How North Carolina Officials Kept the Truth About a Police Shooting Hidden
The General Assembly has returned to Raleigh. Here’s what we’re watching.
Berger Calls to Shorten Early Voting After Primary Loss
The state Senate leader said he thinks the current early voting period is “pretty excessive” for primaries.
N.C. Lawmakers Haven’t Passed a Budget Since 2023. Can They Do It Now?
When lawmakers return to Raleigh, the top priority will be passing a budget. But GOP leaders haven’t signaled they’re any closer to a resolution.
Four Takeaways From Stein’s New Budget Proposal
The spending plan marks a new entry point for his negotiations with Republicans who lead the General Assembly.
N.C. Republicans Reach Deal to Close $319 Million Medicaid Shortfall
Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall said they plan to send a bill to the governor soon.
Politics
How Jesse Helms Paved the Way for Donald Trump
While the senator, who died in 2008, would have been scandalized by Trump, the two men shared many political attributes.
Lawsuit Alleges Repeated Sexual Assault by Durham Rescue Mission’s Former Volunteer Coordinator
In the suit, an anonymous plaintiff says Mission leadership discouraged him from reporting the abuse.
Democrats Say They Didn’t Ask to Join Panel Probing Cooper
General Assembly leaders said the subcommittee would investigate a 2021 settlement that allowed prisoners to be released during the pandemic.
K-12 Education
How One N.C. Charter School On the Brink of Failure Made a Massive Comeback
The Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy was at risk of closure. Now the state board that oversees charters hails the school as a success.
Amid Enrollment Declines, Public Schools Reckon With Potential Closures
Even districts in the state’s most affluent and growing areas are under pressure. Chapel Hill-Carrboro school leaders now confront an impossible choice.
Leandro Is Dead. Long Live Leandro?
After landmark litigation collapsed this month, public education advocates are mulling the next best way to make the state’s constitutional promise of a sound, basic education for all a reality.
Higher Ed
St. Andrews University Rape Case Ends With Settlement
Webber International University reached an out-of-court agreement with a former St. Andrews student, but few details are publicly available.
How N.C. Universities Plan to Prove Their Value
Three chancellors discussed pressures on higher education during a Durham event hosted by The Atlantic and The Assembly.
Why We’re Suing UNC-Chapel Hill
The Assembly and five other media outlets filed suit over UNC-CH’s refusal to release a report on the School of Civic Life and Leadership.
Culture
Will Federal Recognition for the Lumbee ‘Transform’ Southeastern North Carolina?
Members of the Lumbee tribe, which won full federal recognition last December, can soon access more federal programs and may open a casino.
New Documentary Features Joan Little’s Fight for Justice
In the 1970s, Joan Little was a poor, young Black woman who killed a Beaufort County detention officer who she said tried to sexually assault her. Her case sparked an international movement.
Putting the ‘Gold’ in Golden Years
Senior communities are playing to win in the hyper competitive world of post-retirement living, as seen at Raleigh’s Liberty Games.
From Our Network
Jonah Garson Will Succeed Graig Meyer in the N.C. Senate
The state Democratic vice chair won five of the six committee votes to fill the seat.
First Draft of Wake County Schools Budget Contains $15M in Cuts, Question Marks
Superintendent Robert P. Taylor said he won’t reduce the special education budget but hasn’t decided what he’ll cut instead.
Roy Cooper Talks Iran War, Low Prices, Health Care, Data Centers in Fayetteville Stop
The Democratic former governor, now running for U.S. Senate, says the 2026 campaign ‘is going to be a tough, close race’ against Republican Michael Whatley.
A Place to Live
A partnership between two Guilford County-based nonprofits will create housing for people living with HIV.
Did These Students With Disabilities Get the Education They’re Owed? The State Is Investigating.
The ACLU and Duke Children’s Law Clinic say that during a lockdown at the Durham Youth Home last year, students received no more than 30 minutes of instruction a day.
Both the Savory and Sweet Make an Appearance at Cary’s Annual Pimento Cheese Festival
At the April 11 downtown Cary event, the Southern staple is featured in scones, sandwiches, mac ‘n cheese, and milkshakes.
Featured Stories
Even if Phil Berger Wins, He Lost
The Senate leader’s primary might not be resolved for weeks. But even Berger’s best-case scenario will leave the political giant diminished.
Why Alamance County’s Pro-Trump Sheriff Iced Out ICE
Terry Johnson abruptly ended his agreement to hold immigrant detainees just before Trump’s crackdown in N.C.
Southern Discomfort
Over 200 years ago, George Washington toured North Carolina, and struggled to find its charm.
Greg Bovino’s Last Stand
North Carolina native Greg Bovino was known for being theatrical and hyperaggressive. Those traits just cost him his job.
How Much Could Trump’s Cuts Cost Your College?
We crunched the numbers on five significant higher ed cuts from the Trump administration’s first year.
As Helene Survivors Await State Help, Some Victims of Earlier Hurricanes Are Still Out of Their Homes
A new housing recovery program created to avoid the delays and cost overruns that plagued past efforts is already seeing similar problems.
Lost and Found
Meet the teams working to reunite people with mementos they lost during Hurricane Helene.
N.C.-Based Nonprofit Sues Trump Administration Over Organ ‘Hunger Games’
The state’s largest organ procurement organization argues new rating system will lead to cutthroat competition and fewer lives saved.
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.
Well I’ll Be Dammed
North Carolina is about to get its first Buc-ee’s, the massive, cult-classic gas station. What’s all the hype about?
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.