Settling Scores
A COVID-era settlement has become a major flashpoint as Democrat Roy Cooper runs for an open U.S. Senate seat against Republican Michael Whatley.
I enjoyed this past weekend far away from the General Assembly by taking in a Saturday evening at Camden Yards in Baltimore and a one-time splurge on some bougie baseball in D.C. the night before.
The Washington Nationals had a deal too good to ignore on all-you-can seats about 15 rows behind home plate, with a Jason Derulo postgame concert included. And after three hot dogs, four chicken tenders, seven cups of sprite, popcorn, nachos, pork loin, sweet plantains, pizza, fruit, a red velvet cupcake, a cookie, a brownie, and some ice cream, I’d say I got my money’s worth. Leave it to an American to accomplish so much in four hours. So if you see me around the General Assembly looking more rotund than usual, now you know why.
One less positive food review: A Cook Out near Richmond had ridiculously small milkshakes (like the size of a water cup) served in a plastic cup that easily melted. Between that, 12% sales tax, an undisclosed 10-cent tomato tariff, and a 50-cent cheese surcharge on a burger, I feel even more grateful to not live up there. Attention Cook Out franchisees in the Tar Heel state, please don’t bring those changes down here!
If you have any milkshake recommendations, please send them my way! And if you’d like to join me in trying to convince my editor to allow me to conduct an all-expense-paid review of every Cook Out milkshake flavor, you can shoot her a note here. The Heath toffee shake has surpassed Snickers and banana fudge as my go-to flavor.
We have more substantive things to get to, so let’s dive in.
Roll Call
Unpacking the COVID-era inmate settlement
Senate taking up elections bill
Auditor Dave Boliek wants more political appointees
Settle This
A February 2021 settlement then-Gov. Roy Cooper reached with the ACLU of North Carolina and other advocacy groups to lower the prison population to stop the spread of COVID-19 has become a major flashpoint as Cooper runs for an open U.S. Senate seat against Michael Whatley.
Cooper’s critics allege that the settlement indiscriminately turned loose thousands of violent criminals, who then went on to commit other crimes. Cooper has repeatedly denied the charge.
