Democrats urge Biden to see ‘warning sign’ after voters abandon him: ‘Not something that should be ignored’
Democratic donors are urging President Biden to see recent presidential primary results, like in Michigan where more than 100,000 voters abandoned him and marked “uncommitted” on their ballots, as a “warning sign” and a “wake-up call.” “Regardless of how you dissect the specific math and historical comparisons (2012, 2016) of what happened in Michigan, 100,000 uncommitted Democratic voters must be seen as a wake-up call,” wrote Way to Win, a national hub of progressive donors, in a memo to its members and supporters. “We can tell you that the energy behind ‘uncommitted’ is not something that should be ignored, taken lightly, or dismissed.” It added: “We should not try to argue ourselves out of the fact that Michigan is a major warning signal that something needs to change.” In the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan, the state’s Arab American population urged voters to “Abandon Biden” and vote “uncommitted” on primary ballots in protest of Biden’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza. Biden won 81% of the state, losing approximately 101,000 to the protest vote. ‘UNCOMMITTED’ PROTEST VOTE AGAINST BIDEN DRAWS TENS OF THOUSANDS ON SUPER TUESDAY In the memo, Way to Win cautioned that 2024 was lining up to be a repeat of 2016, when then-candidate Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic primary to Bernie Sanders but felt the state would still vote blue in the general election. It didn’t and Trump went on to win Michigan by just under 11,000 votes. “Michigan 2024 is not an anomaly, just as Michigan 2016 was not,” the group wrote, adding that potential voters are hesitant to support Biden because they feel “disenchanted, disaffected and demobilized.” MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS, COMMUNITY LEADERS SOUND ALARM BELLS AFTER THOUSANDS OF VOTERS PROTEST BIDEN IN SWING STATE The protest extended to Super Tuesday as well. Despite nearly sweeping every contest on Super Tuesday, Biden again saw a chunk of Democratic voters refuse to put his name down in states like Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee. In North Carolina, the Biden campaign saw a whopping 88,000 voters, or nearly 13% of the total, back “No Preference.” In Massachusetts, a sizable 54,000 voters, or just under 10%, marked “No Preference.” In Colorado, just over 43,000 voters, or roughly 8% of the vote, marked “Noncommitted Delegate” on the ballot, instead of putting down the president’s name. In Tennessee, Alabama and Iowa, Biden lost approximately 8%, 6% and 4%, respectively, to “uncommitted.” In these states, the non-declared option was usually the second most chosen. Way to Win added: “And beyond our volunteers and activists, there is a real and present danger that too many voters in close swing states who are fed up with the system will choose to either not vote at all, vote but skip the presidential ballot, or vote for third-party presidential candidates. We are seeing this everywhere in the data.” The memo suggests Biden should directly address the concerns of those protesting him and “change course on Gaza,” elevate Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail, and emphasize the need for Democrats to go out and vote.
VA official who tried to ban iconic WWII kissing photo has controversial history: ‘Unequivocally offensive’
A Veterans Department official who sent a since-rescinded memo calling for the removal of an iconic photo of a Navy sailor kissing a woman in Times Square has been at the center of previous controversies in the past. Assistant Under Secretary for Health Operations RimaAnn Nelson sparked a firestorm, including calls for her to be fired, last week when she sent a memo to VA employees calling for the historic photo of a Navy sailor kissing a woman in Times Square on V-J Day in 1945 to be removed from all VA medical buildings because it does not fit with the department’s “no-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and assault. The incident is not the first time Nelson has faced scrutiny during her tenure at the VA. Nelson was appointed to be head of the Phoenix VA in 2016, which prompted outrage from then Democratic Rep. and now Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, along with former Republican Rep. Matt Salmon, who wrote a letter to then-President Obama calling for a reconsideration of Nelson’s appointment due to her previous tenure at the St. Louis VA hospital. GOP SENATOR LOOKS TO FORCE BIDEN ADMIN TO ALLOW VA FACILITY UPDATES STALLED BY INFRASTRUCTURE LAW “When I first heard of the VA’s latest appointment in Phoenix, I immediately felt it must be some sort of a cruel joke,” Salmon wrote at the time. “After working with the Phoenix veteran community for years, I know they deserve better.” “To think that Ms. Nelson, with her less-than-impressive past, is the best possible candidate to provide crucial leadership for the facility equated to ‘ground zero’ of the VA scandal is unequivocally offensive to us and each of the veterans we represent.” Nelson served as the director of the St. Louis VA hospital from 2009 to 2013, during a time when veterans were reportedly exposed to HIV and hepatitis. CNN reported that an investigation found that “staff in St. Louis had not been trained to sterilize equipment, and according to a whistleblower, the poor sanitation contributed to infections.” According to a report from AZ Central, investigators followed up to see if the problem had been addressed at the facility, and they had not. The Daily Caller reported that conditions were so bad that veterans were left sitting in feces for “days.” Despite the documented problems at the hospital, Nelson reportedly received more than $25,000 in bonuses. TWO WWII-ERA BAZOOKA ROUNDS FOUND IN MASSACHUSETTS TOWN RIVER IN THE SAME WEEK VIA MAGNET FISHING Nelson’s time only ended in St. Louis after she transferred to a facility in the Philippines, a decision made by her, where she earned $160,000 per year living in a country known for a low cost of living. Nelson’s tenure leading the Phoenix VA was controversial as well. Fox News reported that the Phoenix facility was “ranked as one of the worst in the country in 2017” after Nelson was hired in 2016. A VA spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital Nelson’s memo was sent out but should not have been, and it has been rescinded. VA Secretary Denis McDonough overrode the memo in a statement Tuesday. “Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities, and we will keep it in VA facilities,” McDonough said. Still, two Republicans, Montana Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke, wrote a letter to McDonough calling for Nelson’s firing. “Not only was this proposed policy ill-conceived, but it was also somehow deemed a VHA operational priority during a time when there are significant issues with recruitment and retention, hiring freezes, and budgetary constraints. It raises the question of VHA’s organizational structure and the qualifications of some of its core management,” the letter states. In a statement to Fox News Digital, McDonough responded to the letter, saying, “Rima has dedicated her career to serving Veterans. We are fortunate to have her at VA, and she will remain at VA.” A VA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Nelson is serving as Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Operations during a time when the department is “delivering more health care to more veterans than ever before,” and nearly 70% of VA hospitals are outperforming non-VA hospitals. Fox News Digital’s Brianna Herlihy and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report
DeSantis criticizes Haley for not endorsing Trump: ‘You signed the pledge’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sharply criticized former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for not endorsing former President Trump’s bid for the presidency after suspending her campaign. DeSantis made the remarks during an appearance on Newsmax’s “The Balance,” citing the pledge signed by Republican primary candidates promising to endorse the party’s eventual nominee. “I signed the pledge, and you signed the pledge saying that you’re gonna not take your ball and go home,” DeSantis told Newsmax’s Eric Bolling in an interview. “And so I honored the pledge, and she’s gonna have to make a decision about whether she wants to or not.” NIKKI HALEY DROPS OUT OF 2024 RACE, DOESN’T ENDORSE TRUMP FOR GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION The governor continued, “But the idea that somehow circumstances have changed… I think we all knew what we were doing when we did that, and you’ve got to make a judgment about whether that’s meaningful to you. And so for me, I tell people, you know, if I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it.” Haley ended her White House bid Wednesday morning after losing almost every state on Super Tuesday, rendering a victory nearly impossible for the former South Carolina governor. “I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done it. I have no regrets. And although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in,” Haley said as she spoke at her presidential campaign headquarters on Daniel Island, in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. TRUMP INVITES NIKKI HALEY SUPPORTERS TO JOIN MAGA MOVEMENT, CELEBRATES SUPER TUESDAY VICTORIES However, Haley did not immediately endorse Trump, who is on course to clinch the GOP presidential nomination in the next week or two. “It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that,” Haley said as she pointed to those who supported her during her White House run. “This is now his time for choosing.” The former president on Tuesday swept 14 of the 15 states from coast to coast that held Republican presidential primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday, moving Trump much closer to locking up the GOP nomination and into a general election rematch with President Biden. While Haley did not endorse Trump, top Haley surrogate Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina told Fox News on Wednesday morning that “if not today, she will” support the former president. Norman, who endorsed Haley a year ago, added in a “Fox and Friends” interview that “at the end of the day, she will come on board.” Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
Delhi excise scam: Court extends judicial custody of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh
A Delhi court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam.
Gaza ceasefire talks end in Cairo with ‘no substantial answer or solution’
Hamas says negotiations to continue next week even as Israel ‘thwarts’ deal to secure 40-day truce before Ramadan. Hamas says its delegation has left Egypt but talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will continue next week until an agreement is reached with Israel, whom the Palestinian group says has “thwarted” mediators’ attempts to broker a deal before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “Hamas’s delegation left Cairo this morning for consultation with the leadership of the movement, with negotiations and efforts continuing to stop the aggression, return the displaced and bring in relief aid to our people,” a Hamas statement said on Thursday. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Israel had been “thwarting” efforts to conclude a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Egypt during four days of talks in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Abu Zuhri said Israel was rejecting Hamas’s demands to end its offensive in the enclave, withdraw its forces, and ensure freedom of entry for aid and the return of displaced people. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Israel did not send a delegation to these recent negotiations, during which representatives from Hamas, Qatar and Egypt tried this week to secure a 40-day ceasefire in time for Ramadan, which begins early next week. The agreement would see captives being held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza be exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said: “This round of talks has concluded with no substantial answer or solution for [a] ceasefire or pause in the fighting.” “It is worth mentioning that the Israelis themselves chose not to send their own delegation to Cairo for this round of talks because they were hoping to receive a list of names of all of the captives who are alive and currently being held in Gaza,” Salhut said. Hamas said meeting this Israeli demand is impossible without a ceasefire because captives are scattered across the warzone. According to Salhut, there were reports indicating there would be another round of talks next week. At least 1,139 people were killed and about 250 captives were taken in Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7. More than 100 captives were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November. Hamas pledged to continue the negotiations, but officials in the Palestinian armed group said a ceasefire must be in place before captives are freed, Israeli forces must leave Gaza and all Gaza residents must be able to return to the homes they have fled. Despite earlier comments that the negotiations were at an impasse, the United States said on Wednesday that a truce was still possible. “We continue to believe that obstacles are not insurmountable and a deal can be reached, … so we’re going to continue to push for one,” US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said in Washington, DC. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said the number of Palestinians confirmed killed in Israel’s war has surpassed 30,800. It reported 83 deaths within the latest 24-hour reporting period alone, and witnesses said Israeli bombardments continued in Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza as well as in areas in central part of the strip. Reporting from Rafah, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said on Thursday that Israel has returned 47 bodies that had been taken from a graveyard near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis when its military stormed the compound last month. The decomposed remains were buried in Tal as-Sultan in the western part of Rafah. “This is a tragedy for the people who have already lost so much, and the desecration of graveyards and bodies is a violation under international law,” Mahmoud reported. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Bengal is safest for women’: Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of spreading fake information about Sandeshkhali
Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the BJP is disseminating false information regarding Sandeshkhali, where women have leveled accusations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders.
Maryland abortion clinic grant proposal would fund security as abortion demand rises
Abortion clinics in Maryland could pay for enhanced security and greater access through a grant program being considered by state lawmakers, who want to tap into millions of dollars that have sat unused by insurance carriers as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. Supporters testified Wednesday that Maryland is seeing a rising demand on its abortion clinics, including from women from out of state, since the U.S. Supreme Court stuck down Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Security concerns, long an issue at clinics, also have been increasing, supporters of the bill told the Maryland Senate Finance Committee at a bill hearing. Maryland lawmakers have taken steps to expand access to abortion in anticipation of more women arriving for services from other states that have banned or restricted it. Maryland voters will be deciding whether to enshrine the right to abortion in a constitutional amendment in November. PRO-CHOICE OBGYNS CRITICIZE FETAL DEVELOPMENT VIDEO FOR SEX ED CLASSES: ‘LAST THING KIDS NEED TO BE WATCHING’ Sen. Ariana Kelly, a Democrat who is sponsoring the legislation, said abortion providers reported increases in assault and battery, burglaries, stalking and bomb threats in 2022. “This is a real concern that is really impacting peoples’ ability to access care, which is why I’m here today with this legislation,” Kelly said. Robyn Elliott, who represents the Women’s Law Center of Maryland and the Maryland Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, told lawmakers that providers are facing “a crisis,” and she described the measure as “a very innovative way to move forward in Maryland.” “On behalf of the providers who we represent, their safety and security is something that they do worry about more and more over time, and as well as those for their patients,” Elliott said. The measure would create a fund by using millions of dollars that have accumulated over the years with insurance carriers, Kelly said. The federal health care law required insurance carriers to collect $1 every month from each person who buys health insurance on a health care exchange that could only be used for abortion care services, she said. In 2022, the state required insurance carriers to submit a report each year about those funds. Since 2014, the amount has grown to about $18 million, and is expected to grow by about $3 million a year, Kelly said. The grant program would be run by the state health department. The money would be used for security infrastructure and staffing, such as cameras and lighting to enable staff inside clinics to monitor outside the clinic where protesters interact with patients, sometimes right up to the clinic’s door, Kelly testified. Lynn McCann is the co-director of Baltimore Abortion Fund, a nonprofit that provides support for people seeking abortion services. She said her organization’s confidential help line has received a big increase in calls and was forced to shut down last month when it ran out of funding. “As costs and demands skyrocket, our statewide network of abortion funds, clinics and providers who facilitate access to abortion are really being pushed to the brink,” McCann said. Laura Bogley, executive director of Maryland Right to Life, which opposes abortion, testified against the legislation. She said abortion supporters have created a “manufactured crisis.” “Abortion activists through the legislature have worked to create Maryland as an abortion tourism destination and now they expect Maryland taxpayers to pay for abortions for women being trafficked in from out of state,” Bogley testified. Currently, 14 states are enforcing bans on abortion in all stages of pregnancy and two more have bans that kick in after the first six weeks — often before women realize they’re pregnant. Other Republican-controlled states have imposed lighter restrictions. Meanwhile, most Democrat-controlled states, like Maryland, have taken steps to protect abortion access.
25 states sue over EPA soot pollution rule: ‘Biden’s radical green agenda’
A new Biden administration rule that sets tougher standards for deadly soot pollution faced a barrage of legal challenges Wednesday, as 25 Republican-led states and a host of business groups filed lawsuits seeking to block the rule in court. Twenty-four states, led by attorneys general from Kentucky and West Virginia, filed a joint challenge stating the new Environmental Protection Agency rule would raise costs for manufacturers, utilities and families and could block new manufacturing plants and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Texas filed a separate suit, as did business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers. “The EPA’s new rule has more to do with advancing President (Joe) Biden’s radical green agenda than protecting Kentuckians’ health or the environment,” said Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, who is leading the joint lawsuit along with West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. WISCONSIN DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR ASKS REPUBLICANS TO RELEASE $125M TO COMBAT ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ POLLUTION The EPA rule “will drive jobs and investment out of Kentucky and overseas, leaving employers and hardworking families to pay the price,” Coleman said. The soot rule is one of several EPA dictates under attack from industry groups and Republican-led states. The Supreme Court heard arguments last month on a GOP challenge to the agency’s “good neighbor rule,” which restricts smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that burden downwind areas. Three energy-producing states — Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia — challenged the rule, along with the steel industry and other groups, calling it costly and ineffective. The rule is on hold in a dozen states because of the court challenges. In opposing the soot rule, Republicans and industry groups say the United States already has some of the strictest air quality standards in the world — tougher than the European Union or major polluters such as China and India. Tightening U.S. standards “wouldn’t improve public health, but it would put as many as 30% of all U.S. counties out of compliance under federal law, leading to aggressive new permitting requirements that could effectively block new economic activity,” Coleman said. The EPA rule sets maximum levels of fine particle pollution — more commonly known as soot — at 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air, down from 12 micrograms established a decade ago under the Obama administration. Environmental and public health groups hailed the rule as a major step to improve the health of Americans, including future generations. EPA scientists have estimated exposure at previous limits contributed to thousands of early deaths from heart disease and lung cancer, along with other health problems. EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the new soot rule, finalized last month, would create $46 billion in net health benefits by 2032, including prevention of up to 800,000 asthma attacks and 4,500 premature deaths. The rule will especially benefit children, older adults and those with heart and lung conditions, Regan said, as well as people in low-income and minority communities adversely affected by decades of industrial pollution. “We do not have to sacrifice people to have a prosperous and booming economy,″ Regan said. Biden is seeking reelection, and some fellow Democrats have warned that a tough new soot standard could harm his chances in key industrial states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. The EPA and White House officials brushed aside those concerns, saying the industry has developed technical improvements to meet previous soot standards and can adapt to meet the new ones. Soot pollution has declined by 42% since 2000, even as the U.S. gross domestic product has increased by 52%, Regan said. The new rule does not impose pollution controls on specific industries. Instead, it lowers the annual standard for fine particulate matter for overall air quality. The EPA will use air sampling to identify counties and other areas that do not meet the new standard. States would then have 18 months to develop compliance plans for those areas. States that do not meet the new standard by 2032 could face penalties, although EPA said it expects that 99% of U.S. counties will be able to meet the revised annual standard by 2032. Industry groups and Republican officials dispute that and say a lower soot limit could put hundreds of U.S. counties out of compliance. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned the White House in January that 43% of total particulate emissions come from wildfires, and called the pollution standard “the wrong tool to address this problem.” The EPA said it will work with states, counties and tribes to account for and respond to wildfires, an increasing source of soot pollution, especially in the West, where climate change has led to longer wildfire seasons, with more frequent and intense fires. The agency allows states and air agencies to request exemptions from air-quality standards due to “exceptional events,” including wildfires and prescribed fires. Besides Kentucky, West Virginia and Texas, other states challenging the EPA rule include: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming. All three cases were filed before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
After Michigan primary, Democrats watch for Biden to thread the needle on Israel and Gaza
Democrats will be watching President Biden warily on Thursday night to see how – and if – he broaches the topic of Israel and Gaza in his State of the Union address. The left’s deep divisions over the issue were put on full display last week when more than 100,000 Michigan primary voters selected “uncommitted” over Biden – raising alarms about his chances of holding onto a state he won by just over 150,000 votes in 2020. The movement in Michigan and other battleground states comes in protest of the Biden administration’s stance on the war between Israel and Hamas. Progressives and left-wing hard-liners have been pushing Biden to take a more aggressive stance against Israel’s invasion of Gaza, citing the tens of thousands of lives lost and the humanitarian crisis developing in the region. More moderate Democrats, however, insist the president stand by Israel’s mission to eradicate Hamas. The divide is on full display even in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers gave Fox News Digital varied answers on how Biden could walk the tightrope successfully on Thursday. US TAKES ‘SELF-DEFENSE’ STRIKE AGAINST HOUTHI PROJECTILES POISED TO LAUNCH AT COMMERCIAL SHIP IN RED SEA Rep. Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat, said he wants to see Biden more explicitly condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza. He cited reports of Biden’s tense relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has only been exacerbated by the war. “I think it’s an opportunity for him to speak directly to the American people and speak with clarity on his position. It’s interesting … I happen to share the view of many of the people who feel like Israel’s prosecution of the war is unfounded,” he said. “But I think the president’s view is not as one-dimensional as some would approach it. In fact, more recently, tension between himself and Netanyahu was getting some attention. So, I think it’s important that he speak to it, and he speak with clarity.” Another Michigan Democrat, Rep. Debbie Dingell, took it a step further and urged Biden to call for a temporary cease-fire in his speech. WHITE HOUSE PROMISES RETALIATION AGAINST IRAN PROXY GROUP: ‘THE FIRST THING YOU SEE WON’T BE THE LAST’ “I’ve been hoping he’ll announce [a temporary cease-fire] every day. But I think we all are concerned about getting the hostages home and getting humanitarian aid,” she said. “Nobody can look at the death of [thousands of] children and not have a heart that hurts.” On the other hand, Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., urged Biden to stand strongly behind Israel during his speech. “Of course, we understand all the different humanitarian concerns, but we need the president to be very strong and supportive of Israel’s objective because Hamas is not some loose confederation of desert soldiers. They are a sophisticated, disciplined terror army that wants to destroy Israel and kill Jews,” Suozzi said. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, ACTIVISTS PRAISE ‘SACRIFICE’ OF US AIRMAN WHO BURNED HIMSELF ALIVE TO PROTEST ISRAEL Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., took a more middling approach and simply said Biden should thread the needle by proposing a strategy “for ending the cycle of terrorism and war and moving us to a resolution of the underlying political problems.” Israel has pledged to continue its war until Hamas is eradicated. The conflict ignited in response to a surprise invasion by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 when over 1,000 people – mostly Israeli civilians – were slaughtered. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, has said more than 30,000 Palestinians have died during Israel’s response. It’s not immediately clear if Biden plans to address the conflict in his State of the Union address. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.
North Carolina schools chief loses Republican primary to home-schooling parent critical of ‘radical agendas’
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt lost Tuesday’s Republican primary to Michele Morrow, a home-schooling parent critical of public schools’ “radical agendas” on race and gender ideology. Morrow, a nurse and former Christian missionary who ran unsuccessfully for the Wake County school board in 2022, garnered 52% of the vote Tuesday, while the incumbent Truitt tallied 48%, WTVD reported. The Super Tuesday upset came despite Truitt’s sizable fundraising advantages and GOP establishment support. Morrow, a supporter of former President Trump who accused Truitt of not being conservative enough, collected backing from rural education leaders and will now take on Democrat Maurice “Mo” Green in November. MARK ROBINSON WINS GOP NOMINATION FOR NC GOVERNOR, SAYS ‘UNDERDOG’ STORY ‘JUST LIKE NORTH CAROLINA HERSELF’ Morrow also criticized Truitt for seeking to briefly delay the implementation of a new “Parents’ Bill of Rights” so that districts would have more time to create new policies, and for continued low reading and math proficiency rates. In her first term as schools’ chief, Truitt led the Department of Public Instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, and implemented a new legislature-backed plan to improve reading skills in early grades. She had re-election support from dozens of General Assembly members, as well as North Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. Morrow insisted in a statement Wednesday that Republican and unaffiliated voters who voted for her over Truitt “are tired of their taxpayer funds going to push radical agendas in the classroom instead of proven pedagogies.” She said that if elected, she would focus on scholastics over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and “work to make our schools the safest buildings in our state.” NORTH CAROLINA US HOUSE SEATS EXPECTED TO FLIP REPUBLICAN UNDER NEW DISTRICT MAP, ELECTION DATA SHOWS Morrow participated in the march on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but she said she left the area when ordered by authorities and did not enter the building, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported. Truitt, whose committee outspent Morrow, was Gov. Pat McCrory’s education adviser and chancellor of Western Governors University in North Carolina. Truitt’s campaign collected more than $150,000 in donations since 2023, while Morrow’s campaign had raised just $8,000, according to WRAL. While the election “did not go the way I had hoped, I’m deeply proud of what we accomplished and I am gratified by the support of educators, parents, school and legislative leaders and so many others from across the state,” Truitt wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. Her term ends at the end of the year. While the state superintendent is head of the Department of Public Instruction, statewide school policy is left to the State Board of Education, for which the governor makes the most appointments. The Associated Press contributed to this report.