News
Is the General Assembly getting younger?
Experts say the General Assembly is shifting towards a younger demographic.
News
New deadline for NC counties to send absentee ballots to military and overseas citizens fast approaching
Absentee and eligible military and overseas ballots are slated to go out Friday to those who requested them. All of North Carolina's 100 counties are on track to meet the Sept. 20 deadline, according to a spokesman for the North Carolina State Election Board.
News
Fight for new MRI machine in Wake County heads to top NC court
A battle for a new magnetic resonance imaging machine in Wake County headed to North Carolina’s highest court Tuesday. Duke Health and competitor Pinnacle Health Services are competing for a government-mandated document called a certificate of need.
News
Ballots destroyed, machines tested ahead of Election Day
The staff working with the tabulator machines wear colored vests indicating the political party they affiliate with to openly display that the process is conducted by a bipartisan group of workers.
News
Rare copy of US Constitution found in Edenton home to be auctioned off in Asheville
As the United States marks the 236th anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution in Philadelphia, a rare copy of it is getting ready to be auctioned off in Asheville.
News
Prepaid card tax dispute over $516,000 heads to top NC court
The North Carolina Supreme Court wrestled Tuesday with a case pitting the state Revenue Department against a business that sold prepaid cards that could be used for wireless phone service. The dispute involves more than $516,000 in unpaid taxes and penalties.
Opinion
Opinion
Federalist 22: Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union
The principal purposes to be answered by union are these the common defense of the members; the preservation of the public peace as well against internal convulsions as external attacks; the regulation of commerce with other nations and between the States; the superintendence of our intercourse, political and commercial, with foreign countries.
Opinion
Election integrity lives in the fine print
Access and enforcement can co-exist, and the State Board of Elections should align its rules with the statute.
Opinion
Cost curve bends, but not enough
Medical spending in the US as a share of gross domestic product was 15% lower than projected 14 years earlier, and indeed was only “marginally higher” than in 2010.
Opinion
End NCAE’s taxpayer-subsidized dues check-off privilege
Any organization receiving public payroll deductions should annually certify that it meets the law’s requirements and provide documentation sufficient to verify its membership and eligibility.
Elections
News
Boliek sworn in as state auditor, says he’ll start with audit of DMV
On Wednesday, Dave Boliek was sworn in as the new state auditor of North Carolina and announced his hires for senior staff and says he will start work with an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
News
2024 in review: A year of civic engagement in NC
The year 2024 was marked by significant developments across politics, the economy, education, and energy in North Carolina. As one of the nation’s most dynamic and closely watched states, it played a pivotal role in shaping regional and national conversations.
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."
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.
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.
Videos
Video
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...
Video
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...
Video
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.”
Video
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.
Video
Locke’s Mitch Kokai analyzes NC’s marquee Senate race
Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses North Carolina’s high-profile US Senate race. Kokai offered these comments during an April 21, 2026, interview with WNCN (CBS17).
Culture
News
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.
News
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.
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.
News
NC passed on buying part of the Carolina Hurricanes
As the Carolina Hurricanes continue to make their way through the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, state Treasurer Brad Briner made known that North Carolina was presented with the opportunity to buy part of the franchise last year, but passed.
Civil Society
Opinion
The importance of civic engagement 250 years after the founding
What YMCA's Youth and Government program is doing is remarkable. This year’s conference garnered interest from NC state legislators, mayors, policy analysts, and state officials.
Opinion
Institute fosters stronger public leadership
Times change. When we introduce IOPL to potential fellows, partners, and donors, some hear the word “political” and think “toxic,” or at least “partisan.”
Opinion
NC leaders champion post-election unity through ‘Civic Saturdays’
Like a faith gathering, it incorporated music, fellowship, shared meals, and thoughtful discourse — but with democracy as its central theme.
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...
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...