north carolina

July 6, 2012 - If you live in the South, it's harder to move up the earnings ladder -- but easier to move down.

July 5, 2012 - Fracking proponents traveled to Pennsylvania last year to visit natural gas drilling sites. Their tour guide was Chesapeake Energy -- a company that's now under federal investigation for questionable business practices and price fixing.

July 4, 2012 - The War of Independence was waged by American colonists seeking liberty from British rule, but freedom remained elusive for African Americans -- even for the thousands who fought on both sides.

July 3, 2012 - After months of debate, the decision to legalize fracking in North Carolina came down to a botched vote and a $60 million tax break.

June 28, 2012 - Southern states have among the highest rates of uninsured residents. They also have state officials who are among the most vocal critics of the Supreme Court's decision upholding the Affordable Care Act.

June 28, 2012 - A new report grades states on how effectively they address educational disparities caused by concentrated poverty. It finds that a number of states in the South are not funding public schools adequately or distributing those funds where most needed, with Florida and North Carolina getting overall failing grades.

June 26, 2012 - As expected, this week the Supreme Court reaffirmed its 2010 Citizens United decision. While the ruling's impact on federal races has been well-documented, the influence of shadowy money on state-level races has received less attention -- but could be even more important.

June 22, 2012 - Real Jobs NC, a political group backed by Republican donor Art Pope that played a key role in North Carolina's 2010 elections, is preparing for 2012.

June 22, 2012 - Following the General Assembly's passage of legislation legalizing fracking, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue's office reports receiving thousands of calls and emails asking for a veto. She also got a letter from the former mayor of a Texas community where fracking is big business warning about the bill's threats to property rights.