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Weekend reads: Guskiewicz departs UNC, filing season in full swing, and Black, Latino voters sue
UNC Chancellor announced as next president of Michigan State University By Joe Killian Michigan State University announced UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will become its next president during a Friday morning meeting of that university’s board of trustees. The board unanimously approved Guskiewicz’s hire with a starting date of March 4. His last day at […]
Lindsay Bass-Patel of the Wilson Ctr for Science and Justice on a Catch-22 in our justice system
As more and more states and localities have come to realize in recent years, there is a big practical conundrum that often arises when people of low income interact with the criminal justice system. The problem is this: While the system regularly imposes big fines and fees on those accused of violating the law and, […]
Dr. Ellen Gaddy, granddaughter of NC’s famously reactionary U.S. Senator, the late Jesse Helms
If you’re an American of a certain age, you undoubtedly remember Jesse Helms. Helms was a North Carolina U.S. Senator from 1973 to 2003 – a period in which he was widely recognized as America’s best known and most outspoken arch-conservative politician. On a long and sobering list of issues – race, reproductive freedom, equality […]
From COVID to climate change, Republicans question CDC’s role in keeping public safe
It’s been more than two and a half years since Alabama dropped its mask mandate as part of its COVID-19 safety guidance. But last week, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R – Alabama) was fixated on whether the Centers for Disease Control would reimpose such a requirement. “It’s good that we’re in a different place and […]
Weekend reads: Medicaid at long last, an environmental win, and reining in social media’s sway
More people in NC will have health insurance on Dec. 1, but there’s more to do to improve access By Lynn Bonner North Carolina will reach a milestone Dec. 1 when an estimated 600,000 low-income people become eligible to enroll in health insurance under Medicaid expansion. North Carolina is the 40th state to expand Medicaid […]
Governor Cooper makes history with appointment of new state auditor
Governor Roy Cooper tapped a familiar figure in Wake County political circles Thursday to complete the remainder of Beth Wood’s term as state auditor. Cooper selected attorney Jessica Holmes who currently serves as Deputy Industrial Commissioner and was the former chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “Jessica understands how government can be a […]
Ballot bites: Politicos make final decisions ahead of NC candidate filing
Just days ahead of the opening candidate filing period, politicians are making their intentions known and trying to demonstrate political strength by touting endorsements and cash on hand. If you missed it on Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger endorsed Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the 2024 Republican gubernatorial primary. Berger said Robinson has […]
Federal judge denies “meritless” motion to block Senate’s redistricting plan
Efforts to prevent the Republican drawn state Senate redistricting map from being used in the next election cycle suffered a setback Monday. U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever denied the request by Rodney Pierce of Halifax County and Moses Matthews of Martin County for an expedited briefing and decision in their case that alleges […]
Health and Human Services Sec. Kody Kinsley discusses the upcoming Dec. 1st expansion of Medicaid
In a special two-part conversation, NC Newsline chats with North Carolina state Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley about the upcoming December 1st expansion of Medicaid, how it will work, and what it will mean for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians.
Pollster David McLennan discusses how the 2024 gubernatorial candidates are faring
The 2024 primary election in North Carolina is only just over three months away and according to the most recent Meredith College poll, we may very well already know which major party candidates are likely to prevail. According to Meredith College political scientist and pollster David McLennan the latest poll found Democratic Attorney General Josh […]
Anxiety and algorithms: NC policymakers examine how to rein in social media’s sway
Here’s a quick quiz: Think back to Thanksgiving. Was your smartphone at the table? Did you scour Facebook or Instagram between courses? Did you post a selfie to mark the occasion? With social media occupying a bigger and bigger role in our lives, health experts are increasingly concerned about the role it has on adolescent […]
Weekend reads: Redistricting plan draws suit, metal mixtures in NC water, and three economic truths
Black North Carolina residents sue over Senate redistricting plan By Lynn Bonner Two Black northeastern North Carolina residents are suing to invalidate the state Senate redistricting plan approved last month. The federal lawsuit filed Monday claims that the legislature ignored the history of racially polarized voting in northeastern North Carolina, federal law, and a state […]