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Visit blinds.com now for up to 45% off-site-wide, plus a professional measure at no cost. Rules and restrictions apply. It's 5.05 and welcome in to a Tuesday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110-993 WBT. I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you.
As next week we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and all of the death, devastation, and destruction laid at the hands of western North Carolina. Governor Josh Stein on Monday was in the western half of the state requesting billions of dollars worth of additional funding and resources from the federal government. He was joined by leaders of the General Assembly and those folks that are in charge of elected officials from local governments across the western half of the state. This is what he had to say, at least in part, in western North Carolina yesterday.
Next week, as we all know, will mark the one year milestone. since Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina. One year since hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians had their lives turned upside down. The people of Western North Carolina are incredibly strong and resilient. They spent the last year.
working arm in arm to support each other. And my team And Raleigh and I have been focused on trying to emulate their example. I've been pleased to work with the General Assembly to pass two bipartisan appropriation bills in excess of a billion dollars in recovery funding. Important efforts for housing. private roads and bridges.
Local government infrastructure. agriculture and crop loss. in education. Our Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative awarded Grants totaling $55 million to more than 2,100 small businesses to help them get back on their feet and reopen their doors. Nearly every agency and state government has contributed to recovery efforts in one way or another.
I'm also very grateful for our relationships with our federal partners. That's Governor Josh Stein in Western North Carolina. Speaking of those federal dollars, he has a major ask of those in Washington, D.C. We are grateful for everything. Federal dollar that we have received because It brings us closer to recovery.
But we need more help. The next stage of recovery is going to require a new commitment. from Congress. and from the administration. to not forget the people of Western North Carolina.
West North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs. nor our fair share.
So far, North Carolina has received or been awarded Federal funding equivalent to about 9%. of the total damage that Helene did. caused. States that were similarly devastated following Hurricanes Katrina. Maria.
We're sandy. saw seventy percent of their damages covered by Federal funding. The average is typically between forty percent and fifty percent of total damage in federal relief dollars. Today, I am making a new request of Congress for an additional $13.5 billion in recovery assistance. And I'll be headed to Washington on Wednesday for meetings to further this request.
to our federal partners. A massive request there from Governor Stein, $13.5 billion from the federal government, from a variety of different agencies, to continue recovery and relief efforts throughout the western half of our state. The governor is not just asking for a blank check, he says he knows where the money needs to go. Here's where the thirteen and a half billion dollars needs to go. First of all, People still need to get back in their homes.
Roughly seventy four thousand homes were damaged by the storm. Very few of those had flood insurance. These homeowners need a safe place to anchor their lives. and remain in their community. They need help rebuilding their homes.
The same goes for our small business owners, a second priority. Ninety-six percent of small businesses in the area reported impacts from Helene. Western North Carolina's economy relies heavily on the economy. on the strength of small businesses, and if we don't support those businesses, We will lose jobs and people will struggle to Put food on the table. Six out of seven businesses have not yet reached their prehalene revenues.
I thank HUD for working with us to approve North Carolina's action plan to utilize. $1.4 billion in community development block grant disaster recovery. How's that for a mouthful? C D B G D R is a flexible program that can support rebuilding homes, helping our small businesses and repairing our infrastructure which is important given the unique challenges of rebuilding in a mountainous region. While the C D B G D R grant model we can get building right away without the cash flow problems of reimbursement programs.
HUD has been a good partner to North Carolina, and I want to build on that success. That's why I am requesting eight billion dollars in CDBG DR grants to help us get the job done here in Western North Carolina. That's Governor Josh Stein in the western half of the state on Wednesday ahead of the one-year mark on Hurricane Helene and the devastating impacts felt across our state. One of the under-reported stories is, yes, of course, a lot of death and a lot of destruction. That has been talked about.
But the business impact, so many small mom-and-pop businesses in the western half of our state, the governor said there's also a needed extension for additional business loans in the western half of the state as well. We're also asking for four hundred million from the Small Business Administration to offer more forgivable loans to North Carolina small businesses. Our small business initiative successfully awarded grants to 2,100 small businesses, but the demand for those grants far exceeded The supply. We want to build on that effort. Because when small businesses succeed, We all succeed.
Next, I'm requesting $2 billion in new FEMA funding from Congress. After Hurricane Katrina, Congress created special community disaster loans. that enable local governments to continue the basic work of running their cities. Paying police officers. Picking up trash.
Western North Carolina towns and cities were forced to spend money that they didn't have. to rescue people from disaster. And with so many people displaced and business activity diminished, there is no such thing as a stable source of revenue for these local governments. I'm requesting Congress make the same type of loan program available here as they did. to people uh towns, excuse me, uh impacted by Katrina.
One of the hardest hit sectors of infrastructure in western North Carolina, and a lot of it has to do with the mountainous nature of the western half of our state. Our roads and bridges, as folks from the North Carolina Department of Transportation have been working for almost 12 months straight now to try and get roads and bridges reopened through parts of the state. The final major portion of this request relates to our roads and bridges. Hurricane Helene damaged 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads as well as many private driveways and bridges. I am incredibly proud of North Carolina DOT's work to reopen more than ninety seven percent of state maintained roads that were closed because of the storms.
But we're still waiting on reimbursements for much of the work that's already been done. And it's not a matter of simply doing quick repairs to get the roads reopened. We've got to build roads that will last. For example, I-40 has reopened, and people use it to go to Tennessee. and back on a daily basis.
We were able to repair it so fast only by using temporary measures. To get I forty back to full strength, it will take more than one billion dollars. That is just one, albeit a very important example.
So I'm requesting nearly two billion dollars in new funding from Congress, not just to restore our roads to normal, but also to protect them against future damage and build them back stronger than before. That's Governor Josh Stein in Western North Carolina yesterday talking about some of the ongoing need for federal dollars and specifically pointing to roads and bridges, talking about Interstate 40, which in some areas is just one lane in each direction, speed limits 25, 35 miles an hour, with some of those temporary repairs as a road crews from NCDOT in the immediate aftermath of the storm began coming up with the process of getting that reopened. It's Going to cost a lot of money. And that is why the governor announced that he is heading to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to continue to request some of those additional funds, $13.5 billion in total.
I've got some additional comments from Governor Stein, members of the General Assembly, and the Asheville Mayor on some of the lingering impacts and what else needs to be done in Western North Carolina. We'll get to those details coming up here in just a couple of minutes. It's 23 minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110-993 WBT. Continuing our coverage this morning of a visit to Western North Carolina on Monday from Democrat Governor Josh Stein as we approach one year since Hurricane Helene affected and destroyed so much of the western half of our state.
And as we hit that year mark, as Governor Stein announced, he is traveling to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday as he is requesting an additional $13.5 billion from the federal government. It's important to note the storm is estimated to have cost around $60 billion in damage in total. And while money does continue to flow in, not only from the federal government and the North Carolina General Assembly, Governor Stein says the money needs to flow in a lot quicker. This is how he closed out his comments in Western North Carolina yesterday.
The funds that have come through in recent weeks have been sorely needed, much appreciated. But we are waiting on billions. We are seeking six billion dollars in either allocated or competitive awards from previously appropriated funds.
So, in this budget request, I am once again calling on federal agencies to take action. to allocate these funds and get them out the door to help the people of Western North Carolina. We've learned a great deal over this past year, and I am proud of the progress that we've made together. We will keep fighting every day to get people the help that they need. Because the people of Western North Carolina are not asking for a handout.
They're asking for a hand up to get back on their feet. Recovery is a team sport. The state has been putting in money and effort And one year after this terrible tragedy, It is time for our federal government to meet the needs of the people of Western North Carolina. That's Governor Josh Stein talking about some of the ongoing work, both state and federally. Senator Kevin Corbyn, who represents a large portion of Western North Carolina in the North Carolina General Assembly, Sits on a joint task force.
It's himself and the Asheville mayor leading that operation. He talked about the extensive cost of the damage from Hurricane Helene and really kind of put it into numbers as it relates to the state budget. Folks, we're talking about $60 billion in damages. That's way more than this state can pay for. Let me put that in perspective for you.
Our budget for the entire year. This is everything the state pays for, schools, police, roads, is about $34 billion.
So the damage is almost double the amount of our entire state budget. Our budget for the We need federal help. Because of that, And 60 billion, folks, is not just a number. is people getting a roof over their head, being able to put food on the table. But we want to personally thank President Trump, Senators Budd and Tillis.
Representative Edwards. for everything that they've done so far in getting us on the right track for recovery. and I urge them to stand by our side in this next phase. I look forward to working with the governor. to encourage and support this request in DC.
That's Senator Kevin Corbyn out of the North Carolina General Assembly with the governor and a group of individuals from the governor's office, other lawmakers in western North Carolina on Monday. The joint task force that he is the co-chair of, the other side of that, is the mayor of Asheville, who also spoke on some of the damage in her major town, no question about it, the largest town in western North Carolina to see the impacts of Hurricane Helena as Asheville is such a large city, a lot of major national attention in and around that area immediately after the storm as well. In Asheville, we've come a long way this past year as we approach this one-year milestone. A lot of services have been restored, like water and power, communications and many of our roads, not all of our roads, but many of our roads. But now we're moving into the period of long-term recovery.
Our unemployment rates are still too high. They have not recovered to pre-storm lows. Many of our businesses, especially those near the French Broad River and the Suwanno Rivers, were significantly damaged or destroyed, and they're still working to reopen.
Some have managed to reopen, some still have not. The infrastructure damaged by the floods that supports these businesses also needs repair and rebuilding. And many of our parks along the river, including playgrounds, a swimming pool, soccer fields, a golf course, multi-use paths that are normally enjoyed by thousands are in need of repair.
Some stormwater and water infrastructure is still in need of either repair or significant improvement to make us more resilient in the face of future events. And we still need to get rid of debris and destroyed structures that linger on private property and make our city look much less welcoming to locals and visitors alike. The city is also undertaking the massive job of removing debris in the 20,000 acres of watershed property around the Norfolk Reservoir, which is why it is so important that during this time and through this hurricane season, FEMA continues to support the cost of operating the temporary water filtration system built by the Army Corps of Engineers that is located at the reservoir. Even with this work ahead of us, today, almost one year later, Asheville is open for business. But every investment, every dollar of support will help us continue our journey of recovery and help us to rebuild an economy better than ever to not only host those who want to visit, but provide jobs and quality of life for those that live there.
Recovery costs money, more money than any city or county in Western North Carolina can manage, even from a cash flow standpoint. That's Asheville Mayor Esther Mannheimer speaking, as you've heard this morning, with Governor Josh Stein, members of the North Carolina General Assembly, and others. As Governor Stein making a big announcement in the western half of our state yesterday, he is heading to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday and requesting an additional $13.5 billion from the feds as it relates to Hurricane Helene and the ongoing recovery and relief efforts in western North Carolina. We've got some additional coverage on that event yesterday.
It's over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com. The headline: Stein requesting additional $13.5 billion from the federal government for Helene recovery. Again, you can read those details at CarolinaJournal.com. It's 5:36. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk 1110-993 WBT.
Don't forget, if you miss any portion of our show, weekday mornings live 5 to 6 a.m., you can check it out after the fact by downloading the Carolina Journal News Hour podcast. That's available in Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your shows. You can also watch and listen in online by visiting our Carolina Journal YouTube channel as well. Continuing our coverage this morning on a variety of issues across the United States, tariffs and some of the uncertainty and frustration continues to be a major story across North Carolina. And well, in recent weeks, multiple shipping services have halted U.S.
imports. This is as the D-minimus exemptions expired back on August the 29th. Those exemptions applied to international imports valued at $800 or less from tariffs. This will impact smaller customer orders, such as orders from international vendors through platforms such as Etsy, Sheen, Timu, Alibaba, AliExpress, and others. Customers who order from international distributors will begin seeing significant cost increases in their orders due to the de minimis exemption and the expiration of that.
Back on July 30th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that set an expiration date of duty-free imports of $800 or less. Those imports will now be tariffed at a minimum of 25%, meaning an item worth $800 will be tariffed at a minimum of $200. Letters and gifts worth less than $100, however, will remain duty free. The executive order from President Donald Trump reads in part: quote: The duty-free de minimis exemption provided under 19 USC shall no longer apply to any shipments of articles not covered by 50 USC 1702, regardless of value, country of origin, mode of transportation, or method of entry. Accordingly, all such shipments, except for those sent through an international postal network, should be subject to all applicable duties, taxes, fees, as well as charges.
The de minimis exemption was a loophole through which unvetted imports, counterfeit goods, and even drugs like fentanyl the United States without the burden of duties and without some higher level of scrutiny according to the United States Customs and Border Protection. Rodney Scott, who is the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said in a press release: CBP is ready to enforce. For too long, this loophole handed criminal networks a free pass to flood America with fentanyl, fake goods, and illegal shipments. Those days are over.
We are securing the border, restoring fairness to trade, and protecting American families. In just the last couple of weeks, at least 25 countries have announced suspending shipments to the United States as the de minimis exemption has now officially been suspended. That's according to a variety of news reports. Suspension of shipments will remain until there is clarity on how U.S. authorities plan to implement the newly announced measures by the Trump administration.
Brandon Shantin, the CEO of ShipMint, which is based in Raleigh, told the Carolina Journal, quote, the general thesis is that what we see when we are engaging with our customers is the challenge of uncertainty. The smaller the business, the smaller the team and the bigger the challenge of keeping their thumb on the pulse. We've had customers go out of business and face significant volume decline. We've had wholly unaffected customers, but by large, for those affected, cost is paramount for everyone. Brandon Stanton said, quote, I think that a lot of them feel like they're in the dark relatively to what they can do to circumnavigate this given the relative um obscurity up until recently.
Data from the UN's Universal Postal Union operators show that postal traffic into the United States fell by 81% on August the 29th. That was the day in which the D-minimis exemption was suspended. That was compared to just one week prior. That reporting coming from NPR. The UN's Universal Postal Union added that it is developing measures to restore the flow of imports and traffic into the United States in terms of shipments.
Going back to the CEO of Shipment, he says, quote, in my industry, especially the international element, import and exports in the United States is the most challenging. Noting that there are a lot of players in this space, whether they're econ platforms, consulting companies, or technology solutions. He told the Carolina Journal the complexity introduced by international shipments does not exist with domestic shipments, especially when there is huge volume, a huge, totally addressable market of domestic volume. Many orders are, however, still coming into the United States as international trade does continue. But since the new De Minimis rule took effect, U.S.
customers have flooded social media with complaints about surprise bills from major shippers such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS. Many cases, it's coming without warning from foreign merchants in which they ordered from. That being reported by NBC News. In response, shipping companies are now fielding a wave of disputes and return-to-sender requests as frustrated customers are now refusing their deliveries rather than paying some of those unexpected charges. Etsy recently had a press release saying, quote, given the complexities, legal requirements, and poor experiences, many postal providers will be suspending delivery options to the United States.
Major U.S. e-commerce hubs have begun alerting customers to potential shipping disruptions. Just last week, Etsy announced that it would stop providing orders, rather processing orders, shipped through the Australian Post, Canada Post, and the United Kingdom's Post, as well as the Royal Mail, and anticipated that those carriers would be suspending their U.S. deliveries. Canada Post said in a statement that it will be onboarding a third-party technology provider to ensure that shipments continue moving smoothly across the border.
That's according to Canada Post. And for most of those goods, if they do come through our northern border, the duty will be 35%, which President Donald Trump imposed on Canada earlier this year. The discussion over tariffs, not only affecting businesses in North Carolina, of course, we have highlighted a variety of sectors and firms that have been impacted by both imports and exports here in the United States, but now some major shake-ups for those that order a large quantity or even small quantities of goods internationally with the de minimis exemption being suspended back on August the 29th. We've got a lot more details on this this morning, including some news reports kind of detailing how this process is set to unfold, albeit there is still an incredible amount of uncertainty. Uncertainty.
That's available over on our website this morning, CarolinaJournal.com. You can search for that story's headline: De Minimus expires, halting U.S. Shipments. It's time for the sixth annual WBT Little Heroes Blood Drive headed your way this Thursday, September the 18th. WBT and the One Blood Big Red Bus will be at Watson Insurance in Belmont from 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. We'll be broadcasting live and are encouraging you to make a life-saving blood donation. The sixth annual WBT Little Heroes Blood Drive rolls on this Thursday, September the 18th at Watson Insurance in Belmont. Visit WBT.com this morning for location details and to register your appointment. It's now 5:53 on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
News Talk 1110-993 WBT. Governor Josh Stein in Western North Carolina yesterday asking for a whopping $13.5 billion worth of additional funding from the federal government. Also announcing that he will be heading up to D.C. on Wednesday to advocate for more of that money. Here is the governor's request from the federal government.
We are grateful for everything. Federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery. But we need more help. The next stage of recovery is going to require a new commitment. From Congress.
and from the administration. to not forget the people of Western North Carolina. West North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs. nor our fair share.
So far, North Carolina has received or been awarded Federal funding equivalent to about 9%. of the total damage that Helene did. caused. States that were similarly devastated following Hurricanes Katrina. Maria.
or sandy. saw seventy percent of their damages covered by Federal funding. The average is typically between forty percent and fifty percent of total damage in federal relief dollars. Today, I am making a new request of Congress for an additional $13.5 billion in recovery assistance. And I'll be headed to Washington on Wednesday for meetings to further this request.
to our federal partners. That is obviously a very large request there from Governor Josh Stein, a valid question. And he answered: where exactly would some of that money, the $13.5 billion, where would that be spent? Here's where the thirteen point five billion dollars needs to go. First of all, People still need to get back in their homes.
Roughly 74,000 homes were damaged by the storm. Very few of those had flood insurance. These homeowners need a safe place to anchor their lives. and remain in their community. They need help rebuilding their homes.
The same goes for our small business owners, a second priority. Ninety-six percent of small businesses in the area reported impacts. from Helene. Western North Carolina's economy relies heavily on the strength of small businesses, and if we don't support those businesses, We will lose jobs and people will struggle to Put food on the table. Six out of seven businesses have not yet reached their prehalene revenues.
I thank HUD for working with us to approve North Carolina's action plan to utilize. $1.4 billion in community development block grant disaster recovery. How's that for a mouthful? C D B G D R is a flexible program that can support rebuilding homes. helping our small businesses and repairing our infrastructure which is important given the unique challenges of rebuilding in a mountainous region.
While the C D B G D R grant model we can get building right away without the cash flow problems of reimbursement programs. HUD has been a good partner to North Carolina, and I want to build on that success. That's why I am requesting eight billion dollars in CDBG DR grants to help us get the job done here in Western North Carolina. That's Governor Josh Stein in western North Carolina yesterday, as next week will be the one-year mark of Hurricane Helene and the unimaginable amount of devastation, death, and destruction left in the wake of that storm. As the governor noted, he will be in Washington, D.C.
on Wednesday, presumably meeting with federal officials, probably our senators and some members of our congressional delegation as well. We will be tracking the governor's visit over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, and we'll, of course, have the latest for you right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. That's going to do it for a Tuesday edition. WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on News Talk 11, 10, and 99.3, WBT.
