Source: Matthew Burns, WRAL, 5/19/21

 Gov. Roy Cooper laid out his ideas Wednesday for how North Carolina could best benefit from $5.7 billion in federal pandemic relief aid, including a major expansion of internet service across the state, checks for families with school-age children, needed infrastructure upgrades and aid to struggling restaurants, bars and hotels. "It's time to seize this opportunity as we emerge from this crisis and build back stronger," Cooper said during a news conference. "An unprecedented pandemic requires unprecedented investment."

For more of this story, click here.