The president plans to sign a bill that will give health care to thousands of sick Marine veterans and their families who were exposed to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, according to a White House official.

The House passed the measure on Tuesday. The Senate did so earlier this month. Introduced by Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, the legislation is expected to help as many as 750,000 veterans and their families.

Burr and the other North Carolina members of Congress, including Sen. Kay Hagan and Rep. Brad Miller have long sought to convince members of Congress to provide health care for the sick Marines and their families.

Ex-Democratic staffer denied injunction in lawsuit

A Wake County judge on Wednesday denied a former state Democratic Party staffer’s request for a preliminary injunction against the party.

Adrian Ortega filed the injunction request in June as part of his defamation lawsuit against the party and Chairman David Parker. Ortega alleges he was fired in retaliation for making sexual harassment complaints against his boss, Jay Parmley, the party’s executive director, and the party violated a nondisclosure agreement and disparaged him.

His attorney, Kieran Shanahan, a prominent Republican who serves as a state GOP spokesman, said Ortega is concerned the party won’t abide by the confidential agreement going forward nor make forthcoming financial payments as prescribed in a settlement.

Amanda Martin, an attorney representing the state Democratic Party, assured the judge the party would meet the agreement’s confidentiality terms and make the payments, the amounts of which were not disclosed.

Superior Court Judge Howard Manning said the current nondisclosure agreement is sufficient. “Why would they, after you filed this lawsuit, be dumb enough to go punch you in the eye?” he asked. “Why would they ... keep this thing alive when the best thing to do is hunker down and worry about trying to win the governorship or the presidency?”

In the hour-long hearing, Manning expressed disdain for the controversy that precipitated the lawsuit. “I suffered through all that stuff on TV until I thought I was going to lose it,” Manning said. “David Parker ... ‘I am going to resign. I am not going to resign’ ... day after day.”

“I feel sorry for your client,” Manning added later. “Because he’s collateral damage for some mess that nobody wants to hear about anyway. It’s not relevant to people starving, people running for office – it’s not relevant to anything, AIDS in Africa, anything else.”

After TV item, Raleigh bakery reaches out to Obama, Romney

Neomonde Bakery and Deli has invited President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to stop at their Raleigh restaurant while in North Carolina.

The invitations were sent after ABC News published an article on its website suggesting healthy places to eat in each of the swing states. Neomonde was suggested for North Carolina.

“Forget cheeseburgers, when Obama and Romney scoot through North Carolina, homemade pita pockets await,” wrote ABC News’ Amy Bingham.

In a letter to the candidates, Joe, Degaulle and Sam Saleh say the bakery represents the American dream.

Staff writers Franco Ordonez, John Frank and Rob Christensen

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