☀️ In Today’s Edition

1. WRAL in the Trenches
2. Around Our Network
3. What We’re Reading
4. Our Recent Stories

James Goodmon Jr. speaks about his family’s business in epic terms. “This is a war,” he told The Assembly. “This is a big battle that we’re fighting every day.”

Goodmon Jr. is the fourth-generation president of WRAL and its parent company, Capitol Broadcasting. He knows he is battling for advertising dollars against bigger, richer competitors, and fighting to hold viewers’ attention amid stiff competition from social media, streaming services, and AI-generated Google search results. It’s a race against time to predict the next trends and technological advancements that might to keep his station profitable and relevant.

Reporter Chloe Courtney Bohl takes us inside the struggle.

WRAL-TV Fights to Succeed in a New Media World

Television viewership and advertising revenue are down nationally, and locally owned stations are fading. Jimmy Goodmon, the fourth-generation president of Capitol Broadcasting, confronts a precarious future.

A climate scholar and her son nearly lost their lives during Helene. In an essay for INDY Week, she writes that we don’t need more evidence of climate change—we need to focus on building upon what we’ve done well.

Beth Finch knew the odds were not be in her favor when she sought the mayor’s gavel in Fayetteville more than 50 years ago. But in winning, she blazed a trail for many others, as CityView‘s Bill Kirby reflects.

While President Trump has suggested doing away with FEMA, our partners at NOTUS report there’s now a bipartisan push to elevate the agency’s position.

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

What We’re Reading

Motive Unknown: Authorities say a 40-year-old Marine veteran fatally shot three people in Southport on Saturday night, per CNN. While police said the act appeared “highly premeditated,” they didn’t cite a motive.

Forecast Cloudy: As Humberto and Imelda churn out in the Atlantic, Washington Post reports that the National Weather Service at “breaking point.”

Liaise-Affair: Auditor Dave Boliek has tapped Dallas Woodhouse, the former director of the N.C. Republican Party, to serve in the newly created role of “election liaison.” The N&O has more.

Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to get The Assembly’s statewide newsletter every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Our Recent Stories

Arduous and Unequal: The Fight to Get FEMA Housing Assistance After Helene

An analysis by ProPublica and The Assembly of the more rural counties in North Carolina hardest hit by Helene shows that the households that got the most aid tended to have the highest incomes.

Finding Solace in Art After Helene

In hard-hit Marshall, artists have found their creative work helps them process their losses.

In Asheville, a Natural Disaster and a Housing Crisis Collide

The city saw an increase in the number of people living on the street after Helene. For some, it was their first brush with homelessness.

Want to see your message here? Contact advertise@theassemblync.com to learn how you can reach The Assembly‘s 130,000+ readers statewide.