The Incident at Little River
The Little-Noticed Policy Change Promoting Three-Year High School Diplomas
North Carolina’s universities are debating three-year degrees. In 2023, the General Assembly directed public high schools to create an accelerated path too.
Newsmakers: Strengthening Economic Mobility in the Triangle
What is the role of accelerated and dual-enrollment programs in the state’s economic future?
Panel Probing Cooper Prison Settlement Goes Quiet
A GOP aide said the group hopes to share something before the election, but its work could extend past November.
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
Roy Cooper’s Secret Sauce
The Democratic Senate candidate is campaigning on his rural upbringing, but his recipe for success is less remarkable than you might think.
After the Flood Came the Lies
Social media conspiracies hampered relief efforts after Helene. Two years later, officials say they’re better prepared to address it.
The Long Wait For Helene Housing Recovery Funds
Renew NC is meant to help homeowners who fall in the gap. But many have faced delays and confusion about their application status.
Higher Ed
A Hand Up for the Helpers
A new Wake County program is testing an apprenticeship model to help instructional assistants get the training they need to lead a classroom.
The High Schoolers Graduating with College Degrees
Thousands of N.C. students are getting college credits, professional certifications, and even degrees while they’re still in high school. By 2028, Durham Public Schools hopes a quarter of its graduates will also have an associate’s degree.
This N.C. College Leader Thinks Two-Year Schools Can Save the Middle Class
Monty Sullivan, the new president of the N.C. Community College System, talks like an evangelist for the schools.
Health
Wake County Commissioners Green-light WakeMed-Atrium Merger
After four months of public deliberation and some additional concessions from the state’s largest hospital system, commissioners voted 5-2 for changes that will allow the deal to go through.
The Gig Is Up: UNC Health Does an About-Face on BidShift
The hospital system’s plan to make nurses bid against each other for extra shifts was abandoned after a social media firestorm.
ECU Health May Have Found a Tool to Reduce Childbirth Risks: Wristbands
Nearly 50 N.C. hospitals have begun distributing the wristbands as reminders of the life-threatening risks after birth.
Culture
Lake Lure’s Brief, Bizarre Chapter as the Headquarters of a Model Cult
Residents recall the far-out happenings at a lakefront compound featured in an HBO docuseries about a doomsday cult.
After 40 Years, Maximum Overdrive Is Still Bad Enough to be Good
The auto-horror spectacular began and ended Stephen King’s directing career but helped establish Wilmington as a film destination.
A Family Reunion Like No Other
Chang and Eng Bunker became globally recognized as the original “Siamese twins” before settling down in Mount Airy. Generations of descendants have kept their legacy alive.
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.
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.
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 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?
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.
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.
