Fish Your Wish
Low Morale Plagues UNC-Chapel Hill Fundraisers After Overhaul
The university centralized its donor operation last year, frustrating some employees and deans. While fundraising has ticked up in the year since, employee job satisfaction took a hit.
Opportunity for an Audit
Dave Boliek confirmed that his office is pursuing an audit of the Opportunity Scholarship program.
When Billy Graham Peered Into the Nation’s Soul
The handsome young minister from North Carolina took Los Angeles by storm in 1949, holding tent revivals that attracted 350,000 people and made him a national figure.
How the Trump Admin Could Speed Up a Controversial New Accreditor
A state official said the UNC System’s Commission for Public Higher Education could win federal recognition in 2027.
Politics
N.C. House Votes to Override Stein Veto, Join Federal School Choice Program
Two lawmakers who recently left the Democratic Party joined Republicans to override the veto.
Lawmakers Direct Funds for Teaching Civil Rights History to Conservative Group
The General Assembly earmarked $350,000 for the Clarence Henderson Education Foundation, named for an outspoken Black Republican.
Affordable Care Act Enrollment Dropped in Almost Every N.C. County This Year
Data show North Carolina recorded the sharpest drop nationwide in residents enrolling after Congress let premium subsidies expire.
Higher Ed
North Carolina’s Medical School Boom
New schools in Charlotte and Fayetteville—and soon Wilmington—could help ease the state’s doctor shortage.
A 60-Year Duke Professor on Literature, Grade Inflation, and Whether Academia Will Survive
Victor Strandberg reflects on what’s changed and what comes next.
UNC Offered WakeMed $5 Billion, More Than Double Atrium’s Bid
Documents reveal WakeMed snubbed its rival’s offer, despite UNC Health offering $3 billion more than Atrium.
Culture
The End of the Line
For decades, K&W Cafeterias fed the South on familiarity and habit. Their closure marks the loss of more than a restaurant chain—it signals the erosion of a shared, middle-class dining culture.
The Meaning of Mahjong
A century ago, an ‘exotic’ game from China took America by storm. Mahjong’s resurgence is again exposing questions about race and commerce.
Sunset, Sunrise
As the Family Dollar founder’s philanthropy makes a $2 billion push to help communities in need, the company faces scrutiny for exploiting them.
Courts & Justice
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.
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.
Air Apparent?
The state Supreme Court weighs in on cases involving whether police can search based on what they believe to be the smell of marijuana.
From Our Network
How Cary Spent $330,000 on Videos Taxpayers Were Never Meant to See
The highly produced films—which include a behind-the-scenes look at a surprise staff dance performance—offer a glimpse into Cary’s government under its former town manager, who resigned amid allegations of over-the-top spending.
Data Point: How Many Border Belt Students Get Private School Vouchers?
Long before the Leandro case began in 1994, Angus Thompson’s ancestors advocated for equality in Robeson County public schools.
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.
Fayetteville’s Goodyear Tire Factory to Close in 2027
The manufacturing plant opened in 1969 and employs 1,700 people.
Apex Fulfilled 97% of Public Records Requests Last Year. The Mayor’s Communications Are the Exception.
The mayor uses a personal app and social media accounts to share town news and connect with residents.
What You Need to Know About Fort Bragg’s All American Gate Closure
The 15,000 people who pass through the gate daily will need a new access point starting in early July. A $22 million rebuilding project will take up to 24 months to complete.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.