Month: June 2025

Carolina governors oppose offshore drilling

Gov. Josh Stein and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster have joined forces to urge the Trump administration to maintain a moratorium on oil and gas exploration and production off the Carolinas. In a June 15 letter, the governors cited the ecological and economic benefits of the status quo as reasons to open the continental shelves off […]

Written by on June 18, 2025

1. Nine years later: How Mecklenburg’s partnership with Peebles has produced nothing

Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio Mecklenburg County’s nine-year partnership with The Peebles Corporation could be nearing its end. The county hired the firm in 2016 to redevelop Brooklyn Village in Second Ward. Nine years ago, Mecklenburg County commissioners made a crucial decision: They selected the Miami Beach-based Peebles Corporation to redevelop Brooklyn, a historically Black neighborhood that […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

2. NAACP won’t invite Trump to its Charlotte convention

Amanda Harry/QCity Metro The NAACP won’t invite President Donald Trump to its national convention, scheduled for July 12 – 16 at the Charlotte Convention Center — the first time the national civil rights organization has so rebuffed a U.S. President. At a Charlotte press conference on Monday, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said the […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

3. North Carolina redistricting trial begins, with racial gerrymandering allegations the focus

Gary D. Robertson/The Associated Press North Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans that helped them retain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court, as federal lawsuits accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding Black voting power in the process. A three-judge panel convened Monday in Winston-Salem for a trial over allegations that GOP legislative […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

4. NC lawmakers could take back $500 million from research grant organization

Colin Campbell/WUNC Radio Two years ago, state lawmakers allocated $500 million to a group that helps academic researchers turn their work into business startups. But as the organization issues its first grants, the legislature could soon take back the money. The funding for NCInnovation was designed as a one-time appropriation that could sustain the organization, […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

5. Few Helene victims in NC had flood insurance. Future of federal program unclear.

Jane Winik Sartwell/Carolina Public Press Less than 1% of people affected by Tropical Storm Helene in Western North Carolina had flood insurance. That means that most of the personal property and business property losses incurred as a result of the costliest disaster in North Carolina history will not be reimbursed by insurers. While the numbers […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

7. Durham, Raleigh among best-run cities in America, study shows

Keaton Eberly/CBS 17 News As local governments face ongoing challenges such as high inflation and rising crime rates, a pair of cities in the Triangle is being viewed as having two of the most effective leadership teams in the country. WalletHub released its report on the “Best & Worst-Run Cities in America” on Tuesday, and […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

8. Alamance Commission approves budget after debate over increased taxes

April Laissle/WFDD Radio Alamance County Commissioners have approved next year’s budget, which includes a property tax increase aimed in part at supporting local schools. The tax hike was a central point of debate during Monday’s hours-long meeting. Several community members spoke during the public comment period, urging commissioners to avoid cuts to the school district […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

10. Western Carolina University closes intercultural office after viral video, amid federal review

Lilly Knoepp/Blue Ridge Public Radio Western Carolina University announced Friday that its Office of Intercultural Affairs (ICA) is closed “effective immediately.” A statement from Chancellor Kelli Brown explained that the decision was a “restructuring of student support services to better align with the UNC System Policy on Equality.” The Office of Intercultural Affairs has been […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

UNC Health sues Humana and Aetna over Medicare drug reimbursement cuts

UNC Health has sued two of the country’s top health insurers, seeking to recoup alleged shortfalls in Medicare Advantage reimbursements. Lawyers for the Chapel Hill-based health system filed complaints against Humana and Aetna in a Winston-Salem federal court on June 10. Both lawsuits allege the insurers “improperly and unilaterally” shortchanged UNC Health in reimbursements for drugs purchased under the […]

Written by on June 17, 2025

1. UNC Researcher: Overhaul of CDC vaccine advisory group adds to ‘incredible stressful’ health environment

Brighton McConnell/WCHL Chapelboro U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced one week ago he would shake up one of the key volunteer groups that advises the Centers for Disease Control and federal government on how to use vaccines. All 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), who were approved […]

Written by on June 16, 2025

2. Ambulance companies collect millions by seizing wages, state tax refunds

Michelle Crouch/NC Health News & Charlotte Ledger When Christy Owca’s 17-year-old son flipped his Jeep in a crash in 2019, she was grateful that an ambulance got him to the hospital quickly and that his injuries turned out to be minor. So when the first bill from Gaston County’s ambulance agency came, she didn’t think […]

Written by on June 16, 2025

3. Failure to report child abuse led to shakeup at McDowell DSS

Lucas Thomae/Carolina Public Press More than three months after McDowell County placed its Department of Social Services director on leave, officials have kept quiet about upheaval inside the office responsible for child welfare and a range of other public services. A letter obtained by Carolina Public Press revealed that McDowell DSS failed to alert law […]

Written by on June 16, 2025