www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-02 13:37:00
(The Center Square) – Assistance from one of North Carolina’s 100 county sheriffs helped a freshman congressman craft legislation to assist law enforcement’s fight against international cartels.
If passed, the Financial Intelligence and National Security Act – FINS Act for short – would amend Section 5312 of Title 31, classifying wire transfer service providers as financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020.
“This is a vital step in addressing the national drug crisis that is taking American lives every single day,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said.
U.S. Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., author of the bill, said drug traffickers, human smugglers and terrorist financiers use wire transfer companies such as Western Union and Ria as “a backdoor into our financial system.”
“It’s been a gift to the worst people in the world – and Washington let it happen,” Harrigan said. “The FINS Act shuts that door. It brings accountability, oversight and puts our national security first.”
Harrigan says billions of dollars are moving with little to no oversight. He says it funds fentanyl, human trafficking and organized crime.
In examples, Harrigan said three cellphone stores in Ohio laundered $44 million in cartel drug proceeds. Fake names were used, and heroin and fentanyl profits went across the border. In Atlanta, $40 million was used in drug money for trafficking and organized crime, he said.
In Oakland, the representative from the 10th Congressional District said, a shop called Rincon Musical used WhatsApp to shift thousands of dollars in street drug profits. A woman in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, Harrigan said, got what appeared to be legitimate transfers even though it was thousands of dollars for a cartel from fentanyl and heroin sold in American cities.
“This bill requires wire services to follow the same anti-money laundering rules as banks – so these kinds of operations can’t happen,” Harrigan said.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on the introduction of the Financial Intelligence and National Security Act (FINS Act) by Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) to tackle drug trafficking and money laundering via wire transfer services. It presents factual information on the bill’s intent and the arguments made by law enforcement officials like Sheriff Darren Campbell and Rep. Harrigan, without overtly promoting a specific ideological stance.
The tone is informative, focusing on legislative action and national security concerns related to drug trafficking and human smuggling. While the language emphasizes accountability and national security, there is no explicit partisan advocacy, keeping the reporting neutral. The piece quotes Harrigan’s assertions about the risks of unregulated wire transfers, highlighting the consequences of such activities, but it does not delve into a detailed political critique, thus avoiding any noticeable bias. The article sticks to reporting actions and positions rather than pushing a distinct ideological agenda, which places it in a centrist category.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-17 07:59:00
NAACP President Derrick Johnson announced President Donald Trump will not be invited to the NAACP’s national convention in Charlotte due to his perceived attacks on democracy and civil rights. Johnson criticized Trump for unconstitutional executive orders, military misuse, and undermining democracy for personal gain. If upheld, Trump would be the first sitting president in 116 years denied an invitation. Despite this, Trump has boosted support among Black voters, especially younger Black men, and historically won North Carolina three times. The NAACP, advocating civil rights, continues to litigate against Trump’s administration. North Carolina’s political landscape has shifted, with growing unaffiliated voters and a divided state government.
(The Center Square) – Citing democracy and civil rights differences, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said President Donald Trump will not be invited to Charlotte for his organization’s national convention July 12-16.
“Right now, it’s clear – Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights,” Johnson said. “He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American. The president has signed unconstitutional executive orders to oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections; he has illegally turned the military on our communities; and he continually undermines every pillar of our democracy to make himself more powerful and to personally benefit from the U.S. government.”
Trump, second-term Republican, would be the first sitting president in 116 years to not receive an invitation, should it hold. The nation’s 47th commander in chief has worked from a campaign slogan of making America “great again,” implementing a series of orders that reverse several Biden-era policies, the majority of which Congress is yet to codify.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has backed several litigations against the presidential administration, and the Republican majority General Assembly of North Carolina, often alongside with Democrats or their advocating entities. Trump has won North Carolina three times in presidential races, and in November swept the electoral college votes of seven swing states 93-0 against Democrat Kamala Harris.
Trump, in comparison to 2020 against Joe Biden, doubled his share of Black voters against Harris, and in the under age 45 category of Black men, he also doubled his share. Harris’ father is from Jamaica, her mother from India.
The NAACP convention arrives in a state once blue as they come and now with a voting bloc split in thirds.
On Jan. 1, 2004, the state’s more than 5 million voters were split 47.6% Democrats, 34.4% Republicans and 17.7% unaffiliated. That was five years after the state’s 10 executive offices – the Council of State – was occupied by 10 Democrats.
Today, the more than 7.5 million voters are 37.8% unaffiliated, 30.7% Democrats and 30.4% Republicans. And the Council of State has been a Republican majority before falling back in November to a 5-5 split.
A trip by Trump would have been his third since the Jan. 20 inauguration. His first venture from the White House was four days later to see the devastation in the western part of the state caused by Hurricane Helene. His second was a week ago to visit Fort Bragg as the Army celebrated 250 years.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article presents facts about the NAACP’s decision not to invite Donald Trump to its national convention while quoting NAACP President Derrick Johnson’s strongly worded criticisms of Trump’s actions. The framing allows Johnson’s perspective to dominate early in the article, with phrases like “attacking our democracy” and “fascist playbook” left unchallenged or unexplored from alternative views. Although the article includes context about Trump’s electoral success and shifts in voter demographics, the lack of balancing quotes or responses from Trump’s team or other political figures suggests a subtle ideological leaning. However, the article refrains from editorializing in its own voice and includes verifiable data, keeping the overall tone close to factual reporting with a slight lean toward a progressive viewpoint due to emphasis and selection of quotes.
SUMMARY: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, known for his bipartisan approach and lack of vetoes so far, faces pressure to reject Senate Bill 50, recently passed by the General Assembly. The bill would allow residents aged 18 and older to carry concealed weapons without a permit or training. Critics argue this includes high school seniors carrying loaded, hidden handguns without restrictions. Despite Stein’s efforts to cooperate with Republicans, the bill reflects a lack of reciprocation. Though it passed with strong support, enough opposition exists to uphold a veto. Rob Schofield of NC Newsline urges Stein to veto the measure and rally support.
SUMMARY: Congress is debating a new federal fee on hybrid and electric vehicles, potentially charging drivers up to $500 annually. North Carolina’s electric vehicle registrations have surged from 10,000 in 2018 to over 110,000 today, with 70% in Wake County. The House budget bill proposes $100 yearly for hybrids and $250 for EVs, though some Republicans seek to double these amounts to offset declining gas tax revenue. Critics argue such fees could deter EV adoption and hinder emission reductions. North Carolina already charges state fees, and the same bill aims to phase out the $7,500 federal EV tax credit after next year.
Congress may add a yearly federal fee, $100 for hybrids and $250 for electric vehicles, with some senators pushing to double it. The charge would stack on state fees and could erase the fuel savings that attract many buyers.
