Carolina Journal

NC House advances bill prohibiting hemp-derived products under 21

A bill prohibting the possesion and sale of hemp-derived and Kratom products by any under 21 was voted throught to the House Rules Committee.

Katherine Zehnder

NC lawmakers debate $10 strip club fee amid 1st Amendment concerns

NC lawmakers consider a $10 fee on strip clubs serving alcohol, sparking debate over sexual assault funding and First Amendment rights.

NC House backs bill to regulate crypto ATMs

NC House backs bill regulating crypto ATMs with licensing, fraud refunds, fee caps, and limits on daily kiosk transactions.

NC House committee passes scaled-back tuition break for public safety families

HB 1203, which would waive community college tuition for the children of North Carolina's first responders and long-serving correctional officers, cleared the House Higher Education Committee on June 10.

NC Board of Elections discusses updating 2 photo ID rules

After the public comment period closes, the NCSBE will decide whether to approve the amendments before sending them to the Rules Review Commission.

Isabella Cashman

Sports wagering revenue nears $300M since 2024 launch

With a third consecutive month of $11.5 million or more, North Carolina moved within $826,700 of $300 million in proceeds from legal sports wagering in May, two years after launch.

Alan Wooten

FEMA approves $297M for Helene recovery

The announcements represent one of the largest single batches of recovery funding approved since the storm struck in September 2024.

Annie Dance

Left-wing groups claim young voter discrimination in 4th Circuit brief

Three left-of-center activist groups argue in a new federal court filing that North Carolina lawmakers intentionally discriminated against young voters when they changed same-day registration rules in 2023.

CJ Staff

Featured

Bridge Safety, Abolishing The US Dept of Ed, and Teen Social Media Rules

This week on The Debrief, we break down the latest on Helene recovery efforts and Lake Lure bridge safety, where rebuilding, public access and long-term infrastructure questions remain front and center. We also bring you an update on North Carolina’s budget process, examine the renewed push to abolish the US Department of Education and what...

Moody hearing exposes failures, fuels DSS reform push

NC lawmakers weigh DSS reforms after DHHS found repeated failures in Mecklenburg’s handling of abuse reports before Dominique Moody’s death.

Cartoon

Canes tickets

Opinion

Boosting civic knowledge among young adults is no simple task

The future of American civic life depends on students' continued willingness to learn real lessons from the nation's past.

Mitch Kokai

How an NC academic publisher ended up under FTC sanction

Robert Tian appears prominently in both the Allied Academies and the North American Business Press publishing networks. It is unclear what the relationship between these two large publishing groups may be or if they are both part of a wider network.

Poll

May 2026 — Cooper’s lead over Whatley in Senate race widens

Opinion

Donald Bryson

End NCAE’s taxpayer-subsidized dues check-off privilege

Mitch Kokai

Boosting civic knowledge among young adults is no simple task

Joe Waters

The right balance of tech for NC schools

Watch This

The Debrief: Remaining Covid Lawsuits + Sam Hayes Interview

This week on The Debrief, Mitch Kokai and Donna King discuss the remaining covid lawsuits and other court cases in North Carolina. Plus, North Carolina State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes sat down with Carolina Journal’s Theresa Opeka to talk about his first year in office, including his accomplishments and what’s on the...

Carolina Journal’s Donna King analyzes NC state budget debate

Donna King, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses major developments in North Carolina’s ongoing state budget debate. King offered these comments during the May 15, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donna King

UNC-Asheville whistleblower complaint explored

Carolina Journal reporter David Bass speaks with former University of North Carolina at Asheville research assistant Aidan Settman about his whistleblower complaint against the university.

Bridge Safety, Abolishing The US Dept of Ed, and Teen Social Media Rules

Polls

March 2026 — Roy Cooper leads Michael Whatley in Senate Race by nearly 8 points

RALEIGH — With primary season officially over in North Carolina, all eyes are set on North Carolina’s US Senate race. According to the latest Carolina Journal Poll, a survey of 600 likely North Carolina voters, Democratic former Governor Roy Cooper (48.9%) leads Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley (41.1%) by 7.8 points. Among registered...

February 2026 — Whatley holds 30-point lead, 50% unsure in GOP Senate primary

More than 38% of likely Republican primary voters say they support Michael Whatley to win next week’s US Senate primary election in North Carolina, according to the latest Carolina Journal Poll. Whatley holds a 30-point lead over second-place candidate Don Brown, at 7.5%. Yet 50% of those surveyed indicated they were unsure about who they would support in...

January 2026 — North Carolinians want to choose their public school

RALEIGH — This week marks the 16th annual National School Choice Week. Every year, in recognition of National School Choice Week, the Carolina Journal Poll surveys likely North Carolina voters on matters of education. In this year’s poll, voters continued to show strong support for school choice programs, such as open enrollment, the Opportunity Scholarship...

May 2026 — Cooper’s lead over Whatley in Senate race widens

RALEIGH — Former Governor Roy Cooper has expanded his lead in the race for North Carolina’s US Senate seat. The latest Carolina Journal Poll found that 49.8% of likely North Carolina voters support Cooper, while 38.7% support former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. These results indicate an 11.1-point lead for Cooper — a noteworthy...

State Government

NC lawmakers debate $10 strip club fee amid 1st Amendment concerns

NC lawmakers consider a $10 fee on strip clubs serving alcohol, sparking debate over sexual assault funding and First Amendment rights.

NC House backs bill to regulate crypto ATMs

NC House backs bill regulating crypto ATMs with licensing, fraud refunds, fee caps, and limits on daily kiosk transactions.

NC House committee passes scaled-back tuition break for public safety families

NC House sends property tax reappraisal delay to Stein’s desk

NC House sends property tax reappraisal delay to Gov. Josh Stein, pausing 2026 values in 12 counties for one year.

Federal Government

FEMA approves $297M for Helene recovery

The announcements represent one of the largest single batches of recovery funding approved since the storm struck in September 2024.

Annie Dance

Left-wing groups claim young voter discrimination in 4th Circuit brief

CJ Staff

NC House committee votes to ban foreign land ownership

A bill that would prohibit the ownership of NC land by US adervaries and put in place a 50 mile protectionradius around military bases has been voted through to the House Rules Committee.

Katherine Zehnder