north carolina

June 26, 2014 - North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory gave a radio interview last week in which he made a number of misleading claims about coal ash and his administration's response to Duke Energy's toxic pollution. With the issue still at the top of the legislature's agenda, we examine those claims and set the record straight.

June 25, 2014 - North Carolina's Republican House Speaker Pro Tem Paul "Skip" Stam distributed a handout during a debate this week over discrimination in charter school hiring that likened being gay to being sexually aroused by feces. The same flier has also been distributed by notorious anti-gay hate groups.

June 23, 2014 - A new report looks at industrial pollution releases into the nation's rivers and finds that waterways across the South face especially toxic contamination -- and would benefit from efforts to strengthen the Clean Water Act.

June 20, 2014 - As the North Carolina legislative session draws to a close, Moral Monday organizers are planning a mass protest on June 23 involving sit-ins and teach-ins inside the legislative building to begin the voter mobilization work leading up to the Nov. 4 election.

June 20, 2014 - Income inequality in the U.S. began growing dramatically around the time unionization rates began plummeting. Can the current push to organize the South reverse the trend?

June 13, 2014 - This week's Moral Monday protest in Raleigh focused on education, in particular the funding crisis for public schools. North Carolina was once known as a leader in public education, but not anymore. What's happening?

June 9, 2014 - Last year a photo of an abortion-rights protester being handed a plate of cookies by North Carolina's governor went viral. Last week she responded by taking McCrory some pastries herself -- cupcakes designed to draw attention to the state's coal ash pollution problem.

June 6, 2014 - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week on the corrupting influence of money in politics, and a North Carolina state lawmaker testified about the role of conservative political money man Art Pope.

June 6, 2014 - North Carolina has passed a law fast-tracking fracking. Now state leaders are seeking taxpayer dollars to help the industry -- despite the billions it earns in annual profits and its detrimental effects on environmental health.

June 4, 2014 - A new conservative advocacy group called Carolina Rising says a falling unemployment rate is good news for North Carolina's economy. But economists warn of ominous developments behind the numbers, including people dropping out of the workforce and a shift toward low-wage jobs. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are considering new cuts to unemployment benefits.