Pressure of Truth
The news, with the spin made visible.

N.C.

Developing

NC Attorney General Files Testimony Opposing Most of Duke Energy Progress's Proposed Two-Year Rate Increase

Jeff Jackson's office asks state regulators to cut the utility's requested return on equity and shift more grid costs onto data centers; the Utilities Commission will decide this fall.

Jul 20, 2026 · 14 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked
Developing

North Carolina's Driest Year on Record Prompts Mandatory Water Restrictions Across Triangle and Charlotte Regions

State officials report all 100 counties in drought as reservoirs including Falls Lake sit below normal, and more utilities move to enforceable conservation rules.

Jul 20, 2026 · 12 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked

Nippon Electric Glass to Close Shelby, N.C. Fiberglass Plant, Ending 282 Jobs; Sells Lexington Plant to Saint-Gobain

The Japanese company says it is exiting North American glass-fiber production; workers face an Aug. 31 shutdown as the sale of a sister plant transfers about 90 jobs to a French rival.

Jul 20, 2026 · 14 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked

NASCAR Cup Series Returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway After State and Federal Money Helped Rebuild the Track

The historic North Carolina short track hosted its first Cup Series points race since 1996, drawing fresh debate over the roughly $18 million in COVID-relief funds and a state MEGA Fund grant used to revive it.

Jul 20, 2026 · 11 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked

North Carolina Budget Provision Authorizes Placement of License-Plate Reader Cameras on State Roads

A section of North Carolina's new state budget lets the State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Transportation put automated license-plate readers along state-maintained roads statewide, extending a pilot that privacy groups across the political spectrum oppose.

Jul 19, 2026 · 13 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked
Developing

North Carolina Reports 300-Plus Cyclosporiasis Cases, Centered in Wake County; State Says It Is Separate From Taco Bell Lettuce Outbreak

State health officials report over 300 cases and 13 hospitalizations of the parasitic illness since May, and say the source remains unidentified and distinct from a larger multistate outbreak tied to Taco Bell lettuce.

Jul 19, 2026 · 18 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked
Developing

North Carolina Elections Board Votes to Let County Boards Reject Photo-ID Provisional Ballots by Majority Instead of Unanimous Vote

The state board's 3-2 party-line vote heads to the Rules Review Commission and could take effect before the November 2026 midterms.

Jul 19, 2026 · 12 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked

North Carolina Reports More Than $1 Billion Awarded for Post-Helene Water Repairs, With $750 Million in Needs Still Unfunded

Gov. Josh Stein and state environmental regulators marked a funding milestone in Burnsville, as debate continues over the pace of the broader Hurricane Helene recovery and how much of the money is state versus federal.

Jul 19, 2026 · 10 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked
Developing

Duke Energy Carolinas and NC Public Staff Reach Settlement Capping Rate Increase at 3.7% a Year; Commission Approval Pending

The proposed deal would cut a rate hike Duke first sought at roughly 18% to an average 3.7% annual increase over two years, but the state attorney general did not sign it and continues to press for lower utility profits.

Jul 18, 2026 · 12 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked
Developing

More North Carolina Towns Pause New Data Center Construction as $19 Billion Edgecombe County AI Project Is Withdrawn

Mount Airy joins roughly 30 North Carolina communities that have temporarily halted new data center development, while a proposed 900-megawatt AI campus near Tarboro was pulled by its developer.

Jul 18, 2026 · 15 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked

North Carolina Council Classifies Eight Counties in 'Exceptional' Drought as Statewide Dry Spell Continues

State drought officials place eight Triangle-area counties in the highest drought category on July 16 as utilities enforce Stage 2 water limits; the same map shows a slight net improvement from earlier weeks.

Jul 18, 2026 · 13 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked

NC State Audit: 78% of Pre-1983 Landfill Sites Never Investigated for Contamination

A performance audit by North Carolina's elected state auditor found that a DEQ program has not investigated 534 of 688 identified old landfill sites, with full cleanup estimated near $1 billion.

Jul 18, 2026 · 5 sources cited · ✓ fact-checked