(The Center Square) – Physical storefronts on American military installations owned or controlled by China, Russia, Iran or North Korea will be banned if a North Carolina congressman’s proposal becomes law.

U.S. Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., also wants to terminate existing contracts with companies untruthful about foreign ownership; require national security review of on-base retailers with foreign ties; and be sure future retail agreements on military bases have transparency and oversight.

“Right now,” Harrigan said in a release, “a company owned by the Chinese Communist Party is operating over 80 stores on American military bases. These stores are in a position to collect personal data from our troops, operate with almost no oversight, and answer directly to a hostile foreign government. That’s not just reckless, it’s a national security threat. My bill closes the loopholes and kicks these companies off our bases for good.”

Citing example, Harrigan said national supplement retailer GNC is “100% owned by China’s state-run Harbin Pharmaceutical Group.” Its deals are exempt from federal contracting standards and ownership disclosures, he said.

Harrigan’s proposal, also known as House Resolution 2551, stems in part from recent moves on the federal and state levels to insulate military installations from foreign adversaries that might buy adjacent land.

(The Center Square) – Hugo and Helene are rare, as is the ever-dangerous tornado outbreaks that sometimes plague the South. Charlotte, regardless of frequency, remains in a dangerous gap every day.

U.S. Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., has introduced the Radar Gap Elimination Act as a vehicle to close it. Bipartisan support includes Reps. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Pat Harrigan, R-N.C.

Charlotte is among the nation’s 15 largest cities by population. Moore’s proposal would bring modernization to the National Weather Service, he says, and “close dangerous gaps in high-risk areas like Charlotte.”

“The devastation of Hurricane Helene showed us just how important accurate weather data is to saving lives and hardening communities to minimize damage from upcoming storms and natural disasters,” Moore said. “Charlotte is one of the most populated regions in the country without full radar coverage, creating a blind spot that puts families at risk and hampers emergency response. I’m proud to lead the Radar Gap Elimination Act to close these critical gaps by prioritizing new radar in underserved areas and transitioning to new technology that can better detect severe weather.”

In a release, Moore said House Resolution 2646 “directs the National Weather Service to replace aging NEXRAD radar infrastructure and prioritize the deployment of Phased Array Radar in locations that are more than 75 miles from existing radar coverage. These upgrades will allow meteorologists to detect severe weather closer to the ground, particularly in areas where traditional radar fails to capture low-level storm activity.”

The National Weather Service is in evaluation of a new radar system replacing the Next-Generation Radar system, colloquially called NEXRAD. Moore said it is estimated PAR stations could be built by the end of the decade.

NEXRAD gets blind spots from the curvature of the Earth. For example, a distant NEXRAD station will have trouble on flash flood-causing storms, and F0 and F1 tornadoes at lower altitudes, a release says. That delays warnings and jeopardizes life, Moore said.

Ross said, “Every second counts when severe weather strikes, and this legislation will close the dangerous radar gap in our state and modernize our radar systems, ensuring our communities aren’t left in the dark when extreme weather hits.”