Claire Cranford/The Duke Chronicle Duke University agreed to end its partnership with The Ph.D. Project nearly a year after the Department of Education placed it under investigation for engaging in alleged “race-exclusionary practices.” The White House announced Thursday that 31 of 45 universities partnered with the program have now ceased...

Brian Burns/WUNC News Last month at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the 86-year-old Gospel and Soul legend Mavis Staples walked away with two awards for her 2025 album “Sad and Beautiful World,” a collection of songs that offer hope in the face of adversity. The album has received praise for...

Matt Lamb/The (Southern Pines) Pilot A defamation suit filed last month by incumbent Clerk of Superior Court Todd Maness against his Republican challenger, Deborah Duerring, and District Court Judge Beth Tanner has grown into a series of court filings that lay out accusations involving several attorneys and Senior Resident Superior...

April Laissle/WFDD Radio Voters in Alamance County will narrow the field for the Board of Commissioners in the March 3 primary, with a total of eight candidates vying for four spots on the November ballot. Tax policy has taken center stage in the Republican race as the county prepares for...

Charlie Fossen/Port City Daily Located on the border of Pender County, the town of Holly Ridge is on its way to doubling in population after a heated council meeting led to the annexation of roughly 1,200 acres into its borders. This could potentially bring forth an estimated 7,000 more people...

Dan Kane/The Raleigh News & Observer The State Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into trips sponsored by a nonprofit with ties to a former powerful lawmaker that took state legislators and lobbyists on distillery tours in Kentucky in 2022 and 2024. The investigation will specifically look for violations...

Bob Hall/NC Health News Where is all the money coming from for the high-stakes Republican primary fight between state Senate leader Phil Berger and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page? The candidates have raised over two million dollars for their campaigns; it’s a lopsided split, with Berger so far raising 53...

Colin Campbell/WUNC News Soil contamination from long-ago trash incinerators has prompted Durham to close five of its parks for the past two years, and they’re still not close to a final solution to the issue. Soil testing in 2024 found potential lead contamination in the parks, and the city closed...

Jacob Biba/NC Health News Amid rising costs and the expiration of enhanced subsidies, fewer North Carolina residents enrolled in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act for 2026, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Signed into law in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama,...

Sergio Osnaya-Prieto/EducationNC The State Board of Education’s task force to redesign North Carolina’s school accountability system kicked off its work Thursday with a discussion of the new model’s theory of action. The Board voted to create the Task Force on Accountability last October in line with the joint strategic plan...

The Southern Pines Pilot An armed man reported missing earlier this weekend in Moore County was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service agents Sunday morning after driving into the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort, according to authorities. The man was identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21,...

A.P. Dillon/North State Journal The Local Government Commission approved Raleigh’s requests to issue $221 million in bonds for a 17-story City Hall and public safety buildings during its monthly meeting on Feb. 4. The Local Government Commission (LGC) voted to approve $120 million in limited obligation bond anticipation notes for...

Julian Berger/WFAE Radio U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is buying warehouses across the U.S. to turn them into detention centers, and is reportedly looking at a warehouse in Concord. According to the New York Times, ICE is seeking to purchase a 414,000 square foot Concord warehouse, which will hold 1,500...

WRAL News The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will review how Cary police handled a drug investigation where evidence shows the car of the then-town manager was present. The Wake County District Attorney’s Office asked the SBI to review documents about a 2016 incident at the Harrison Motel in...

Dasia Williams/CityView Concerned parents, educators, and community leaders filled Cliffdale Community Church on Thursday for a town hall focused on one issue: Cumberland County Schools’ decision to end year-round education at E.E. Miller Elementary. The gathering—organized by families and community advocates—came in response to a February 9 Cumberland County Board...