News
Pay gap narrows, but CEOs still get way more than regular workers, new report says
The pay gap between corporate leaders and workers at low-wage companies narrowed a little between 2022 and 2023, but it’s still huge, according to a report that was released Thursday. In addition, those leaders invested far more heavily in a strategy that boosts their already-lavish pay than they did in employee retirement benefits. Nearly half […]
U.S. Rep. Ross sponsors bill to improve food safety
U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, a Democrat representing most of Wake County in North Carolina’s second congressional district, introduced a bill Friday to improve food safety. The bill comes in the wake of a multistate listeria outbreak in deli meats that has killed at least nine people in recent weeks and forced the hospitalization of 57. […]
Some parts of western North Carolina to see higher utility bills
This report is made possible through a partnership between BPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Residents in Avery, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, McDowell and Watauga counties may see their power bills increase – again. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves portions of seven southeastern states, just announced a 5.25% rate increase for all wholesale […]
Harris, Walz defend past statements, promise ‘opportunity economy’ in CNN interview
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday defended her values and vowed, if elected, to appoint a Republican to her cabinet in her first major sit-down interview since her presidential campaign began just over a month ago. Harris, who rose to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden dropped his bid […]
Mark Robinson, after months with few public events, hits the campaign trail with retail stops
For months, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has campaigned for governor away from the eyes of the press and much of the public. That changed this week, as Robinson began crisscrossing the state for a series of meet-and-greets at restaurants. His campaign has advertised it as the start of his “Statewide Tour” — a […]
With rents high and vacancies scarce, NC officials seek to expand affordable housing supply
Federal tax credits and other financing awards will help to build $1.1 billion in affordable apartments in 25 counties this year, the N.C. Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) recently announced. In total, tax credits and tax-exempt bonds, including bond awards from January and June 2024, were approved for 50 projects by the North Carolina Federal Tax […]
Democrats renew calls for Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from cases involving his father
Democrats are again calling for Justice Phil Berger Jr. to recuse himself from two high-profile cases involving his father, state Senate leader Phil Berger. Their calls follow a ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday, which denied Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s motion seeking Berger Jr.’s recusal. In the two cases, Cooper is challenging […]
NC environmental officials petition EPA to classify four PFAS as hazardous
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality joined two other states in asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate several PFAS as toxic air pollutants. PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” affect soil, groundwater, and surface water, and can contaminate public and private drinking water sources. Along with the New Mexico Environment Department and the New […]
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fought to get onto NC’s ballot. Now he can’t get off.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must stay on the North Carolina ballot, despite requests from he and his new party We the People that he be removed. The state Board of Elections voted along party lines to keep Kennedy on the ballot, with Democrats citing the state’s Sept. 6 deadline for absentee ballot mailing to begin, […]
Democrats, education advocates link Morrow to Robinson, describe threat to public schools
A coalition of Democratic elected officials, educators, parents and progressive advocates gathered in Raleigh on Thursday to sound alarm bells over what they say is a profound threat to public education posed by North Carolina’s Republican nominees for governor and superintendent of public instruction. The group, which calls itself the Coalition Against Robinson’s Extremism (C.A.R.E.) […]
NC economy suffers from lack of labor policies, report shows
North Carolina’s economy is missing out on billions of dollars in economic activity each year due to inaction from lawmakers, according to a North Carolina Justice Center report released Thursday. Entitled “The Cost of Inaction — 2024 State of Working North Carolina,” the report attributes the losses to the failure of state lawmakers’ to ensure […]
Biden’s newest student loan repayment plan temporarily blocked by Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday slashed the Biden administration’s latest efforts to provide student debt relief to millions of borrowers to go forward while the appeals process unfolds. The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan provided lower monthly loan payments for borrowers and lessened the time it takes to pay off […]