David Boraks

Environmental and social justice groups say a new 15-year energy plan filed this month by Duke Energy would bring higher rates and still fall short of addressing climate change.  

Public health officials across North Carolina are continuing to use contact tracing in hopes of limiting spread of the coronavirus. When it works, they can pinpoint the origin of an outbreak, map it and ask people to quarantine. But area health departments have successfully traced only a few large outbreaks. More often, they meet resistance as people refuse to share information or follow quarantine requests. 

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum to his interior secretary Tuesday that exempts the Atlantic coasts of Florida, South Carolina and Georgia - but not North Carolina - from his push to expand offshore oil and gas drilling. 

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released body camera footage Wednesday from the night of June 2, when officers fired tear gas at marchers who were protesting against police brutality and systemic racism in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.

Duke Energy is urging state regulators to approve rate increases at its two North Carolina electric utilities, including money to pay for cleanups of toxic coal ash.   

The Catawba Indian Nation plans to break ground Wednesday morning for a proposed casino and resort off Interstate 85 in Kings Mountain. Local officials like the idea, but the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in western North Carolina has gone to court to stop the project. 

Protests for racial justice this spring and summer have prompted a related movement: Black people and other people of color have been sharing their stories of injustice and everyday racism in public ways. Davidson College students and alumni have been using an Instagram page to collect their stories - and to demand change. 

Cal Cunningham easily won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate Tuesday, beating four other Democrats for the right to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Thom Tillis in November.

Solar advocates and dozens of consumers are asking state regulators to investigate after Duke Energy's online system for solar rebates crashed shortly after applications opened Jan. 2. 

With the federal government's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, state and local governments in North Carolina have set their own ambitious goals for addressing climate change. Now, they're puzzling over how to carry out the big changes needed to reach those goals - such as switching to electric vehicles and shifting to more renewable energy. At least for now, it's still mostly data-gathering and discussion. 

Federal housing secretary Ben Carson unveiled plans Tuesday in Charlotte to roll back an Obama-era rule aimed at preventing racial segregation in housing. Carson announced a new rule that he says would increase housing choices for families. 

Duke Energy says 2020 rebates for new residential and commercial solar installations in North Carolina were taken up quickly after applications opened on Jan. 2. But there's still money left for nonprofits and local governments.

State regulators have scheduled public hearings in January on Duke Energy's request to raise rates an average of 6% in its western Carolinas territory, which includes Charlotte. 

The Carolina Panthers have fired head coach Ron Rivera, the team announced Tuesday. Secondary coach Perry Fewell will take over head coaching duties on an interim basis for the final four games of the season, with offensive coordinator Norv Turner shifting to special assistant to the head coach.

  A big change in North Carolina's criminal justice system takes effect Sunday. Sixteen and 17-year-old will no longer automatically be considered as adults when they're charged with crimes. Their cases will be handled by the juvenile justice system.

The final stretch of the Interstate 77 Express toll lanes opened over the weekend, but that doesn't mean the $800 million project is finished. Work is continuing and the North Carolina Department of Transportation is still penalizing the contractor for missing the Nov. 1 deadline. 

Gov. Roy Cooper says it's time to end legislative battles over wind energy and make sure it's part of a future clean energy system in North Carolina.