North Carolina News & Current Events

Rates of mental and behavioral health challenges have increased broadly among women and children across the nation in recent years, according to the UnitedHealth Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Expert Stresses Importance of Health Care, Screenings for NC Women

As National Women's Health Month comes to an end, an expert emphasized the need for increased health care and screenings for women in North Carolina …

About 5.7 million acres of North Carolina or 17% of the state is made up of wetlands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Adobe Stock)

Sportsmen's Group Voices Concern Over SCOTUS Wetlands Ruling

Conservation and sportsmen's groups are voicing concerns that wetlands areas are now in jeopardy of being drained and developed or otherwise eliminate…

According to an Annie E. Casey Foundation report, the number of youths in foster care has declined steadily since 2006. (Adobe Stock)

Report Highlights Need for Extended Transition Services for Older Youths

Teenagers and young adults in the foster care system in North Carolina and throughout the nation are not receiving sufficient services to successfully…

Cooperating Raleigh Colleges is a nonprofit consortium. Its members are Meredith College, North Carolina State University, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Wake Technical Community College, and William Peace University. (Drobot Dean/Adobe Stock)

Six NC Colleges Work to Broaden Educational Opportunities

Six colleges in North Carolina have found they can do more to offer educational opportunities when they work together. Cooperating Raleigh Colleges …

More than 4,000 women die of cervical cancer each year. (Adobe Stock)

HPV Self-Collection May Increase Testing Among Under-Screened NC Women

Researchers from the University of North Carolina's School of Medicine and Gillings School of Public Health are exploring the potential of HPV self-co…

According to the East Coast Greenway Alliance, 50 million bike rides, runs and walks occur every year along the project's existing route. (Adobe Stock)

North Carolina Greenways: A Path to Health, Happiness, and Economic Growth

By Ashira Morris for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalis…

Around 77,900 transgender youths live in 11 states that passed bans or took other executive actions this year or in prior years to prohibit or limit their access to gender-affirming care. (Valerii Honcharuk/Adobe Stock)

NC Advocates, Doctors Speak Out Against Ban on Gender-Affirming Care

In North Carolina, advocates and health care professionals are voicing their opposition to recent medical care restrictions they call legislative …

Feeding America estimates 1.2 million North Carolinians are food insecure. (Adobe Stock)

NC Food Banks Noting Increasing Demand After SNAP Benefit Reductions

With the end of SNAP emergency allotments, North Carolina hunger advocates are noting increased demand on food banks. In 2022, more than 1.5 million …

Produce Purpose has two goals in mind - to offer meaningful employment to individuals with special needs and to bring healthy, nutritional food to college campuses. (Adobe Stock)

Hydroponic Farm Boosts Healthy Eating, Special-Needs Jobs at NC University

William Peace University is teaming up with Produce Purpose, a nonprofit organization, to install a hydroponic farming operation on campus. The new …

Farmers in North Carolina lose crops worth roughly $79 million as a result of equipment breakdowns. (Alexey Zarodov/Adobe Stock)

Tractor ‘Right to Repair’ Could Save NC Farmers $103 Million a Year

North Carolina farmers are calling on lawmakers to address manufacturer-imposed repair limitations on tractors, and minimize disruptions on their …

U.S. Postal Service data show a 12.5% decrease in the number of retail counter clerks who staff post office retail counters and distribute mail to letter carriers. (Matt Gush/Adobe Stock)

USPS Workers Call Attention to Challenging Conditions with Campaign

U.S. Postal Service employees from North Carolina and nationwide are highlighting their challenging work conditions with a campaign against what they …

Union County averaged 1.3 high ozone days giving them a

NC Air Report Highlights Needs for Emission Reduction, Rural Air Monitoring

A new study emphasizes the urgent need for enhanced air quality monitoring in rural regions, while drawing attention to the efforts required to …

For the mutual aid organizers in Asheville, part of their solution to what they say is

NC 'Mutual Aid' Groups Face Legal Challenges

By Shane Burley for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News …

The majority of North Carolina farmworkers are not covered by workers' compensation. (Adobe Stock)

FLOC Fights for Better Farm Worker Conditions Against Tobacco Company

The Farm Labor Organizing Committee is working to better the harsh conditions faced by North Carolina farm workers. During the British American …

Credit unions are member-owned nonprofit financial cooperatives that provide services to members similar to retail banks, including deposit accounts, loans and other financial services. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Credit Unions Gaining Ground Amid Banking Uncertainty

More North Carolinians are considering investing their money in credit unions as the nation's banking system continues to receive scrutiny after sever…

International students comprise 5% of all students in higher education. (Adobe Stock)

Undocumented NC Students Call for Tuition Fairness

Some North Carolina students are calling on legislators to propose a bill to allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at community colleges…

The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management estimates Hurricane Florence caused $17 billion in damage. (Adobe Stock)

Bill Aims to Help Hurricane Survivors Build Homes Faster

A new bill aimed at the disaster-relief program Rebuild NC could help storm-displaced North Carolinians get back into their homes faster. Under …

In 2020, children of color made up the majority of the total child population in 20 states. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Declining Child Population a Concern for NC’s Future

North Carolina is among the states where the child population has increased, but nationwide numbers suggest a decline in children, which could …

The National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions reports 122 million Americans are credit-union members. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

NC Credit Unions Position Themselves as Banking Alternatives

People who are nervous about where to put their money based on recent bank failures in the news are taking a closer look at credit unions. There …

Farmland makes up about 8.3 million acres in North Carolina, and agriculture employs one in six people in the state. (Andrii Yalanskyi/Adobe Stock)

NC Farmers Count On Congress for Support to Fight Climate Change

North Carolina farmers are monitoring a bill that's been revived in Congress, aimed at improving farm sustainability and reducing the agriculture …

Flooding is North Carolina's second-most common natural hazard, occurring on average every 7.5 days, according to data from North Carolina Flood Insurance. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Groups Focus on Climate, Flood Resilience in Western NC

More than 100 people will gather this week in Asheville to brainstorm ways to improve flood resilience in Western North Carolina. Historically…

From July 2019 to June 2020, North Carolina authorities investigated reports of possible neglect or abuse involving 117,268 children. (William/Adobe Stock)

Fayetteville Center Calls for Vigilance in Reporting Child Abuse

North Carolinians are being asked this month to remember their crucial duty as mandated reporters of suspected child abuse. Last year, as a grim …

People have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by 40% since the late 1700s. (Adobe Stock)

NC BREATHE Conference: Climate Concerns for Vulnerable Communities

North Carolina groups are gathering to tackle the main challenges climate change presents to local communities at today's NC BREATHE Conference in Cha…

Some 77% of small business owners say the consolidation of hospital systems in their areas has worsened the overall availability and quality of health-care services in their communities. (Leigh Trail/Adobe Stock)

NC Small Businesses Demand Action on Costs Linked to Hospital Mergers

Small-business owners in North Carolina are reaching out to legislators for help, citing hospital mergers as one reason their health-care costs are …

After Generations of Exclusion, Black Americans Embrace the Outdoors

By Jazmin Murphy for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Brett Peveto for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News Service …

In 2022 there were over 37,000 dollar stores in the United States, up by 1,500 from the previous year, according to the website Statista. (Adobe Stock)

Opposition to Dollar Stores Grows in Rural NC

Last year, nearly half of new stores that opened their doors nationwide were chain dollar stores, and in rural North Carolina, residents are …

In 2009, through what is known as the CARD Act, Congress mandated that fees be

CFPB Proposal Would Lower Credit-Card Late Fees

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed new regulations on credit card late fees, which could save Americans billions of dollars…

Many of the nation's more than 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States do not have access to any form of identification, according to the Center for American Progress. (Adobe Stock)

NC’s Anti-Community ID Bill Could Harm Immigrant Families

Providers of community IDs for North Carolina's immigrant communities say proposed legislation banning police officers and local governments from reco…

Hip Hop Higher Ed Symposium programming brings hip-hop culture and scholarship to North Carolina college students. (Stephanie Reed)<br />

Symposium Brings Hip Hop Culture, Scholarship to NC Campuses

An upcoming event in Raleigh hosted in part by William Peace University aims to bring hip-hop arts culture to North Carolina's college students…

Stedman farmer Demi Tucker has been growing mushrooms on her family's land for the past few years. (Demi Tucker)

NC's Black Farmers Can't Find Affordable Land

With the cost of farmland up by more than 8% percent in North Carolina, the state's Black farmers are struggling to purchase additional acreage or …

The Best Colleges rankings take into account a school's academic outcomes and overall college affordability. (Adobe Stock)

Three NC HBCUs on List of Best LGBTQ+ Campuses

Three North Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities are on a recent "best of" list for LGBTQ+ campuses. The Best Colleges Campus Pride …

Black farmland ownership, which peaked in 1910 at 16 to 19 million acres, has shrunk to less than 3 million acres, according to FarmAid. (Adobe Stock)

Post-COVID, Black Farmers Face Mounting Obstacles to Land Ownership

The growing value of agricultural commodities is attracting deep-pocketed financial investors - like Bill Gates - and pushing land ownership out of re…

U.S. consumers received more than 50 billion robocalls in 2022, according to data from YouMail Inc. (Adobe Stock)<br />

North Carolina Clamps Down on Robocalls

North Carolina's Attorney General Josh Stein recently won a lawsuit shutting down a massive robocall operation out of Texas. According to the …

Median operating margins among rural hospitals were higher in expansion than non-expansion states in 2019, according to KFF. (Adobe Stock)

NC Medicaid Expansion Agreement Could Bolster Rural Hospitals

North Carolina lawmakers recently reached a bipartisan agreement that paves the way for an additional 600,000 residents to gain access to health cover…

Fentanyl continues to drive most of North Carolina's overdose deaths, according to recently released data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. (Adobe Stock)

2021 North Carolina Overdose Deaths Highest on Record

More than 4,000 people in North Carolina died of overdoses in 2021, the highest number of overdose deaths in a single year on record in the state…

Workers at Cambria Suites and Hotel in Morrisville, N.C., and colleagues from the Union of Southern Service Workers rally Feb. 20 for better pay, benefits and workplace safety. (Herb White)

Labor Advocacy's Future as Diverse as Workforce

By Herbert White for the Charlotte Post, with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for North …

The National Eating Disorders Association offers a screening tool on its website for someone wondering if they or a family member suffer an eating disorder. (Adobe Stock)

NC Minorities Receive Less Treatment for Eating Disorders

As part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, specialists are calling for additional funding, research and resources for people affected by …

North Carolina is one of the largest users of a type of temporary agricultural visa with between 14,000 and 17,000 H-2A visa workers annually, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. (Adobe Stock)

Unionized Farmworkers Reach Pact with Hundreds of NC Farms

Unionized farmworkers recently signed a collective-bargaining agreement with the North Carolina Growers Association. The new agreement protects the …

The proportion of Hispanic K-12 students in U.S. schools has increased threefold, from 9%<br />in 1984 to 28% today, according to UnidosUS. (Adobe Stock)

NC Latino Leaders Call for More Bilingual, Cultural Support

North Carolina's Latino education leaders see a need for more bilingual and cultural sensitivity training in the state's classrooms. The group …

Katlyn Moss, pictured at the Clay County Recreation Center in Hayesville in November, had to travel more than an hour in the snow to give birth to her daughter in 2018. (Colby Rabon/Carolina Public Press)

Lack of Maternal Care Threatens Health of Western NC Mothers

By Shelby Harris and Sarah Melotte for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for North Carolina News Service Service for the Public New…

Children aged 5 to 19 from low-income families are twice as likely to have cavities, compared with children from higher-income households, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Children’s Dental Health Month: Tooth Decay Warning Signs Explained

More than 20% of U.S. children 2 to 5 years old, and 52% of children 6 to 8 have dental cavities - according to a report published last year in the …

Total Medicaid/CHIP enrollment grew to 90.9 million in September 2022, an increase of 19.8 million or more than 27.9% from enrollment in February 2020, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

NC's Most Vulnerable Face Challenges with Tailored Health Plans

Roughly 2.8 million North Carolinians receive Medicaid benefits, and many are being transitioned over to managed health care plans. It means their …

Americans strongly support unionization, according to a 2022 Gallup poll in which 71% of respondents approved of unions, marking the highest point nationally since 1965. (Adobe Stock)

Even With Thinning Ranks, Unions Organize for Change

By Herbert White for the Charlotte Post, with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for North …

In 2020, about two in 10 deaths from coronary artery disease occurred in adults younger than 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Cardiac Arrest or Heart Attack? NC Residents Urged to Learn Difference

Heart disease killed more than 19,000 North Carolinians in 2020, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

Around 75% of undergraduates have taken at least one course online, versus 71% of graduate students, according to Best Colleges. (Adobe Stock)

Online Education Boosts Enrollment at Community Colleges

Results of a new study showed community colleges are building on pandemic-era success when more students turned to online education. Enrollment has …

Wildlife crossings help reduce habitat fragmentation and increase landscape connectivity. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates Call for More "Climate-Informed" Wildlife Crossings

Advocates in North Carolina and nationally are calling on decision makers to expand the use of climate-informed wildlife crossings. Given the vast …

A schematic of a planned shopping district by F7 International Development, whose CEO was recently awarded the

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NC Business Owners Recognized for Their Social Impact

An increasing number of North Carolina businesses are shifting toward social impact and sustainable business practices. James Montague, president …

Black farmers made up 14% of U.S. farmers in 1920, but having been denied equal access to land, financing and other resources, that number dwindled to 1.4% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

NC's Black Farmers Face Uphill Battle

Two Democratic senators have introduced legislation in Washington they hope will become part of the 2023 Farm Bill. Debate is set to begin in the …

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North Carolina

Expert Stresses Importance of Health Care, Screenings for NC Women

Sportsmen's Group Voices Concern Over SCOTUS Wetlands Ruling

Report Highlights Need for Extended Transition Services for Older Youths

Six NC Colleges Work to Broaden Educational Opportunities

HPV Self-Collection May Increase Testing Among Under-Screened NC Women

North Carolina Greenways: A Path to Health, Happiness, and Economic Growth

NC Advocates, Doctors Speak Out Against Ban on Gender-Affirming Care

NC Food Banks Noting Increasing Demand After SNAP Benefit Reductions

Hydroponic Farm Boosts Healthy Eating, Special-Needs Jobs at NC University

Tractor ‘Right to Repair’ Could Save NC Farmers $103 Million a Year

USPS Workers Call Attention to Challenging Conditions with Campaign

NC Air Report Highlights Needs for Emission Reduction, Rural Air Monitoring

NC 'Mutual Aid' Groups Face Legal Challenges

FLOC Fights for Better Farm Worker Conditions Against Tobacco Company

Credit Unions Gaining Ground Amid Banking Uncertainty

Undocumented NC Students Call for Tuition Fairness

Bill Aims to Help Hurricane Survivors Build Homes Faster

Report: Declining Child Population a Concern for NC’s Future

NC Credit Unions Position Themselves as Banking Alternatives

NC Farmers Count On Congress for Support to Fight Climate Change

Groups Focus on Climate, Flood Resilience in Western NC

Fayetteville Center Calls for Vigilance in Reporting Child Abuse

NC BREATHE Conference: Climate Concerns for Vulnerable Communities

NC Small Businesses Demand Action on Costs Linked to Hospital Mergers

After Generations of Exclusion, Black Americans Embrace the Outdoors

Opposition to Dollar Stores Grows in Rural NC

CFPB Proposal Would Lower Credit-Card Late Fees

NC’s Anti-Community ID Bill Could Harm Immigrant Families

Symposium Brings Hip Hop Culture, Scholarship to NC Campuses

NC's Black Farmers Can't Find Affordable Land

Three NC HBCUs on List of Best LGBTQ+ Campuses

Post-COVID, Black Farmers Face Mounting Obstacles to Land Ownership

North Carolina Clamps Down on Robocalls

NC Medicaid Expansion Agreement Could Bolster Rural Hospitals

2021 North Carolina Overdose Deaths Highest on Record

Labor Advocacy's Future as Diverse as Workforce

NC Minorities Receive Less Treatment for Eating Disorders

Unionized Farmworkers Reach Pact with Hundreds of NC Farms

NC Latino Leaders Call for More Bilingual, Cultural Support

Lack of Maternal Care Threatens Health of Western NC Mothers

Children’s Dental Health Month: Tooth Decay Warning Signs Explained

NC's Most Vulnerable Face Challenges with Tailored Health Plans

Even With Thinning Ranks, Unions Organize for Change

Cardiac Arrest or Heart Attack? NC Residents Urged to Learn Difference

Online Education Boosts Enrollment at Community Colleges

Advocates Call for More "Climate-Informed" Wildlife Crossings

NC Business Owners Recognized for Their Social Impact

NC's Black Farmers Face Uphill Battle