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Book in minutes at vaccassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. It's 5.05 and welcome in to a Wednesday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you.
A state legislative committee has been postponed as a hearing was originally scheduled to take place this week to address crime and public safety in Charlotte as committee leaders are now seeking legal clarification about the scope of allowed public discussion. This is according to information coming out of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform had a hearing originally scheduled for Thursday.
However, that has been pushed back 11 days to February the 9th. Committee chairs filed a, quote, motion seeking clarification of a federal court order issued earlier this month that limits state lawmakers from publicly discussing information related to DeCarlos Brown Jr. That is the man who they accuse of murdering Irina Zarutska and was seen on cat surveillance video stabbing her back in late August of 2025. to the information out of the General Assembly, they say that clear court guidance is necessary so that committee members can thoroughly question Charlotte officials in light of those recent tragedies, as we were expecting and hopefully will expect coming up on February the 9th, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, as well as other state officials that will and have been asked to testify in front of this House Oversight Committee. According to a court filing, it reads, in order to protect the public's health, safety, and well-being of the citizens of North Carolina, the North Carolina House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform is conducting an inquiry into whether Charlotte and Mecklenburg officials' policy decisions, budgetary allotments, and operational practices are effective at addressing rising crime or whether the public's safety has been subordinated to other objectives at the expense of Charlotte.
Residents, transit users, and law-abiding members of the community. They have now asked the federal court for some information on what is allowed to be discussed and what is not. All of this ahead of a new February the 9th scheduled date. We'll get some additional detail with that as Mitch Coke from the John Locke Foundation will join us coming up here just in a little bit on the Carolina Journal News Hour. In some other statewide news this morning, turning our attention to the business side of things, North Carolina is poised to play a larger role in the nation's artificial intelligence build out.
This is following a new multi-year supply agreement between Meta, that is the apparent company of Facebook and Instagram, as well as Corning, which is valued at upwards of $6 billion. Under the agreement which was announced this week, Corning will supply fiber optic cable for Meta's expanding network of US data centers as that infrastructure is critical to powering large scale AI systems that Meta and many other companies are In some cases, already have on the market, in other cases, are continuing to develop. Corning has a significant manufacturing operation in North Carolina, and in some cases, already serves as a primary fiber optics supplier for Meta's data center, which already exists in Forest City. Looking at some of the offerings from Corning, they do have facilities here in North Carolina. Corning Optical Communication has three different offices or facilities, I should say, here in North Carolina: one in Winston-Salem, one in Charlotte, and the other in Hickory.
They do have other facilities in Durham, Wilmington, Concord, as well as Newton, North Carolina, as well.
So they have got plenty of facilities here across the Tarheel state. Back to the press release. Company officials say that the deal is expected to boost employment at Corning's North Carolina facilities with job growth projected in the range of 15 to 20 percent.
So this is a massive increase that we're seeing here in jobs as production expands to meet some of these long-term demands from major tech companies like Meta. While AI investment often focuses on high-powered computer chips, industry experts say that the real constraint in modern data centers is moving those massive amounts of data around quickly and efficiently between thousands, even tens of thousands of high-powered servers. According to Corning, fiber optic cable, which is made from ultra-pure specialty glass, transmits data as light rather than electricity. This allows for far greater speed, lower energy consumption, and less heat than traditional copper wiring that you see in traditional data transfer. AI data centers require over 10 times more fiber compared to a traditional data center, with Meta saying that North Carolina-made fiber optic cables are critical for products like wearable technologies and apps.
According to Mike O'Day, who is the senior vice president and general manager of Corning Optical Communications, general AI requires fiber density on a scale and on a level that few could have predicted. Corning started more than five years ago to solve these scale and density problems. According to the North Carolina Economic Development Partnership, EDPNC, North Carolina's technology sector continues to expand with more than 129,000 tech professionals fueling growth across software, life sciences, fintech, which we know is a big business here across the state, defense, entrepreneurship, and more. The state has been ranked CNBC's top state for business in 2025 and took seventh place in business facilities ranking of states with AI growth hubs. Adding to this momentum, in June of last year, Amazon Web Services or AWS announced Announced that it has plans to invest some $10 billion into a brand new cloud and AI campus in Richmond County, North Carolina.
This project will feature multiple data centers supporting cloud services as well as some generative AI applications, with it expected to create at least 500 high-paying jobs. Although Meta's new AI-focused data centers are planned for states such as Louisiana and Ohio, the manufacturing backbone that supports these facilities is increasingly rooted in North Carolina. Corning's in-state operations are expected to supply fiber for both new sites as well as future expansions. According to Wendell Weeks, who is the chairman and chief executive officer of Corning Incorporated, he said, the investment will expand our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina, supporting an increase in Corning's employment levels in the state by 15 to 20 percent. as well as helping to sustain a highly skilled workforce of more than 5,000 people, including the scientists, engineers, production teams at two of the world's largest optical fiber and cable manufacturing facilities.
Together with Meta, we're strengthening the domestic supply chain and helping ensure that advanced data centers are built using U.S. innovation and advanced manufacturing. The deal highlights North Carolina's dual position in the data center economy, hosting major facilities while also manufacturing some of the critical components like fiber optics that we're talking about that support those projects even that are not being built in North Carolina. Meta has said that its U.S. data center network represents billions of dollars worth of infrastructure investment, as well as supporting thousands of jobs across construction, operations, and manufacturing.
with company leaders also emphasizing the importance of domestic sourcing as global competition intensifies over AI development. Joe Kaplan, who is the Chief Global Affairs Officer for Meta, said in a recent press release, building the most advanced data centers in the U.S. requires world-class partners as well as American manufacturing. We're proud to partner with Corning, a company with deep expertise in optical connectivity and commitment to domestic manufacturing for high-performing fiber optic cables that our AI infrastructure needs. This collaboration will help good-paying, skilled U.S.
jobs, strengthen local economies, and help secure the U.S. lead in the global AI race. You can read some additional details about this business announcement, this partnership between Meta, that is the apparent company of Facebook and Instagram, as well as Corning, which has facilities all over the state of North Carolina. We've got those details this morning over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. The story's headline: Meta Corning Deal puts North Carolina at the center of AI infrastructure push.
You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving. You still got it, but your immune system, it weakens as you age. That's where vaccines come in. They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which vaccines you need.
Book in minutes at vaxassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. It's 522. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Stock 107.9 FM. WBT, I'm Nick Craig.
Good morning to you. The Tarheel State now ranks 13th in a new index of how well 50 states provide different educational options for parents in 2026. The report released this week by the American Legislative Exchange Council. The results of that show that North Carolina dipped slightly from its 2025 ranking when it placed 12th overall, but its score was still enough to earn a B. The state's slight dip was primarily due to other states advancing on issues like parental choice rather than a decline of its own school choice policies in North Carolina.
The release of the index proceeds in the National School Choice Week, which runs January the 25th through 31st as AF. ALEC evaluates the states across five metrics: student center funding, charter schools, homeschooling, virtual learning, as well as open enrollment. According to the ALEC CEO, Lisa B. Nelson, she said in a statement: What a better way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than for states to provide universal educational freedom to their students. This year's report provides a clear guide for more states to transform education policy by providing school choice to all families.
Despite going down one ranking in the score, North Carolina did win praise from ALEC for its opportunity scholarship program, which is now universally available to all students regardless of income, and for its robust charter school network. ALEC also gave a middling ranking to law. Governing the state's home schooling and virtual schooling, noting that homeschooling could be improved by reducing regulation, and that virtual schools could be improved by allowing students to take state assessments virtually as well, which currently is required to be taken in person. The most significant area for improvement is North Carolina's open enrollment policies. According to ALEC, expanding open enrollment to include both intradistrict as well as some other options coupled with publicly released data on available seats as well as rejected transfer applications would significantly improve the state's standing.
According to Dr. Bob Lubke, who is the director for the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation, he writes that the ALEC report accurately ranks North Carolina high on its National Education Freedom Index. 13 out of 50 states reflects the good work that the state has done in expanding educational opportunities for families. The B-plus grade also illustrates the improvements North Carolina can make in funding all eligible students for state-funded private school choice programs, as well as improving choice within public schools, like better policies for open enrollment. Yes, we should be proud, but more work remains.
In terms of overall rankings, Florida earned the number one spot nationwide and was the only state to garner an A-plus in terms of an overall grade.
So a lot of great work being done there in Florida as it relates to school choice and education, rounding out the The top five states were Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, West Virginia. Nebraska came in last place, followed by New York, Kentucky, and Maryland, as well as Connecticut. A number of states improved their scores from 2025. Among them were Texas, that leaped 15 spots to number nine. Wyoming that climbed 11 spots to number 17 after both of those state legislatures passed legislation to create a universal school choice program in their states over the last legislative session.
However, other states fell significantly. Louisiana slipped 24 spots to 33rd in the nation after the legislature failed to fund the state's school choice scholarship program, while Nebraska fell 18 spots to last place after its school choice scholarship program was repealed. And you no longer have any of those, you know, here in North Carolina called the opportunity scholarship program that is completely gone now. In the state of Nebraska. You can read some additional details on this report by visiting our website, CarolinaJournal.com.
The story headline there, North Carolina ranks 13th on the National Education Freedom Index. Coming up for you on Friday morning, we will be diving into a brand new poll that is set to be released from CarolinaJournal.com in recognition of School Choice Week, National School Choice Week. The Carolina Journal poll for the month of January is going to dive into a litany of public school and education topics and issues across the state of North Carolina. We'll have all of those details coming up for you Friday morning right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. As we know, this remains a major topic within the North Carolina legislature.
School choice does tend to be, at least from a purely political standpoint, when you look at some of the discussions taking place in Raleigh. Does remain a relatively partisan issue as Republicans continue to champion the issue. Many Democrats in the legislature continue to claim that it is taking or stealing money from the public education system. Commentary that is often heard is that taxpayers across the state are paying for millionaires to send their kids to private schools across the state as well. It does remain a relatively polarizing issue in the legislature.
We'll see if anything comes up in this General Assembly short session, which is expected to begin here in the next couple of months. We'll bring you the latest over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, and right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving. You still got it. But your immune system, it weakens as you age.
That's where vaccines come in. They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which vaccines you need. Book in minutes at vaxassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer.
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It's 5:36. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you. Coming up Thursday morning, we were likely expecting a pretty explosive hearing within the North Carolina General Assembly as leaders in Mecklenburg County, including the sheriff Gary McFadden, Mayor Vi Lyles, and other officials were expected to testify in front of a House Oversight Committee that was scheduled for the 29th.
However, due to some interesting information coming out of the federal courts, that hearing has now been delayed as the North Carolina legislature is looking for some guidance from the federal court. courts to walk us through some of those details this morning. Mitch Kokai, CarolinaJournal.com joins us on the news hour. Mitch, this is now the second time that this very likely testy hearing between McFadden and state lawmakers was scheduled to take place. Do we have a new date and what's the latest that you're following on it?
The new date is February 9th, and the reason that has been put forward as to why this hearing has been delayed was because the chairs of this House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform want to get more guidance from the federal courts about what they can and can't talk about in the hearing. The general topic of the hearing is crime and public safety in Charlotte. And of course, one of the big items that generated national and even international headlines that is likely to be part of this is the killing of Irina Zarutska, her stabbing death on a Charlotte light rail line last summer. The defendant in that case, who's shown on video committing the crime, allegedly, is DeCarlos Brown Jr. And one of the things that you would expect in this hearing is a lot of discussion about what happened that led up to that stabbing death, what happened as authorities were trying to arrest the suspect, and so a lot of discussion around the Irina Zarutska killing.
Now, one of the complicating factors, though. Is that DeCarlos Brown not only faces a state-level murder charge? But he also faces a federal charge because this crime was to have happened on the light rail line, which gets federal funding, so that has that federal tie-in. And this federal charge has its own separate case that's being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in that part.
Of North Carolina. And so, what happened was earlier in January, there was a court filing in state court in which the DA, Spencer Merriweather, said that he was going to comply with a demand letter that state legislators had put forward to provide information about the Zarutska stabbing and also another stabbing that took place on the light rail line later in the year. I believe it was in December of 2025. Once DeCarlos Brown's lawyers caught wind of that, They went to the federal court and said, wait a minute, if this information is released, that could prejudice my trial. You should put forward an emergency protective order that would block Charlotte Mecklenburg police and block any legislators who have this information from releasing it.
Not only did Carlos Brown put forward that motion for an emergency protective order, but then the U.S. attorney who's prosecuting Brown in the federal case joined in and supported that idea, saying whoever has this information, they should not release it. We're talking about the criminal investigative file that's tied to this case.
So U.S. Magistrate Judge David Kiesler issued an order saying, No, don't release this information. It had followed up an earlier order that blocked CMPD from releasing this information to a Charlotte TV station that wanted to get 911 recordings and body cam footage. An order had already blocked that. And so the U.S.
magistrate judge, in his latest order, said, To the extent that I didn't already block the release of any information that's talked about here, don't release that information either. And so, what happened was a couple of weeks after that order, we basically see the General Assembly deciding that: wait a minute, before we have this hearing, we ought to figure out what it is we can and cannot talk about. The plan was. to file a court document trying to get some clarification from the court about what can and can be discussed. And the hope is that they will have some resolution before this new hearing date of February ninth.
Mitch, you probably don't have the answer to this, but I'm going to ask you anyway, does the federal court have to respond to them? Obviously, we're talking about something that's in the federal judicial system. This is an oversight committee taking place in the North Carolina General Assembly. I don't believe there's any legal obligation that they respond, but is this something that you would expect? Yes, February 9th is still a couple of weeks down the road, but it's going to be here pretty shortly.
Well, the short answer is no, the court doesn't have to respond. And the slightly longer answer is the court can respond in its own time.
So it's entirely possible that there would be a response. But there wouldn't be a response until after February 9th.
So, if the General Assembly continues to want to wait on guidance from the federal courts, they might have to push back the hearing again past February 9th. But it's also entirely possible that what happens is the General Assembly. Will, in the course of its court document, say that it is just as much of an emergency as the initial request for the protective order and say, Look, you know, we're planning to hold this hearing, and so we need to know as soon as you can tell us what we can and can't say and what we can and cannot use in this hearing and what can and can't be discussed. My guess is because the judges in this case, both the magistrate judge and Kenneth Bell, the U.S. District Judge, who has also participated, because they've been fairly responsive so far.
If you had to guess, you'd probably guess that they would respond and say, Yes, you can use this. No, you can't use this in a fairly timely manner, but there's no guarantee. They're under no obligation to respond on the General Assembly's timeline. It's going to be on the federal court's timeline, which you and I have discussed can be anywhere from weeks to months to even years before they make a decision.
So we'll really have to wait and see. My guess is, I wouldn't write in ink. That the hearing will actually happen on February 9th, probably put it in pencil. And then, if the court comes back and says, yes, you could do this, or no, you can't do this, then maybe we could put the hearing in ink and actually be certain that it's going to take place. Yes, and that is right now scheduled for February the 9th.
We'll let you know if that is set to change. Mitch, let me throw this at you. This case, as you mentioned at the open, not only received major attention here in North Carolina, across the nation, responses even immediately from U.S. President Donald Trump, but it made international news as well. There is a lot of public information available about this case.
To Carlos Brown Jr., the defendant in this case, we know some of the details about him, his previous run-ins with law enforcement, questions about his mental capacity and ability. There is already public video, not from CMPD, but from CATS, the Charlotte area transportation system that has been plastered all over cable news and social media going back to August of last year. What sort of information do you suspect is maybe being held back by the courts here that isn't already out in the public that could allow this hearing to go on anyway? I'm not certain that there's much, if anything, that's hidden from the public right now that really will make a difference one way or the other. But in the case of a criminal defendant, You kind of have to give some leeway to the defendant saying, Look, if information is in the public record, that could prejudice my trial and my defense against these charges.
Now, I think anyone who is not a legal eagle who's looking at this will say, There's video that shows this guy stabbing this woman to death. He's obviously guilty, but that's not how the criminal process works. You have to follow proper procedures, you have to have Evidence handled in the proper way, and certainly his defense attorneys are looking for whatever they can that would get him the best deal possible, whether that's Getting him off on some sort of technicality or getting some sort of lower sentence. And so they're going to look for any way to ensure that information that's not already out in the public doesn't get into the public. Because even if there's nothing that's any more damning than what's already out there, once information becomes public, That information is going to be put into the record.
It will remind people again of what happened on the Charlotte Light Rail Line. We'll probably see the video again from Kat saying, remember this, this is what happened. And that, of course, would make it harder and harder for De Carlos Brown to be able to go to trial before a jury of his peers and expect to get something that would be close to fair from his perspective. Yeah, well, we're hoping a third time is the charm here. This is the third date, officially, February 9th, scheduled, as Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden, Mayor Vi Lyles of the City of Charlotte, and other local officials have been once again requested by the North Carolina General Assembly.
Mitch is going to keep an eye on this in the federal court system in the coming days and weeks, and he'll provide us any additional coverage as we get it. You can read additional details over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. Mitch Kokai from the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour. Uh oh. You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving.
You still got it, but your immune system, it weakens as you age. That's where vaccines come in. They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which vaccines you need. Book in minutes at vaccassist.com.
Sponsored by Pfizer. Oh no. Good morning again. It's 5:52. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour on Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 FM, WBT.
I've got a great event coming up next month I want to let you know about this morning. It's the John Locke Foundation's Carolina Liberty Conference, or CLC. The event brings together policymakers, scholars, community leaders, as well as citizens from across the state, all of that to explore the challenges and opportunities of advancing freedom in today's political and cultural climate. The 2026 Carolina Liberty Conference takes place just one month from today, February the 27th and 28th, at the Starview Hotel in Raleigh. This year, we'll be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with great guest speakers like Lord Daniel Hannan, Chief Justice Paul Newby, State Auditor Dave Bollock, and more to be announced.
Register for the 2026 Carolina Liberty Conference today at johnlocke.org. That's j-o-h-n-l-o-c-k-e.org. Again, coming to Raleigh February the 27th and 28th. 553, welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour. The U.S.
Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released third quarter numbers for 2025 showing a gross domestic product increase of 5.6% for North Carolina, a significant number. According to Joseph Harris, who is a fiscal policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation, he told the Carolina Journal: In the third quarter of 2025, North Carolina's economy outperformed the nation with real GDP growth growing at 5.6%. That is well above the 4.4% national rate, while personal income across the state rose by 3.8% compared to 3.3% nationally. This performance builds on years of pro growth tax reforms, including reductions in corporate and personal income tax rates that have strengthened North Carolina's economic competitiveness. According to the data from the Bureau, the U.S.
Bureau of Economic Analysis, North Carolina achieved a $900 billion GDP for the first time, which is 75% higher than the GDP during the same period in the 10 years prior. Brian Hamilton, who is the founder of Inmates to Entrepreneurs, told the Carolina Journal, that is a 1.2% greater increase than the country's GDP and shows that our economy here in North Carolina is strong.
However, the growth continues to be driven by large metro areas, and there is still a great imbalance between areas like Raleigh-Durham and rural areas where growth can be, and in most cases, is stagnant. Of the 5.6% increase, 0.19% of that increase is attributed to agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries, as agriculture, you've heard me say many a times, is the number one business across the state of North Carolina, generating some $111.1 billion annually. Durable goods, manufacturing contributed to 0.42% of the state's overall GDP as well. Additionally, North Carolina saw a 3.8% increase in personal income in the third quarter, half a percent above the national increase of 3.3%, with personal income encompassing earnings, transfer receipts. and property income across the state.
These figures reflect quarterly growth explained at Joseph Harris, which the Bureau of Economic Analysis annualizes to show what the pace of growth looks like if it continued for the whole year. Despite economic growth, the labor market has seen a significant slowdown in growth. According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, two-thirds of North Carolina's 15 metro areas and 50 out of the state's 100 counties had fewer jobs in June of 2025 than they did one year earlier. As of October 2025, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce characterized North Carolina's labor shortages as, quote, severe, with only 76 available workers for every 100 open jobs.
There are some 257,000 open positions and labor force participation rate, excuse me, is at currently 59.2%.
So, all in all, the economy here in North Carolina does continue to do quite well. Smart policies from our General Assembly in Raleigh continues to put the state at the number one for business. We've seen that out of CNBC a couple of times in the past few years. You can read more details on this story this morning by visiting our website, CarolinaJournal.com. That's going to do it for a Wednesday edition.
WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're back with you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving. You still got it, but your immune system, it weakens as you age. That's where vaccines come in.
They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which vaccines you need. Book in minutes at vaxassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. Mm-hmm.
