John Boyle/Asheville Watchdog Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: What measures are they taking to control the resuspension of sediment from the tributaries flowing into the North Fork reservoir? Some background: the mountainous area around the reservoir experienced severe erosion, including landslides, that resulted...

Moss Brennan/The Watauga Democrat Former Watauga County Schools Superintendent Scott Elliott has taken on a new role to assist with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. Elliott will serve as the deputy director for engagement for the newly formed Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) and work with agencies...

Ashley Belanger/ARS Technica Donald Trump’s sudden decision last week to attack the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act after he previously offered assurances that he wouldn’t has sent shockwaves across the industry and has even given some Republicans whiplash. Soon after Trump told Congress that the CHIPS Act is a “horrible,...

Chantal Brown/Education NC The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation has brought on a new chief advancement officer. The foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is meant to support the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). Its board stewards the endowment, raises awareness and funds to develop and advance the...

Laura Hackett/Blue Ridge Public Radio A Trump Cabinet official says the Department of Housing and Urban Development will not approve Asheville’s proposed plan for $225 million in disaster recovery if that spending plan includes programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion. HUD Secretary Scott Turner wrote that “DEI is dead...

Port City Daily The planning board in neighboring Brunswick County will take up multiple projects Monday. Around 600 units — a mixture of single-family homes and townhomes — are being proposed from Holden Beach to Ocean Isle, Bolivia to Supply. Another 2,500 units, already approved in September, are requesting to...

Stan Choe/The Associated Press The U.S. stock market’s sell-off cut deeper on Monday as Wall Street questioned how much pain President Donald Trump will let the economy endure through tariffs and other policies in order to get what he wants. The S&P 500 dropped 2.7% to drag it close to...

Lucas Thomae/Carolina Public Press Who gets to claim the title of American Indian? That is the question at the center of a fight over potential federal recognition for the indigenous Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. For more than a century, the Lumbee — with a claimed membership of 60,000 people...

Brian Murphy/WRAL News North Carolina bettors wagered more than $6.1 billion in paid wagers and almost $500 million more in free or promotional bets in the first 12 months that online sports betting has been legal in the state. Sports betting launched on March 11, 2024. The North Carolina Lottery...

Lynn Bonner/NC Newsline State employees are criticizing plans to make their health insurance more expensive, saying options officials are considering will hurt hiring and recruitment efforts and tarnish a benefit of working for the state. The State Health Plan spends more money than it takes in. Its Board of Trustees...

Julian Berger/WFAE Radio On a frigid morning in Myers Park, Carlos works diligently to renovate a patio and install a new jacuzzi. Carlos moved from Venezuela three years ago with temporary protected status (TPS), which allows him to work, but he’s unsure what’s next. President Trump recently revoked TPS status...

Paul Garber/WFDD Radio The Triad’s biggest cities do not have citizen-accessible Congressional offices — one of the many results of redistricting across the state. Local district offices are places where constituents can go for one-on-one help without having to go to Washington, D.C. Maybe they need assistance with a passport...

Sharryse Piggott/WUNC Radio UNC Law School students took last spring to Charlotte to work on a pro bono project assisting survivors of domestic violence seeking protective orders. Eight law students from UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Law will volunteer at two free legal clinics to help those impacted by Helene in...

Will Atwater/NC Health News Five weeks into the second Trump Administration, and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency continues to do what it calls restoring accountability of government by taking a buzz-saw approach to what it calls government waste. Critics warn that the administration’s actions risk destabilizing multiple federal...

Brighton McConnell/WCHL Chapelboro After initially seeking to use an alternative fuel source of plastics and packaging materials at its cogeneration facility, UNC announced Monday it withdrew its request for a permit modification to test the pellets. A release from the university said it would steer away from the engineered fuel...