NC lawmakers eye more child welfare changes after Charlotte girl’s death exposes chronic gaps in the system
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Mixed federal messages on drug checking leave North Carolina harm reduction programs in limbo
By Taylor Knopf For the third year in a row, drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have trended downward. North Carolina had one of the largest year-over-year decreases — a nearly 29 percent drop in overdose deaths from the end of 2024 to 2025. Substance use experts worry these hard-fought gains could now be in…
Lawmakers target hospitals – and Atrium Health in particular – in reform bills
By Michelle Crouch Co-published with The Charlotte Ledger Atrium Health would have to add four local elected officials to its board under a North Carolina state Senate bill — one of several proposals this session taking aim at the growing power of large hospital systems. The bill, SB 961, would also require any meeting of…
NC joins lawsuit against US Department of Education over health care student loan changes
By Rose Hoban North Carolina’s population is rapidly growing and becoming older. By the early 2030s, the population of people older than 65 is projected to surpass the number of residents who are younger than 18. At the same time, the state is forecast to have a worsening nursing shortage. By 2033, North Carolina will…
Q & A with Dr. Wohl: How global health changes could impact Ebola response
By Rose Hoban As the world has waited with bated breath to see if the small outbreak of the hantavirus aboard a cruise ship would multiply and spread beyond borders — another infectious disease crisis vaulted into worldview. Last Friday, the Africa CDC confirmed a new Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo.…
Northampton residents win 32‑month pause on data centers
By Will Atwater Earlier this month, Northampton County joined a growing list of North Carolina communities that are adopting data center moratoriums. Commissioners approved a 32-month pause, but getting to that unanimous vote wasn’t easy. Before the monthly meeting on May 4, word began to circulate that the meeting documents showed commissioners planned to vote…
‘There’s a quiet crisis’: NC families, advocates plead for greater disability services investment
By Ashley Fredde Kay McMillan is a young woman in her early 30s who graduated summa cum laude at NC State and now runs her own nonprofit combining her two passions — disability rights and teaching youth leadership skills. She lives in a Cary townhouse with two housemates she calls her “Monica” and “Rachel” after…