Monthly Edition
December 2025

Dear readers:

November seems to have rushed right on by. Between municipal elections around the state, Border Patrol agents descending on cities, and the conclusion of a lengthy government shutdown, a lot happened this month. Our monthly edition is meant to keep you in the loop on all the stories you might have missed!

—Kate Sheppard
Executive Editor

The Big Read

From Opioid Crisis to Opportunity

An Assembly Network collaboration featuring stories from our statewide team and local bureaus across North Carolina.

Editor’s Corner

Over the last two years, The Assembly has become more than just a newsroom. We are now a network that includes both statewide reporters and editors, and local teams in Greensboro, the Triangle, Fayetteville, and the southeast. We believe that by working together, we can dive deeper into the critical issues facing our communities, offer more context, and connect you to the people who make our state unique.

This month, we used that network to look at how our state is addressing the opioid crisis. North Carolina has seen one of the largest drops in opioid-related deaths in the country, after the state began receiving $1.4 billion in national settlement funding.

Our comprehensive look at how counties are spending that money, their successes, and the challenges that remain is the result of months of reporting on the ground in our local communities. We found:

  • Hard-hit rural communities have made dramatic progress through comprehensive, holistic programs and services.
  • Potential Medicaid rollbacks could undermine much of that work.
  • Harm reduction programs, which help people safely use drugs until they’re ready to quit, have found great success but varying levels of support. 

This type of work is possible only because our reporters have their eyes and ears on the ground around the state. Their geographic knowledge, combined with the beat expertise of our statewide team, allows us to produce a level of journalism that is more than just the sum of its parts. 

–Emily McCord
Senior Regional Editor

CBP in NC

‘It’s Very Bleak’

As the Border Patrol’s Charlotte operation continued—or ended?—the city’s Latino businesses began to assess the damage.

Pregnant and Undocumented in Charlotte

Fear of immigration enforcement actions almost kept a young mother away from a prenatal appointment.

‘Where Are My Friends?’

Some parents and teachers say they expected better communication and more understanding from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools amid immigration fears.

Politics

The New Head of Prisons Tries to Unwind a Staffing Quagmire 

Leslie Cooley Dismukes wants to prioritize reentry and reduce recidivism. But she has to solve a hiring crisis first.

DOGE Eat DOGE?

North Carolina’s 4th District was the hardest hit in the entire country. What will that mean for 2026?

Are Non-Partisan Races a Thing of the Past?

Partisan politics has taken hold in North Carolina’s municipal elections–even in the races that are supposed to be non-partisan.

Health

A Crisis for Rural Hospitals

North Carolina already reduced Medicaid reimbursement rates. Now hard-hit rural hospitals are now bracing for federal cuts.

Culture

Into the Woods with the Dix Park Trolls

Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s family of five recycled troll sculptures now cavort across North Carolina.

The Atheist Who Wants You to Go to Church

A Raleigh-based YouTuber has made a name critiquing religion. But he’s not trying to sway people away from faith.

The Mysterious Power of the Bicycle Time Machine

We started riding bikes as kids. Now, a half-century later, cycling across the state shows why we don’t want to give them up.

Avast! Blackbeard Videographer Continues Suit Against N.C.

Rick Allen says the state copied his work without permission. More than a decade later, he’s still trying to get paid.