north carolina

July 28, 2017 - Since 2010, the number of children under the age of 18 in U.S. jails, prisons and juvenile facilities has plummeted due to reforms like "raise the age" legislation. But the U.S. still remains a world leader in the number of children it puts behind bars — and the South leads the nation.

July 21, 2017 - When Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina announced this week that his administration would submit formal comments against offshore seismic testing for oil and gas, Terry McAuliffe of Virginia became the last governor along the Southeast coast who's continuing to press for offshore drilling.

July 19, 2017 - The historic link between workers in the South Carolina city and the organizer training school in Tennessee was revitalized when a group of Raise Up for $15 activists from Charleston traveled there recently with others from around the South to strategize about what's next for the movement.

July 14, 2017 - When the North Carolina legislature passed its so-called "raise the age" law last month, it became the last state to stop automatically treating 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. But some still will be, and that puts them at risk of serious harm.

July 14, 2017 - After the controversial commission requested voter data from all 50 states, it faced an onslaught of resistance and lawsuits. Meanwhile, rattled voters have been contacting elections officials to get their names off of the rolls.

July 12, 2017 - A perennial bill to create a national single-payer public health insurance program has record support in this Congress. Though none of the cosponsors are Republicans, they include a growing number of conservative Southern Democrats, signaling a shift in health care politics.

June 29, 2017 - President Trump wants to open an area from Delaware to Florida to seismic airgun blasting for offshore oil and gas reserves, a plan that carries risks for coastal communities while benefiting mostly foreign firms. Federal officials are accepting public comments on the proposal through July 6.

June 28, 2017 - With the 2020 count approaching, concerns are mounting that budget cuts and turnover at the U.S. Census Bureau could lead to missing significant numbers of historically undercounted residents — many in disadvantaged Southern communities that depend on accurate numbers to apportion political power and fund services.

June 16, 2017 - Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty launched its Florida chapter this week, its fifth in the South. The group makes the case that capital punishment is out of step with core conservative values.

June 13, 2017 - Measures for Justice, a nonprofit that gauges the performance of criminal justice systems at the county level, has released data for six states including Florida and North Carolina. The effort shows how criminal justice is being carried out locally and where change is needed.