Andy Specht
@AndySpecht
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Covers North Carolina politics for @WRAL and @PolitiFactNC . Formerly at the @newsobserver . Raleigh native. @Campbelledu alum.
Raleigh, NC
Joined December 2011
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Cops stood outside the school while the killer rampaged inside.
Onlookers yelled at them to go in. They didn’t. One parent urged bystanders:
“Let’s just rush in because the cops aren’t doing anything like they are supposed to.”
@AP
story:
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Facebook: we can’t censor political ads even if they’re false.
Also Facebook: we’re banning all sexual fruits and vegetables.
'Sexual' use of eggplant and peach emojis banned on Facebook, Instagram
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Spoiler: that parent’s daughter died in the attack while he was begging cops to save the kids.
My God.
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When you tell your parents you want to major in journalism
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Anderson Clayton was 25 years old when she ran for NCDP chair against an incumbent who was backed by the party establishment … and won.
Now, she’s charged with organizing Democrats in a state Biden lost by only 1.4%.
Her story remains one of the most fascinating in America.
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Breaking news in the NC governors race:
Democrat Josh Stein leads Republican Mark Robinson by 14% in new WRAL poll.
Poll shows Stein ahead among many groups -- including *rural women.*
#ncpol
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“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro forcefully put his weight behind a Republican-backed proposal to send $100 million to families for private school tuition and school supplies.”
Compare that to another VP option, Roy Cooper, who has RAILED AGAINST similar plans in North Carolina.
Everyobody's focused on Shapiro's stance on Israel-Palestine. But his stance on school choice and vouchers would probably make him a tough sell for Democrats.
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As a Democrat,
@triciacotham
accused the GOP of "wanting to play doctor," saying "my womb and my uterus is not up for your political grab."
As a Republican, Cotham is now telling
@WBTV_News
she's open to supporting new abortion restrictions in North Carolina.
#ncpol
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Donald Trump picked NC GOP chairman Michael Whatley to lead the Republican National Committee.
Kamala Harris picked NC Gov. Roy Cooper to introduce her at the Democratic Convention.
North Carolinians, the most powerful people in the world are telling you: your vote matters.
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JUST IN: North Carolina's absentee ballots (which anyone can request) will go out Sept. 21-24.
They were supposed to go out Sept. 6.
RFK Jr.'s legal push to get his name off the ballot delayed voting by 2 weeks and will cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.
#ncpol
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HUGE news for North Carolina Democrats:
@wileynickel
appears to defeat Republican Bo Hines in
#NC13
, the state's lone toss-up district.
#ncpol
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I’ll say this:
UNC fans owe Hubert Davis a massive apology.
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Biden dropped out and endorsed VP Harris.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is on the 'short list' to be her running mate. Why?
He's a winner, he's available, and Harris has known her 'dear friend' for 20 years.
#ncpol
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The top story in NC right now:
-
@DukeU
VP complains to campus
@joevangogh
about playing rap song.
-Baristas apologize to him, turn it off.
-Duke calls JVG, asks them to fire baristas.
-JVG tells baristas: resign and accept severance or be fired.
Wow.
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NC Supreme Court rules 4-3 along partisan lines that GOP-drawn election maps were gerrymandered.
State lawmakers have less than a month to redraw congressional and legislative maps in time for candidate filing.
Context and reaction here.
#ncpol
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In
#ncpol
news:
This tweet is not going well for Sen. Tillis.
Eric Trump's birthday is coming up. We're putting together a birthday card for him -- will you add your name?
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Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson rose to fame in part because of his hard line stance on abortion -- which he says is murder.
Now:
A newly-discovered Facebook comment from 2012 shows the North Carolina Republican saying he paid to abort his own child.
#ncpol
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Fact check: North Carolina's ballot order is NOT a "clear attempt at voter manipulation."
The order is determined by a random drawing -- one that placed TRUMP at the top of the ticket in 2016 and 2020.
Here's how it works:
Reports show Trump is poised to appear near the bottom of the ballot in North Carolina
This is indefensible and a clear attempt at voter manipulation
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Breaking:
A former Apex Town Council member is suing the North Carolina House Speaker for alienation of affection - claiming Tim Moore had an affair with his wife that resulted in the “destruction” of their marriage.
Read the lawsuit in our story.
#ncpol
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Too toxic for Trump?
His former chief of staff blames *Republican Mark Robinson* for weighing Trump down in North Carolina.
And the Harris campaign plans to tie the two together —->
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Breaking:
Governor Roy Cooper is making face masks mandatory in North Carolina.
He is also extending Phase 2 for another three weeks. (Some wondered if NC would move to Phase 3)
#ncpol
Gov. Cooper, members of the Coronavirus Task Force and North Carolina health care leaders will give an update on COVID-19 at 3 PM. Watch live here:
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BREAKING out of the NC13 GOP primary:
Former federal prosecutor Brad Knott bought a home in 2014 ... but continued voting while registered at his parents' address until 2023.
Knowingly misrepresenting your address at the polls is against the law.
#ncpol
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North Carolina is home to a lot of cool cities and beautiful places.
And also Charlotte.
medium hot take: charlotte, north carolina is one of the most unmemorable cities in existence.
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April: NC House Speaker welcomes former Democrat Tricia Cotham to the GOP, saying it’s a “big tent” party.
June: NC GOP delegates vote to censure U.S. Senator Thom Tillis for not toeing the party line on gay marriage and immigration.
#ncpol
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End your day with this :)
The staff at West Craven High School visited every single 2020 senior — all 220 of them — to deliver personalized yard signs as schools remain closed due to COVID-19.
@TabariWallace
@cravencoschools
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Tricia Cotham said Roy Cooper "wanted to pick" Dem seats on the House floor. Not how it works.
She said Rep. Reives "never talked to me." Screenshots show otherwise.
She said he called on her to resign EVEN BEFORE she switched parties. Not true.
#ncpol
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Virginia fans: Things didn’t go our way and the refs were unfair.
NC State fans: Oh yeah?! ...
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It pains me to say this as a Duke fan:
But the refs are really screwing UNC.
They’re letting Baylor clutch and grab like it’s a hockey game out there.
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ANOTHER TWIST in the North Carolina ballot saga:
Absentee (aka "mail-in") ballots will NOT go out today as scheduled!
An NC Court ordered a pause on printing while RFK Jr tries to get his name OFF the ballot.
#ncpol
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What an embarrassing tweet.
Biden stimulus showers money on Americans, sharply cutting poverty in defining move of presidency
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BREAKING:
Multiple sources say they expect Democratic US Senate candidate
@JeffJacksonNC
to drop out of the race tomorrow.
This gives
@CheriBeasleyNC
a big advantage in the primary.
#ncpol
#ncsen
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Fun fact:
Every city in South Carolina is smaller than the town of Cary, North Carolina.
Name a city in South Carolina not named Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, or Myrtle Beach
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Losing by 6 is embarrassing.
But it’s not as embarrassing as Boston’s lack of success over the past 4 decades. The Bruins only have 1 Stanley Cup since 1972.
Shoot, the Carolina Hurricanes have that many and they’ve only been around since 1997.
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A *little* breaking news:
My wife
@tayknopf
and I brought a new person into the world!
Meet our son, Theo ☺️
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.
@NC_Governor
responds to RNC:
"As much as we want the conditions surrounding COVID-19 to be favorable enough for you to hold (a full) Convention ...
Neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantee you seek."
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How are North Carolina Democrats responding to the new GOP supermajority?
With a RAGE that’s boosting fundraising, volunteer sign-ups, and interest from potential candidates.
@abreezeclayton
opens up to
@WRALLena
and me about the NCDP’s efforts.
#ncpol
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The nation would learn that there’s a place called Nashville, North Carolina
Bachelor-style hometown visits, where Harris spends a day in NC with Cooper, PA with Shapiro, MI with Whitmer, and AZ with Kelly.
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Personal news: Today is my last at the N&O.
Monday I’ll join
@WRAL
, where I’ll continue covering politics for
@PolitiFact
and begin regularly reporting our fact checks on TV.
I’m thrilled about this opportunity, and sad to leave a company that’s been like a family me.
#ncpol
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.
@DanForest
declined to debate
@RoyCooperNC
on WRAL.
Forest now refuses to answer these questions for our Voter Guide.
#ncpol
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Unclear what, exactly, Cotham will support. This morning, she declined to discuss any abortion bill until it's filed.
Latest here:
2015 WRAL story:
Yesterday's WBTV story:
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@DonaldJTrumpJr
@JoeBiden
"If Trump is so racist, why'd he do prison reform?"
@DonaldJTrumpJr
says.
"Why didn't Obama do it?"
#ncpol
#trumprally
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Breaking:
@NCDemParty
ousts Bobbie Richardson, elects
@abreezeclayton
as its new chair
HUGE upset in the party org, as Gov. Cooper and other top Democrats backed Richardson.
#ncpol
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"People don't pretend to be someone else to go in and vote.”
-
@NC_Governor
told
@jaketapper
.
He's mostly right: voter impersonation is rare.
#ncpol
#VoterID
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New: NC Republicans say they have the votes to enact a 12-week abortion ban.
Speaker Moore is relying on Ted Davis to override Gov. Cooper's veto.
Davis last year said he supports the current 20-week ban and that Moore “doesn’t tell me what to do"
#ncpol
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Deb Butler gets a shout out from a leading presidential candidate.
#ncpol
Keep fighting,
@DebButlerHD18
. Democracy depends on all of us being willing to speak out.
#WeWillNotYield
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Crazy that Notre Dame was lucky to escape Durham with a win.
As the game ended, their players were taunting fans and celebrating like they’d won a CFB playoff game.
Don’t know if that says more about Duke or ND …
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The DTH … may have the largest newspaper staff in the state?
The
@dailytarheel
held its newsroom-wide new staff orientation this afternoon ♥️
So many new faces!
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I am, once again, asking people to actually look up HIPAA.
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.
@DNC
schedule just came in:
@NC_Governor
Roy Cooper is scheduled to speak right before Vice President
@KamalaHarris
.
#ncpol
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My mother-in-law learned how to make “memes.”
However, she *doesn’t know* she’s making memes.
She thinks she’s captioning photos.
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How much was needed for light rail?
BREAKING: Duke will pay the U.S. government $112.5 million in settlement for research misconduct:
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McCrae Dowless issued more than 575 absentee ballot requests in Bladen County
For context, there were only 684 absentee by-mail ballots cast in Bladen County
420 were for
@MarkHarrisNC9
.
#ncpol
#nc9
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My boy turned 1 today!
That means he got his first ice cream cone🍦🎈🥰
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This makes me wonder if
@DukeU
and
@joevangogh
consulted any PR experts before making these decisions.
No good communications person would ever OK these moves.
Take it from a reporter: You can't sweep these things under a rug. Stories get out and people talk.
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@thesnarkygent
Tracks with a trend I've seen among younger evangelicals: taking things one step further than even their own parents.
(Parents using birth control, then their kids swearing off all forms of bc)
Seems like performative one-upsmanship.
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Should’ve drafted Justin Fields.
Even if Fields doesn’t get you a better record than Darnold, he brings hope for the future.
No one believes in Darnold. Good luck selling tickets.
NEW: The Panthers could have drafted a quarterback in April. Instead, they gambled with Sam Darnold and now they have to wait until this offseason to find their franchise quarterback.
More on that and what went wrong today.
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My favorite Wisconsin flop of the season.
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My brother goes to UNCC, where there was a shooting today.
I was in the yard when my wife brought me my phone and said there was a shooting. I had missed his call.
Turns out he’s OK. But there are several who aren’t. Why do we put each other through this hell?
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"Wearing (a mask) shows you care about other people's health"
-
@NC_Governor
#ncpol
A face covering signifies strength & compassion for others. Wearing one shows that you care about other people’s health. And I’m proud every day here at the Emergency Operations Center when I see our brave National Guard Soldiers and tough Marine Mike Sprayberry using them.
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The fact that Stein is winning rural women is significant.
Rural areas tend to favor Republicans.
Our poll found that rural women support Trump by 10% over Harris but Stein 10% over Robinson.
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Incredibly grateful to be able to go on paternity leave and spend this holiday season with our first daughter!
✨Christmas came early at our house✨
I’ll be taking some time off to be with my little girl and adjust to being a family of four.
See y’all in 2024!
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North Carolina:
Your U.S. senate candidates have both smoked weed, presumably without getting in trouble.
Meanwhile, thousands have been arrested for merely having it.
And state legislators are actively pushing to make *hemp* illegal ... simply bc it LOOKS like weed.
#ncpol
.
@SenThomTillis
and
@CalforNC
both say they’ve used marijuana. At least one piece of common ground in this
#NCSenateDebate
#ncpol
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President Trump says he’s frustrated NC Gov. Roy Cooper (a Democrat) can’t guarantee looser mass gathering restrictions by the GOP convention.
Trump threatens to pull the convention from Charlotte if he can’t get a commitment from Cooper.
#ncpol
I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August. Unfortunately, Democrat Governor,
@RoyCooperNC
is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed...
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Someone PLEASE tell me this isn’t from tonight’s win over a 7-7 Duke team ... during a pandemic ...
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Tricia Cotham — while complaining about Democrats who didn’t support the state budget — claimed that it includes “the largest cut in our personal income tax that we’ve ever seen.”
That’s not true.
#ncpol
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Remember when the 2 Republican elections board members resigned in protest of the election changes they voted for?
Well ...
The wife of a Republican who resigned wrote on Facebook: “They were told to resign.”
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Breaking:
@MarkHarrisNC9
says it was his idea to hire McCrae Dowless, but says he didn't know Dowless was breaking the law
Exclusive: Mark Harris is breaking his silence in an interview with
@WBTV_News
. It comes the same day members of his own party issued a new statement calling for him to publicly address allegations of voter fraud in
#nc09
#ncpol
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Personal note: it was 1 year ago that WRAL decided to put me on air full time.
I grew up in Raleigh, so I remember coming into the kitchen every morning and seeing WRAL on our TV.
Not *once* did I ever think I would end up where I am. It wasn’t within the realm of possibility.
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Correction on North Carolina's 117,000 outstanding mail-in ballots:
They are NOT from people who might have voted *early.*
They COULD be from people who decided to vote on Election Day.
Director Bell says final numbers likely won't post until Nov. 12 or 13
#ncpol
#Election2020
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Breaking:
North Carolina Republicans in *both* chambers voted to override Gov. Cooper's veto of their 12-week abortion ban.
After a party line vote - with at least 3 House members breaking from their campaign rhetoric - the bill is now law.
#ncpol
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When Madison Cawthorn cited youth suicide data to argue against mask mandates, he:
-Cherry-picked stats from Indiana
-Presented them without context
-And wrongly tried to tie masking to depression.
We fact-checked his comments in Johnston County.
#ncpol
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If you heard about yesterday’s
#ReopenNC
protest, you might think there’s widespread pushback against
@NC_Governor
.
Cooper has an 84% approval rating for his COVID-19 response.
That’s according to polling by
@NCCivitas
, a conservative think tank.
#ncpol
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5 reasons North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper could be a vice presidential pick if Biden drops out
#ncpol
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This could be big:
NC Sheriffs Association no longer wants to transport people suffering mental crises.
Police involvement often adds to the trauma of being committed. Advocates hope lawmakers shift the responsibility to health experts.
#ncpol
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Top North Carolina Republican says the House GOP has reached a “consensus position” to ban abortion after about 12 weeks, with exceptions for:
-rape
-incest
-fetal abnormalities
-and to protect the mother’s life.
(from
@TravisFain
)
#ncpol
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False claims?
Stolen content?
Racist commentary?
A post actually written in Russian?!
The "North Carolina Breaking News" Facebook page looks a lot like Russian troll accounts, experts warn.
#ncpol
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*one year ago today*
@tayknopf
: I might be pregnant.
Me: What? No you’re not.
Taylor: There’s a strong possibility.
Me: OK fine. Go ahead and take the test. Then you’ll see it’s probably nothing.
Result ...
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Twitter is not about to shame North Carolina out of free Krispy Kreme
Reasons to get your COVID-19 shot:
💉 Protect yourself
👨👩👧👧 Protect your family
👫 Protect your friends
🍩 Get a free
@krispykreme
doughnut
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State deserves this trophy if they showed up healthy, covid-free, and ready to play … and UCLA didn’t.
Not trying to shame anyone for testing positive. Just saying: it should count as a win. UCLA basically forfeited.
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When friends cancel on you.
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March 3, 2020: North Carolina reports first COVID-19 case.
April 7, 2021: Every North Carolinian will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Humans can do some amazing things.
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