Alex Granados

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Bill to redefine discrimination

By Alex Granados | April 19

Two years ago, N.C. Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham, proposed legislation that would provide protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation. While the bill got stalled in committee then, Luebke is determined that equal protections will be provided to all state employees by the end of this legislative session. Luebke, along with Larry Womble, D-Forsyth, reintroduced the bill last week to what he hopes is a more favorable group of legislators.

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Gas price climb to continue

By Alex Granados | March 23

The price of gasoline is skyrocketing across the state and the nation, and experts say the pressure on businesses and consumers will only increase during the summer. Sarah Davis, spokeswoman for AAA Carolinas, said the average cost of gas in North Carolina is $2.06 per gallon, but some local gas stations are setting prices higher than that. Some area stations reported no adverse consequences from the price hike, but Vipul Raval, manager of the Eagle Food Mart Texaco on Highway 15-501, said his business is hurting.

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Businesses chew on cigarette tax hikes

By Alex Granados | February 28

The war on smoking is hitting home in North Carolina. With Gov. Mike Easley aiming to raise the cigarette tax 45 cents during the next two years, and some N.C. legislators rallying to hike it even higher, local businesses and smokers are caught in a political maelstrom that shows no signs of subsiding. The governor's budget for 2005-07 proposed a tax increase that, when added to the current 5 cent tax -- the second lowest in the country -- will bring taxes on cigarettes to 50 cents by 2007.

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Local colleges get schooled

By Alex Granados | January 28

In light of concerns about foreign student enrollment, the Department of Homeland Security is traveling the country to inform college officials about the ins and outs of visa policy. C. Stewart Verdery Jr., assistant secretary for border and transportation security policy and planning for the department, finished up a tour of some of the nation’s top universities Thursday at UNC.

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Safety task force finalizes suggestions

By Alex Granados | January 12

Criminal background checks and stronger verification procedures are just some of the recommendations released Dec. 14 by a UNC-system safety task force. The task force was created by system President Molly Broad after two students were murdered at UNC-Wilmington last year. Committee Chairman Robert Kanoy, UNC-system senior associate vice president for academic and student affairs, said task force members spent the majority of their time reviewing application procedures. “Most of the attention has been focused on the pre-admissions process,” he said.

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UNC system reviews safety on campuses

By Alex Granados | January 11

July 9 — Last Thursday, a UNC-system task force took the first steps toward squelching student and parent fears about campus safety. After the recent deaths of two UNC-Wilmington students, a 16-member panel with jobs ranging from admissions director to chief of police met in Chapel Hill to discuss safety.

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Travelers bemoan dollar's drop

By Alex Granados | November 30

The recent devaluation of the dollar against the euro has been costly for travel agencies and tourists, but experts say the currency's drop in value doesn't necessarily spell disaster for the nation's economy. The U.S. dollar at a record low last week at $1.33 against the euro. For Anna Heath, a student from Peace College studying in Seville, Spain, the effect of the drop has been somewhat painful. She said she tends to forget when looking at the price of a product that euros don t translate one for one with dollars.

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A day at the races

By Alex Granados | November 29

Let the stocking stuffing begin. The Friday after Thanksgiving typically is the biggest shopping day of the year, and experts from the International Council of Shopping Centers predicted a 4 percent increase in sales this year. Mike Robbins, general manager of the Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, said sales have been increasing steadily as the holiday shopping season approaches. "Leading into the season, our center is averaging about a 20 percent increase in traffic over the past six months," Robbins said.

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Congress increases U.S. debt limit

By Alex Granados | November 23

The debt limit of the United States has been increased for the third time in four years, which some say ensures that the deficit will continue to soar. Congress passed legislation Thursday which raises the government's borrowing limit by $800 billion, and President Bush signed the bill into law Friday. The vote in Congress was 208-204, mostly along party lines with Democrats opposing the legislation. But some Republicans, like Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., balked at the hike. "The government has to do a better job of reducing its spending habits," he said.

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Pardon possible for Chandler

By Alex Granados | November 11

Attorneys for convicted murderer Frank Chandler want mercy for their client and are citing conflicts of interest and misapplication of the law as just some of the reasons why he should live. Chandler is scheduled to die Friday, but supporters, including his counsel and a former State Supreme Court justice, visited Gov. Mike Easley last week seeking clemency for the 32-year-old. The trio says that the murder was accidental and that therefore Chandler should not be killed.