The Meaning of Mahjong
A Reckoning Emerges In Proposed WakeMed-Atrium Hospital Deal
As costs soar, the proposed partnership has energized a bipartisan effort to block monster mergers.
These UNC System Schools Want to Create Three-Year Degrees
Eleven of the system’s 16 universities proposed new reduced-credit undergraduate programs, which are gaining popularity across the country.
DeCarlos Brown Again Found Mentally Incompetent to Stand Trial
The man accused of killing a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light rail train has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial for a second time. Prosecutors and defense attorneys said that the case has not ended.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards Denies Reports of Improper Relationship: ‘Horseshit’
The two-term representative is under investigation from the House Ethics Committee.
Politics
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.
Patients Are Caught in Contract Crossfire Between Hospitals and Insurers
Clashes between large medical providers and insurance companies are on the rise, and patients are stuck in the middle.
‘Unintended Consequences’ of Republicans’ Medicaid Deal
A Department of Health and Human Services official emailed several Republicans about several provisions in the bill to fund Medicaid.
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.
Is the Leandro Case Dead Yet?
The five school districts that filed the initial claims asked the state Supreme Court to put a hold on its April ruling.
Teachers From Across N.C. Rally for More Pay, Better Funding
At least 20 districts closed on Friday as thousands of educators gathered outside the General Assembly for the “Kids Over Corporations” event.
Higher Ed
Why I’m Proud To Be a Woke Professor
Conservatives keep using that word. I don’t think it means what they think it means.
Trump Cuts Threaten to Halt Two Decades of HIV Vaccine Research
Duke has led a national HIV research consortium since 2005, with several promising vaccines ready for trials. Now the NIH is ending its major grant.
Lawmakers Advance Bill Exempting Sports Revenue-Sharing From Public Records Laws
Under Senate Bill 229, UNC System schools would not have to disclose their revenue-sharing budgets, allocations by team, or payments to athletes.
Culture
Brought to You By Japan, But Made in Mebane
Morinaga America is expanding its North Carolina factory to meet the growing demand of Americans obsessed with HI-CHEW.
Outside the Box
At Carrboro’s Cardboard Wars, kids get creative with refuse and live-action role playing.
From One Recovery to Another
For people in treatment for substance use disorder, the weeks and months after Hurricane Helene unraveled lives they’d spent years rebuilding.
Courts & Justice
A Tangled Legal Hell
The legal battle over a judge confiscating a reporter’s notes and issuing a gag order has grown increasingly Kafkaesque.
Charles McNeair Spent His Adult Life in Prison. At 63, He’ll Go Home.
A man imprisoned as a teenager for a crime he has maintained he didn’t commit has finally been granted parole.
The Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Decision Doesn’t Mean Much for N.C.—Yet
The state has already certified this year’s primaries, but legislators could face fewer restrictions in the next round of redistricting.
From Our Network
How the Lack of a State Budget Is Hitting Durham County
Durham officials this week said the state budget impasse and other legislative efforts cutting into local government revenue could jeopardize public school positions and health care access.
Sober Living Home Ignites Opposition in Haymount Neighborhood
City officials and residents say the business violates zoning rules; the owner says she’s being harassed and unfairly targeted.
A Comedian Walks Into a Police Station
A social media manager has made the Greensboro Police Department’s social media wildly popular. But a pattern of offensive posts may threaten the department’s reputation at a critical time.
Cumberland Commissioners Schedule Hearing on Data Center Moratorium
The public can comment on plans for a temporary ban during the hearing on May 18.
St. Pauls’ Fight Against Flooding
The Robeson County town has gotten millions of dollars from the state for flood mitigation projects. But there’s more work to do.
‘Democracy is Hard’
At the inaugural Greensboro Newsmakers event, students, and higher education leaders talked about civic health and engagement.
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.