N.C.
FEMA Approves $197 Million More for North Carolina's Hurricane Helene Recovery
The July 2 award of public-assistance and hazard-mitigation grants becomes the latest flashpoint in a long dispute over whether federal disaster aid to the state has flowed too slowly.
North Carolina House Passes Election Law Bill Expanding Auditor Role; Senate Action Uncertain
House Bill 958 would require the state auditor to review county election boards on a schedule and mandate cross-checking of every absentee and provisional ballot; Senate Leader Phil Berger has not said whether the Senate will act on it.
Duke Energy and Interior Department Agree to End Carolina Long Bay Offshore Wind Lease
Duke Energy will give up its federal lease off Brunswick County, North Carolina, and pledge to put an equivalent $129 million into other in-state power projects.
North Carolina Officials Object to $450 Million Federal Chemours PFAS Settlement Centered on West Virginia and New Jersey
Federal regulators call the deal a landmark first PFAS enforcement win; North Carolina's governor and attorney general say their state, hit hardest by GenX, was excluded and got little, and will keep pressing a separate lawsuit.
Confederate Battle Emblem Briefly Shown on Video Board at North Carolina Booth at Washington Fair
An image splicing the Confederate battle flag onto the North Carolina state flag appeared on a screen inside the state's pavilion at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall before organizers removed it; Gov. Josh Stein's office and a corporate sponsor objected, and organizers called it an "unapproved image."
North Carolina House Elections Bill HB 958 Clears Rules Committee, Heads to Floor Vote Amid Bipartisan Opposition
A wide-ranging Republican elections bill advanced 14-9 with one GOP member voting no; it is scheduled for a June 30 House floor vote.
North Carolina Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Two Cases on Whether Lawmakers Can Curb the Governor's Appointment Powers
The state's high court, with a 5-2 Republican majority, will review consolidated separation-of-powers disputes between Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and GOP legislative leaders over appointments to state boards, judicial vacancies, and the Utilities Commission.
North Carolina Nears Second Fiscal Year of 2025-27 Biennium Without an Enacted Two-Year Budget
Days before the July 1 start of a new fiscal year, House and Senate Republicans have a framework but not a final budget, leaving raises and tax changes unresolved while the state runs on 2023 spending levels.
North Carolina House Overrides Four Stein Vetoes; Three DEI and Immigration Bills Become Law
Republican lawmakers cleared the three-fifths threshold on party-line votes, enacting an immigration-enforcement law and two anti-DEI education laws, with a fourth bill still needing a Senate override.
Exceptional Drought Triggers Mandatory Water Restrictions Across North Carolina's Triangle
Wake, Durham and neighboring counties have reached the U.S. Drought Monitor's highest category as Falls Lake falls and Raleigh and Durham order outdoor-watering limits during the state's driest year since 1895.