News

Unemployment rates climb in 99 NC counties

Figures out Thursday from the N.C. Department of Commerce show that unemployment rates increased in nearly all of North Carolina’s 100 counties in October, over September’s figures. Edgecombe County had the highest unemployment rate at 7.5%, while Orange County had the lowest at 3.1%. Only Warren County saw a drop in the unemployment rate over...

CJ Staff
News

North Carolina honored this week with U.S. Capitol tree lighting

North Carolina has a special place of honor in our nation’s capital this Christmas season, all thanks to a special tree named “Ruby.” Ruby, a 78-foot tall Red Spruce from North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, was lit on Tuesday by nine-year-old Catcuce (Coche) Micco Tiger, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI),...

Theresa Opeka
Video

Independent State Legislature Doctrine gives new name to established constitutional concept

Jeanette Doran, president and general counsel of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, rebuts arguments about the Independent State Legislature Doctrine, a concept tied to North Carolina’s Moore v. Harper redistricting case at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mitch Kokai
News

Report: Only half of NC unaffiliated voters are truly ‘swing voters’

Roughly half of unaffiliated voters can truly be called “swing voters,” while the remaining portion hew closely to the two major political parties in voting patterns. That’s the bottom line of a new report, “Growing and Distinct: The Unaffiliated Voter as Unmoored Voter,” written by Dr. Michael Bitzer of Catawba College, Dr. Chris Cooper of...

David N. Bass
News

NC Episcopalians lose over half of Sunday worshipers in 2021

COVID-19 and resulting restrictions didn’t just hit schools and businesses; many churches have been devastated by plummeting attendance and donations. The Episcopal Church USA, who this month reported their 2021 numbers, was particularly hard hit, and North Carolina was second only to Oregon in attendance loss among the church’s 110 dioceses. “While in-person average Sunday...

David Larson

Opinion

Elections

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
News

Federal judge allows challenge of 225,000 NC voter registrations to move forward

A federal judge will allow state and national Republican groups to move forward with their lawsuit challenging 225,000 voter registrations in North Carolina. An order issued Friday denied requests from the State Board of Elections and Democratic National Committee to have the case dismissed.

CJ Staff

Videos

Video

The Debrief: Tackling tariffs’ costs + NC lawmakers look past November

President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have returned to the headlines because of a recent spat with Canada. Carolina Journal published this week the first in a series of articles about tariffs’ real-world impacts in North Carolina. We chat with the series author about her findings. State legislators are gone from Raleigh for the summer but...

Katherine Zehnder, Andrew Pomeranz, Andy Jackson
Video

The Debrief: Summer’s bringing the heat now, but NC campaigns will soon heat up

We’re just two weeks away from the absentee ballot deadline in North Carolina’s general election. Early voting is less than two months away. Political columnist, author, and John Locke Foundation board member John Hood joins us to discuss the hot topics in the state’s election season. Does Republican Michael Whatley have a shot against Democrat...

John Hood
Video

America 250 and The Battle of Moore”s Creek Bridge

In this special episode of The Debrief, Jeff Moore sits down with Bob Rosser to discuss Running the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge and the Revolutionary War history behind one of North Carolina’s most important early battles. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this conversation explores the people, places, and legacy of Moores Creek —...

Culture

Civil Society