North Carolina
Brunswick County opposes Fuquay-Varina's interbasin transfer request
Other local governments in southeastern N.C. also oppose the request
Ben Ledbetter
Ben Ledbetter, MPA, is a former journalist. Down Ballot covers local and state news in the U.S.
housing
Pricing Into Adulthood: Students Navigate Charlotte’s Housing Crunch
Link to original story: Pricing Into Adulthood: Students Navigate Charlotte’s Housing Crunch - Queens University News ServiceIn Charlotte, cranes dot the skyline and “For Rent” signs line busy corridors — but for many college students, those signs signal competition rather than opportunity. The city continues to grow at one of the
electric vehicles
National EV funding fight hits home along Charlotte’s I‑77 corridor
by Will Atwater, North Carolina Health News March 5, 2026 By Will Atwater Ron Ross, 70, has spent decades in Charlotte’s Historic West End watching traffic thicken on nearby I‑77 and working alongside his neighbors to fight for cleaner air and a healthier future — one that includes electric
Iran
War puts Iran’s participation in World Cup, training plans in Tucson, Arizona in doubt
Voters push for change in closely watched NC primary contests
What does it mean to be a new national park? Ocmulgee Mounds in Georgia may soon find out
By Seth T. Kannarr, University of Tennessee Ocmulgee Mounds, a site in central Georgia with 12,000 years of Indigenous history, may be on the verge of becoming the newest U.S. national park. This is the flagship designation of the National Park Service system, which includes many types of
Health
Taboo tics like shouting curses and slurs are uncommon in Tourette syndrome − but people who have them suffer harsh social stigma
Obscene language tics, called coprolalia, don’t reveal what people with Tourette’s think and feel. In fact, tics often compel people to say or do precisely what they most wish to avoid.
civil rights
Norman C. Francis, a stalwart New Orleans leader in civil rights, business and education dies at 94
Francis was the first Black president of Xavier University and integrated Loyola University's law school
South Carolina
BREAKING: Spartanburg County Council calls meeting for Friday regarding possible new data center
If approved, the facility would be the fifth for the Upstate South Carolina County
North Carolina
California Pays Farms to Make Biogas from Hog Waste in North Carolina, Where Locals Say It’s Fueling Pollution
Last year, six farms were the first in the Tar Heel State to get funding from California’s program offsetting its transportation emissions. Their permits to make biogas already have civil rights complaints against them for the pollution from the process.
Mitchell County
N.C. continues to pursue cleanup of illegal mine in Mitchell County
Since the August order, the state has conducted multiple inspections at the mine and has observed that Horizon 30’s attempt to prevent harm to the site has not been successful
Mental Health
Who gets a bed in NC’s state psychiatric hospitals — and who waits?
The three state-operated facilities are designed to serve North Carolinians with the most complex mental health needs, including those who can’t be treated safely in community-based facilities.
Federal Government
Lawmakers seeking answers following FAA restrictions in El Paso, Texas region
NOLA group works to improve conditions for Mardi Gras clean-up workers, MS senators call for improved disaster response after winter storm, Tribal court hearing for former Swain, NC sheriff delayed