Lear Corporation, a global textile manufacturer with a factory in Duplin County, has knowingly discharged high levels of toxic PFAS into the Northeast Cape Fear River for the past five years, yet state regulators have not required the company to rein in those releases. Now Lear, which makes seating and...

A 948-foot container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the U.S. port of Baltimore in darkness early on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below. Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one in very serious condition, and were searching for more in...

State Rep. Michael Wray is conceding defeat in the Democratic Party primary, ending a 20-year career in the state legislature, he said in a letter to WRAL Monday. He won’t keep appealing the unofficial results that showed him losing his bid for reelection by only a few dozen votes, after...

The North Carolina Republican Party will meet in Selma Tuesday night to elect a new chairman. The state party’s current chairman, Michael Whatley, is stepping down to become the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. Former President Donald Trump backed Whatley, along with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, to lead...

The city of Charlotte proposed modifying development rules Monday to limit new triplexes built in residential neighborhoods to corner lots only. If the Charlotte City Council approves the change, it would be a retreat from the city’s 2040 Plan, which allows duplexes and triplexes to be built anywhere in neighborhoods...

Sunday night, I became $450 richer while sitting on my couch. The Carolina Hurricanes were about to start the second period on a power play. My husband took my phone (I can’t take credit for this) to bet on the next player to score. Instead of betting on one player,...

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has suspended admissions to Trails Carolina, a residential therapeutic camp in Transylvania County, after a 12-year-old boy died there Feb. 3, according to a letter DHHS sent the camp. The state also removed all attendees from the camp’s care on Feb....

Wells Fargo faces a lawsuit alleging the lender concealed overcharges on credit card interest rates and fees for U.S. service members and their families. The complaint, lodged March 20 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, claims that Wells Fargo failed to adhere to the provisions...

The Cabarrus County Board of Elections on Monday dismissed challenges by two primary candidates who alleged members of the local Republican Party unfairly influenced the outcome. The board voted 5-0 to dismiss the protest because there was no probable cause or enough evidence presented to determine state election law was...

A land use amendment that would ban residential development in Leland’s commercial district will be put under further review after council members fielded citizen complaints last week. The council unanimously voted to postpone the amendment removing the use of residential units and associated accessory uses in all commercial districts and...

At a UNC System Board of Governors meeting last month, UNC System President Peter Hans introduced a plan to block anonymous social media apps on all UNC System campuses. His decision is driven by concerns about the polarization of students due to cyberbullying that he said is prevalent on these...

Dozens of fans sat in oversized brick-red chairs, as if relaxing were an option considering the money riding on the college basketball games playing on the 90-foot LED screen. On the massive central screen, Jamal Shead, a guard for No. 2-ranked Houston, rose to fire a winning three-pointer at the...

The Buncombe County Planning Board held its second listening session Monday night as it considers new restrictions on short-term rentals. More than three dozen local residents spoke during the 90-minute session, which was held on the campus of A-B Tech in Asheville. The county planning board is considering a proposal...

AdventHealth has acquired approximately 25 acres of land in Buncombe County, near Weaverville, where — pending a ruling in a court challenge by rival HCA Healthcare — it plans to build a 67-bed acute care hospital to serve Buncombe, Madison, Yancey, and Graham counties. AdventHealth already operates AdventHealth Hendersonville, the...

The end of a federal program that provides internet subsidies to low-income families could leave hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians without access to online health services. Nearly 900,000 households across the state participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program, a $14.2 billion federal program created through a sweeping infrastructure package...