N.C. Rep. Cecil Brockman (D – Guilford) is facing bipartisan calls for his resignation after being charged with multiple sex crimes. www.theassemblync.com/politics/cec...

Underlying the personal animus around UNC's School of Civic Life and Leadership is a rupture over the mission of civics schools: Should they reform pedagogy by prioritizing civil discourse, or should they add viewpoint diversity by hiring conservatives? www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

The combined state and local sales tax has more than doubled since 1970, and Mecklenburg voters are mulling another increase. Why does a tax that hits poor people hardest have so much support? www.theassemblync.com/politics/why...

For the last 19 years, North Carolina has been in a death penalty limbo. But on Friday, Gov. Josh Stein signed Iryna’s Law, a bill named after a Ukrainian refugee stabbed on a Charlotte train. Republican state legislators hope the law will restart executions. www.theassemblync.com/politics/cri...

Via @notus.com | Once a MAGA poster child, former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn is attempting a political comeback—this time in an open House seat in Florida—but he shouldn’t expect any help from those in President Donald Trump’s orbit. www.theassemblync.com/politics/mad...

In February, the Eastern Music Festival was abruptly canceled. This came after mounting tension between faculty musicians, who teach the festival’s students every year, and the organization’s board and administration.

Duke Health and Aetna have concluded a heated rate negotiation with just weeks to spare before the health care giants’ contract expired. www.theassemblync.com/health/duke-...

MLB last expanded 27 years ago but is nearly certain to select two new teams by 2029, when Commissioner Rob Manfred retires. For seven years, a growing coalition of advocates has built a case for Raleigh. www.theassemblync.com/culture/spor...

A federal judge this week upheld the North Carolina Senate map, siding with Republicans who had been accused of intentionally diluting the voting power of Black Democrats in the northeastern part of the state. www.theassemblync.com/politics/nc-...

Bedlack said people who are more hopeful have different brain patterns than those who lose hope. Their bodies are less inflamed. They tend to live longer. From a clinician’s perspective, these things are all interrelated. And in that sense, hope is a medicine. www.theassemblync.com/health/als-d...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is relying on its Disaster Relief Fund to keep aid flowing during the government shutdown. But already delayed payments and a depleted fund could lead to complications, lawmakers said.

UNC-Chapel Hill has hired K&L Gates, a law firm with ties to Republican state legislators, to lead its investigation into the School of Civic Life and Leadership, people familiar with the probe said.

Carrboro has incurred millions of dollars in damages to 47 miles of roads and other town-owned property, allegedly because of more frequent and extreme weather that resulted from a warming planet.

Since the Trump administration began slashing FEMA’s workforce, a team focusing on improving the online application process for disaster aid has disintegrated. In January, the team had at least 10 people. Now, sources said, it’s down to two. With @theassemblync.bsky.social

The General Assembly can’t come to an agreement on legislation to fund the state’s $319M Medicaid rebase shortfall, which covers the gap between projected and actual expenses. With no deal in sight, NC DHHS said it was planning reimbursement rate cuts. www.theassemblync.com/all-newslett...

A 57-year-old man who’s been incarcerated in state prison for four decades agreed this month to settle a lawsuit he brought against the North Carolina Post Release Supervision and Parole Commission for what he contended is a flawed review process.

Last week, attorneys spent 6 hours trying to answer a single question: Should a jury hear a case alleging that Duke Energy is responsible for lying about the link between climate change and extreme weather that inflicted millions in damage on Carrboro?

SALE: You can get The Assembly through next year's midterm elections for just $26! That's more than 50% off — claim your discounted subscription today. www.theassemblync.com/subscription...

For the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, The Assembly has been publishing stories about the road to recovery in Western N.C. Read the stories below: 🧵 www.theassemblync.com/tag/hurrican...

As of September 27, Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by a mere 9,968 registered voters. At the current rate of change, Republicans will eclipse Democrats by early 2026, if not sooner. www.theassemblync.com/politics/dem...

Democrats are losing members in #ncpol. But are the Republicans gaining? New piece by me in @theassemblync.bsky.social ⤵️ www.theassemblync.com/politics/dem...

The last five years have thrown hurdles in WRAL’s path, including a string of high-profile departures. But in spite of the headwinds, WRAL is still relatively well-positioned. It has a newsroom staff of 143 and a host of profitable companies.

While Trump has suggested he might do away with FEMA, there’s a bipartisan push in the House to elevate its position.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals effectively affirmed the exoneration of four men convicted as teenagers in the 2002 death of Nathaniel Jones, the grandfather of NBA star Chris Paul. The decision means the two who are still incarcerated could soon walk free. www.theassemblync.com/politics/cou...

The Assembly and @propublica.org are reporting on the impact of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, and we know recovery is far from over. We want to hear from you about your rebuilding story. www.theassemblync.com/environment/...

By redrawing Davis’ district, Republicans would risk opening themselves to racial gerrymandering claims and a costly legal battle. www.theassemblync.com/all-newslett...

An analysis by @propublica.org and The Assembly of the more rural counties in North Carolina hardest hit by Helene shows that the households that got the most aid tended to have the highest incomes. www.theassemblync.com/environment/...

Arduous and Unequal: The Fight to Get FEMA Housing Assistance After Helene www.theassemblync.com/environment/...

"I am grateful for every dollar that we’ve gotten, and it’s over $6 billion. But when the scale of the damage is as immense as it was in Western North Carolina, $60 billion, we need a lot more help."

In hard-hit Marshall, artists have found their creative work helps them process their losses. www.theassemblync.com/culture/art-...

Several bills are on Gov. Josh Stein’s desk after passing both houses of the General Assembly. The one that’s getting the most attention: A crime bill in response to the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.

“Demanding loyalty oaths & unquestioning docility while selecting for personal connections & membership in certain networks is even worse,” the school's former associate dean said. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

A federal lawsuit alleges a veteran highway state trooper punched a man having an epileptic seizure after the man hit another car and crashed into a utility pole. www.theassemblync.com/politics/law...

I have a new piece up on @theassemblync.bsky.social - thanks for reading www.theassemblync.com/place/ashevi...

Housing is the top self-identified unmet need survivors have reported to NC Emergency Management Disaster Case Management. According to Buncombe County’s Helene Recovery Plan, 372 residential units were destroyed during the storm, about half of them rentals. www.theassemblync.com/place/ashevi...

Belle Boggs, the president of North Carolina’s AAUP chapter, said the number of national dues-paying members in the statewide AAUP conference has more than doubled since the beginning of the year, to 570. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

While speaking in Concord Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance blamed Democrats “soft-on-crime” policies for the death of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman fatally stabbed on a Charlotte, North Carolina, commuter train earlier this year. www.theassemblync.com/politics/jd-...

Moore has publicly offered a sunny assessment of Trump’s economic strategies. But his bearish stock plays represent an apparent shift in his personal investment strategy. www.theassemblync.com/politics/tim...

Thousands of students across Western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with the region with vicious floods. Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identified as homeless as a direct result of Helene.

Asheville feels like moving to New York City after the pandemic. The scenery is gorgeous and vibrant; restaurants are full. It’s only when I drive along the Swannanoa River and see the gutted buildings that I remember: This is a city in mourning. www.theassemblync.com/place/ashevi...

The state Senate on Monday advanced a flurry of bills, all of which now go to the House for consideration. Under one bill the Senate passed, Planned Parenthood would be removed from the state’s Medicaid program, costing it a key funding source. www.theassemblync.com/politics/n-c...

Triangle folks: Do you like beer? Do you value @theassemblync.bsky.social? Do you like Frank Bruni or @billadair.com (or me, I guess)? If the answer to any of these is yes, I invite you to come to our October 8 event at Motorco www.theassemblync.com/events/octob...

The state Senate on Monday advanced a flurry of bills, all of which now go to the House for consideration. Under one bill the Senate passed, Planned Parenthood would be removed from the state’s Medicaid program, costing it a key funding source. www.theassemblync.com/politics/n-c...

BREAKING: Chris Clemens alleges the UNC-Chapel Hill board often went into closed session illegally, including before they postponed tenure votes, and forced him to resign after he informed faculty about the delays. www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

breaking news from unc: former provost chris clemens is suing the university for open meetings and public records violations during their discussion about delaying tenure votes www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

OCTOBER 8: Join three Triangle-based national journalists for drinks and discussion at Durham’s Motorco Music Hall, where they will talk about the stories behind their new books and the future of North Carolina and national politics. www.theassemblync.com/events/octob...

With fewer patrons at downtown restaurants and shops after the pandemic, city leaders say social districts have provided a critical shot in the arm to struggling businesses. www.theassemblync.com/business/soc...

Tucked away in a cluster of warehouses on the outskirts of Rutherfordton, Miso Master has stayed true to the centuries-old technique of naturally aging handcrafted miso with the seasons since 1980.

Per crime bill draft obtained by @theassemblync.bsky.social, NC lawmakers will seek to restrict cashless bail, speed up executions, and let judges and magistrates hold any defendant in jail without a hearing for up to three days for a mental health eval. #ncpol www.theassemblync.com/politics/cha...

BREAKING: The Assembly obtained a draft of the bill the General Assembly may pass in response to a Charlotte stabbing. Among other things, it allows judges to hold any defendant in jail without a hearing for up to 3 days for a mental health evaluation. www.theassemblync.com/politics/cha...