MORNING NEWSBREAK | It’s just five days until the Republican Party’s GOP presidential showdown in South Carolina where underdog and former Gov. Nikki Haley is seeking to best former President Donald Trump, who has a 2-1 lead in two state polls. Early voting is paused today due to the Presidents’ Day holiday, but will resume Tuesday and end Thursday.
On Saturday, Haley rallied supporters on Kiawah Island, criticizing Trump for focusing on himself rather than issues voters care about. She also called the former president’s recent negative comments about European allies in NATO to be “bone-chilling.” And on Sunday on national television, she said Congress wasn’t being truthful with the people about what’s happening at the border and with foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Meanwhile over the weekend, Trump hawked $400 gold sneakers and complained about a mind-boggling $355 million fine imposed Friday against him in a major Friday fraud ruling. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., defended Trump’s recent attacks on Haley, but refused to talk about whether he would have certified the 2020 election had he been vice president.
Also of interest: A new poll ranks President Joe Biden to be the nation’s 14th-best president and Trump as the worst.
This week, Trump will appear Wednesday in Greenville and Friday in Rock Hill. Haley will continue a statewide bus tour.
In other recent headlines:
CP OPINION, Brack: Medical marijuana relief needed for sufferers of pain, nausea. “People with everything from cancer and rheumatoid arthritis to multiple sclerosis and epilepsy will tell you the same thing about medical marijuana — it helps. For many, it helps a whole lot and in ways that traditional treatments don’t.”
CP NEWS: S.C. bar owners struggle as lawmakers search for insurance solutions. Soaring liquor liability insurance costs continue to challenge — and outrage — bar owners across South Carolina. But the quick fix many were hoping for from the General Assembly appears to have gotten bogged down.
GUN VIOLENCE: 1 dead in Wadmalaw weekend shooting. Authorities say they responded to a Wadmalaw Island location late Friday and found a man dead of a gunshot wound. Also over the weekend, one person was hurt in a gas station shooting.
- RELATED: S.C. lawmakers set to negotiate to loosen gun restrictions. While state House members last week rejected changes in a Senate-passed bill to allow people to carry guns without permits, lawmakers are preparing to negotiate to try to get a measure through to loosen gun restrictions.
Kiawah Partners offered to sell Captain Sams Spit to state for $40 million. In December, the company offered to sell the long-disputed spit, which includes a county park, to the state for $40 million.
Charleston has 8,000 storm drains that can be stewardship opportunities. A look at how to help the city by keeping drains clear.
Privately funded park in Charleston could be lush. A look at a privately-funded park in downtown Charleston that promises to be lush, patriotic and mostly public.
Gas prices up slightly. State gas prices rose 7.5 cents per gallon in the last week to an average of $2.99 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. It was the fourth week in a row prices have gone up.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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