RALEIGH — According to folklore, extraordinary beings resent being confined within ordinary spaces. In “The Fisherman and the Jinni,” one of the stories Sheherazade tells her misguided husband in One Thousand and One Nights, the being in question is so angry at being imprisoned for centuries in a bottle that he has to be tricked into granting wishes rather than killing his lowly liberator outright. In Disney’s Aladdin, the genie isn’t so vengeful but still describes his confinement as “phenomenal cosmic powers” uncomfortably crammed into an “itty bitty living space.”
RALEIGH — Here are three stories about North Carolina’s economy that made headlines last week — each undeniably newsworthy and yet each requiring more information to put in proper historical context.
(RALEIGH) Today Governor Josh Stein visited RHA Health Services’ Alamance County Behavioral Health Center in Burlington to host a roundtable discussion with community leaders highlighting the critical role that crisis and mental health services play in keeping North Carolinians healthy and safe. The Alamance Center is a partnership of county, state, and local management entities (LMEs) that supports individuals with developmental disabilities, substance abuse, and other behavioral health needs.
RALEIGH — Like it or not, the 2026 election cycle is in full swing. For North Carolina’s March 3 primary, voters are already mailing in absentee ballots to help determine party nominees for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the state legislature, state courts, and many local offices. The deadline for registering to vote in the primary is February 6. Early in-person voting begins on February 12 and lasts until February 28.
In a presentation from the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center, Executive Director Alexandra Forter Sirota shared how North Carolina’s income and corporate tax policies are stacked in favor of the wealthiest while leaving the rest of the state on the hook.
As a state senator representing the hardworking people of North Carolina, I've always believed in the value of college sports. It’s brought pride to our communities, boosted our economy, and enriched the educational experience at our universities. From the roar of the crowd at Appalachian State when they slay a football giant to the excitement of basketball in Wilmington, athletics have been a unifying force.
State Auditor Dave Boliek’s Republican-led State Board of Elections decided yesterday to disregard state law and override a bipartisan decision made by Wilson County’s Board of Elections.
RALEIGH — I admit that I am not a career academic. But I have taught at the university level for many years, and leadership classes for decades. I can’t imagine any scenario in which sharing my course outlines or syllabi with the general public would impair my freedom, effectiveness, or reputation.
RALEIGH — North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) had created a 23-member select committee to evaluate potential reforms of the state’s property-tax system. That is a fine idea, a sensible reaction to surging property values and changing fiscal conditions. But members ought not be distracted by out-of-state chatter about repealing the property tax entirely. That is a bad idea, destined to fail.
RALEIGH — It was 250 years ago this week that a displaced governor issued a proclamation intended to restore him to power in North Carolina. Instead, it led to the first major engagement of the Revolutionary War in the Southern colonies — and a decisive defeat for his cause.
