News

N.C. education leaders defend plan to revamp teacher licensure

Top education leaders in North Carolina defended a new framework for teacher licensure during a meeting of the State Board of Education on Aug. 4. State education board Chairman Eric Davis and Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt say that rising teacher shortages and falling enrollments in teaching colleges show that reforms are needed to...

David N. Bass
News

Cooper joins brief backing UNC in SCOTUS race-based admissions case

Gov. Roy Cooper and nine other Southern Democrat governors, present and past, signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief in support of UNC Chapel Hill and Harvard in a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding their “race-conscious admissions” policies. Four of the 10 signers were from N.C., and included former Govs. Mike Easley, Jim Hunt, and Bev Perdue. 

David Larson
News

All sides in Leandro agree: They need more time to argue before N.C. Supreme Court

There’s one point of unanimous agreement among the competing parties in the Leandro school funding lawsuit. They all want more time to argue before the N.C. Supreme Court this month. Oral arguments are scheduled Aug. 31. A joint application filed Thursday asks the court to extend its traditional one-hour oral argument session by 30 minutes....

CJ Staff
News

Phonics-based reading is helping kids catch up in post-pandemic classrooms

North Carolina comes out on top nationwide as the state catching up the fastest with early reading skills post-pandemic, according to N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt. She made the announcement Tuesday at the N.C. Council of State meeting.

Theresa Opeka
News

Judge extends order protecting Stein from prosecution to Tuesday

A federal court order protecting N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein from prosecution under a state law against campaign lies has been extended to Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles announced the extension during a hearing Thursday morning in Greensboro. Eagles expects to make a decision about a preliminary injunction in the case by Tuesday.

CJ Staff

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

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...

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