north carolina

December 6, 2012 - The N.C. Utilities Commission and attorney general have settled their probes into Duke Energy's controversial $32 billion merger with Progress Energy. But a watchdog group calls the settlements a "sell-out of the public" and says it will continue to fight the merger in court.

December 5, 2012 - U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms died in 2008 without ever disavowing his support for racial segregation, which is why some are protesting a bill to name a post office after him in his hometown of Raleigh, N.C. But there's something apropos about the proposal, as Helms pioneered the use of the postal service to promote his divisive politics.

November 30, 2012 - In the wake of the latest election, the number of state legislatures under one-party control is at a historic high -- and half have partisan supermajorities. What does this mean for the future of politics nationally?

November 29, 2012 - The 2012 elections revealed that, like the rest of the country, the South is undergoing big demographics changes that will change the shape of politics in the region for years to come.

November 28, 2012 - Conservative groups whose clout grew in the recent N.C. elections want to repeal a groundbreaking state law requiring utilities to generate a small percentage of energy from renewable sources. Incoming Republican Gov. Pat McCrory has close ties to renewable energy foes -- and to renewable energy proponents. If forced to choose, which side would he be on?

November 21, 2012 - A new report finds that U.S. coal-fired power plants are disproportionately located in low-income communities and communities of color -- and many of the worst plants and power companies from an environmental justice perspective are located in the South.

November 16, 2012 - Last week's election demonstrated the growing power of Latino voters and the renewed demand for results on immigration policy.

November 13, 2012 - Properties that draw their drinking water from wells lose as much as a quarter of their value when natural gas drilling takes place within a mile. The finding has important implications for North Carolina, where fracking may be coming soon to rural communities that rely on well water.

November 9, 2012 - According to an election night survey, 9 percent of white voters had to wait 30 minutes or more to vote, compared to 22 percent of African Americans and 24 percent of Hispanics. In its war on voting, who is the GOP fighting against?

November 7, 2012 - Republicans won control of the Arkansas Senate and House for the first time since Reconstruction, while strengthening control in many other Southern statehouses. The "Solid South" is increasingly looking solid red.