‘Mister Rogers with a Switchblade’
Michael Whatley’s Washington Years
The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate talks a lot about his time working in government. He’s said less about his years lobbying for the oil and gas industry.
ALE Investigating Business Located at State House Candidate’s Property
Officials received a complaint about a business located at GOP candidate Charles Taylor’s Lee County building.
The 5 Scariest Uses of AI in N.C. Politics This Election
Now anyone can create campaign materials with the help of artificial intelligence. That doesn’t mean they should.
2026 N.C. Election Guide: Who’s On Your Ballot
The Assembly’s voter guide gives you the information you need to know heading to the polls this primary season.
Politics
Sarah Stevens Says Judges Called ‘Frequently’ With Requests to Change Laws
Republican Sarah Stevens said judges and justices phoned her “frequently” to request changes to state law.
10 Questions We’d Ask Whatley and Cooper If They Actually Debated
Here’s what our reporters and editors would ask Michael Whatley and Roy Cooper if we had a chance.
Why Patriotic Millionaires Went All-In on a Columbus County State House Race
The national group is targeting Republican Rep. Brenden Jones in its only candidate-focused effort this year.
N.C. Residents Inundated with Mailers Urging Them to Vote. Here’s What to Know.
A group has flooded mailboxes encouraging North Carolinians to cast a ballot, including some who already have.
What’s Trending
1. 2026 N.C. Election Guide: Who's On Your Ballot
September 8, 2026Elections2. ‘Mister Rogers with a Switchblade’
October 30, 2026Elections3. Sarah Stevens Says Judges Called 'Frequently' With Requests to Change Laws
October 29, 2026Courts & Justice4. Mountain Man
October 26, 2026Elections5. As Charlotte Confronts Racist Texts, Data Reveals Disparities in Police Stops
October 28, 2026Courts & JusticeHigher Ed
UNC-CH Students Could Open N.C.’s First New Credit Union in Two Decades
If the state approves it, organizers say Carolina Students’ Credit Union would be the country’s only student-run credit union at a public university.
UNC System Enacts Restrictions on Automatic License Plate Readers
The public university system issued new requirements for campuses using tools like Flock cameras.
Why These Two UNC System Schools Are Partnering on the Arts
UNC-Chapel Hill and the UNC School of the Arts plan to share technology and let students take classes on both campuses.
Health
Payroll Delay Unsettles Staff at Randolph Health
Payroll for roughly 800 employees arrived later than expected on Friday, amid concerns about owner’s finances.
Fat Strikes Back
As weight loss drugs like GLP-1s flood the market, North Carolina’s plus-size activists aim to make their own splash.
Staff Cite Supply, Maintenance, and Paycheck Issues at Randolph Hospital
Employees at Asheboro’s only hospital say its private equity-trained owner hasn’t delivered on promises—and conditions have only gotten worse.
Culture
How Much Will the 2027 Military World Games Cost North Carolina?
Organizations connected to the Charlotte-based planners have been flagged for misspending taxpayer money in the past. Now they’ve landed $25 million in state money—and they’re looking for more. (EJ Hersom for the Department of Defense)
The Making of Blue Velvet Was Even Weirder Than You Think
Forty years after David Lynch’s iconic film, the people who helped make it say Wilmington was the strangest character of all.
Mooresville Mosque Confronts Fear and Hostility
The Islamic Center of Lake Norman has cleared land for a larger place of worship. Some locals are responding with anti-Muslim backlash.
From Our Network
Durham Tech Child Care Academies Draw New Teachers, But Workforce Gaps Persist
The Early Educator Academy offers a streamlined path for child care workers to earn a credential in two months. Demand is high, but the program remains small.
Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Says it Worked with ICE on Traffic Checkpoint
A sheriff’s spokesperson said deputies arrested two people on drug charges on September 24. An immigration advocacy group says more people were detained.
School Board Expands Choice Program, Rejects Moving Spanish Immersion
The Cumberland County Board of Education approved a series of changes to its school choice program Thursday, though a proposal to move a Spanish immersion program failed.
A Dialogue on What’s Next for Greensboro
A diverse crowd came out for an event meant to discuss Greensboro’s assets, its challenges and their solutions.
Cary Town Council Wants to Preserve Town-Owned Downtown Properties as Natural Space
The Cary Town Council is opting not to sell the properties purchased under former town manager Sean Stegall.
What It Takes to Keep History from Fading, Shriveling, or Molding
Talking with Meg Brown, Exhibits Coordinator at Duke Library, about the three Declaration of Independence copies on display in Durham this fall.
Featured Stories
What the Duke Lacrosse Case Says About Roy Cooper
The Senate candidate won praise for declaring three players innocent as AG in 2007. Critics wish he’d done more for other defendants.
Greg Bovino’s Last Stand
North Carolina native Greg Bovino was known for being theatrical and hyperaggressive. Those traits just cost him his job.
The State of Our State
Republicans took control of the General Assembly 15 years ago and have largely dictated the policy agenda ever since. Are we better off?
The Enduring Hazards of College Hazing
Administrators have worked for years to eliminate fraternity hazing. But we found more than 1,500 pages of records showing it continues.
Hurricane Helene Washed His Wife Away From Their Mobile Home. Now New Residents Live on the Same Land.
Residents of a riverfront trailer park have lost homes and loved ones in multiple storms. A policy gap puts mobile home residents in harm’s way again and again.
Whistleblower Pushes to Regulate Controversial Organ Retrieval Technique
A North Carolina surgeon has raised concerns about an innovative procedure that reanimates a dead body to enable organ transplants.
Lost and Found
Meet the teams working to reunite people with mementos they lost during Hurricane Helene.
If You Build It, Will They Come?
New charter schools are struggling to enroll enough students to stay solvent. One High Point school’s implosion shows the consequences.
How Tupac Came to Rest in North Carolina
The cremated remains of the rapper, still omnipresent three decades after his death, now lie in a Lumberton grave.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Lesson in Civics
The School of Civic Life and Leadership’s hiring battle is part of a long-running rupture over the mission of similar efforts.
From ‘Superstar’ Cop to Drug Kingpin
A talented police officer busted drug rings along I-85. Then he bewildered everyone who knew him by becoming a drug trafficker himself.
How North Carolina Officials Kept the Truth About a Police Shooting Hidden
In 2019, a state trooper killed Brandon Webster claiming self defense. Evidence contradicted that account but wasn’t made public—until now.
A Tale of Two Six: J. Cole’s Fayetteville
A native son, a homecoming-inspired final album, and how Fayetteville—if only for a weekend—became the center of the hip-hop universe.
Transgender State Workers Are Facing Whiplash
The state’s health insurance plan no longer covers gender-affirming care, which has left some employees in limbo.
I’ve Seen How the Neo-Nazi Movement Is Escalating. You Should Worry.
A reporter gets a first-hand look at how the ‘militant accelerationism’ movement operates.
