Latest news with #AnnaStein
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Western North Carolina ‘open for business' to highlight tourism industry after Helene
BOONE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — It's 'Open for Business Week' in western North Carolina as state leaders want to drive business to the area hardest hit by Hurricane Helene. Officials want to highlight businesses, festivals, destinations and other events to promote the community. Improvements, full closure Blue Ridge Parkway postponed to accommodate Helene recovery 'Visitors are the lifeblood of the area, tourism, hospitality,' said Will Johnson, co-owner of The Todd Mercantile in Watauga County. 'Boone, West Jefferson, Todd, we're right in the middle. We rely on tubers for the river in the summer just to keep our business going.' North Carolina First Lady Anna Stein visited Watauga County Monday to highlight the initiative. It runs through Sunday, June 8. Chambers of Commerce in towns throughout WNC have individual plans on how to highlight businesses. In Boone, there will be multiple outdoor events and ribbon cutting ceremonies from mid-to late week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What records show about NC Gov. Josh Stein's schedule outside the public eye
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has been in office for more than four months, sent there by 3 million voters who elected him in November. He has multiple public events every week, but constituents don't always know what he does day to day. So The News & Observer obtained Stein's daily calendar through a public records request. Records show his schedule is what you'd expect from a governor, though there are still some things we don't know. Good Sunday morning to you, and Happy Mother's Day. I'm Dawn Vaughan, our Capitol bureau chief, and this is the governor edition of our Under the Dome newsletter. Some of Stein's schedule was redacted in records sent to The N&O, with the details accompanying his daily calls blacked out. Aside from that, his calendar shows a lot of logistics, including travel, meetings and public events. Stein has a daily call, usually from 9 to 10 a.m., that is virtual. In his first few weeks in office, a lot of his schedule was typical for a new governor: rehearsing his inauguration speech, having his portrait taken with First Lady Anna Stein and meetings. It also included travel to Asheville, where Stein talked with President Donald Trump on the tarmac about Helene recovery. Meetings are held both in the Executive Mansion and the Albemarle Building, where Stein's offices are located. His travel records show departure times, tours and meetings, and even where he has lunch, like JRO's Burgers and Subs in Canton on Jan. 14. He also has reserved blocks of time, usually an hour that is simply 'hold for governor.' Stein's office announces his public events at least a day in advance, letting the media know times and locations. But there is a lot in Stein's days that isn't announced, and his calendar reveals what else he's doing. Here's more about what he was doing the first month in office: ▪ Jan. 15, he met with Duke Energy at the mansion, followed by five minutes of travel to a budget meeting at the Office of State Budget and Management on Salisbury Street. Stein's calendar also reminds him about upcoming sporting events he's interested in, like on Jan. 12, 'FYI: Canes vs. Anaheim Ducks, Lenovo Center.' ▪ Jan. 15 entry: 'FYI/UNC vs. Cal, Dean Dome' at 7 p.m., and a 'hold for governor' from 7-10 p.m. That's about the length of a UNC basketball game. Stein grew up in Chapel Hill and is a UNC fan, as well as a Carolina Hurricanes fan. ▪ Jan. 24: Stein flew to Asheville for this scheduled event: '10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m., Tarmac Greet with President Trump,' his calendar said. Then he flew back to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Stein mentioned the visit in his letter last month to Trump about extending FEMA coverage for Helene recovery. ▪ Jan. 25: Stein went to the funeral for longtime Durham leader Lavonia Allison at White Rock Baptist Church in Durham. ▪ Jan. 27: Stein had a 30-minute call with White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. In an April interview with The N&O, Stein said he has regular phone calls with members of Trump's Cabinet. Later that same day, Stein's calendar showed he had his own Cabinet meeting at the Department of Transportation building. ▪ Jan. 30: Stein spoke at the funeral for the late judge and Rep. Joe John, a Raleigh Democrat, at Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Raleigh. ▪ Jan. 31: On the last day of Stein's first month in office, Stein flew to Mount Airy to speak at the ribbon cutting for the Surry-Yadkin Works FLEET Program at Altec Industries, then flew from there to Wilkes County and then made a small business grant announcement in Boone. He flew back to RDU that afternoon and ended the workday with a Housing and Urban Development call. Stein also interviewed job candidates his first month in office, and held several more meetings about the budget. He proposed his budget in February. He also gave media briefings about winter storms. Some things he did that weren't on his schedule are all the calls he makes to lawmakers, including many Republicans, about legislation. As I previously reported, Republicans say that Stein talks to them regularly about legislation, rather than waiting until a bill gets to his desk. The Roman Catholic Church named a new pope on Thursday, Chicago native Robert Francis Prevost. Stein shared this comment on social media: 'I join people across North Carolina in welcoming the new Pope Leo XIV. May his papacy be one of grace, compassion, and humility in these challenging times.' Thanks for reading. Contact me at dvaughan@ Not a newsletter subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Under the Dome in your inbox daily. And listen to our Under the Dome podcast, which is published every Tuesday morning on all podcast platforms and is previewed in your Tuesday Under the Dome newsletter. On our new May 13 episode, my guest is a lawmaker, Rep. Jake Johnson, a Polk County Republican.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A new consensus on substance use disorders and healthcare
(Photo:) New polling from the Legal Action Center shows North Carolinians nearly universally (98%) view substance use disorders (SUD) as a problem deserving of attention. More than two-thirds know someone impacted by SUD, and the data shows robust support – across political and demographic lines – for a health-first approach to the issue. North Carolinians support expanding access to the full spectrum of evidence-based SUD treatment, including medications and eliminating SUD-based discrimination. Leaders in North Carolina's executive and legislative branches can take heart in this emerging consensus of support for their efforts to combat the state's overdose epidemic. Fortunately, Governor Josh Stein and First Lady Anna Stein both support access to evidence-based treatment and ending the stigma that interferes with the delivery of treatment. Additionally, State Representative Timothy Reeder and State Senator Jim Burgin recently held a press conference with the Addiction Professionals of NC (APNC) to announce the NC Treatment Connection website, aimed at ensuring all SUD treatment providers in the state use evidence-based models. These efforts are essential since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks North Carolina in the top 15 states with the highest fatal overdose rates. According to the state's Department of Health and Human Services, 2023 (the most current year of data) marks NC's highest rate of fatal overdose since 2010, with an estimated 4,442 deaths. That's 12 deaths per day, more than double the rate of fatalities from vehicle crashes that year. For opioid use disorder, the most evidence-based form of treatment uses either methadone or buprenorphine, two of the three medications approved by the FDA for treatment of this disorder. The third, naltrexone, has much less robust evidence of efficacy. Buprenorphine and methadone are effective at treating opioid withdrawal and cravings for opioids. These two medications for opioid disorder (MOUD), in repeated studies, show a reduction in overdose death rates of at least two-fold. If a medication showed such a reduction in death when used to treat any other chronic condition, failing to provide that medication would be malpractice. Yet MOUD is often prohibited in settings such as drug courts, skilled nursing facilities, and even in residential SUD treatment programs. These stigmatizing practices lead to unnecessary deaths. We must eliminate MOUD- and SUD- based discrimination in all settings, especially healthcare settings. The stigma some medical professionals hold towards people with SUD can lead to dangerous results. Studies have shown clinicians can miss important diagnoses or deny care when they harbor preconceived ideas about patients. Inadequate treatment of withdrawal symptoms causes patients to leave against medical advice or avoid medical care completely. Verbal and nonverbal communication of disdain or judgment from medical providers intensifies the shame already felt by patients with SUD and harms the therapeutic relationship. Even at facilities treating SUD, some providers carry negative attitudes towards life-saving buprenorphine and methadone. The people of North Carolina also have reasons for optimism. In 2024, North Carolina experienced a five-year low of 12,447 emergency department visits due to overdose. The availability of naloxone, now free at many jails, health departments, and harm reduction sites, and the use of mobile OUD treatment clinics to reach people in areas that previously lacked access has contributed to this positive trend. Clearly, there's much more work to be done. North Carolina's widespread support for strategies that prioritize treatment over punishment signals a prime opportunity for action. NC leaders should build on their efforts in three key ways: Ensure emergency departments, primary care providers, jails, recovery courts, and SUD treatment programs all provide – or act as conduits to – evidence-based treatment. Expand the SUD treatment workforce Ensure public funds, including opioid settlement money, only support programs that provide access to evidence-based treatment. Overwhelming public support for a health-first approach, the leadership of policymakers committed to change, and the availability of lifesaving interventions bring the overdose crisis within our reach for positive change. By investing in treatment, harm reduction, and policies that promote recovery and combat discrimination, North Carolina can save lives and create a robust healthcare system that treats all people with dignity and respect. There is consensus, and the path forward is clear. Let us act with urgency.
