ROY COOPER: NORTH CAROLINA IS STRONG, RESILIENT, AND READY: As we enter 2021, we carry the imprint of our people’s frustration and loss as well as our determination and resilience. This new year and this new term as Governor is more than just turning the page of a calendar. The lessons we’ve all learned must usher in a new era. An era where we can acknowledge and work around our differences while refusing to sacrifice truth and facts at the altar of ideology. Where the dangerous events that took place at our nation’s capitol can never be justified. So let’s reach together – to find ways all North Carolinians can afford to see a doctor. To get a quality education and a good paying job. To reform our systems that hurt people of color and to live and work in an economy that leaves no one behind, no matter who they are or where they live. I am humbled by the trust that you, the people of North Carolina have placed in me to serve again as your Governor.
https://www.wral.com/roy-cooper-north-carolina-is-strong-resilient-and-ready/19467632/

EFFORT TO BRING EQUITY TO COUNTY VACCINE DISTRIBUTION HAS SLOWED NC ROLLOUT: As the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services ramped up its vaccine distribution, Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen put an emphasis on equity. She wanted to make sure at least some doses got to all 100 counties in the state. But not all health departments have the same capacity to carry out the final step. As a result, some counties told DHHS they would be OK taking smaller shipments, while other counties will see their allotments increase. Cohen acknowledged the emphasis on geographic equity contributed to the delay. Now, the state will push for speed. “There is a tension between speed and equity,” Cohen said. “And we were trying to find that right middle ground.” State health officials announced this week they were setting up 10 “high-throughput” sites around the state which will receive a combined allocation of 45,000 doses.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article248501115.html

BANK OF AMERICA IS LEADING THE CHARGE TO DEFUND NC GOP CANDIDATES: Bank of America is halting all political action committee donations for the immediate future, according to a memo to contributors to the Charlotte-based bank’s PAC. “For upcoming elections, we will take into account the appalling events of January 6 before making any PAC decisions regarding those members,” the memo said. The bank’s PAC donated $9,000 to Budd and $3,500 to Rouzer in the 2020 election cycle. Tom Montag, the chief operating officer of Bank of America, is a GOP megadonor. Montag gave $641,889 to conservative political causes in the 2020 election cycle, including to Republican members of Congress who objected to the certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6. Additionally, Bank of America was the top donor to the 2020 Republican National Convention, part of which was held in Charlotte. The bank gave $5.3 million to the host committee for the event.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article248454525.html

NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR COVID 19 IN NC APPROACHES 4,000: At least 623,188 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 7,567 have died, according to state health officials. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday reported 8,833 new COVID-19 cases, down from a record 11,581 reported the day before. An additional 142 deaths were reported Sunday, up from 96 reported the day before. At least 3,774 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Sunday. As of Friday, the latest day for which data are available, the state reported 13.7% of COVID-19 tests were positive. Vaccine rollout started last month. As of Friday, 151,902 people statewide had received the first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, according to the state health department. Of those, 9,115 people have received their second dose.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article248411200.html

NC CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE IT WAS ANTIFA WHO BROKE INTO CAPITOL: One argued it wasn’t supporters of President Donald Trump behind the insurrection, but instead members of Antifa in disguise “to make Trump look bad.” Others repeated one of the talking points from one of the personalities on Fox News: What about the Black Lives Matter protests that devolved into looting in some cities over the summer? One referenced Trump’s social media. “I think everyone knows at some level the vast majority of the protesters in DC this week were peaceful and played no part in the storming of the Capitol,” Edwards wrote. “Unfortunately, the entire Republican Party will be tainted unless we effectively separate ourselves from that faction who were allowed to tag along the Trump movement in the party." (They didn't tag along you nitwit. They led, you followed.)
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article248379865.html