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☀️ In Today’s Edition

1. A Crisis for Rural Health
2. Genius Among Us
3. November Newsmakers
4. What We’re Reading
5. Our Recent Stories

Without a state budget agreement to pay for increasing Medicaid costs, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services cut reimbursement rates last month. Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald Trump this summer are also about to deal another significant blow.

With less money coming in, hospital leaders say they’ll have to make tough decisions about what programs they can continue to offer. Morgan Casey reports from Scotland Memorial, one of the hospitals at greatest risk across the state.

A Crisis for Rural Hospitals

Without a state budget, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reduced Medicaid reimbursement rates. Hard-hit rural hospitals are now bracing for major federal budget cuts.

“It’s a multiple whammy problem,” said David Pope, Scotland Health CEO and president.

Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.

UNC’s Got a New Genius

Nabarun Dasgupta is widely considered a leading expert in reducing opioid deaths, particularly through harm-reduction efforts like distributing naloxone, clean syringes, and fentanyl test strips.

The epidemiologist now leads the UNC Street Drug Analysis Lab, which analyzes samples from across the country and publishes the results online. By knowing what’s in the local drug supply, he explains, communities and public health officials can better understand how to reduce deaths. 

Last month, that work got a big endorsement when he was named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow, a prestigious achievement that comes with an $800,000 grant. Sarah Nagem talked to Dasgupta about his work. 

A Genius Among Us

Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and expert on fatal drug overdoses, was awarded a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship. The so-called “genius grant” comes with an $800,000 prize.

November Newsmakers

You won’t want to miss our Newsmakers event happening next week.

We previously announced that UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts will be joining us for an on-stage interview. Now we’ve added Chief AI Officer Jeffrey Bardzell and Vice Provost for University Libraries María Estorino to our lineup next Monday.

We’ll be talking about the future of the university, including how it’s navigating A.I. and the ever-changing higher education landscape. The $32.25 ticket price supports our coverage of higher ed and more.

The event will be held at Wilson Library, 200 South Road, Chapel Hill. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the program starts at 5:45, and a light reception will follow. 

Buy Tickets

What We’re Reading

South for the Winter: U.S. Customs and Border Protection could be shifting its immigration enforcement focus from Chicago to Charlotte as early as this week, multiple outlets including CBS News and CNN reported.

HOP and Prayers: Politico unpacks the demise of North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot, a wildly successful program focused on addressing the social factors that contribute to participants’ health.

The Home Front: More than 2 million children live with a disabled veteran at home. War Horse looks at the cost to those “hidden helpers.”

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