NC Politics in the News

Agriculture

CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS: Oyster trail designed to protect threatened industry
Wild oyster populations in North Carolina have experienced dramatic declines; the number of harvested bushels dropped from 200,000 in 1960 to just 35,000 in 1994 due to overharvesting, habitat loss, disease and predators.

Economic Development

WRAL: NC economy is strong – ‘way ahead of the nation,’ declares a Moody’s Analytics economist
North Carolina ranked first in two recent analyses that ranked states for their business climate, one by CNBC, and a second by Business Facilities Magazine. And an economist for Moody’s – one of the world’s top financial analysis firms – says the state continues to perform well midway through 2022, building on a year that delivered those stellar rankings.

TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL: NC makes billion-dollar bet on penny stock company – will it pay off?
On July 12, the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup announced its subsidiary VinFast wants to raise $4 billion to build its electric vehicle plant in Chatham County.

Education

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: NC Community Colleges president steps down. He had held jobs under McCrory and Trump.
On Wednesday the board named Bill Carver as interim president. It’s the second time in two years he has served as the system’s interim president; he also held the role in 2020 when the previous system president, Peter Hans, left the job. Carver retired in 2019 from a career at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount, including 14 years as the top leader there.

Environment

COASTAL REVIEW: NC, UK sign deal to transition to clean energy economy
North Carolina and the United Kingdom have agreed to strengthen economic ties and transition to a clean energy economy, state officials announced Wednesday.

Government

WSOC: NC legislature won’t hold votes at Raleigh return next week
The North Carolina General Assembly won’t work next week when it’s scheduled to reconvene, legislative officials said Friday, setting aside — for now — any attempts to override new vetoes by Gov. Roy Cooper.

CAROLINA JOURNAL: Legislative leaders challenge Leandro plaintiffs’ request for Berger recusal
Legislative leaders have fired the latest salvo in the legal battle over N.C. Supreme Court justices’ participation in the latest stage of the Leandro school-funding lawsuit. A court filing Thursday from legislative attorneys questions Leandro plaintiffs’ request that Justice Phil Berger Jr. recuse himself from the case.

Healthcare

WITN: New behavioral health hospital coming to Eastern Carolina
An Eastern Carolina hospital system is partnering with other healthcare providers to create a new behavioral health hospital. ECU Health and Acadia Healthcare announced Tuesday plans to build a state-of-the-art, 144-bed behavioral health hospital in the medical district of Greenville, less than a mile from ECU Health Medical Center. This new facility will provide North Carolinians with important access to behavioral health services and treatment from specialized clinical teams in a carefully designed environment.

CBS 17: What is the demand in NC for the monkeypox vaccine?
As of Wednesday morning, there are at least 20 cases of monkeypox in North Carolina. People who have been exposed to the virus are encouraged to seek vaccination. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported they have been allocated a total of 4,548 doses of the vaccine Jynneos.

Politics

THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: NC governor is ‘only line of defense’ against anti-abortion bills, VP says
Vice President Kamala Harris today met with state legislators to talk about abortion rights and participated in events in Charlotte about affordable high-speed internet. It’s the vice president’s second visit to the Queen City in eight months.

SPECTRUM NEWS: Stein’s campaign seeks to block law enabling ad investigation
N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s campaign asked a federal judge on Thursday to strike down a state law that enabled authorities to investigate an ad the campaign ran targeting Stein’s 2020 challenger.