Sarah Taber’s Unconventional Campaign for Ag Commissioner
Election 2024
Tricia Cotham’s Bargain
The former Democrat has paid a high personal price for switching parties. What did she get in return?
Both Parties Try to Rally the Troops as Election Looms
Candidates are battling for North Carolina’s military vote, a bloc traditionally seen as conservative.
Hurricane Helene Scrambles Early Voting at UNC-Asheville
Students who were evacuated due to the storm are starting to trickle back to campus as the end of early voting nears.
N.C. Election Guide: See Who’s On Your Ballot
The Assembly’s voter guide lets you to preview your ballot and learn more about the candidates.
Politics
Dan Bishop’s Law & Order
The congressman and former state legislator is running to become the first Republican state attorney general elected in more than a century.
Don Davis Tries to Hold On in the Northeast
A Republican hasn’t held his district since 1883. But redistricting and shifting demographics have left the Democratic incumbent vulnerable.
Michael Whatley’s ‘Party of Faith’ Has Problems At The Top
The chairman of the national Republican Party wants it to lean into faith. But that can be awkward given some of the GOP’s big candidates.
Hurricane Helene Coverage
The Long Road to Rebuilding
We talked to engineering experts about repairing the hundreds of roads, bridges, and culverts Hurricane Helene destroyed.
Helene Has Put New Stress On Asheville’s Unhoused Population
The area already faced rising housing prices and a growing number of people without homes.
Chimney Rock As We Know It is Gone. Long Live Chimney Rock.
Tight-knit mountain towns face hard decisions about rebuilding after Hurricane Helene.
Culture
Take Me To The Water
In the six years since it was legalized, aquamation—or disposing of bodies through alkaline hydrolysis—has become increasingly popular.
Confessions of a Journalist
A reporter thought he could trust the police narrative in a murder case. Now he wrestles with the aftermath.
Yeti or Not, Here They Come
What is it about North Carolina that attracts the Sasquatch-curious?
Higher Ed
A Professor Walks Into a Storm
The dean of UNC-CH’s School of Civic Life and Leadership promotes civil discourse. Critics highlight the school’s conservative roots.
These Schools Say Helene Showed Why It Pays To Be Small
Three private colleges in Western North Carolina, already facing a tough environment, weathered a historic storm.
‘Nobody Knows Where the Line Is’
When cost-cutting universities hire consultants, who’s really making the decisions? UNC-Greensboro offers a case study.
Around the State
‘A Win-Win-Win’ for N.C.’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot
North Carolina’s ambitious, $650 million Medicaid program to address the social factors that contribute to health gets a positive evaluation.
Revisiting the Greensboro Massacre 45 Years Later
“The relevance is not just timely but timeless,” says the author of a new book about the Greensboro Massacre.
Businesses Scramble to Address Child Care Crisis
Without state help, many fear “catastrophic impact” as child care options dwindle.
Featured Stories
What Is Really Going On With Charlotte the Stingray?
A Hendersonville aquarium blew up the internet with the announcement of a “miracle” pregnancy.
North Carolina’s $55 Million Olympic Dream
Top legislators quietly allocated large state grants to attract Olympic organizations to the Charlotte area, with little to show for it.
The Making of Michele Morrow
Her primary win took many by surprise, but the state superintendent candidate is following Steve Bannon’s playbook.
A UNC Student’s Overdose Death at Duke
A Carolina freshman died in March after being found unconscious in a Duke dorm room. Neither university said anything publicly.
Best Interest of the Child
A three-part investigation from The Assembly and WBTV in Charlotte looks at a child welfare system that wields enormous power with little accountability.
The Majority v. Anita Earls
As one of two Democrats and the only Black justice on the state Supreme Court, Earls at the center of an ongoing debate about politicization.
UNC’s $97 Million Online Education Gambit Hits Headwinds
North Carolina’s ambitious foray into online education, has slashed enrollment projections. Will the investment pay off?
The Wizard of Mars Hill
Ehren Cruz gazes into the horizon of North Carolina’s burgeoning psychedelic renaissance.
No Safe Haven
As more people move to “climate havens” like Western North Carolina, they are learning nowhere is immune from a changing climate.