N.C.
N.C. Commerce Report Says State Labor Force Shrank 0.5% Over the Past Year
The state's August 2026 economic report finds fewer North Carolinians working or looking for work, and analysts disagree over whether aging, policy choices, or immigration enforcement is the main cause.
Two Charlotte-Area Closures Cut 655 Jobs as Regional Layoff Filings Top 1,600
Family Dollar is closing its Matthews distribution center and Nippon Electric Glass is shutting its Shelby plant, even as the Charlotte metro adds jobs overall.
NC Senate Passes Budget Follow-Up Bill Adding Sports and Film Money, Shifting Some Appointment Powers
House Bill 268, a 51-page "technical corrections" package, would send $25 million to the 2027 Military World Games and $15 million to the state film grant fund while also changing rules that govern the governor's appointees.
Storms Bring Flash Flooding to Wake County, Damage a Cary Home, and Snarl RDU Flights
Fast-moving thunderstorms flooded roads across the Triangle, dropped a tree onto a Cary house, cut power to thousands, and delayed or canceled close to 200 flights at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
North Carolina Governor Asks CMS to Restore Statutory "Medical Frailty" Language in Medicaid Work-Rule Regulation
Gov. Josh Stein and NCDHHS filed a formal comment asking federal regulators to drop a narrower test for who counts as too sick to work; CMS says the test is needed to keep the exemption honest.
New Durham Food Bank Center Opens as North Carolina Hunger Measures Hit Two-Decade High
Food Lion funded a $1 million hunger center that opened July 28 in Durham, as food bank officials and state and federal policymakers dispute how much of the state's rising hunger comes from SNAP changes, grocery prices, or how the state runs the program.
Seven Western North Carolina Projects Awarded $34.2 Million in Federal Economic Development Grants
Gov. Josh Stein announced U.S. Economic Development Administration awards for Helene-hit counties, arriving amid an ongoing fight over how fast recovery money is reaching the ground.
North Carolina Layoff Filings Rise Sharply in 2026 as State Unemployment Stays Near 3.6%
Mass-layoff notices from Lowe's and Family Dollar are concentrated in the Charlotte region, while the state's single largest filing this year — Thermo Fisher Scientific, near Asheville — lies far to the west; analysts disagree over whether the filings signal a weakening economy or a reshuffling one.
NC Rep. Erin Paré Says She May File a Sex-Based Dress Code Bill for School Employees
No bill has been filed; the Wake County Republican's Facebook post about a transgender elementary school teacher has drawn legal objections from LGBTQ advocacy groups and the school district's anti-discrimination policy.
UNC-Chapel Hill Pauses Admissions to Four Graduate Degree Programs After Program Review
Provost Magnus Egerstedt told trustees that 4 of 275 degree programs were flagged for pause over low enrollment or low completion, while one trustee said the review ignored cost.
Public Comment Closes on Air Permits for Amazon's Richmond County Data Center and Duke Energy's Temporary Generators
North Carolina regulators stopped taking public input on July 31 for draft air-quality permits covering 588 backup diesel engines at Amazon's $10 billion campus and 57 temporary Duke Energy engines on the same site.
CMPD Officer Charged With Illegally Accessing Government Computer in Flock Camera Case
North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation says Officer Seth Elliott looked up an undercover officer's license plate and passed it to a drug investigation target; the case has fed a wider fight over license plate camera oversight.