News
Congress clears bill to avert shutdown, with vote promised later on Ukraine aid
WASHINGTON — Congress approved a bill Saturday night that would stave off a government shutdown until at least mid-November, though the measure doesn’t include Ukraine aid backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The bipartisan 88-9 vote in the U.S. Senate, just hours before a midnight deadline, took place after the U.S. House earlier in the […]
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 […]
Women workers could bear economic brunt as federal child care funding ends
A huge chunk of pandemic relief funding that kept child care programs afloat for the past few years is set to run out Saturday, and policy advocates say the economic impact will be profound, with the ripple effect hurting labor force participation and consumer spending at a time when the country is still trying to […]
Shutdown would mean even more delays in overwhelmed U.S. immigration courts
WASHINGTON — A looming partial government shutdown will put added pressure on an already strained system — U.S. immigration courts. Canceling or rescheduling court cases that many immigrants have awaited for years will cause even more backlogs, immigration attorneys and judges have warned. “Where we’ll really kind of see the backlog continue to build will […]
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, […]
GOP witnesses at Biden impeachment hearing see insufficient evidence of wrongdoing so far
WASHINGTON — With two days before a partial government shutdown, House Republicans held their first impeachment inquiry hearing Thursday over unproven allegations that President Joe Biden benefited from his son’s business dealings overseas. Witnesses tapped by Republicans for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing acknowledged that there was no evidence showing that the president […]
Controversial new UNC-Chapel Hill school moving forward with $1 million private donation
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees heard more on the progress of university’s controversial new school Thursday, getting an update from the provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The school has already secured a $1 million pledge from a private foundation in addition to $4 million in funding from the General Assembly […]
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 […]
US Fish and Wildlife Service plans to chemically treat part of Lake Mattamuskeet
SWAN QUARTER — Officials at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge are considering permitting a relatively new pesticide in a trial project to study its effect on blue-green algae that has plagued the state’s largest freshwater lake. A draft environmental assessment of the proposed treatment on Lake Mattamuskeet was released earlier this month. Public comments are due by Oct. […]
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 […]
GOP presidential hopefuls tear into each other and absent Trump at second debate
The candidates polling from second to eighth in the race for the Republican nomination for president largely agreed on policy, fought over their records and took aim at former President Donald Trump at their second debate of the year Wednesday night. Trump, who leads polls of the race by substantial margins, skipped the event at […]