The North Carolina Democratic Party is leading its Republican counterpart in fundraising. Both parties have new leaders but Democrats enter election season with triple what the GOP has in the bank to fund campaign efforts. The state political party organizations help build the infrastructure for successful campaigns. So far this...

Two lawsuits challenging how North Carolina legislators recently tightened same-day voter registration can continue, even though state election officials have recently made adjustments to address a judge’s constitutional concerns. U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder refused on Tuesday to dismiss the suits filed by several voter advocacy groups and a voter,...

The controversial nonprofit operated by Yolanda Hill, the wife of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, appears likely to close at the end of April. In an email obtained by The Assembly, Hill told clients of Balanced Nutrition Inc.—which assists daycares in securing federal funding to feed low-income children—that “with a heavy...

When Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey met last month in Manteo for a brief overview and Q&A with community members worried about property insurance issues, he stressed that his office had limited power over building code changes and insurance company business decisions in North Carolina that have unnerved homeowners. First of...

More than 10,000 North Carolina teachers left the state’s classrooms in 2023, the highest 12-month total reported in at least the past two decades, according to a new state report. The exodus, up 42% from 2022, was fueled in part by resignations among first-year teachers and teachers newly eligible for...

North Carolina’s regional managed care organizations that will administer specialized Medicaid plans for people with complex needs say they’re ready for the plans — which have had multiple delays — to finally go live on July 1. CEOs for the four organizations, known as LME-MCOs, appeared Tuesday before the state...

The Haywood County Farm Bureau’s legislative breakfast is an annual tradition where the usual topics of conversation include crop prices, ever-escalating expenses, fuel and fertilizer costs, migrant labor policies, subsidies and what is — and isn’t — in the federal government’s current or proposed Farm Bill. But this year’s gathering,...

Waynesville Pharmacy, an institution since 1890, closed its doors last week. Long-time customers are mourning not only the closure of the family-run business but the end of an era, as another piece of Waynesville’s small-town identity and soul are lost to the changing times. “They knowed everybody by name,” said...

Buncombe County Commissioners will soon vote on a proposal to develop a program that would pay Airbnb owners between $12,000-$20,000 to convert their properties into affordable housing. The current estimates to pay Airbnb owners are lower than Buncombe County’s average subsidy for a new affordable housing unit through the Affordable...

Faculty at Fayetteville State University will hold a no confidence vote on Friday regarding Provost Monica Terrell Leach, the school’s chief academic officer. The Faculty Senate is scheduled to vote on its no confidence resolution during a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. Professors are angry that Leach is advancing a...

Kelly Daughtry wasn’t too thrilled with her father’s idea. She had a good life practicing law in Johnston County, and was resistant to upending it to seek a congressional seat. “‘I don’t know anything about politics. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know the people,’” Leo recalled his...

North Carolina Senator Jim Burgin, a Republican from Harnett County, remembers a trip he took with Disability Rights North Carolina last spring to inspect two psychiatric residential facilities. To say he was disappointed in what he saw is an understatement. “It was basically a warehouse for children,” Burgin said. “I...

On March 6, 2023, Pactiv Evergreen announced the closure of the paper mill that sat in the heart of downtown Canton. The mill served as one of the largest employers in the community — but also as the heartbeat of a community dubbed “Mill Town.” One year later, I found...

Dogwood Health Trust announced Tuesday the appointment of the new independent monitor responsible for ensuring HCA Healthcare lives up to the commitments it made when it purchased Mission Hospital for $1.5 billion in 2019. Affiliated Monitors, Inc. (AMI) will replace former monitor Gibbins Advisors, Dogwood announced in a Tuesday news...

State Treasurer Dale Folwell declined again on Tuesday to endorse Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson in North Carolina’s closely watched gubernatorial contest. Folwell, who lost the GOP nomination race to Robinson in the March primary, has refused since that time to endorse Robinson in his general election showdown with the...