Jaymie Baxley/NC Health News In 2022, North Carolina launched an experimental initiative to address the nonmedical health needs of low-income residents by using Medicaid dollars. This first-in-the-nation effort, known as the Healthy Opportunities Pilot, has provided assistance to nearly 30,000 people across three largely rural regions of the state. Beneficiaries...

Aisha Baiocchi/The Daily Tar Heel Laura Saavedra Forero describes herself as an activist before anything else. Her work in disability advocacy, environmental justice and in support of Palestine is extensive, but the 21-year-old holds a lot of titles. She’s a senior, a neuroscience major and until recently, part of the...

Jennifer Ludden/WFAE Radio Scott Turner, who was tapped to promote investment in distressed neighborhoods during President Trump’s first term, has been confirmed as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The Senate vote Wednesday was 55-44. Turner spent nine years as a professional football player before being elected twice as a...

David Glenn/WCHL Chapelboro Just two days after Duke’s 87-70 annihilation of UNC in Durham last Saturday, embattled Carolina coach Hubert Davis took the extraordinary step of admitting publicly that the Tar Heels’ current approach to men’s basketball is obsolete. “The old model for Carolina basketball just doesn’t work,” Davis said....

DJ Simmons/WFDD Radio  The Summerfield Town Council is hiring an auditor to review its IT system records. It was prompted by concerns about potential mismanagement of municipal data by former staff. The move marks the latest chapter in longstanding internal strife between Summerfield officials. Last year, then-Town Manager Scott Whitaker...

Nick Fogleman/The Watauga Democrat A Blowing Rock man is facing multiple felony offenses stemming from an alleged large-scale financial crime at a local antique store. John Grafe was arrested on Dec. 27 after the Blowing Rock Police Department was alerted to suspicious activity on June 19 by the owner of...

Peter Castagno/Port City Daily As news of the Trump Administration enacting tariffs hit headlines in the last week, North Carolina economists argue the impositions could cause broad-ranging negative effects on residents. Trump announced Saturday he would instate 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10% on China, something he campaigned...

Liz Schlemmer/WUNC Radio The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) has received reports from its members of changes in out-of-pocket expenses for medical services covered by the state health plan. Educators and other state employees began noticing these changes in January, after the state health plan switched administrators from Blue...

Laura Leslie/WRAL News A veteran state lawmaker found himself in a different role Monday night – that of a first responder. His intervention likely saved a woman’s life. Rep. Dean Arp, R-Union, was on his way to Raleigh with his wife, Anne, for a meeting. They were traveling along U.S....

Becky Johnson/The (Waynesville) Mountaineer There’s two things Haywood County commissioners want Helene flood victims to know when deciding whether to rebuild or take the FEMA buyout: the county isn’t coming for your land and you can apply now and drop out later if you change your mind. “There’s no strings...

Pat Kimbrough/The High Point Enterprise The city of High Point is advancing its plans to replace a major piece of infrastructure at one of its water-supply lakes. The City Council on Monday approved a request from staff to award a $3.73 million contract to Schnabel Engineering South of Greensboro to...

Robin Kanady/Queen City News Leaders of Lutheran Services Carolinas, an organization that helps legal refugees entering the country, say their national partners received a cease-and-desist order not to help refugees that have just entered the country under new executive orders. Although some of President Donald Trump’s orders have been walked...

Jennifer Fernandez/NC Health News Fewer North Carolina children are dying at the hands of a parent or caregiver, according to a new report by a retired leader of the state’s health system whose career focused on the well-being of children. The report also showed an even larger decline over the...

Kyle Perrotti/Smoky Mountain News A group of law enforcement officers, elected officials and concerned citizens is renewing its years-long effort to get a series of new laws through the General Assembly this year. While previous efforts came in the form of a series of shorter bills, the latest attempt to...

Michael Koh/WCHL Chapelboro The newest financial report from the UNC athletic department to the NCAA, chronicling the department’s funds for the 2023-24 academic year, shows record-high revenue numbers for the school. In total, the department reported approximately $164.4 million in revenue against approximately $155.9 million in total expenses for an...