Sofia DiStefano/Niner Times Following the closures of UNC Charlotte’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) related offices, Charlotte’s Leadership & Community Engagement (LCE) office has stepped into the spotlight as a presumed recipient of resources and funding previously used for DEI. In its early days, the LCE office was a minor...

Will Doran/WRAL News Only two months after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina in the worst natural disaster to hit the region in modern history, the state’s recovery efforts have become bogged down by political infighting and, critics say, overshadowed by other priorities. It’s a contrast with Washington, where the...

The Associated Press When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina, both candidates courted a state-recognized tribe there whose 55,000 members could have helped tip the swing state. Trump in September promised that he would sign legislation to grant federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe, a distinction that...

Caroline Parker/EducationNC Doug Thomas has been driving a bus for Yancey County Schools (YCS) for three years. He starts his day running a route and after dropping students off, he heads to East Yancey Middle School where is he one of two custodians. Many of the roads on his route...

Katie Myers/Blue Ridge Public Radio As a bitingly cold wind blew through the Nolichucky Gorge, raft guides Jubal Roe, Dennis Ashford, and Dale Swanson bushwhacked across the riverbank to see what railroad company CSX has been up to for the past day or so. Ashford, who is also a professor...

Brenna Flanagan/Port City Daily One Cape Fear town is looking to be more responsive to the calls for more sustainable development that have been a constant fixture of planning conversations in the region. In the wake of damage imposed by recent storms in the state, the Leland Town Council is...

Vicki Hyatt/The Mountaineer As Haywood County flood survivors wait — and wait — for temporary Federal Emergency Management Agency housing units, winter has arrived, and those unwilling to leave their property are living in flood-damaged homes, cars or tents. Haywood County officials are being hammered on social media for not...

Kip Tabb/Outer Banks Voice   The North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) will not be receiving the $425 million federal grant for the Mid Currituck Bridge that the agency had hoped would offset the cost of the project. On Oct. 20 of this year, the US Department of Transportation announced the...

Alan Wooten/The Center Square  A practicing physician in Congress from North Carolina, where four of six branches of the armed forces are represented, says the newly created efficiency department of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy has a chance to help America’s veterans. U.S. Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said, “We...

Chase Pellegrini de Paur/IndyWeek On Thursday night, a power outage left the Durham Public Schools board of education meeting with few lights and no airflow. That bunker vibe was perhaps appropriate for the four and a half hour long marathon meeting in which staff introduced a rotational bus service plan...

Will Hofmann/Asheville Citizen Times On Thanksgiving eve, Noah Laycock, 3, runs around the south Asheville former Gold’s Gym location with a blissful ease. His long blond hair swallows up his face as he sits with Jean “Mama J” Gibbs, who watches as little Noah’s brothers and sister run around a...

David Goldman/CNN President-elect Donald Trump on Monday promised massive hikes in tariffs on goods coming from Mexico, Canada and China starting on the first day of his administration, a policy that could sharply increase costs for American businesses and consumers. The move, Trump said, will be in retaliation for illegal...

Will Atwater/NC Health News Standing on stage during a highly anticipated town meeting, microphone in hand, Spruce Pine Town Manager Darlene Butler responded to a question about lessons learned in the aftermath of the devastation wrought by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. “I think it’s pretty much a no-brainer with...

Katie Myers/Blue Ridge Public Radio The most exciting part of the day at Spruce Pine Montessori School is when the truck arrives to empty the porta-Johns. At that point in the afternoon, the kids abandon their toy dinosaurs and monkey bars, throw up their hands and yell in excitement as...

Alex Gladden/USA Today Network Tony Johnson has lived in Green Mountain all his life. The small township is rural, mountain country, and Tropical Storm Helene hit it hard. Bridges have been washed away. Trees are down, and Johnson is just trying to get by. On Nov. 23, Johnson stood in...