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McFadden in the crosshairs

The petition seeking Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden’s removal from office contends that the two-term incumbent arbitrarily played favorites among deputies and jail inmates. Former Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Maj. Bryan Adams alleged McFadden promoted unqualified deputies because they were part of what he called “Team Sheriff.” In practice, that meant “going...

By Ray Gronberg

January 6, 2026

Dashboard reports state auditor’s lapsed-salary findings

There’s more — and less — than meets the eye when it comes to State Auditor Dave Boliek’s claim that there’s a bit more than $1 billion in lapsed salary on the books of various state agencies associated with job vacancies. The numbers in the dashboard Boliek’s office rolled out...

By Ray Gronberg

January 5, 2026

Berger staffer leaves for lobbying firm

Another of Senate leader Phil Berger’s top aides is moving over to the private sector. The Raleigh Group, the lobbying firm led by John Hardin, says Madison Alligood has joined the firm as general counsel. Alligood has been a policy adviser to Berger since the spring of 2022, and since...

By Ray Gronberg

January 5, 2026

Congress may refine Trump’s supersonic push

Congress may not let the Trump administration have the last word on the legalization of supersonic flight over U.S. soil. Before the holidays, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reported out H.R. 3410, the “Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act.” Its co-sponsors include several members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation —...

By Ray Gronberg

December 31, 2025

Duke seeks NRC approval to base reactors at Belews Creek

Duke Energy has asked federal regulators to approve the idea of using part of its Belews Creek property in Stokes County as the site for a set of small nuclear reactors. The utility on Tuesday applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an “early site permit,” which entails reviewing...

By Ray Gronberg

December 30, 2025

Dominion, Trump aides battle over wind project

A federal judge has delayed until mid-January a hearing on Dominion Energy’s request that he block a Trump administration stop-work order targeting the utility’s $11.2 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. U.S. District Court Judge Jamar Walker’s ruling came at the administration’s urging, and he’s already rejected Dominion’s request that...

By Ray Gronberg

December 30, 2025

A penny for the government’s thoughts

North Carolina retailers are already wondering how they’ll adjust once the penny disappears from circulation. But their trade group is pointing to U.S. Treasury Department guidance that says this is a problem mainly for cash transactions. Once the penny becomes uncommon, storeowners “will need to round transactions either up or...

By Ray Gronberg

December 29, 2025

Feds bar imports of new-model drones

Here in the Triangle, we’ve been watching DJI-made drones disappear from the shelves of Best Buy and other consumer-electronics stores amid rumors of an upcoming federal ban. Store managers replaced them with variously-branded knockoffs, which like DJI’s are likely made in China or other Asian countries. But even that strategy...

By Ray Gronberg

December 24, 2025

Causey opposes potential pardon of Lindberg

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has written President Donald Trumpto oppose the idea of granting convicted billionaire Greg Lindberg a pardon or clemency. The harms from Lindberg’s actions “are real, ongoing and irreparable,” Causey said in his letter. “A pardon would not undo them; it would compound them by signaling that...

By Ray Gronberg

December 24, 2025

US suspends active offshore wind leases; Dominion warns of threat to jobs

The Trump administration has ordered a suspension of work on five offshore wind energy projects, including Dominion Energy’s $11.2 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind development. U.S. Department of the Interior officials announced Monday morning that they’d “paused” federal leases for the projects. They cited as the reason “emerging national security...

By Ray Gronberg

December 23, 2025

The U.S. Senate field is set

Continuing our filing wrap-up, it’s time to start looking at the Congressional races involved in the upcoming March primary. The headliner here is the U.S. Senate race, particularly on the Republican side. There, Trump-endorsed candidate Michael Whatley is facing six other contestants. One of these is Michele Morrow, the party’s...

By Ray Gronberg

December 23, 2025

Senate battles in Durham and elsewhere

Over in the Senate, the just-concluded filing period set up 11 Republican and six Democratic primaries. Obviously, the most high-profile of these remains the District 26 battle between Republicans Phil Berger and Sam Page. A Page win would shatter the Senate GOP caucus leadership team that Berger’s headed since 2005....

By Ray Gronberg

December 22, 2025

Cohn forgoes re-election bid, sets up battle for Granville-Vance House seat

Filing is complete, and with it, so is the primary picture on both sides of the aisle. For the House, there are 29 GOP primaries coming up in March and 16 Democratic primaries. Three districts are seeing contested primaries in both parties, notably District 32, where incumbent Rep. Bryan Cohn,...

By Ray Gronberg

December 22, 2025

Solar or nukes? Duke critics question priorities

Duke Energy’s long-range development plans are underselling solar power and overselling the prospects of building more nuclear reactors, critics of the utility say. The argument comes from Sam Grote and Jim Warren, who lead the N.C. Business Impact Forum and NC WARN, respectively. Grote contends that Duke’s proposed Carolinas Resource Plan...

By Ray Gronberg

December 19, 2025

Gov. James Baxter Hunt Jr., 1937-2025

Jim Hunt, the state’s longest-serving governor, died on Thursday at 88. “It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of my beloved daddy and hero, former Gov. Jim Hunt. He devoted his life to serving the people of North Carolina, guided by a belief that public service should...

By Ray Gronberg

December 19, 2025