Drawing the Line: How Partisan Maps Shape North Carolina’s Political Landscape

By: Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina has long been at the center of national debates over gerrymandering. Despite regularly electing Democrats to statewide offices, Republicans have consistently secured a disproportionate share of congressional and legislative seats. The Cook Political Report, for example, projects Republicans will safely win 10 out of 14 House seats in 2026-a result many observers attribute not to voter preference but to the drawing of electoral

Tramell Tillman makes a historic win

[caption id="attachment_13750" align="alignnone" width="1440"] Tramell Tillman accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for "Severance" during the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)[/caption] JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - With powerfully haunting eyes and an enigmatic expression, "Portrait of Frederick," an enslaved man painted circa 1840, stares out at visitors of the Mississippi Museum of

Remembering Mrs. Nurry Turner Johnson

EDITORS NOTE: In presenting Obituaries it is our policy to give our readers insight into the inspirational, as well as committed lives that those we write about have lived. When presented with Mrs. Johnson's 40-Page Funeral Program, we didn't quite know what to expect. However, it was soon made clear, through numerous testimonies by those who knew her, why the funeral program was so extensive.  Mrs. Nurry T. Johnson, a

Leandro revisited as state budget work lingers

[caption id="attachment_13685" align="alignnone" width="1536"] Associate Justice Anita Earls speaks at an event on July 26, 2025. (File Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline)[/caption] NC Newsline-With North Carolina lawmakers still negotiating the state budget, a public forum on Thursday highlighted the state's long-running Leandro case, a nearly three-decade legal battle over equitable education funding. Speaking at the forum organized by the advocacy group Public Schools First NC, state Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls

NC’s next generation of scientists fear careers are going ‘up in smoke’ 

By: Lynn Bonner And Brandon Kingdollar NC Newsline Justin Fraser, an honors student at NC A&T State University and an aspiring doctor, gained research experience at Duke University, working in a laboratory investigating a therapy for Parkinson's Disease.  Fraser was also connected to a neurologist at Duke, kindling his interest in neuroscience.  The Summer Scholars Program in Genomic Science and Medicine at Duke University that gave Fraser those opportunities lost

Cognizant and the North Carolina Turnpike Authority Collaborate to Modernize Toll Operations

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Cognizant announced on Monday a strategic partnership with the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) to develop and implement a next-generation tolling back-office system. With the first stage under way, this multi-stage engagement aims to deliver a scalable, API-driven architecture that integrates seamlessly with partners including Mastercard and Volvo Car USA. With Cognizant leading the technology orchestration across all systems, this initiative marks a significant step in NCTA's journey

YMCA Acquires Land For A New Durham Location

By Eli Chen WUNC The YMCA of the Triangle plans to acquire land next to the American Tobacco Campus to build a new downtown Durham facility. On a 0.79-acre property at the corner of Blackwell and W. Pettigrew Streets, the YMCA plans to build a 65,000-square-foot facility that will feature rooftop terraces with outdoor fitness areas, an indoor pool, a basketball court, an indoor track, group fitness studios, and spaces

Who Charlie Kirk’s Killer Wasn’t?

[caption id="attachment_13675" align="alignnone" width="980"] Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)[/caption] By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA It wasn't someone from "the radical left." It wasn't an "illegal immigrant," and it wasn't a person of color. The suspect in the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a white

A Book Review of “The Library in the Woods”

By Karl Cameron, Contributor I recently reviewed, "The Library In The Woods" by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. It is a children's book for ages 7-1, but also a journey back for many adults to a segregation time when libraries for African-Americans were a window to a world of opportunity. I distinctly remember the many times I walked from Davie Street to the Richard B. Harrison Library,

What Charlotte’s Day Laborers Can Teach Us About Work & Trust

[caption id="attachment_13599" align="alignnone" width="1760"] Xavier Arellano and Bryant Davis. (Photo: Logan Cyrus)[/caption] By Julian Berger, Michael Graff  WFAE He arrives around 8:30 a.m., 65 years old, eight months sober and wearing a T-shirt that reads, "NOPE: Not going to happen." Xavier Arellano walks across Wendover Road in east Charlotte, dodging four lanes of traffic, and nodding good morning to his fellow day laborers who gather here each day, hoping for