers frantically combed through the rainforest hunting for the youngsters. President Gustavo Petro celebrated the news upon returning from Cuba and said he hoped to talk with them over the weekend. They were being flown to Bogota to be checked at a hospital. No details have been released on how the four siblings aged 13, 9, 4 and 11 months managed to survive on their own for so long.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order aiming to bolster job opportunities for military and veteran spouses whose careers are often disrupted by their loved ones’ deployments. Biden used a visit to the recently renamed Fort Liberty in North Carolina to highlight the order. Less than 100 miles away at the state’s Republican Party convention on Friday evening, GOP presidential contender, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, vowed to restore the former name of the base if voters elect him president. The president made no mention of renaming of the base that officially shed its former name Fort Bragg, which honored a Confederate general, last week.
It seems everyone from the structural engineer to city officials to tenants had concerns about the 116-year-old Davenport apartment building. But no one ordered residents out, and it was only when a section of the six-story building tumbled to the ground on May 28 that everyone seemed to connect the dots. By then, three men were dead, about 50 tenants were left homeless and the city was faced with one of its taller buildings at risk of crumbling in the heart of its downtown. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said, “I don’t know that anyone can anticipate a building collapsing.” Maybe not, but what is clear is that while many people anticipated trouble, no one took definitive action to prevent it.
Legislative debates can be stuffy. This year's session in Nebraska was more like reality TV, featuring culture-war rhetoric and open hostility. Nebraskans couldn't get enough of it, tuning in constantly and sending thousands of comments to their state senators. Viewership soared as attention focused on a filibuster by Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who tried to shut down restrictions on transgender health care. The drama peaked when Sen. Julie Slama hobbled in from a hospital to cast a deciding vote to restrict abortion and transgender care. Protesters howled outside the chamber. Nebraskans now must wait until January 2024 for the next season.
Americans may not like political gridlock, but a new Associated Press analysis indicates that the closely divided Congress relatively accurately reflects the desires of voters. The AP used a statistical formula designed to detect political gerrymandering to analyze the outcome of the 2022 elections. The results show that Republicans won just one more seat than would have been expected based on the average share of the vote they received nationwide. That's essentially a political wash — and sharp contrast to the significant edge the GOP enjoyed the previous decade. The 2022 elections marked the first under new districts drawn based on the 2020 census.
Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic added 23 and the Denver Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the title series. Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who took both games in Miami to grab complete command. They’ll have three chances to win one game for a title, two of those in Denver, the first of them coming there in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5 on Monday night. Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances.
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