Top Stories
Strange bedfellows. Selling WakeMed and Atrium deal as a marriage.
Despite higher bid from UNC Health, the WakeMed board wants to merge with Charlotte-based Atrium. Wake County commissioners could block deal.
Tons of NC elections changes crammed into one omnibus bill
Final version of NC omnibus elections bill and if it could survive a veto remain to be seen. Proposals include wide range of measures.
Access to federal loans could be cut off for many NC education programs
Limits on federal loans for many important but low-paying career tracks will likely affect NC education programs, but less than some states.
Keep up with what’s important
Keep up with all of our in-depth, investigative news and the public interest issues that matter most in North Carolina.
NC Connection:
Closing the News Gap
A special CPP research project on the news needs of rural North Carolinians
SPECIAL REPORTS
‘Wandering officers,’ forced out only to be rehired elsewhere,
have a high rate of further misconduct. Current NC policies don’t track
or prevent this. Solutions are possible for agencies and NC policymakers.
A system designed to promote NC job growth has strayed
from its original purpose. Distressed counties remain distressed,
suggesting the need for different approaches.
Failed dams during Helene, soaring costs and changing ecological
wisdom point to the need for solutions other than dams to prevent
devastating floods on the rivers of Western North Carolina.
Western NC was devastated by Tropical Storm Helene.
The road to recovery will be long.
And Carolina Public Press will be there to report on it.
Low pay is driving the rapid loss of experienced NC county
elections directors. What makes the situation challenging,
and what policy changes could fix the problem.
Social services in NC may be in the hands of people
who don’t meet minimum qualifications.
Why and how it happens, and how other states avoid the problem.
How climate change affects North Carolina’s fisheries
and the people who rely on them for a living.
The importance of sexual assault nurse examiners
and the difficulty of locating them in North Carolina
Justice elusive for NC sexual assault survivors
Evidence of lagging civic engagement in NC points
to lessons of civics classes not being absorbed,
but alternative approaches offer hope.
Rural NC counties are seeing growing deserts of health services
for women at local hospitals, with serious health implications.
Multiple pressures drive this trend, but solutions may be available.
NC coastal woodlands face increased risk of wildfires even as human development creeps closer. What problems have created this situation. What solutions could mitigate the hazard.
Climate change is causing erratic weather events and altering
ecosystems in the forests of Western North Carolina’s mountains.
What these changes mean and the challenges
they pose for managing the forests.
How and why North Carolina counties decide to build
or expand jails, the costs of those decisions
and possible alternatives.
Inconsistency and inequity in child welfare policies across NC
Struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic in state’s prison system
Is one of North Carolina’s main systems
for housing those with mental illness failing?
MORE STORIES
Data center moratorium fever for NC local governments
From Charlotte to Boiling Spring Lakes, communities of all sizes across NC are blocking additional data centers as AI drives surge in demand.
Big changes for more than 200k NC student loan borrowers as SAVE plan set to dissolve
After years of pauses, reset of federal student loan programs on July 1 will affect large numbers of NC borrowers enrolled in SAVE program.
Squabbles over early voting sites are déjà vu for several NC counties
Issues that arose in primaries around voting sites are coming up for general elections. Local board members report pressure from NC auditor.
Dry spell. Large parts of NC cope with months of low rainfall.
Despite some rains in May, most of NC has been exceptionally dry since August, affecting farmers and water utilities, while raising fire risk.
For new college graduates, job market is really that bad, even in NC
By some measures, NC’s economy is relatively robust. But jobs that new college graduates need are in short supply, while cost of living soars.
How NC fails to track and prevent ‘wandering officers’
Decertifying wandering officers isn’t automatic. Some law enforcement agencies reluctant to share records. Some aren’t cautious in hiring.
Crime & Justice
Living in legal limbo. Woman living in Canada for years asks NC to rethink criminal charges.
NC views Joanne McDowell as fugitive. Canadian courts ruled that she was protecting her son. She’s asking NC to reconsider.
Economy
Shunning the sunshine? NC order for Duke Energy to hit brakes on solar raises policy, legal questions.
NC Utilities Commission chair has told Duke Energy to halt procurement of solar energy resources. It’s not clear he has that authority.
Education
UNCW gets UNC System blessing to continue medical school planning
Healthcare needs in fast-growing Wilmington region could be easier to meet if a UNCW med school trains doctors for nearby rural communities.
Environment
EPA may roll back limits on GenX, other pollutants affecting NC drinking water
Advocates concerned President Trump’s EPA tends to fold quickly in face of lawsuits from polluting industries, which could affect GenX rules.
Health
Uninsured population in NC set to rebound after years of decline
Changes in NC policies and economy drive many to go uninsured, which could promote ‘death spiral’ of higher rates for sicker customer pool.
Politics & Government
‘If it ain’t broke.’ Bladen halts change that could have diluted Black votes.
Bladen County, NC, was considering a proposal that could have eliminated commission seats created to give Black voters a greater voice.