North Carolina's early voting numbers are showing a significant increase, with over 420,000 votes cast through Tuesday. Dr. Andy Jackson from the John Locke Foundation discusses the implications of this trend and how it may impact Election Day. Meanwhile, the state's election management system is in need of modernization, with a bipartisan commission working to bring the system up to date. The commission aims to complete the overhaul by next summer, 2027. Additionally, six more JDIG projects were canceled by the North Carolina Department of Commerce's Economic Investment Committee, adding to a troubling long-term pattern of failed job creation targets. [... more]

A major winter storm is approaching North Carolina, prompting Governor Josh Stein to declare a state of emergency. The state's emergency response team has been activated, and crews are pre-treating roads with brine and restocking salt supplies. Meanwhile, a lawsuit over the state health plan has been ongoing for 14 years, with the state health plan seeking to have the state Supreme Court revisit its ruling. Additionally, a company called ComScope has canceled a major manufacturing expansion in Catawba County, and UNC Chapel Hill is poised to break ground on a major campus expansion in 2027. [... more]

North Carolina ranks ninth in the US for human trafficking, with over 300 cases identified in 2024. Customs and Border Protection's Operation Charlotte's Web has arrested over 250 illegal aliens, including those with criminal histories. Meanwhile, the state auditor's report reveals that the Department of Health and Human Services generated $386 million in tax dollars for unfilled job positions, raising questions about Medicaid funding and bureaucratic inefficiencies. [... more]

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is requesting full social security numbers from the DMV to maintain accurate voter rolls, amid concerns over non-citizens being registered to vote. Meanwhile, a new bill aims to hold judges accountable for releasing violent criminals, and a Vietnamese electric vehicle maker, VinFast, is facing financial struggles and uncertainty over its planned North Carolina facility. [... more]

The Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast continues to struggle with a timeline on getting its factory in Chatham County completed, despite initial plans to open in 2023. The company's focus has shifted to Asia, with a groundbreaking on an EV assembly plant in Indonesia and expansion in India and the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Asheville City Council has agreed to eliminate race-based commission criteria for the Human Relations Commission, a move that has been met with both praise and criticism. In other news, the North Carolina State Board of Elections has rejected Sunday voting in two counties ahead of municipal elections, and the state is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure for a VinFast factory that may not be built. [... more]

A North Carolina General Assembly member faces criticism for a social media post advocating for President Trump's beheading, while Governor Josh Stein signs legislation to modernize the state's investment management system and support law enforcement officers. Meanwhile, a bipartisan bill aims to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires by investing in hazardous fuels management and expanding prescribed burns. [... more]