Briefs
Federal judge blocks two provisions in NC’s new abortion law
A federal judge blocked provisions of the state’s new abortion law dealing with abortion pills and procedures in clinics. US District Court Judge Catherine Eagles, in an order issued Saturday, said that provisions preventing doctors from prescribing abortion pills in the early weeks of pregnancy and requiring abortions after 12 weeks be performed in hospitals […]
Nearly all national park sites to close during government shutdown
Almost all National Park Service sites will be inaccessible during a partial federal government shutdown likely to start this weekend, the U.S. Interior Department said Friday. The agency will bar access to most of the nation’s 425 parks, recreation areas, national historic sites and other units, according to a fact sheet from the Interior Department, […]
NC Gov. Cooper vetoes bill giving legislators all appointments to state and local elections boards.
Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill that restructures state and local elections boards to give legislators more power. In a statement, Cooper said Senate Bill 479 could lead to gridlock and the risk that Republicans or courts could change election results they don’t like. The bill strips governors of all appointments to the state Board […]
College Board data: More North Carolina students taking Advanced Placement courses, passing exams
More of North Carolina high school students took Advanced Placement (AP) courses last school year and more of them performed at a higher level on AP exams than did so the previous year, according to recent College Board data. The College Board is the organization that administers the AP program and exams. Success on AP […]
Five standout speeches from North Carolina’s final public hearing on redistricting
It might be easy to think the average person doesn’t know or doesn’t really care what legislative district they live in. But North Carolinians both young and old proved that was not the case Wednesday as they patiently waited their turn to speak up for democracy and reject efforts to further gerrymander the state’s voting […]
Eight new public defender districts funded in the budget — but legal deserts remain
In May, the head of the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services told members of the Governor’s Crime Commission that almost half of the state’s 100 counties are “legal deserts,” meaning there was less than one lawyer for every 1,000 residents. But the state budget could help with that, Mary Pollard told officials. At […]
North Carolina’s new abortion law is back in federal court
Under the state’s new abortion law, doctors are not allowed to prescribe abortion pills before a patient’s embryo is visible on an ultrasound, which happens at about five or six weeks. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Dr. Beverly Gray, a Duke OB-GYN, are asking a federal court judge to put a freeze on that provision […]
In the shadow of Alcoa, West Badin residents want you to visit their town to see the environmental threats they live with every day
The hulking metal shell of the former Alcoa plant in Badin, in Stanly County, is roughly a half-mile long and severs the west side — which is historically and predominantly Black — from the rest of town. Beneath the 700,000-square-foot building pollution from the smelting operations is curdling. For much of Alcoa’s tenure, there were […]
For the second time in two months, Burlington discharged toxic 1,4-Dioxane into Haw River, Pittsboro’s drinking water supply
Update at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26.: The Town of Pittsboro released the first sampling results for 1,4-Dioxane: Raw Grab from Intake – 6.77 parts per billion Finished Water Grab – 5.26 bppb Chatham Park Tank – 3.23 ppb Chatham Forest Standpipe – 3.07 ppb Million Gallon Tank – 2.60 ppb Horton Tank – 1.74 […]
Biden administration to create new gun violence prevention office
WASHINGTON — The White House Thursday announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year. Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along […]
UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees member officially running for state auditor
It’s official: Dave Boliek, member and former chair of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, is running for the GOP nomination for State Auditor. As Newsline reported earlier this month, Boliek changed his voter registration from Democratic to Republican in June as he was considering a run for auditor — his first for public office. […]
Biden administration offers temporary protection to Venezuelan migrants
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced late Wednesday that the agency will expand protected status to nearly half a million Venezuelan nationals, allowing them to live and work in the United States. The move comes after multiple requests from cities that have struggled to house asylum seekers and calls from […]