Economy

March 1, 2017 - With the Trump administration rolling out plans to round up and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, leading private prison companies — major donors to Trump — are already enjoying a big jump in stock prices.

February 9, 2017 - After a slight increase in 2015, the number of Southern workers in unions dipped last year. But the election of President Trump has created new urgency for labor to organize, including two high-profile campaigns this spring in Mississippi and South Carolina.

January 27, 2017 - Since 2005, Nissan workers in Canton, Mississippi — a city with deep roots in the civil rights movement — have been fighting for the right to unionize. This week they are taking their cause across the South with days of action in at least five cities. 

January 12, 2017 - Andrew Puzder, CEO of the company that owns Hardee's and Carl's Jr., has opposed even modest minimum wage increases while his employees have struggled with labor law violations and rampant sexual harassment.

January 10, 2017 - Last week the Obama administration denied all pending permits to conduct seismic testing for oil and gas reserves in the Atlantic Ocean, but pro-drilling politicians who don't represent directly affected coastal communities say they'll work to reverse the decision under Trump.

December 23, 2016 - In a year when it was hard to keep up with the onslaught of political news, Facing South helped to make sense of important developments and to share insights about the region. Catch up on our best reporting of 2016 with a roundup of our top stories of the year.  

December 20, 2016 - The president's long-anticipated announcement of a permanent ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic extends protections only as far as the Maryland-Virginia border. But environmental advocates say they will continue to fight against drilling anywhere along the Atlantic Coast.

December 2, 2016 - The campaign that's been successfully winning minimum wage hikes held nationwide mass protests this week, signaling its intention to put pressure on Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who's made conflicting statements on wage policy.

November 5, 2016 - Four days before Election Day, embattled Gov. Pat McCrory announced North Carolina had landed the 2018 World Equestrian Games, a major economic boost. The businessman who will host the games is a major McCrory donor and a close business associate of Donald Trump.

September 16, 2016 - The cost of boycotts and cancellations in response to a controversial law that discriminates against LGBT people is climbing, with top college sports leagues this week announcing they're pulling events from the state. A Facing South analysis of these and other economic hits from the law puts total damages so far at well over $200 million.