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UNC workforce report sees big gap in engineering-grad numbers

North Carolina’s public universities mint lots of new engineers every year, but a UNC System analysis says they’re still not turning out enough. But that doesn’t exactly make engineering unique. The system’s new Workforce Alignment Report says the state’s economy can use … well, more of everything. “North Carolina has...

By Ray Gronberg

April 13, 2026

Farm Bureau, Chamber weigh in on Roundup case

State Rep. Pricey Harrison isn’t the only North Carolina voice weighing in with the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of its review of a product-liability verdict against Monsanto over the Roundup weedkiller. The N.C. Farm Bureau, and the NC Chamber, signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief that sides with Monsanto. They...

By Ray Gronberg

April 13, 2026

Carolina’s getting FIREd

UNC Chapel Hill is in trouble with one of the country’s top free-speech advocacy groups. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — more popularly known as FIRE — wants campus administrators to retract their criticism of The Daily Tar Heel’s April Fools edition. They’re also calling on them to...

By Ray Gronberg

April 13, 2026

Luddy warns senators to oppose casinos

One of the key backers of Rockingham County Sheriff’s successful bid to unseat Senate leader Phil Berger has a message for the rest of the Senate: No more casinos. “Voter have already made it clear to leadership: They do no want casino gambling in North Carolina,” say Bob Luddy, who...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

Legislators urged to tighten autism-care networks

North Carolina’s four managed care organizations say state legislators have to change the law if they want to get a handle on the exploding Medicaid costs associated with a leading type of autism care. Specifically, they’re urging legislators to allow them to return to a “closed network” that allows them...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

Get to know Rep. Karl Gillespie

As we’ve all heard, North Carolina runs from Manteo to Murphy, and since the start of 2021, Rep. Karl Gillespie, R-Macon, has been the voice in the state House for the Murphy portion of that. Gillespie’s district, House 120, covers the state’s four westernmost counties. Since Hurricane Helene ravaged the...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

FirstHealth sees losses ahead early in 2030s

Executives from Pinehurst-based FirstHealth say the federal government’s One Big Beautiful Bill has put the hospital system on a course that could lead to operating losses by fiscal 2031-32. “We can’t let that happen, we’re not going to let that happen,” FirstHealth CFO Autumn McFann told the members of a...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

UNC ups nurse production; legislators unsatisfied

The UNC System says its universities are on track to produce 707 more nurses a year by the 2029-30 school year. Trouble is, that doesn’t fill the 12,459-nurse gap in supply versus demand that UNC Chapel Hill’s Sheps Center for Health Services Research sees coming by 2033. Members of a...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

Stein calls for changes to data-center tax incentive

Gov. Josh Stein wants legislators to consider modifying or repealing a 20-year-old tax break North Carolina gives the operators of some data centers. Existing law gives them an exemption from state and local sales taxes on their power purchases and equipment. State Commerce Department officials estimate that it’s already costing...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

Drive safe while campaigning?

A traffic-safety group wants everyone running for a General Assembly seat this fall to pledge to practice safe-driving habits as they campaign. That means wearing a speed belt, obeying speed limits and traffic laws and above all putting down their phones while they’re behind the wheel, says Tiffany Wright, chair...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026

Moore, Harris speak up for Nigeria’s Christians

Several of North Carolina’s congressmen are taking an active interest in Nigeria and what they say is the persecution of that country’s Christians. U.S. Rep. Tim Moore, R-14th, announced on Friday that he’s introduced a bill to reinforce the State Department’s legal authorizations to stop participants in “particularly severe violations...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026

Stein-appointed group favors legal cannabis market

An advisory group is urging Gov. Josh Stein and the General Assembly to formally legalize cannabis, to the extent of allowing sales to adults through state-licensed retailers. Formalizing a market in that way would give the state “a full regulatory framework and the tools necessary to manage it responsibly,” the...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026

Lee, other senators oppose Fuquay water request

Three of the state Senate’s top Republicans have come out against Fuquay-Varina’s request for permission to transfer up to 6.2 million gallons of water a day from the Cape Fear River’s basin into the Neuse River’s. If approved, the transfer promises “lasting harm” to downstream communities in the Cape Fear...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026

Garson set to replace Meyer in Senate

Democratic leaders from Orange, Person and Caswell counties have picked Jonah Garson to replace former District 23 state Sen. Graig Meyer, D-Orange. Garson, up to now the first vice chair of the N.C. Democratic Party, beat out state Rep. Allen Buansi, D-Orange, for the appointment in weekend voting by a local-party...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026

Harrison takes herbicide fight to Supreme Court

State Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, doesn’t often get her way in the GOP-dominated General Assembly. She’s hoping for better luck with the GOP-dominated U.S. Supreme Court. Harrison recently joined 35 other state legislators from around the country in signing a friend-of-the-court brief that urges the court to rule against Monsanto...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026