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North Carolina lawmakers take aim at hospitals’ prized tax perks
By Michelle Crouch As North Carolina lawmakers search for ways to reduce the tax burden for state residents, they’re taking aim at the generous tax breaks the state’s nonprofit and public hospitals have long enjoyed. Proposals discussed by a House committee on March 18 would significantly scale back two key tax exemptions. If passed, they…
Big changes ahead for State Health Plan as trustees work to lower costs
By Clayton Henkel NC Newsline North Carolina teachers and state employees can expect more changes to the State Health Plan in 2027 as trustees work to control rising costs for care. Tom Friedman, the State Health Plan administrator, says the plan closed a $507 million deficit in 2025, but there’s more work to be done…
New SNAP requirements could stress county budgets
By Morgan Casey Border Belt Independent Using a blue pen, Bladen County Board of Commissioners chair Cameron McGill signed 18 letters to state lawmakers in late January. One was for N.C. Speaker of the House Destin Hall. Another for the state Senate’s Republican leader, Phil Berger. Others were addressed to senior chairs of the committees…
A new perk for state workers: free surgery
By Michelle Crouch What if your health plan offered free surgery, but only by surgeons on its approved list? That’s the incentive behind a new program the North Carolina State Health Plan is rolling out for more than 700,000 teachers, state workers and their families. The plan connects members needing certain procedures with a select…
National EV funding fight hits home along Charlotte’s I‑77 corridor
By Will Atwater Ron Ross, 70, has spent decades in Charlotte’s Historic West End watching traffic thicken on nearby I‑77 and working alongside his neighbors to fight for cleaner air and a healthier future — one that includes electric cars. Now Ross and his neighbors are battling a North Carolina Department of Transportation plan to…
A hotter, wetter South is becoming a breeding ground for mold
By Katie Myers and Laura Hackett Grist Regina is haunted by the specter of mold. She found the insidious spores in the closet, behind the refrigerator, and around the bathtub for two years after the dishwasher flooded her apartment in Asheville, North Carolina. The infestation only got worse after Hurricane Helene. Rainwater rushed into her…
