N.C. redistricting leaders defend map-drawing process
Two leaders of North Carolina's legislative redistricting committees defended their election map-drawing process during the third day of a trial focusing on the future of those maps.
News and Opinion
OPINION: A new year should remind us of old truths about government
A new year often brings a desire for change. For all the failed resolutions, somebody out there, many even, will alter their lives for the better. We are constantly changing as a society. Fashion, music, cost of living, it’s all changing. How many people born just a half-century ago could have foreseen today’s technological advances?
Durham poised to send $500 checks to ex-cons in basic income pilot
The city of Durham is set to give monthly checks worth $500 to 115 formerly incarcerated people. The move is part of a nationwide basic income experiment, primarily bankrolled by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey.
Chief Justice Paul Newby proclaims January 2022 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Supreme Court of North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby has proclaimed January 2022 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the Judicial Branch by way of a judicial order.
First student P-EBT issuance scheduled for next week, child care P-EBT still pending federal approval
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced it will issue the first round of Student Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer benefits next week for students eligible between the months of September and November 2021.
COVID-19 boosters recommended for children ages 12 to 15, additional dose recommended for immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday announced it recommends the Pfizer COVID-19 booster for children ages 12 to 15 to further protect them from COVID-19. The CDC also recommends a third dose of Pfizer for children ages 5 to 11 who have compromised immune systems.
The Woodshed: UNC professor claims only Democrats protect black voters’ rights
A liberal UNC-Chapel Hill professor testified Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court that GOP-crafted election maps represent a conservative white backlash against rising black political power. Professor James Leloudis appeared on behalf of Democratic Party-aligned plaintiffs working to overturn voting maps passed by the Republican-led General Assembly, arguing that the maps are unfair to black North Carolinians.
Cooper extends vaccine, testing requirements for state employees
Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday, Jan. 4, said health experts, doctors, and scientists are learning more about COVID-19, and state officials and politicians are using that knowledge to keep schools open and to avoid more onerous shutdowns and suppressions.
School closures were too risky
When the news broke on January 3 that one of North Carolina’s largest school districts, Cumberland County, was considering a shift to virtual instruction in response to rising case counts of the Omicron variant, I felt my stomach lurch.
N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources celebrates 50th anniversary in 2022
In 2022, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will celebrate 50 years as a state cabinet-level agency with regional celebrations and online content planned throughout the year.
Governor Cooper Signs Executive Order Extending Health Care Help to Strengthen State’s Response to Omicron Variant
Today, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 245 to strengthen the state’s ongoing fight against COVID-19 with more health care workers and flexibility for care facilities, as well as easier access to vaccines, tests and treatments. The regulatory waivers in the Order are key to facilitating the state’s COVID-19 response at this critical juncture in the pandemic.
OPINION: Democrats’ expert challenges narrative about ‘fair’ election maps
North Carolina is a purple state, nearly evenly divided between supporters of the two major parties. The state’s new congressional map should reflect that fact.