North Carolina’s Disaster Risk Is High. How Does That Affect Home Insurance premiums?

BPR News - New data from a national insurance-comparison platform, Insurify, shows that homeowner's insurance rates are rising across the nation - in many cases, due to climate risk. Insurify projects North Carolina's insurance premiums to rise only by about 5% in 2026, and have risen 14% overall since 2023, though rates actually fell a little in 2024. Compared to other high climate-risk states, the premiums are fairly flat -

M&F Bank Grants $10,000 to Raleigh Small Business Marking $100,000 In Total Gifts Awarded Since 2024

DURHAM, N.C. - March 23, 2026 - M&F Bank, North Carolina's only Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and minority-owned bank, awarded $10,000 to Sherrill's University through its Empowering Growth Small Business Grant. The Raleigh business provides vocational and entrepreneurial training focused on cosmetology, barbering, natural hair care, and instructor training. The award was made possible through the bank's ongoing partnership with Fiserv, a leading global provider of payments and financial

US Votes Against UN Resolution Labeling Slavery ‘Gravest Crime Against Humanity’

THE HILL - The U.S., Israel and Argentina on Wednesday voted against a United Nations resolution led by Ghana to label the international slave trade as the "gravest crime against humanity" and call for reparations. The resolution received 123 votes from the U.N. General Assembly in favor and 52 countries abstained, including all 27 European Union members, the United Kingdom, Australia, Oman and Japan. It states that the "trafficking of

Duke announces $200 million ‘economic opportunity’ initiative

WUNC - Duke University says it will commit more than $200 million to expand economic opportunity in the Triangle. The "HomeGrown" initiative will unfold over the next three years and include a combination of hiring, investing in affordable housing, and spending with local and regional businesses. More than half of the money, $120 million, will go to increasing partnerships with Triangle-based construction companies. Another $45 million is earmarked for contracting

Marbles Kids Museum, Blue Cross NC and Wake County Social Services to Provide Free Museum Memberships for Wake County Foster Families

RALEIGH, N.C. - Foster families across Wake County will now have greater access to joyful, hands-on play thanks to a new partnership between Marbles Kids Museum, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Wake County's Department of Social Services. Foster families licensed through Wake County will receive a membership to Marbles that provides free museum admission for foster parents and all children in the household.

NC invests $26M to expand high-speed internet into additional rural areas by 2026

NC NEWSLINE - Thousands more rural North Carolinians will receive access to high-speed internet by the end of 2026, following a nearly $26 million state investment announced Monday. The awards come from the Stop-Gap Solutions program, administered by the N.C. Dept. of Information Technology's Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity. The additional funding targets 5,161 homes, businesses and community anchor institutions in 66 counties across rural areas across the state.

NC Lawmakers Rethink How Future Transportation Dollars Are Spent

NC NEWSLINE - In today's highly partisan environment, it's hard to get Republicans and Democrats to agree on much. But when it comes to North Carolina's transportation infrastructure, both sides agree the current funding formula needs to be reworked. Members of the House Select Committee on North Carolina's Transportation Future held an initial meeting last week to discuss challenges, opportunities and strategic needs affecting the state's transportation systems. N.C. Dept.

State Law Says Public Records Must Be Provided ‘As Promptly As Possible.’

NC LOCAL - In North Carolina, nearly all documents that city and county government officials create or receive while carrying out their duties are considered the property of the people. State law requires officials to make those documents - including written communications like emails, text messages, and social media posts - available "as promptly as possible" when anyone requests to inspect or copy them. Although the law is the same

‘Wandering Officers’ Are Widespread Across NC Law Enforcement Agencies

CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS - In 2015, Mark Oakley, then an officer with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, slammed a detainee at the Halifax County jail to the ground, then "tased him" while the man was "in handcuffs and posed no threat," according to a civil lawsuit later filed against Oakley. An officer who is found to have used excessive force against an unarmed person risks losing his career in law

NCDMV rolls out live wait time tracker for driver license offices

WUNC - The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is rolling out a new online tool to help cut down on wait times at its driver license offices. Customers can now check how busy each site is before heading out. The feature is available on the NCDMV website and covers locations statewide. Each office will show one of three statuses: accepting walk-ins and appointments, busy with longer waits or at