North Carolina's outgoing governor Pat McCrory arrived in New York Wednesday morning for a meeting with President-Elect Donald Trump, fueling speculation that McCrory may be under consideration for a cabinet position in the Trump administration.
A report from McClatchy newspapers said McCrory was seen walking through the lobby of Trump Tower around 10 a.m. He did not speak to reporters on his way to the elevators.
Neither McCrory's office nor his campaign have commented on the meeting, and spokesmen for the Trump transition team have released little information beyond a confirmation that the meeting would take place.
McCrory was a late supporter of Trump, endorsing him only after it became clear Trump would become the Republican nominee. After a video was leaked that contained audio of Trump making lewd, sexual comments about women, McCrory released a terse statement condemning the nominee, calling the comments "disgusting."
Though McCrory also appeared on the campaign trial alongside Trump, speaking at multiple rallies for then candidate - Trump and his vice presidential nominee, Mike Pence. At one Wilmington rally in early November, Trump pulled McCrory up on stage and praised him for being "loyal to Trump from day one." He also urged attendees to vote for McCrory, saying "He's a good man, and he'll do a good job."
NC Lottery Winners Cost State $7 Million
North Carolina lottery winners have cheated the state out of an estimated $7 million in back taxes and overdue child support that were supposed to be taken from their winnings.
Researchers in the General Assembly's research division arrived at that figure by looking at repeat lottery winners in the past seven years. The Legislature's Fiscal Research Division launched the study after an investigation by The Charlotte Observer found dozens of players won the lottery so often their luck defied logic. The newspaper found there was a lucrative secondary market for winning lottery tickets in which players sold their claim on prizes at a discount to avoid automatic withholdings like back taxes and child support.
That allows ticket buyers to collect the full prize and sellers to remain anonymous. WFAE spoke with reporterswho wrote the story for the Charlotte Observer in October.
Opening Arguments Get Underway In Trial Of Dylann Roof
Twelve jurors were seated Wednesday morning in the death penalty trial of Dylann Roof. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel only allowed one pool reporter to watch the jury selection wrap up today. She said the jury appeared to have a mix of ethnicities, though she could not immediately determine the exact racial makeup of the panel. Court officials also didn't release the races of the jurors.
Later in the day, jurors began to hear opening statements in the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Richardson described Roof as "cold and hateful," and told jurors that the young white man must have appeared harmless to those attending Bible study that night in June 2015. Richardson said Roof then pointed his gun and pulled the trigger, hitting the church members more than 60 times.
If jurors find Roof guilty, they will then decide whether he should be put to death.
