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CON battles in Winston-Salem and Wilmington

North Carolina hospital chains Atrium Health and Cone Health say they’ve filed certificate-of-need applications with the state for major projects would expand their geographic scope. Cone proposes to open a $330 million, 56-bed hospital in southeast Forsyth County, entering a Winston-Salem market now dominated by Atrium and Novant County. Its...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

Charlotte gets a new consultancy

There’s a new lobbying/strategy shop in Charlotte. Colton Overcash announced on Monday the public launch of Vertex Strategies, which he says offers “an integrated advisory practice” for companies, trade groups, investors and other clients. They “face a government environment where decisions are moving faster, scrutiny is arriving earlier, and issues...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

Durham Chamber: Nuance needed on data centers

Durham’s Chamber of Commerce is warning city and county officials against going overboard with restrictions on data centers. It’s urging them to keep drawing distinctions between large-scale data centers — the sort operated by the likes of Amazon and Apple — and the smaller facilities that institutions like Duke University...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

The (bleep) word

Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, posted a two-minute Instagram video this week that included about a dozen bleeped profanities directed at the state’s Republican leadership. Batch made the video with Rep. Vernetta Alston, D-Durham. Alston doesn’t use profanity in the video, which was first reported by Raleigh journalist A.P....

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

Ban on homeless camps incoming?

It’s looking increasingly likely that the Senate will get behind a proposal to ban homeless encampments, and give the job of enforcing it to state Labor Commissioner Luke Farley. Senate Health Care committee members on Thursday endorsed a revised version of House Bill 437. It’s been on a fast track...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

ABC plans quick-turnaround pricing study

The State ABC Commission has ordered its staff to conduct “a thorough study of minimum baseline pricing” for liquor, with a preliminary report from it due in 30 days, its spokesman says. The move followed liquor- and hospitality-industry complaints that have rolled in since commission Chairman Hank Bauer told brokers...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

Legislators vote to ban third-party lawsuit funding

Legislators have handed the NC Chamber a win on one of its top priorities for the session, a ban on third-party litigation funding by investors. House Bill 315 cleared the Senate on Tuesday and the House on Wednesday. Across the chambers, there was only one dissenting vote: Sen. Jonah Garson,...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

Jacksonville annexation bid for Camp Lejeune sparks fight

Camp Lejeune’s service needs and Jacksonville’s ability to meet them have sparked an intramural battle among Onslow County’s all-Republican legislative delegation. It played out this week in House Finance when Sen. Michael Lazzara, R-Onslow, asked members via Senate Bill 817 to support allowing Jacksonville to annex much of the southern...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

Stevens leaves the House, focuses on Supreme Court race

Rep. Sarah Stevens resigned her District 90 seat to “devote [her] full time and energy” to running for a N.C. Supreme Court seat this fall. The Surry County Republican stepped down as of noon on June 16. She is in the midst of her ninth term — a longer tenure...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

House votes to regulate crypto kiosks

The House has passed and sent to the Senate a bill that for the first time in North Carolina would set up a regulatory system for crypto-currency kiosks. House Bill 920 cleared the chamber on a 115-0 vote after members voted down an amendment that would have set tighter limits...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

North Carolina owns a piece of Claude

North Carolina’s State Investment Authority put $250 million into AI firm Anthropic back in the winter when the San Francisco company sought $30 billion in Series G venture capital, State Treasurer Brad Briner says. The purchase ’s value has since grown to $650 million, and it’s possible that even greater...

By Ray Gronberg

June 9, 2026

WakeMed, Atrium address county leaders’ questions

Atrium Health and WakeMed officials discussed their proposed combination with Wake County Commissioners Monday after producing a 61-page document providing more explanation of the deal. The two hospital systems held a secret meeting with the commission in mid-March, but didn’t disclose their plans until Friday, May 4, when it was...

By Ray Gronberg

June 9, 2026

Jackson: Utilities Commission needs to clamp down on Duke returns

Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office wants the N.C. Utilities Commission to give Duke Energy’s return on equity a haircut as it considers the utility’s request for a rate increase. “We think they overshot the mark,” Jackson says of Duke’s request. Duke’s rate request for 2027 and 2028 asks the commission...

By Ray Gronberg

June 9, 2026

Granville-Vance House candidate steps aside

Democrats in Granville and Vance counties need to find themselves a new candidate for the House District 32 seat. The previous nominee, Oxford City Commissioner Curtis McRae, is withdrawing from the race “due to personal health matters requiring his full attention,” the House Democratic Caucus says. McRae — who’s also...

By Ray Gronberg

June 8, 2026