Independent. Informative. Intelligent.

Local

N.C. lawmakers visit Finland

Senate Majority Leader Michael Lee, R-New Hanover, four other legislators, and other state and private-sector officials traveled to Finland last week in hopes of attracting investment in military-related technology and manufacturing. On one level, the trip was the kind of international trade mission the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina...

By Ray Gronberg

September 3, 2025

U.S. Senate weighs four N.C. judicial nominees

A quartet of would-be federal judges who would serve in North Carolina now awaits U.S. Senate confirmation. The group’s nominations by President Trump came at the recommendation of North Carolina U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd. The nominees for two vacant Western District of North Carolina seats are Susan...

By Ray Gronberg

September 2, 2025

N.C. Supreme Court rules against Apex

N.C. Supreme Court justices have put Apex’s government on notice that it can expect a big penalty for having illegally condemned a sewer easement and installing a pipe under the victim’s property. “Securing the line and paying what it wanted to pay in 2015 cannot be a meaningful remedy for...

By Ray Gronberg

September 2, 2025

Helene-damaged home is now fixed

Gov. Josh Stein’s office says the state’s completed the first repair of a Hurricane-Helene-damaged home approved for assistance through the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program. The program’s $807 million in funding comes from the federal government, specifically out of the $1.4 billion in CDBG disaster recovery subsidies the state’s getting...

By Ray Gronberg

August 29, 2025

Found money

The state treasurer’s office was also in the news Thursday because it announced that it’s “uncovered $170 million in unspent and unallocated funds” during a review of the state’s cash accounts. Going forward, and given statutory limitations on its use, the treasurer’s office intends to deploy the money to reduce...

By Ray Gronberg

August 29, 2025

Briner and BlackRock

State Treasurer Brad Briner and many of his Republican colleagues around the country are once again at odds with BlackRock, the New York City-based investment manager. Back on July 29, Briner and 25 other GOP finance overseers in other states wrote BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to demand what they termed...

By Ray Gronberg

August 29, 2025

Tourism update

Buncombe County saw an estimated 10.8% reduction in visitor spending in 2024, a year where Hurricane Helene’s devastation left its tourism industry and that of western North Carolina in general reeling. According to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Buncombe saw about $2.6 billion in visitor spending for the...

By Ray Gronberg

August 29, 2025

Wolfspeed: Big loss, feds intervene in Chapter 11

Wolfspeed says it lost $1.6 billion in fiscal 2024-25, more than its loss in the prior two fiscal years combined. The Durham-based chipmaker told investors and the SEC that it booked $757.6 million in revenue for the year, about 6.1% less than the year before. But it lost even in...

By Ray Gronberg

August 28, 2025

Agritourism battles

An Orange County farm is putting the state’s policies around conservation easements and agritourism to the test. The Triangle Land Conservancy has gone to court to force the Union Grove Farm to drop plans to build a 2,500-seat amphitheater on the property, which is subject to a TLC-held conservation easement...

By Ray Gronberg

August 28, 2025

Who can talk to the Utilities Commission?

NC WARN and the Carolina Industrial Group for Fair Utility Rates battled recently over whether NC WARN would be able to formally weigh in what the N.C. Utilities Commission should do about large-load power customers. CIGFUR and another manufacturers’ trade group, the Carolina Utility Customers Association, asked the Utilities Commission...

By Ray Gronberg

August 27, 2025

Black Caucus united against DEI veto overrides

Leaders of the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus says all 41 of its members will stand steadfast in keeping the House and Senate from overriding Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes of a trio of anti-DEI bills. This is something of a moot point in the Senate when it comes to Senate Bill...

By Ray Gronberg

August 27, 2025

Stein’s energy task force

Gov. Josh Stein has formed a 26-person “Energy Policy Task Force” to advise him and the General Assembly about how to keep electricity prices under control as the state deals with increased power demands. State Rep. Kyle Hall, R-Stokes, and N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson are co-chairing...

By Ray Gronberg

August 27, 2025

Genentech breaks ground

Barely three months after announcing the project, Genentech officials have broken ground on their planned $700 million fill-and-finish factory in Holly Springs. “By the end of the year, you’ll see dirt moving, you’ll see things starting to go up,” said Fritz Brittenbender, a Genentech senior vice president and the drugmaker’s...

By Ray Gronberg

August 26, 2025

Power players

North Carolina’s top energy-market watchdog believes the increasing demands for electricity from of data centers, factories and other large-load business customers will compel regulators and utilities to make policy changes. Above all, these may force Duke Energy (and to a lesser degree Dominion Energy) to accept more transparency in its...

By Ray Gronberg

August 25, 2025

The Chamber’s energy report and SB 266

The NC Chamber’s new energy policy report expects renewables to keep making inroads despite the enactment of Senate Bill 266 and its elimination of North Carolina’s interim carbon-reduction goal. Instead of flowing from the now-moot 70%-by-2030 target, the pace and scale of solar and wind-energy deployment will depend on cost...

By Welcome

August 22, 2025