Extreme drought impacts three North Carolina counties

Parts of three counties are in extreme drought: Cabarrus, Stanly and Union counties. 

Britain quit coal, but changed to burning Louisiana's trees

DHS buys El Paso, Texas warehouses, Inside Minnesotans’ moonshot to cover rent for their immigrant neighbors, People in 15 Mississippi counties can receive replacement SNAP benefits without application

N.C. Judge Upholds the State’s Limits on 1,4-Dioxane Pollution in Utilities’ Wastewater

The chemical, used in solvents, degreasers and some consumer products, is a likely carcinogen that can harm the liver and kidneys

Their value attacked and funding cut, universities and colleges start fighting back

By Jon Marcus (The Hechinger Report) January 27, 2026 A narrator speaks over images of busy cityscapes, children playing in a field and ominous scenes of natural disasters and civil unrest. “There’s no sugarcoating it,” the deep voice warns. “America’s future is under attack.” Its salvation: higher education,

Federal Funding Cuts Hit Queens University Programs, Forcing Hard Choices as Merger Looms

Sawyer Davis (Queens University News Service) December 20, 2025 Queens University of Charlotte is entering a year of major transition as federal funding cuts, enrollment struggles and the looming merger with Elon University converge to reshape the future of the century-old institution.  While the university maintains that its core mission

Hmong refugee stranded in Texas after release from ICE detention

NC prisons face ‘dire’ staffing crisis, Elon University working to bring legal education back to Charlotte, In Iowa, many rivers and lakes improve briefly, then fall back into impairment, NOLA residents work to make Mardi Gras more sustainable

N.C. A&T students take lead on early voting

State election officials project confidence after FBI search of Georgia elections office

BRIEFS: Spartanburg County could get another data center

Proposed project needs to pass two more votes before approval by county council

Feds restore mental health funds

Rural communities stand with vulnerable neighbors in Minnesota; Mothers, daughters, Girl Scouts traveled to Richmond to watch the first woman become governor of Virginia; Measles cases climb in NC; Duke Energy Plans to Build a Massive Natural Gas Power Plant in Davidson County, NC

DEQ Division of Water Resources awards more than $1.5M for stream restoration, water management, recreation projects

Down Ballot Staff Reports RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to support stream restoration, water-based recreation and water management projects across North Carolina. The grants were awarded to nine local governments through the Water

Brunswick County Commissioners approve purchase of 380 acres for future raw water reservoir

Land is in the Leland area near the Northwest Water Treatment Plant

Unrest continues in Minnesota; Former inmate buys N.C. prison; UNC Charlotte faces racial discrimination claim

Helena Moreno sworn in as the Crescent City's second woman mayor