September 8, 2025 • 31 mins
A Charlotte light rail murder has drawn national attention, sparking debate about safety on public transit. Farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene can now apply for a share of a $221 million federal block grant to aid recovery. North Carolina’s Supreme Court has ruled that bar owners may continue lawsuits against Governor Stein over COVID-era shutdowns. Additionally, a new state program aims to help private schools meet growing demand as families seek alternatives to public education.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
It's five oh five and welcome into a Monday edition
of the Carolina Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine three wbt I, Nick Craig, Good morning to you. Well.
National attention is intensifying after a gruesome murder of a
Ukrainian refugee that happened back on August the twenty second
on a light rail in Charlotte. The twenty three year
(00:31):
old by the name of Irena Zaruska from Ukraine, It
only recently made her way to the United States, according
to a GoFundMe page from Ukraine, when on the twenty
second of last month, shortly before ten pm, she was
traveling on Charlotte's Lynx Blue Line when she was allegedly
stabbed in the throat by an individual by the name
(00:51):
of de Carlos Brown Junior. Surveillance video obtained by WBTV
on Friday shows Zaruska entering the light rail, taking a
seat in front of Brown with headphones on for only
about four minutes before Brown pulled out some sort of
pocket knife and stabbed her in the neck three times.
The thirty four year old in De Carlos Brown Junior
(01:14):
was arrested and charged with first degree murder. He is
currently being held without bond, as jail record show Brown
had several prior convictions, including armed robbery, felony, larceny, some
breaking and enterings, and shoplifting. Now, the reaction to this,
at least immediately after the fact, has been quite mixed.
(01:35):
Charlotte Mayor vi Lyles came under immense scrutiny immediately following
that gruesome attack, which she spent the vast majority of
her statement commenting on the alleged killers past and seemingly
ignoring the victim who was stabbed and killed. Right after
the murder of Charlotte, Mayor vy Lyles said quote, this
(01:55):
is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with
society's safety nets related to mental health care and systems
that should be in place. As we come to understand
what happened and why, we must look at the entire situation.
While I do not know the specific of the man's
medical record, what I have come to understand is that
(02:18):
he has long struggled with mental health and appears to
have suffered a crisis. That is the unfortunate and tragic outcome. Now,
the Democrat Mayor of Charlotte seemed to change her tune
a little bit with a post on social media on Saturday,
with her no longer focusing on the alleged murderer and
instead focusing on the twenty three year old victim who
(02:39):
was stabbed to death on the train or on the
light rail. I should say where, she said, quote, this
was a senseless and tragic loss. My prayers remain with
her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an
unimaginable time. Like so many of you, I'm heartbroken, and
I've been thinking hard about what safety really looks like
(03:00):
in our city. I remain committed to doing all we
can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a
place where everyone feels safe. Now, the national attention has
kicked up over the weekend as that video, again published
by WBTV on Friday, has been making its way around
social media, or at least parts of that gruesome video.
(03:21):
Representative Mark Harris, the Republican out of the eighth congressional
Dick District, posted on x and said quote, the violence
in Charlotte is a microcosm of a national epidemic. Americans
deserve better than democrats soft on crime policies. The attention
got even stronger late last night when President Donald Trump
(03:43):
arrived back at Joint Base Andrews. He was asked by
a reporter about the murder. I'll admit the audio is
a little hard to hear due to the plane engines
in the background. But this is how this unfolded on
a joint based Andrews yesterday after noon. Yesterday evening, I
should say, we've got multiple times on a darlt subway.
(04:04):
You've seen this video and do you have any reaction
to it?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Where was the subway? Was? Where she was in Charlotte
on a night train and she's got multiple times by amorrable.
Now I haven't heard today.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
When did this happen.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
It happened in August, but the video just came out.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yeah, I see the video.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I'll know all about it by tomorrow morning. So there's
President Donald Trump indicating that he had seen the video
and not surprising as it made its way throughout social
media over the weekend, saying he'll know all about it
and have some additional details on it tomorrow morning. That
would be today, So we'll continue to wait and see
what that looks like. Growing concern over crime in major
(04:46):
cities has been a talking point for the administration over
the past few weeks, with President Donald Trump deploying the
National Guard in Washington, d c. And threatening to do
so in other major US cities that are dealing with crime.
The debate is also expected to intensify in the Charlotte metro,
where voters later this year will be asked and to
(05:07):
ask to decide on a one cent sales tax hike
to fund nearly twenty five billion dollars worth of light
rail expansion and other transit projects across the Queen City. Again,
some major national attention on this stabbing and murder all
the way back on August the twenty second. We'll continue
our coverage over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com.
(05:28):
Continuing coverage as well, also right here on Newstock eleven
ten and ninety nine to three WBT. Turning our attention
to some other statewide news this morning. Some good news
is more help is on the way to farmers who
were affected by Hurricane Helene last year. North Carolina's Agricultural Commissioner,
Steve Troxler, alongside USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, signed a
(05:54):
two hundred and twenty one million dollars North Carolina Disaster
Block rant for Hull Lean at the North Carolina Mountain
State Fair and Fletcher on Friday. The grant, which will
apply to thirty nine counties that received a Presidential disaster
declaration after Hurricane Helene, is for production losses not covered
(06:15):
by the USDA programs or crop insurance, which many farmers have.
The program will cover four categories of eligible losses, including
infrastructure damage, market losses, future economic losses, and timber losses.
According to Troxler and a press release, he noted, quote,
this two hundred and twenty one million dollars in Federal
(06:38):
Disaster Assistance Block grant for agricultural damage due to Hurricane
Helene is welcome news for North Carolina farmers in western
North Carolina who have been holding on in the aftermath
of the massive agricultural loss in twenty twenty four. We
are grateful for the USDA's continue effort on the block
(07:00):
and appreciate their willingness to partner with us on this
much needed assistance. We all have interest in the success
of agriculture because farmers produce the food and fiber that
we all depend on. To receive funding, certain producers may
have to agree to acquire and maintain USDA risk management
(07:21):
coverage for two crop years for market losses, future economic losses,
and other aquarial claims. Steve Troxler added quote, we are
currently creating the program, work plan and application in coordination
with USDA. Once we have approval for the plan, we
will work as quickly as possible to distribute the money
(07:44):
to impacted farmers. This grant is another way of getting
much needed funds to farmers who were hit hard in
twenty twenty four. Now back a couple of months ago.
On July the ninth, the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, known
as the sd ERP did open for farmers who are
affected by natural disasters in the calendar years twenty three
(08:06):
and twenty four. The nearly sixteen billion dollar SdRP provides
financial assistance two eligible producers facing losses in revenue, crop quality,
or production caused by weather related events in twenty twenty
three and twenty twenty four. The USDA's Farm Service Agency,
also known as the FSA, distributes its aid in two phases.
(08:31):
Depending on the nature and timing of the various losses.
Producers may qualify for payments in both phases and for
either or both years. Brook Rollins, the Secretary of the
United States Department of Agriculture, set in a press release
on Friday, quote, American farmers are no stranger to natural
disasters that cause loss and leave no region or crop unscathed.
(08:57):
Under President Trump's leadership, USDA has won worked around the
clock to deliver this relief directly to our farmers. We
are taking swift action to ensure farmers will have the
resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable,
and most abundant food supply in the world. And quote
there from USDA Secretary Brook Rollins. We've got some additional
(09:22):
details on our website this morning, including a link on
the North Carolina Department of Agricultural website where those producers
can go to find out some more information about what
this additional USDA grant program will look like. All of
that available over on our website this morning. Carolina Journal
dot com that story's headline, Farmers affected by Helene can
(09:44):
apply for share of two hundred and twenty one million
dollar federal block grant. Again that coverage over at Carolina
Journal dot com. Twenty two. Welcome back to the Carolina
Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety nine three WVT,
(10:05):
Good Monday morning to you. Back in twenty twenty, during
the heat of the COVID nineteen pandemic, there were a
lot of decisions made by governments all across the world,
really dealing with a variety of issues. Here in North Carolina,
the restaurant in bar sector was hit particularly hard. There's
been an ongoing legal battle for multiple years in the
state of North Carolina. We've got some pretty big breaking
(10:26):
news this morning to walk us through at Mitch Kokai
with the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina
Journal News Hour. Mitch for bar owners across North Carolina.
I guess this is a decision that they've hoped has
been a long time coming.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yes, And actually one of the interesting things about this
is that they really get back to the starting line
of where their case started. You remember, Nick, and the
listening audience will remember that in twenty twenty, as COVID
was really striking the state, most businesses shut down, and
the government forced most businesses to shut down. But as
(11:00):
time went on, businesses were allowed to reopen. Restaurants and
bars were forced to shut down restaurants reopened more quickly.
Some bars were allowed to reopen while others could not,
and a lot of bars, even when they could reopen,
had restrictions on them. And so after the initial heat
(11:21):
of the COVID shutdowns and as time went on, two
different groups of bars sued the governor at that time,
Governor Roy Cooper, saying that the shutdowns violated their constitutional rights. Now,
these cases have worked their way all the way to
the State Supreme Court, and last October the Supreme Court
(11:41):
heard arguments in both of the cases, and then on Friday,
the court issued its ruling in both cases, two separate
decisions written by two different justices, but basically the same result,
saying that in both cases the bar owners do have
a right to move forward with their constitutional claims against
(12:02):
the government under the provision of the state constitution called
fruits of their own or fruits of your own labor,
basically our state constitution guaranteeing us the right to the
enjoyment of the fruits of our own labor, meaning basically
that the government shouldn't stop you from doing your job
unless there's a really compelling reason. Now, in coming to
(12:27):
this decision, there are some interesting twists. It was five
to two, so the Republicans were in favor of this
on the State Supreme Court, while the two Democrats were not.
They dissented. In one case it was the majority opinion
was written by Chief Justice Paul Newby. In the other
case the opinion was written by Justice Phil Berger Junior.
(12:48):
And then the two Democrats traded off on who was
going to dissent Anita Earl's descendant in one case Alison
Riggs and the other, and then they joined each other's descents.
But basically the idea is that the government cannot basically
brush off a lawsuit when there is a constitutional claim
on violation of violating the fruits of your own labor
(13:11):
clause of the State Constitution. This doesn't mean the bars
are going to end up winning, doesn't mean the bars
are going to end up collecting any money from state government,
but it basically means they do have the right to
go in front of a trial judge and try to
make the case that their rights were violated and that
they should collect money. So this is far from over,
(13:32):
but it is a big win for the bar owners
in the sense that the state government couldn't come along
and just say no, we did this to help public
health and safety. You have no case and your case
should be dismissed.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Mitch. It's kind of hard to go back and remember
what was going on during twenty twenty. It was a
long time ago, and there were a lot of moving pieces.
The field goal post constantly shifting back and forth on everything.
One of the major things I rema when this lawsuit
was getting kicked off and from some of the individuals
that are part of these lawsuits, and as you mentioned
in the open restaurants were able to reopen pretty quickly,
(14:10):
albeit with limited to capacity, maybe some outdoor dining, not
as many people inside, with some restrictions. But as the
months and days went on through COVID nineteen and through
twenty twenty, a lot of bars were essentially shuttered, almost permanently,
some of them no longer in business because they continued
to have to pay their ABC license and all of
the other costs associated with operating their business. The restaurant
(14:33):
next door was open, but because the bar didn serve food,
they were almost permanently closed.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
That's right. One of the arguments that was made in
both of these cases is disparate treatment that some bars
were allowed to reopen if they were in a restaurant
or if they were in some sort of country club setting,
but that private bars had to remain closed, and even
when they were allowed to reopen, the restrictions were such
that they couldn't act make a living. One of the
(15:02):
Supreme Court opinions made reference to the fact that the
trial court record showed that restrictions on bars lasted for
four hundred days or so, so well over a year,
well beyond the point that most people were getting back
to work, and deciding that COVID nineteen, while still a concern,
was certainly not something that should stop them from doing
(15:22):
their jobs and stopped them from doing things out in
the public. So that is going to be one of
the arguments as this goes forward in a trial court level,
assuming that it does, assuming that there isn't some sort
of settlement, that the bar owners will argue, look, we
were treated differently and in a way that violated our rights.
(15:43):
If every business had had to face the same sort
of restriction, or if every business that served alcohol had
faced the same sort of restriction, there would probably be
a weaker case for the bar owners. But they argued
that what was done today was different than what was
done to other businesses that basically face the same sort
(16:06):
of situation and same sort of circumstances, and that's going
to be one of the parts of the argument. I
think from a constitutional perspective, the biggest piece of this
is that the State Supreme Court is really putting a
lot of weight behind this provision in the state Constitution
that says that you have a constitutional right in North
Carolina to the enjoyment of the fruits of your own labor,
(16:29):
and if the government is going to restrict that right,
it really needs to have a great justification for doing so.
It can't just say we think this is a good
idea and it's reasonable, and so you can't sue. You
really have to have a legitimate, compelling reason to violate
someone's economic rights.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
We'll continue the conversation with Mitch Koki from the John
Locke Foundation coming up after this. You're listening to the
Carolina Journal News Hour. It's five thirty six. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine to three WBT. As school choice continues to expand
(17:10):
across North Carolina and really across the nation, as well.
A pressing issue has become the need for more schools
to meet the new demand. The school choice advocacy organization
Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, also known as
pefn C, announce their launch of their Edu Builder program.
(17:32):
This program is aimed at supporting the development and expansion
of private schools across our state. The initiative seeks to
help local school leaders and entrepreneurs overcome barriers to opening
and growing schools to meet rising demand for educational options.
According to a press release from pef NC, the effort
(17:55):
comes amid increase interests in school choice programs nationally and
here in North Carolina. Turning our attention to the southern
state of Florida, for example, demand has outpaced supply in
recent years, with approximately fifty thousand students waitlisted for private
schools under the state's Education Savings Account program in twenty
(18:16):
twenty three. That waitlist was so long due to insufficient
available seats in schools across the state of Florida. Turning
our attention to North Carolina, family's interests in private and
alternative education models has really ballooned over the last couple
of years, prompting calls for additional private school capacity. Renee Griffith,
(18:39):
who has served as the founder and executive director of
the Cornerstone Christian Academy and has a background in community leadership,
was appointed to lead the Edu Builder program. The president
of PEFNC, Mike Long sat, in a statement, quote, supporting
the creation and expansion of private schools is essential to
(19:02):
ensuring that school choice policies translate to real opportunities for families.
Our goal is to add thousands of private school seats
across North Carolina to meet increasing demand. Also in the
statement getting some comments in from Renee Griffith, she emphasized
her commitment to expanding access, citing her experience in school
(19:26):
funding and community advocacy, saying, quote, my goal is to
support school leaders and entrepreneurs in turning their visions into
reality so that more families can access high quality education options.
National efforts to expand private school supplier also underway. The
(19:47):
Drexel Fund, a nonprofit organization supported by philanthropic donors, provides
grants for the creation and growth of private schools serving
under served communities. Such initiatives aim to address the supply
shortages that threaten to hinder the effectiveness of school choice reform,
(20:09):
which is taking off across the nation. Advocates note that
as policies around school choice do become more widespread, and
they in fact have over the last couple of years,
the importance of ensuring sufficient private school capacity needs to grow.
Without enough seats, families may be unable to fully benefit
from statewide programs, particularly low and middle income households seeking
(20:34):
alternatives to traditional public schools. In addition to a larger
network of public charter schools, North Carolina has nine hundred
and fifty two private schools according to the latest data
from the North Carolina Department of Administration. That's in addition
to three school choice programs. The largest, the Opportunity Scholarship Program,
(20:57):
now serves more than eighty thousand students across the state,
with over twenty five percent of the state's K through
twelve students now attending either a charter which is a
public school but a public charter school, private school, or
taking advantage of home schooling. A recent report from the
John Locke Foundation called Room to Grow Evaluating private school
(21:20):
readiness for school choice demand in North Carolina pointed to
two issues with private school capacity in the state, as
private school enrollment has increased by nearly thirty two thousand
students since just twenty twenty, but only one hundred and
seventy nine schools have opened, and most scholarship recipients are
(21:40):
already enrolled in private schools, rather than having new families
and new children entering those systems. This raises questions about
the capacity and resources of private schools to meet growing demand.
According to the report, surveys revealed that private schools in
North Carolina generally have about a twenty one percent unused
(22:02):
capacity in over ninety percent of school leaders anticipate increase demand.
The plans to expand are often hindered by funding shortages,
regulatory barriers, and staffing challenges. You can read some additional
details this morning on this PEFNC program to help Schools
(22:24):
of Private Schools and other groups expand private schools across
North Carolina, plus our report from the John Locke Foundation
Room to Grow. All of that is available over on
our website Carolina Journal dot com with the stories headline
being NC program to help private schools meet rising demand.
It's now five point forty two. You're listening to the
(22:45):
Carolina Journal News Hour. A very interesting story we're following
this morning bar owners back during the COVID nineteen pandemic
suing former Democrat Governor Roy Cooper and the State of
North Carolina overclaims that their businesses were unjust shut down
by the State of North Carolina. Continuing that conversation this
morning with Mitch Kokai from the John Locke Foundation, as
(23:07):
you noted, what this may actually be the start of
all of this going on, this legal challenge moving forward,
even though we're looking at something that at this point
is in some cases more than five years in the
rear view mirror right now? Did you gain anything else
reading through the different majority or dissenting opinions on this,
anything else that you picked out that you thought was interesting.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well, one thing that was interesting in one of these
cases is that there were other claims that were made
and basically the Supreme Court unanimously through them out, things
like equal protection and laws being violated, or that there
was a claim under the Emergency Management Act for some
sort of damages and one set of bar owners was
trying to get some information under the Public Records Act.
(23:51):
Basically the Supreme Court got threw all that out, but
did say this fruits of your own labor clause is
something that can be a hook for a lawsuit. Now,
in the descent, one of the things that I believe
it was justice Anita Earles wrote was that she was
concerned that the court is really turning this fruits of
(24:11):
your own labor clause into some sort of judicial weapon,
that it was going to be something that would allow
the courts to step in and second guess the political
branches on issues that deal with economic rights. My guess
is among those who have been pushing for protection of
economic rights, they'll say, yes, that's true, and it's a
(24:31):
good thing that the court should step in when governments
are doing something that hurt economic rights and ensure that
the government is not overstepping its authority and is allowing
people to enjoy their economic rights to as great a
degree as possible.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
So as we watch this potentially unfold, it will probably
take months, if not years again to get more of
these details figured out what exactly would be the next
step for the two different groups in this case got
the big win from the North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Well, both of these cases will eventually get back to
a trial judge. They're going to have to go to
the Court of Appeals first, and the Court of Appeals
has to respond to what the Supreme Court said. But
then that means that they get sent back or remanded
officially to trial court, and then you would go through
the whole process of going through discovery and people taking
(25:26):
witnesses and gathering evidence, and then you'd go through a trial,
which is why I think that one possibility is that
there ends up being some sort of settlement. If the
government thinks, you know, it's not worth it for us
to go through this for a long time, and we
could reach some sort of settlement agreement, they might try
to do that, or that decision might be made for
(25:46):
the bar owners too. I mean, they've been at this
now for as you said, five years. They might decide
that some sort of settlement with the state might be
a better option than continuing through a trial. Though I
know that there are some who would definitely like to
see this play out as far as possible, so that
there would be some sort of determination that what was
done during COVID was too much of a violation of
(26:10):
people's rights, and that would help set a standard so
that the next time we have some sort of health
related emergency that government would think twice about some sort
of shutdown that's really going to block people from doing
their jobs.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, those judicial standards are incredibly important, especially for things
unforeseen that could happen in the future. Mitch, I know
you've been following this case for quite some time. We
appreciate the details. This morning, you can read some additional
coverage over on our website Carolina Journal dot com. Mitch
Koki from the John Locke Foundation joins us on the
Carolina Journal News Hour. Coming up later this week, it's
(26:50):
time and continuing of the sixth annual WBT Little Hero's
Blood Drive this Thursday, September the eleventh, WBT and the
one Blood of Big Red than Bus. We'll be at
the brand new Woodies Auto Service Center in rock Hill
from ten am to three pm, and we're encouraging you
to make a life saving blood donation as the sixth
annual WBT Little Heroes Blood Drive continues this Thursday, September
(27:14):
the eleventh, at Woody's Auto Service at Rockhill. Visit WBT
dot com for location details and to schedule that appointment.
This morning, it's now five point fifty four. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk eleven ten
ninety nine three WBT has continued national coverage continues on
a horrific murder that happened back on August the twenty
(27:37):
second in Charlotte on the light rail. That's when a
twenty three year old refugee from Ukraine by the name
of Arana Zaruska was brutally assaulted and murdered on the
Charlotte Lynx Blue Line. This story has been growing in
attention over the last couple of weeks, really turning into
a fever pitch over the weekend, as surveillance video was
(27:59):
released based on Friday from wv that shows the moments
before the gruesome murder took place. Thirty four year old
de Carlos Brown Junior was arrested and charged with first
degree murder. He is currently being held without bond, and
his jail records show that Brown has several prior convictions
(28:20):
including armed robbery, felony, larcenia, breaking and entering, and shoplifting.
Charlotte Mayer vy Lyles commented on the release of that
footage on Saturday, posting on X saying, quote the video
of this heartbreaking attack that took Zaruska's life is now public.
I want to thank our media partners and community members
(28:42):
who have chosen not to repost or share the footage
out of respect for her family. This was a senseless
and tragic loss. My prayers remained with her loved ones
as they continue to agree through an unimaginable time. Like
so many of you, I'm heart broken, and I've been
thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city.
(29:05):
I remain committed to doing all we can to protect
our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone
feels safe. This is a very different tune from the
Charlotte Mayer were just a couple of weeks ago. Her
statement almost immediately after the murder and stabbing on the
Charlotte light rail talked about the mental health of the
individual who killed her and spent very little time talking
(29:27):
about the twenty three year old woman who was senselessly
murdered on the train. President Donald Trump did comment on
this over the weekend. At Joint Bass Andrews last night,
he was asked by media about this situation unfolding in Charlotte,
said that he indicated that he had seen the video
that was flowing all over social media throughout the weekend,
(29:50):
indicating that he would have more to say about it
tomorrow that would line up with today. So we'll wait
for those additional details and to any additional comment from
President Donald Trump on this as growing concern over crime
in major US cities continues to be a major talking
point for this administration, as the President just a few
weeks ago did deploy the National Guard in Washington, DC
(30:14):
and has threatened to do so in other major US
cities where crime does run amok. That debate is expected
to continue across the Queen City, where voters later this
year will decide on a one cent sales tax hike
to fund a nearly twenty five billion dollar expansion of
light rail and other transit projects. Will continue the coverage
(30:35):
and continue coverage right here on WBT. That's going to
do it for a Monday edition of the Carolina Journal
News Hour. WBT News is next followed by Good morning BT.
We're back with you tomorrow morning, five to six right
here on Newstock eleven ten and ninety nine to three
WBT
It's five oh five and welcome into a Monday edition
of the Carolina Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine three wbt I, Nick Craig, Good morning to you. Well.
National attention is intensifying after a gruesome murder of a
Ukrainian refugee that happened back on August the twenty second
on a light rail in Charlotte. The twenty three year
(00:31):
old by the name of Irena Zaruska from Ukraine, It
only recently made her way to the United States, according
to a GoFundMe page from Ukraine, when on the twenty
second of last month, shortly before ten pm, she was
traveling on Charlotte's Lynx Blue Line when she was allegedly
stabbed in the throat by an individual by the name
(00:51):
of de Carlos Brown Junior. Surveillance video obtained by WBTV
on Friday shows Zaruska entering the light rail, taking a
seat in front of Brown with headphones on for only
about four minutes before Brown pulled out some sort of
pocket knife and stabbed her in the neck three times.
The thirty four year old in De Carlos Brown Junior
(01:14):
was arrested and charged with first degree murder. He is
currently being held without bond, as jail record show Brown
had several prior convictions, including armed robbery, felony, larceny, some
breaking and enterings, and shoplifting. Now, the reaction to this,
at least immediately after the fact, has been quite mixed.
(01:35):
Charlotte Mayor vi Lyles came under immense scrutiny immediately following
that gruesome attack, which she spent the vast majority of
her statement commenting on the alleged killers past and seemingly
ignoring the victim who was stabbed and killed. Right after
the murder of Charlotte, Mayor vy Lyles said quote, this
(01:55):
is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with
society's safety nets related to mental health care and systems
that should be in place. As we come to understand
what happened and why, we must look at the entire situation.
While I do not know the specific of the man's
medical record, what I have come to understand is that
(02:18):
he has long struggled with mental health and appears to
have suffered a crisis. That is the unfortunate and tragic outcome. Now,
the Democrat Mayor of Charlotte seemed to change her tune
a little bit with a post on social media on Saturday,
with her no longer focusing on the alleged murderer and
instead focusing on the twenty three year old victim who
(02:39):
was stabbed to death on the train or on the
light rail. I should say where, she said, quote, this
was a senseless and tragic loss. My prayers remain with
her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an
unimaginable time. Like so many of you, I'm heartbroken, and
I've been thinking hard about what safety really looks like
(03:00):
in our city. I remain committed to doing all we
can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a
place where everyone feels safe. Now, the national attention has
kicked up over the weekend as that video, again published
by WBTV on Friday, has been making its way around
social media, or at least parts of that gruesome video.
(03:21):
Representative Mark Harris, the Republican out of the eighth congressional
Dick District, posted on x and said quote, the violence
in Charlotte is a microcosm of a national epidemic. Americans
deserve better than democrats soft on crime policies. The attention
got even stronger late last night when President Donald Trump
(03:43):
arrived back at Joint Base Andrews. He was asked by
a reporter about the murder. I'll admit the audio is
a little hard to hear due to the plane engines
in the background. But this is how this unfolded on
a joint based Andrews yesterday after noon. Yesterday evening, I
should say, we've got multiple times on a darlt subway.
(04:04):
You've seen this video and do you have any reaction
to it?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Where was the subway? Was? Where she was in Charlotte
on a night train and she's got multiple times by amorrable.
Now I haven't heard today.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
When did this happen.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
It happened in August, but the video just came out.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yeah, I see the video.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I'll know all about it by tomorrow morning. So there's
President Donald Trump indicating that he had seen the video
and not surprising as it made its way throughout social
media over the weekend, saying he'll know all about it
and have some additional details on it tomorrow morning. That
would be today, So we'll continue to wait and see
what that looks like. Growing concern over crime in major
(04:46):
cities has been a talking point for the administration over
the past few weeks, with President Donald Trump deploying the
National Guard in Washington, d c. And threatening to do
so in other major US cities that are dealing with crime.
The debate is also expected to intensify in the Charlotte metro,
where voters later this year will be asked and to
(05:07):
ask to decide on a one cent sales tax hike
to fund nearly twenty five billion dollars worth of light
rail expansion and other transit projects across the Queen City. Again,
some major national attention on this stabbing and murder all
the way back on August the twenty second. We'll continue
our coverage over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com.
(05:28):
Continuing coverage as well, also right here on Newstock eleven
ten and ninety nine to three WBT. Turning our attention
to some other statewide news this morning. Some good news
is more help is on the way to farmers who
were affected by Hurricane Helene last year. North Carolina's Agricultural Commissioner,
Steve Troxler, alongside USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, signed a
(05:54):
two hundred and twenty one million dollars North Carolina Disaster
Block rant for Hull Lean at the North Carolina Mountain
State Fair and Fletcher on Friday. The grant, which will
apply to thirty nine counties that received a Presidential disaster
declaration after Hurricane Helene, is for production losses not covered
(06:15):
by the USDA programs or crop insurance, which many farmers have.
The program will cover four categories of eligible losses, including
infrastructure damage, market losses, future economic losses, and timber losses.
According to Troxler and a press release, he noted, quote,
this two hundred and twenty one million dollars in Federal
(06:38):
Disaster Assistance Block grant for agricultural damage due to Hurricane
Helene is welcome news for North Carolina farmers in western
North Carolina who have been holding on in the aftermath
of the massive agricultural loss in twenty twenty four. We
are grateful for the USDA's continue effort on the block
(07:00):
and appreciate their willingness to partner with us on this
much needed assistance. We all have interest in the success
of agriculture because farmers produce the food and fiber that
we all depend on. To receive funding, certain producers may
have to agree to acquire and maintain USDA risk management
(07:21):
coverage for two crop years for market losses, future economic losses,
and other aquarial claims. Steve Troxler added quote, we are
currently creating the program, work plan and application in coordination
with USDA. Once we have approval for the plan, we
will work as quickly as possible to distribute the money
(07:44):
to impacted farmers. This grant is another way of getting
much needed funds to farmers who were hit hard in
twenty twenty four. Now back a couple of months ago.
On July the ninth, the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, known
as the sd ERP did open for farmers who are
affected by natural disasters in the calendar years twenty three
(08:06):
and twenty four. The nearly sixteen billion dollar SdRP provides
financial assistance two eligible producers facing losses in revenue, crop quality,
or production caused by weather related events in twenty twenty
three and twenty twenty four. The USDA's Farm Service Agency,
also known as the FSA, distributes its aid in two phases.
(08:31):
Depending on the nature and timing of the various losses.
Producers may qualify for payments in both phases and for
either or both years. Brook Rollins, the Secretary of the
United States Department of Agriculture, set in a press release
on Friday, quote, American farmers are no stranger to natural
disasters that cause loss and leave no region or crop unscathed.
(08:57):
Under President Trump's leadership, USDA has won worked around the
clock to deliver this relief directly to our farmers. We
are taking swift action to ensure farmers will have the
resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable,
and most abundant food supply in the world. And quote
there from USDA Secretary Brook Rollins. We've got some additional
(09:22):
details on our website this morning, including a link on
the North Carolina Department of Agricultural website where those producers
can go to find out some more information about what
this additional USDA grant program will look like. All of
that available over on our website this morning. Carolina Journal
dot com that story's headline, Farmers affected by Helene can
(09:44):
apply for share of two hundred and twenty one million
dollar federal block grant. Again that coverage over at Carolina
Journal dot com. Twenty two. Welcome back to the Carolina
Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety nine three WVT,
(10:05):
Good Monday morning to you. Back in twenty twenty, during
the heat of the COVID nineteen pandemic, there were a
lot of decisions made by governments all across the world,
really dealing with a variety of issues. Here in North Carolina,
the restaurant in bar sector was hit particularly hard. There's
been an ongoing legal battle for multiple years in the
state of North Carolina. We've got some pretty big breaking
(10:26):
news this morning to walk us through at Mitch Kokai
with the John Locke Foundation joins us on the Carolina
Journal News Hour. Mitch for bar owners across North Carolina.
I guess this is a decision that they've hoped has
been a long time coming.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yes, And actually one of the interesting things about this
is that they really get back to the starting line
of where their case started. You remember, Nick, and the
listening audience will remember that in twenty twenty, as COVID
was really striking the state, most businesses shut down, and
the government forced most businesses to shut down. But as
(11:00):
time went on, businesses were allowed to reopen. Restaurants and
bars were forced to shut down restaurants reopened more quickly.
Some bars were allowed to reopen while others could not,
and a lot of bars, even when they could reopen,
had restrictions on them. And so after the initial heat
(11:21):
of the COVID shutdowns and as time went on, two
different groups of bars sued the governor at that time,
Governor Roy Cooper, saying that the shutdowns violated their constitutional rights. Now,
these cases have worked their way all the way to
the State Supreme Court, and last October the Supreme Court
(11:41):
heard arguments in both of the cases, and then on Friday,
the court issued its ruling in both cases, two separate
decisions written by two different justices, but basically the same result,
saying that in both cases the bar owners do have
a right to move forward with their constitutional claims against
(12:02):
the government under the provision of the state constitution called
fruits of their own or fruits of your own labor,
basically our state constitution guaranteeing us the right to the
enjoyment of the fruits of our own labor, meaning basically
that the government shouldn't stop you from doing your job
unless there's a really compelling reason. Now, in coming to
(12:27):
this decision, there are some interesting twists. It was five
to two, so the Republicans were in favor of this
on the State Supreme Court, while the two Democrats were not.
They dissented. In one case it was the majority opinion
was written by Chief Justice Paul Newby. In the other
case the opinion was written by Justice Phil Berger Junior.
(12:48):
And then the two Democrats traded off on who was
going to dissent Anita Earl's descendant in one case Alison
Riggs and the other, and then they joined each other's descents.
But basically the idea is that the government cannot basically
brush off a lawsuit when there is a constitutional claim
on violation of violating the fruits of your own labor
(13:11):
clause of the State Constitution. This doesn't mean the bars
are going to end up winning, doesn't mean the bars
are going to end up collecting any money from state government,
but it basically means they do have the right to
go in front of a trial judge and try to
make the case that their rights were violated and that
they should collect money. So this is far from over,
(13:32):
but it is a big win for the bar owners
in the sense that the state government couldn't come along
and just say no, we did this to help public
health and safety. You have no case and your case
should be dismissed.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Mitch. It's kind of hard to go back and remember
what was going on during twenty twenty. It was a
long time ago, and there were a lot of moving pieces.
The field goal post constantly shifting back and forth on everything.
One of the major things I rema when this lawsuit
was getting kicked off and from some of the individuals
that are part of these lawsuits, and as you mentioned
in the open restaurants were able to reopen pretty quickly,
(14:10):
albeit with limited to capacity, maybe some outdoor dining, not
as many people inside, with some restrictions. But as the
months and days went on through COVID nineteen and through
twenty twenty, a lot of bars were essentially shuttered, almost permanently,
some of them no longer in business because they continued
to have to pay their ABC license and all of
the other costs associated with operating their business. The restaurant
(14:33):
next door was open, but because the bar didn serve food,
they were almost permanently closed.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
That's right. One of the arguments that was made in
both of these cases is disparate treatment that some bars
were allowed to reopen if they were in a restaurant
or if they were in some sort of country club setting,
but that private bars had to remain closed, and even
when they were allowed to reopen, the restrictions were such
that they couldn't act make a living. One of the
(15:02):
Supreme Court opinions made reference to the fact that the
trial court record showed that restrictions on bars lasted for
four hundred days or so, so well over a year,
well beyond the point that most people were getting back
to work, and deciding that COVID nineteen, while still a concern,
was certainly not something that should stop them from doing
(15:22):
their jobs and stopped them from doing things out in
the public. So that is going to be one of
the arguments as this goes forward in a trial court level,
assuming that it does, assuming that there isn't some sort
of settlement, that the bar owners will argue, look, we
were treated differently and in a way that violated our rights.
(15:43):
If every business had had to face the same sort
of restriction, or if every business that served alcohol had
faced the same sort of restriction, there would probably be
a weaker case for the bar owners. But they argued
that what was done today was different than what was
done to other businesses that basically face the same sort
(16:06):
of situation and same sort of circumstances, and that's going
to be one of the parts of the argument. I
think from a constitutional perspective, the biggest piece of this
is that the State Supreme Court is really putting a
lot of weight behind this provision in the state Constitution
that says that you have a constitutional right in North
Carolina to the enjoyment of the fruits of your own labor,
(16:29):
and if the government is going to restrict that right,
it really needs to have a great justification for doing so.
It can't just say we think this is a good
idea and it's reasonable, and so you can't sue. You
really have to have a legitimate, compelling reason to violate
someone's economic rights.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
We'll continue the conversation with Mitch Koki from the John
Locke Foundation coming up after this. You're listening to the
Carolina Journal News Hour. It's five thirty six. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Newstock eleven, ten ninety
nine to three WBT. As school choice continues to expand
(17:10):
across North Carolina and really across the nation, as well.
A pressing issue has become the need for more schools
to meet the new demand. The school choice advocacy organization
Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, also known as
pefn C, announce their launch of their Edu Builder program.
(17:32):
This program is aimed at supporting the development and expansion
of private schools across our state. The initiative seeks to
help local school leaders and entrepreneurs overcome barriers to opening
and growing schools to meet rising demand for educational options.
According to a press release from pef NC, the effort
(17:55):
comes amid increase interests in school choice programs nationally and
here in North Carolina. Turning our attention to the southern
state of Florida, for example, demand has outpaced supply in
recent years, with approximately fifty thousand students waitlisted for private
schools under the state's Education Savings Account program in twenty
(18:16):
twenty three. That waitlist was so long due to insufficient
available seats in schools across the state of Florida. Turning
our attention to North Carolina, family's interests in private and
alternative education models has really ballooned over the last couple
of years, prompting calls for additional private school capacity. Renee Griffith,
(18:39):
who has served as the founder and executive director of
the Cornerstone Christian Academy and has a background in community leadership,
was appointed to lead the Edu Builder program. The president
of PEFNC, Mike Long sat, in a statement, quote, supporting
the creation and expansion of private schools is essential to
(19:02):
ensuring that school choice policies translate to real opportunities for families.
Our goal is to add thousands of private school seats
across North Carolina to meet increasing demand. Also in the
statement getting some comments in from Renee Griffith, she emphasized
her commitment to expanding access, citing her experience in school
(19:26):
funding and community advocacy, saying, quote, my goal is to
support school leaders and entrepreneurs in turning their visions into
reality so that more families can access high quality education options.
National efforts to expand private school supplier also underway. The
(19:47):
Drexel Fund, a nonprofit organization supported by philanthropic donors, provides
grants for the creation and growth of private schools serving
under served communities. Such initiatives aim to address the supply
shortages that threaten to hinder the effectiveness of school choice reform,
(20:09):
which is taking off across the nation. Advocates note that
as policies around school choice do become more widespread, and
they in fact have over the last couple of years,
the importance of ensuring sufficient private school capacity needs to grow.
Without enough seats, families may be unable to fully benefit
from statewide programs, particularly low and middle income households seeking
(20:34):
alternatives to traditional public schools. In addition to a larger
network of public charter schools, North Carolina has nine hundred
and fifty two private schools according to the latest data
from the North Carolina Department of Administration. That's in addition
to three school choice programs. The largest, the Opportunity Scholarship Program,
(20:57):
now serves more than eighty thousand students across the state,
with over twenty five percent of the state's K through
twelve students now attending either a charter which is a
public school but a public charter school, private school, or
taking advantage of home schooling. A recent report from the
John Locke Foundation called Room to Grow Evaluating private school
(21:20):
readiness for school choice demand in North Carolina pointed to
two issues with private school capacity in the state, as
private school enrollment has increased by nearly thirty two thousand
students since just twenty twenty, but only one hundred and
seventy nine schools have opened, and most scholarship recipients are
(21:40):
already enrolled in private schools, rather than having new families
and new children entering those systems. This raises questions about
the capacity and resources of private schools to meet growing demand.
According to the report, surveys revealed that private schools in
North Carolina generally have about a twenty one percent unused
(22:02):
capacity in over ninety percent of school leaders anticipate increase demand.
The plans to expand are often hindered by funding shortages,
regulatory barriers, and staffing challenges. You can read some additional
details this morning on this PEFNC program to help Schools
(22:24):
of Private Schools and other groups expand private schools across
North Carolina, plus our report from the John Locke Foundation
Room to Grow. All of that is available over on
our website Carolina Journal dot com with the stories headline
being NC program to help private schools meet rising demand.
It's now five point forty two. You're listening to the
(22:45):
Carolina Journal News Hour. A very interesting story we're following
this morning bar owners back during the COVID nineteen pandemic
suing former Democrat Governor Roy Cooper and the State of
North Carolina overclaims that their businesses were unjust shut down
by the State of North Carolina. Continuing that conversation this
morning with Mitch Kokai from the John Locke Foundation, as
(23:07):
you noted, what this may actually be the start of
all of this going on, this legal challenge moving forward,
even though we're looking at something that at this point
is in some cases more than five years in the
rear view mirror right now? Did you gain anything else
reading through the different majority or dissenting opinions on this,
anything else that you picked out that you thought was interesting.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well, one thing that was interesting in one of these
cases is that there were other claims that were made
and basically the Supreme Court unanimously through them out, things
like equal protection and laws being violated, or that there
was a claim under the Emergency Management Act for some
sort of damages and one set of bar owners was
trying to get some information under the Public Records Act.
(23:51):
Basically the Supreme Court got threw all that out, but
did say this fruits of your own labor clause is
something that can be a hook for a lawsuit. Now,
in the descent, one of the things that I believe
it was justice Anita Earles wrote was that she was
concerned that the court is really turning this fruits of
(24:11):
your own labor clause into some sort of judicial weapon,
that it was going to be something that would allow
the courts to step in and second guess the political
branches on issues that deal with economic rights. My guess
is among those who have been pushing for protection of
economic rights, they'll say, yes, that's true, and it's a
(24:31):
good thing that the court should step in when governments
are doing something that hurt economic rights and ensure that
the government is not overstepping its authority and is allowing
people to enjoy their economic rights to as great a
degree as possible.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
So as we watch this potentially unfold, it will probably
take months, if not years again to get more of
these details figured out what exactly would be the next
step for the two different groups in this case got
the big win from the North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Well, both of these cases will eventually get back to
a trial judge. They're going to have to go to
the Court of Appeals first, and the Court of Appeals
has to respond to what the Supreme Court said. But
then that means that they get sent back or remanded
officially to trial court, and then you would go through
the whole process of going through discovery and people taking
(25:26):
witnesses and gathering evidence, and then you'd go through a trial,
which is why I think that one possibility is that
there ends up being some sort of settlement. If the
government thinks, you know, it's not worth it for us
to go through this for a long time, and we
could reach some sort of settlement agreement, they might try
to do that, or that decision might be made for
(25:46):
the bar owners too. I mean, they've been at this
now for as you said, five years. They might decide
that some sort of settlement with the state might be
a better option than continuing through a trial. Though I
know that there are some who would definitely like to
see this play out as far as possible, so that
there would be some sort of determination that what was
done during COVID was too much of a violation of
(26:10):
people's rights, and that would help set a standard so
that the next time we have some sort of health
related emergency that government would think twice about some sort
of shutdown that's really going to block people from doing
their jobs.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, those judicial standards are incredibly important, especially for things
unforeseen that could happen in the future. Mitch, I know
you've been following this case for quite some time. We
appreciate the details. This morning, you can read some additional
coverage over on our website Carolina Journal dot com. Mitch
Koki from the John Locke Foundation joins us on the
Carolina Journal News Hour. Coming up later this week, it's
(26:50):
time and continuing of the sixth annual WBT Little Hero's
Blood Drive this Thursday, September the eleventh, WBT and the
one Blood of Big Red than Bus. We'll be at
the brand new Woodies Auto Service Center in rock Hill
from ten am to three pm, and we're encouraging you
to make a life saving blood donation as the sixth
annual WBT Little Heroes Blood Drive continues this Thursday, September
(27:14):
the eleventh, at Woody's Auto Service at Rockhill. Visit WBT
dot com for location details and to schedule that appointment.
This morning, it's now five point fifty four. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk eleven ten
ninety nine three WBT has continued national coverage continues on
a horrific murder that happened back on August the twenty
(27:37):
second in Charlotte on the light rail. That's when a
twenty three year old refugee from Ukraine by the name
of Arana Zaruska was brutally assaulted and murdered on the
Charlotte Lynx Blue Line. This story has been growing in
attention over the last couple of weeks, really turning into
a fever pitch over the weekend, as surveillance video was
(27:59):
released based on Friday from wv that shows the moments
before the gruesome murder took place. Thirty four year old
de Carlos Brown Junior was arrested and charged with first
degree murder. He is currently being held without bond, and
his jail records show that Brown has several prior convictions
(28:20):
including armed robbery, felony, larcenia, breaking and entering, and shoplifting.
Charlotte Mayer vy Lyles commented on the release of that
footage on Saturday, posting on X saying, quote the video
of this heartbreaking attack that took Zaruska's life is now public.
I want to thank our media partners and community members
(28:42):
who have chosen not to repost or share the footage
out of respect for her family. This was a senseless
and tragic loss. My prayers remained with her loved ones
as they continue to agree through an unimaginable time. Like
so many of you, I'm heart broken, and I've been
thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city.
(29:05):
I remain committed to doing all we can to protect
our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone
feels safe. This is a very different tune from the
Charlotte Mayer were just a couple of weeks ago. Her
statement almost immediately after the murder and stabbing on the
Charlotte light rail talked about the mental health of the
individual who killed her and spent very little time talking
(29:27):
about the twenty three year old woman who was senselessly
murdered on the train. President Donald Trump did comment on
this over the weekend. At Joint Bass Andrews last night,
he was asked by media about this situation unfolding in Charlotte,
said that he indicated that he had seen the video
that was flowing all over social media throughout the weekend,
(29:50):
indicating that he would have more to say about it
tomorrow that would line up with today. So we'll wait
for those additional details and to any additional comment from
President Donald Trump on this as growing concern over crime
in major US cities continues to be a major talking
point for this administration, as the President just a few
weeks ago did deploy the National Guard in Washington, DC
(30:14):
and has threatened to do so in other major US
cities where crime does run amok. That debate is expected
to continue across the Queen City, where voters later this
year will decide on a one cent sales tax hike
to fund a nearly twenty five billion dollar expansion of
light rail and other transit projects. Will continue the coverage
(30:35):
and continue coverage right here on WBT. That's going to
do it for a Monday edition of the Carolina Journal
News Hour. WBT News is next followed by Good morning BT.
We're back with you tomorrow morning, five to six right
here on Newstock eleven ten and ninety nine to three
WBT
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