News

Legislative leaders defend abortion drug restrictions at 4th Circuit

Top Republican legislative leaders are defending state restrictions against the abortion drug mifepristone in court filings at the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals. Governor-elect Josh Stein and a UNC Health physician are fighting the restrictions.

CJ Staff
News

Tillis, Budd join push for vote on federal disaster aid

On Tuesday, Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, Republicans representing North Carolina, joined several other senators in sending a letter to Senate leadership pushing for a vote on a federal disaster aid package this week.  The senators want a quick response to the Biden administration’s supplemental funding request.  “The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) request...

Katherine Zehnder
News

Christmas at Biltmore welcomes visitors as western NC road to recovery continues

Despite severe destruction in the western mountain of North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, Biltmore Estates in Asheville is welcoming visitors for another year of its Christmas at Biltmore program.

Brianna Kraemer
Video

Carolina Journal’s Donna King analyzes proposed NC State Board of Elections oversight changes

Donna King, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses legislation that would shift the NC State Board of Elections to the state auditor’s office. King offered these comments during the Nov. 29, 2024, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donna King

Opinion

Elections

News

Trump nominates Bishop to be deputy director for budget at OMB

"Dan has been a tireless fighter for our MAGA Movement in the House of Representatives on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees," Trump said in a press release issued Tuesday night. "Dan will implement my cost-cutting and deregulatory agenda across all Agencies, and root out the Weaponized Deep State."

Theresa Opeka
News

Democrats want federal court to address GOP challenge of 60,000 NC ballots

The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday to ensure challenges of 60,000 ballots in the state's latest election are addressed in federal court. Republicans filed the challenges with the State Board of Elections. The challenges could affect the outcome of the state Supreme Court race between Democrat Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin, along with a handful of state legislative contests.

CJ Staff
News

Griffin asks Appeals Court to order decision on election protests by Tuesday

Republican North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin is turning to North Carolina’s second-highest court for an order that would force state election officials to make a final decision about Griffin’s election protests Tuesday. The State Board of Elections had planned to hear oral arguments about the protests the following day, according to a document Griffin filed Friday with the state Court of Appeals.

CJ Staff

Videos

Video

Locke’s Mitch Kokai analyzes Berger’s election concession

Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses Sen. Phil Berger’s concession in his primary election loss to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Kokai offered these comments during the March 27, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Mitch Kokai
Video

Cooper, King analyze recent polling in NC’s US Senate race

Political scientist Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University and Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Donna King discuss recent polls in North Carolina’s 2026 US Senate race. Cooper and King offered these comments during the Jan. 23, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donna King

Culture

Civil Society

Opinion

For healthy civil society, politics needs to stay in its lane

Political and cultural causes are important. They motivate us to make the world around us better and hone our sense of justice. Also, the excitement of fighting the good fight can be, for lack of a better word, fun. But everything has its time and place. And even if we think a particular political issue...

David Larson
Opinion

Flashback: North Carolina’s Easter Monday tradition forged on the baseball diamond

On Good Friday state offices will be closed in North Carolina for Holy Week, along with 10 other states. However, that has not always been the case in North Carolina. The Monday after Easter — rather than Good Friday — was a legal holiday in North Carolina for 52 years, and for many years before...

Dallas Woodhouse