A rewritten NC bill would bar baseload retirements until regulators approve replacement nuclear capacity, changing Duke Energy’s coal‑retirement roadmap and splitting advocates and critics.

An 18-page Senate proposal would loosen environmental reviews, mandate ADUs statewide and change how courts review agency rules.

A second 7.5% base‑rate hike takes effect June 1, deepening a statewide insurance affordability squeeze and drawing criticism from Democrats and consumer advocates.

Survivors and a Panthers health executive urged Raleigh lawmakers to pass the Smart Heart Act, which would require AEDs and coordinated cardiac-response plans in every public school.

A 3-0 North Carolina Court of Appeals ruling rejected a bid to recognize a state right to “fair elections,” upholding a dismissal of a high-profile challenge to recent maps. The decision leans on a 2023 state precedent that limits judicial oversight of partisan gerrymanders.

An ex‑staffer says Commissioner Mike Causey sent messages that made her uncomfortable and filed whistleblower complaints; screenshots were provided to reporters.

Republican lawmakers filed four proposed state constitutional amendments that would cap the income tax at 3.5%, enshrine farming and right‑to‑work protections, and let the legislature limit local property‑tax increases.

State corrections officials will wind down Craggy Correctional Center this summer, blaming recruitment struggles tied to Asheville’s high housing costs.

Durham firefighters warn the city may not fund promised merit raises as the budget season begins, and union leaders plan to press the council in public hearings.

A Greensboro fourth-grader's EV essay prompted a sharply worded reply from Rep. Virginia Foxx — and a public rebuke from his mother after she shared the note.

Interim Town Manager Russ Overton rolled out a $573.5M FY27 budget that would raise Cary’s property tax rate, lift utility and trash fees, and add police staffing.

Justice Phil Berger Jr. floated narrowing how North Carolina polices judges' political speech—protecting constitutionally protected remarks while still banning comments that could prejudice cases.

Survivors and MADD urged NC lawmakers at the Legislative Building to back HB 1199, which would expand ignition‑interlock rules after recent fatal crashes.