RALEIGH — Individuals involved in domestic and international terrorism not only have infiltrated American society, but also have initiated some of their activities in North Carolina, a top federal law-enforcement official in Charlotte and experts on radical Islam say.
RALEIGH — U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina joined a small number of his colleagues last week to vote for the transfer of $125 million in federal spending, which was originally intended for a limited-interest project in Alaska, in favor of rebuilding a bridge near New Orleans, La.
RALEIGH — As national Democratic Party leaders such as Howard Dean and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton heaped criticism on President Bush's administration over the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, only a couple of North Carolina's congressmen outwardly joined in.
CHARLOTTE — Running a city of 600,000 people is a big-budget enterprise. Yet even by the standards of North Carolina’s largest city and county, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have recently faced a large number of requests for assistance in financing high-visibility projects. Developers, local arts groups, and the city’s minor league baseball team have recently proposed a combined $160 million in public funds for various projects. The city is hardly stagnant, however, with rising land prices uptown making it unattractive for retail development. Undeterred, public officials are seeking deals with developers to bring shopping there.
RALEIGH — At first glance, there may seem a world of difference between a light-rail system transporting urban commuters and a European-style “bullet train” speeding between cities at more than 100 mph. But the underlying economics are remarkably similar, as both require enormous capital outlays and rely on what might be called the “Field of Dreams” school of marketing. If recent history is any guide, both concepts stand to use huge amounts of taxpayer money to provide services desired mainly by a loose coalition of automobile haters and nostalgia buffs — along with bureaucrats who maintain that North Carolina can’t remain competitive without more rail service.
