Month: April 2026

8. Plaintiffs drop malapportionment claim in Watauga commissioner district lawsuit

Moss Brennan/Watauga Democrat Plaintiffs in the case challenging Watauga County commissioner districts have dropped part of their claim. According to court documents filed by the plaintiffs — the Watauga County Voting Rights Task Force, Ray Russell, Larry Turnbow, Charlie Wallin, James Fenwick, Jr., Laurie Fleming, Patricia Dale and Kinny Ray Baughman — the original complaint […]

Written by on April 27, 2026

9. Cumberland Elections Director on paid leave as Republicans pursue her firing

Paul Woolverton/CityView Cumberland County Elections Director Angie Amaro was put on paid administrative leave by the county elections board while a petition to fire her is pending with the state, a source with knowledge of the situation told CityView on Friday. Through an intermediary, Amaro declined to comment. On April 2, the three Republicans on […]

Written by on April 27, 2026

10. Proposals aim for American air superiority

Alan Wooten/The Center Square  Dominance in national air power defense would be enhanced through three proposals awaiting action in the Committee on Armed Services, says senators from North Carolina and New Hampshire and some of their colleagues. Expanded fighter aircraft production, retention of mid-career Air Force aviators, and a program to “correct the most acute […]

Written by on April 27, 2026

1. HCA’s NC hospitals are “a little behind” profit expectations because of higher labor costs at Mission, HCA boss tells Wall Street

Peter H. Lewis/Asheville Watchdog In comments to financial analysts Friday, Sam Hazen, CEO of Nashville-based HCA Healthcare, cited “a significant workforce deficit” at Mission Hospital and a higher-than-expected number of sick people seeking care in the region. “We’re having to bring in labor – nursing (and) non-nursing – to support the demand,” Hazen said in […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

2. Fort Bragg soldiers test new anti-drone technology as Army looks for cheaper way to stop aerial threats

Justin Moore/WNCN News Deep inside a Fort Bragg training range near Southern Pines, U.S. Army soldiers spent the day testing a new weapon built for one of the fastest-growing threats in modern warfare: drones. About 20 soldiers trained Thursday with the Bumblebee counter-drone system, including the first local field testing of the Bumblebee Version Two […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

3. Influential Black Political Caucus member criticizes Charlotte City Council over I-77 toll lanes

Steve Harrison/WFAE Radio A leader in the influential Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg said he is disillusioned that the Charlotte City Council hasn’t moved to stop the construction of the toll lanes on Interstate 77 in south Charlotte, a sign the issue remains potent. Raki McGregor, who chairs the BPC’s transportation committee, said the issue […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

4. Pre-K access in North Carolina below the national average, and drops in national rankings

Sergio Osnaya-Prieto/Education NC North Carolina now ranks 32nd nationwide in preschool access for four-year-olds, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook, dropping four positions from last year. The report finds that North Carolina Pre-K served 26,707 children, or 21% of the state’s 4-year-olds, and did not serve […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

5. Mailbox battles with USPS delay major developments in Triad

Katherine Zehnder/The Carolina Journal In 2012, the US Postal Service began mandating that all new housing developments use cluster box units (CBUs) rather than individual mailboxes. According to Kim Phillips, regulatory affairs director for the Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition (TREBIC), this new requirement, which wasn’t enforced in the Triad area until 2014, […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

6. Faculty actually are trying to flee red states

Emma Whitford/Inside Higher Ed One in 10 faculty members working in states that restrict academic speech are seeking jobs out of state, according to survey data released this week. Six percent reported they are trying to leave the academy altogether. The new data on relocating researchers underpins anecdotal stories about faculty members fleeing red states […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

7. Raleigh Police Chief reflects on city’s growing pains, new technology

Zachery Eanes/Axios Raleigh Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce says his department is finally back to adequate staffing after years of shortages coming out of the pandemic. But as the city’s population continues to boom, he says the force must keep growing and be given the tools to focus on crime. Why it matters: Boyce, a […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

9. Students, faculty put heat on UNC to release findings on school

Monica Casey/WRAL News Students, faculty and WRAL keep pushing UNC to release results of an investigation into one of its schools. A review of the “School of Civic Life and Leadership” cost the university $1.2 million and wrapped up earlier this year. However, the full report still hasn’t come out. WRAL is part of a […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

10. Residents pack Wilmington hearing on proposed PFAS rules for NC waterways

Hudson Steiner/WECT News State environmental officials held a public hearing in Wilmington on Thursday for the proposed rules to monitor and reduce PFAS chemicals in North Carolina’s waterways. The meeting at the Wilmington Skyline Center drew such a large crowd that the fire marshal declared the venue at capacity and had to turn people away, […]

Written by on April 26, 2026

Stein floats idea for funding job training

Within Gov. Josh Stein’s budget request for fiscal 2026-27 is a proposal to set up a new program called the “Strategic Workforce Training” fund to underwrite job training and similar services. Stein and his aides would fund it by assessing employers a fee tied to what they pay each year in unemployment-insurance taxes. Some of […]

Written by on April 24, 2026

Lawmakers, or lawbreakers?

North Carolina’s General Assembly is a serial lawbreaker, a state House member says. Rep. Phil Rubin, D-Wake, made the accusation during this week’s floor debate on Senate Bill 214, the rewritten “various local provisions” package that would give Franklin County a leg up in a regional water-rights dispute. It also includes sections that de-annex portions […]

Written by on April 24, 2026