NC Politics in the News

Economic Development

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: North Hills' $1B 'Innovation District' is starting to take shape. What to know. North Hills’ new $1-billion innovation district is coming together. Roughly four years after Kane Realty first unveiled ambitious expansion plans for a 33-acre development within Raleigh’s Midtown, the developer has delivered a handful of residential projects — including Vine Apartments in 2020 and Channel House Apartments in May.

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Education

WRAL: 'It's tough out there': NC recruiters scour the country for K-12 teachers Concerns over teacher morale and pay and waning interest in the profession among young people have morphed into a rise in attrition and a dearth of people prepared to take those teachers’ places. That has caused recruiters to spend hundreds of hours and travel thousands of miles — outside the state and sometimes even look abroad — to find the state’s next mind-molders. THE NEWS & OBSERVER: NC schools must now follow 'Parents' Bill of Rights.' Here's how things could change. North Carolina’s new “Parents’ Bill of Rights” could lead to immediate changes when classes start next week, including how schools deal with topics such as gender identity and pronoun usage. The legislation, which became law last week after Republican lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto, now requires schools to notify parents if their child wants to use a different name or pronoun.

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Government

WRAL: More teens to be tried, treated as adults under new NC law A bipartisan bill signed into law this week makes some big changes to the juvenile justice system in North Carolina, requiring more juveniles to be tried in adult court and making it easier for police to search for them. Supporters say the changes in House Bill 186 are needed because of a large uptick in violent crime among juvenile offenders last year, but critics say it's eroding juvenile justice reforms made in 2017 and before.

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Healthcare

THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: Health officials say COVID is surging right as North Carolina school year starts As school districts begin to bring students back into classrooms, health officials are encouraging parents to prepare for fall respiratory viruses, particularly COVID-19. Mecklenburg County Public Health says there’s an ongoing surge in COVID-19, including higher emergency department visits for the coronavirus, more hospitalizations and evidence of the virus that causes COVID-19 in wastewater that have all been increasing since early July. NC NEWSLINE: Researchers, state Treasurer highlight plight of NC residents with medical debt From January 2017 through June 2022, North Carolina hospitals sued about 7,500 patients and family members to collect medical debts, according to Duke University Law School researchers and the state Treasurer’s office. The 5,922 lawsuits resulted in 3,449 judgments against patients and family members. With fees and interest, the total came to $57.3 million.

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Politics

WRAL: After long legal battle, voter ID arrives in NC. But could it be gone again by 2024? After a decade of false starts — and millions of dollars spent fighting over the issue at the ballot box and in the courtroom — North Carolina voters are now required to show photo identification to cast a ballot in person. The new voter ID requirement is a victory for conservatives. THE NEWS & OBSERVER: NC Gov. Cooper vetoes bill giving more control to legislature. Court battle likely. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a separation of powers bill on Thursday, calling it “unconstitutional.” With a General Assembly under total Republican control, it will likely be overridden and then end up in the courts.

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Transportation

NC INSIDER: Triangle commuter rail endorsed, then shelved as focus shifts to 'smaller bites' The Triangle isn’t ready for commuter rail, but there are steps that local and state governments can take in the coming years to make a regional passenger rail line more likely in the future. That’s the growing consensus among transportation planners and local politicians six months after GoTriangle completed a feasibility study for a commuter rail line between Durham and Garner.