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The Head Start: Embracing the Journey
The healing power of fitness goes far beyond physical benefits—for today’s guest, it’s a form of self-expression and a celebration of what the body can do. In this episode, host Nora McInerny sits down with fitness personality Ivylis Rivera, who shares her deeply personal journey of navigating life with Chronic Migraine while holding onto her passion for movement. Ivylis opens up about the struggle of staying active while facing the fear of triggering a headache or migraine attack and the resilience it takes to keep pushing forward—a resilience that carried her through the challenging journey of finding a Chronic Migraine treatment plan that worked for her. Join Nora and Ivylis as they explore the concept of “soft living,” a philosophy Ivylis embraces—staying active, listening to your body, and building trust in oneself. Click here for Product Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, or visit https://abbv.ie/prescribing_info See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…
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No one ever said our state prisons would or should be cushy places to live and work. But neither should they be decrepit dumps in which an underpaid and understaffed workforce struggles to cope with an inmate population that is at once aging and unhealthy, and increasingly hopeless and prone to violence. Unfortunately, as a recent legislative hearing made clear, that’s pretty much where things stand today. As Department of Adult Correction secretary Leslie Dismukes told lawmakers, thanks largely to low pay and lousy working conditions, at least 13 prisons have an employee vacancy rate of over 50%. Meanwhile, the system now has a running tab of 1.4 billion dollars in deferred maintenance. Indeed, fire suppression systems are outdated or completely inoperable in 23 prisons and several lack air conditioning – a fact that guarantees more illness and violence. The bottom line: As with so many other problems plaguing state government, the solution to this crisis is no mystery—lawmakers simply must appropriate better funding. And their ongoing failure to do so is inexcusable. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
Sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of the wild policy swings that are the signatures of the second Trump administration. From tariffs and trade to Russia and Ukraine, it often takes just hours for supposedly strong policy stances to be contradicted or abandoned by the president or his aides. And now, this chaotic pattern is directly impacting North Carolina. Both last fall and this past January, Trump blasted the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene and made bold promises that he would rebuild storm-ravaged areas better than ever. Unfortunately, that was then and this is now. This fact was made clear last week when the administration abruptly turned off the federal funding spigot by rejecting Gov. Josh Stein’ request to continue providing matching funds for the state’s Helene recovery appropriations. The decision leaves the state on the hook for $200 million or more in additional expenses for debris cleanup and other emergency work. The bottom line: Once again, the president has said one thing and done another, and sadly, North Carolinians will pay the price. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
It’s a trend that’s been advancing at a breakneck clip for years now, but according to a new report from the global nonprofit OxFam, the vast and immoral inequality that dominates the U.S. economy has reached truly stunning levels. As the report notes, over the past year, the richest ten Americans increased their wealth by 365 billion dollars. It would take ten average U.S. workers a staggering 726,000 years to make that much money. But wait, it’s about to get worse. Under Republican budget bills advancing in Congress and the North Carolina legislature, new and regressive tax cuts along with big reductions in services will assure that the gap between the super-rich and everyone else grows even wider. It’s a situation so corrupt and toxic that it’s quickly undermining the fabric of a country founded on the premise of equal opportunity. The bottom line: Elected leaders must confront and reverse these trends right away lest our once great nation soon becomes unrecognizable. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
There are many things that state leaders should do these days to improve the UNC System. Providing adequate funds to hire and retain topflight faculty and reining in out-of-control professional sports programs would be a good start. Unfortunately, at present, the emphasis in Raleigh is on advancing a right-wing political agenda, and so it is that state House Republicans have approved a bill to give a local far right propaganda outfit — a group founded by conservative financier and activist Art Pope known as the Martin Center for Academic Renewal — a role in crafting university admissions policies. And it’s hard to overstate just how big a mistake this is. For more than 25 years, the Martin Center has spewed a steady stream of far right attacks on almost all of the best aspects of modern higher education in an effort to turn back the clock on progress. The bottom line: As is the case in so many areas of higher education, lawmakers should leave admissions to the professionals and tell conservative advocacy groups to stay in their own lane. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
1 Former director of the State Board of Elections, Karen Brinson Bell, on her tenure, accomplishments 23:51
Over the past six years, few public servants in North Carolina have had a bigger or more positive impact under more difficult circumstances than former State Board of Elections executive director Karen Brinson Bell. Despite woefully inadequate appropriations from the state legislature and relentless attacks from uninformed conspiracy theorists, Brinson Bell persevered, strengthened North Carolina elections and kept them among the nation’s most efficient and honestly run. Unfortunately, those accomplishments were of little interest to the newly installed and hyper-partisan members of the board appointed by Republican state auditor Dave Boliek, who summarily fired Brinson Bell at their first meeting and refused to even allow her to deliver farewell remarks. Happily, Brinson Bell was kind enough join Newsline’s Rob Schofield this past week for a special extended conversation and in Part One of our chat, we explored some of the accomplishments from her term in office that she thinks will be the most impactful. In Part Two, we turned our attention to some of the broader issues and challenges facing American elections – including the increasingly intense partisanship that led North Carolina GOP lawmakers to withhold election funding and, more recently, add seven new political appointees to the agency’s staff, and the unfortunate phenomenon of politicians spreading unfounded conspiracy theories and refusing to concede close elections. Click here to listen to the full interview with Karen Brinson Bell. Read the prepared remarks of Brinson Bell delivered at the Board of Elections meeting on May 7, 2025.…
1 NC’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP 14:42
One of North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein’s first acts upon assuming office earlier this year was to name a new Secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, and from the looks of things thus far, the person to whom he turned, Dr. Dev Sangvai, was a winning selection. Since taking office, Sangvai — a family medicine practitioner and Duke University professor – has quickly hit the ground running and emerged as forceful voice for commonsense in the often rancorous world of health care policy. Most recently Sangvai has spoken out publicly and energetically in opposition to the massive Medicaid and SNAP food assistance cuts working their way through Congress. And as Sangvai reminded NC Newsline, his concerns about the cuts are about more than mere empathy for struggling families – they’re also based on hard data which show the devastating ripple effects the cuts will have on North Carolina’s overall health and economic wellbeing. Click here to listen to the full interview with NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Dev Sangvai.…
Today is Memorial Day – the day on which we honor the memory of the servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. All caring and thinking people should take at least a moment today to lift up these heroes. And today would also be a good one to help assure that the government supports the heroes who are still with us. And sadly, the need here is great. As recent news reports have recounted in painful detail, Trump administration budget cuts are decimating the already understaffed and underfunded Veterans Administration and VA hospitals. More than 80,000 employees are being fired and that’s sure to wreak havoc with the services upon which millions of military veterans depend. At a Voices for Veterans event in Fayetteville last week, several vets blasted the cuts as cruel, shortsighted, and sure to cause enormous pain and suffering. The bottom line: Memorial Day is about remembering those we’ve lost – that’s for sure – but we also honor their sacrifice by doing everything in our power to spare living veterans from an early grave. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
North Carolina hardly needs any more wake-up calls about the devastating impacts of climate change, but a new, must-see PBS/NPR documentary provides another powerful reminder on the subject of dealing with the extreme weather that climate change is spawning. The documentary is entitled “Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning,” and in it, NPR’s Laura Sullivan exposes a wasteful and vicious cycle that has come to dominate how our state and nation deal with natural disasters. It’s one in which the federal government spends more than $50 billion every year to help communities recover from disasters, but that frequently includes properties that have already flooded repeatedly. This cycle is now on full display in western North Carolina where politicians and the construction industry are resisting common sense rules that would govern how new buildings are sited and constructed. The bottom line: “ Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning ,” should be required viewing and listening for all elected leaders and average Americans. Look for it online at PBS or NPR. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
North Carolina House Republicans unveiled their version of a new state budget this week, and while it included some improvements over the Senate version – a somewhat slower approach to cutting taxes, slightly better salaries for new teachers – the plan swings and misses by proposing to slash 3,000 state government jobs. The authors of the plan say most of the positions are vacant anyway, but of course, that’s something that’s mostly attributable to lousy pay, benefits, and working conditions. As Charles Owens — a health care technician at the Cherry Hospital psychiatric facility in Goldsboro – explained at a Raleigh press conference, the state’s mental health facilities are already down hundreds of essential positions. And that reality presents a big daily safety problem for him and the other workers who remain. The same is true for guards and other employees throughout the state’s prison system. The bottom line: North Carolina is a big and fast growing state that needs more state employees to provide essential public services – not fewer. State lawmakers need to wake up to this reality. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
The efforts of North Carolina Republican lawmakers to transform the state Board of Elections into a partisan puppet show continue apace. First, was the absurd move that placed MAGA state auditor Dave Boliek over the board instead of the Governor. Then came Boliek’s appointment of a pair of ultra-partisan GOP politicians as board members. And last week, Republican legislators slipped a provision into the state budget bill that would politicize the board’s professional staff. The change would allot the board seven new staff positions – all of them political appointees. This represents a huge and troubling shift for an agency in which staff have long been nonpartisan civil servants. Now, add that the budget gives the board 1.5 million dollars so it can hire private attorneys rather than rely on the state’s nonpartisan civil servant lawyers, and the blatant and disturbing partisanship of the move becomes even clearer. The bottom line: there is no governmental function for which nonpartisanship is more vitally important than running elections. All North Carolinians should be outraged by these changes. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
North Carolina’s gun violence crisis continues to grow more dire by the day. According to the most recent data, someone dies in our state from a gunshot wound every five hours. Think about that for a minute: that’s more than four lives lost every day. Amazingly, however, state legislative leaders are determined to pour more gasoline on the fire. As the latter days of the 2025 session approach, four bills on the fast track would make it even easier than it already is for just about anyone to carry a hidden, loaded weapon. Two would allow concealed weapons in private schools. Another would make concealed carry permits good for the rest of the owner’s life. And another would allow anyone 18 or older to carry without a permit. The bottom line: As a group of community leaders made clear last week in an event organized by North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, these bills are a recipe for even more deadly mayhem. It’s essential that lawmakers stop, listen to their constituents, and find an offramp from the dangerous road they’re headed down. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
1 Common Cause of NC’s Bob Phillips on a victory for voters and the latest from the Board of Elections 11:05
It seemed like it might never happen, but we now know the winner of last November’s election for an associate justice seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Following federal Judge Richard Myers’ complete rejection of GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin’s effort to overturn his narrow defeat by tossing the ballots of thousands of voters, Griffin finally conceded and earlier this past week, incumbent Democratic Justice Allison Riggs was sworn in to serve a new and full eight-year term (albeit six months late). And recently, Newsline’s Rob Schofield caught up with one of our state’s top government watchdogs, Common Cause of North Carolina executive director Bob Phillips – both to discuss this long-awaited news as well as some dramatic and deeply worrisome changes taking place at the state Board of Elections. Click here to listen to the full interview with Common Cause of North Carolina executive director Bob Phillips.…
1 Newsline reporter Galen Bacharier on the budget debate and the hectic happenings of the legislature 15:17
Lawmakers in Raleigh recently concluded crossover week – a chaotic period in which they considered and voted on scores of bills in dozens of important subject areas in just a few days. And for better or worse, a lot of important and controversial measures won approval and remain eligible for final passage this session. So, what passed? What failed? And what’s on the agenda going forward? Newsline’s Rob Schofield recently sat down with reporter Galen Bacharier, to find out. And as Galen told Rob, while the state budget debate is sure to be the chief focus of lawmakers going forward, several other high-profile topics – from culture war issues like “diversity, equity and inclusion” and gun control to the role of the state Auditor – will also remain on the political front burner. Click here for the full interview with reporter Galen Bacharier.…
1 NCIOM President Michelle Ries and NC Child’s Erica Palmer Smith on the 2025 Child Health Report Card 19:03
For nearly three decades, a pair of nonprofits – the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and NC Child – have released a biennial study known as the Child Health Report Card. The goal, as you might expect, is to provide legislators, public health officials, school administrators, parents and other nonprofit leaders with the latest information on the health and well-being of our state’s kids. This year – as in 2023 – the focus of the report is on the mental health struggles that plague so many children and the urgent need for better (and better funded) public responses. And recently, to learn more about this issue and several others detailed in the report, NC Newsline caught up with the leaders of the two organizations – Institute of Medicine President and CEO Michelle Ries and NC Child executive director, Erica Palmer Smith. Listen to the full interview here with Institute of Medicine President and CEO Michelle Ries and NC Child executive director Erica Palmer Smith. Click here to read the 2025 Child Health Report Card.…
Everyone knows the state legislature must operate under a set of parliamentary rules and procedures. After all, maintaining order in a large group of opinionated and talkative politicians is no easy feat. That said, when the rules become so numerous, complex and restrictive that they make majority rule effectively impossible, they’ve gone too far and right now, that’s the case in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Last week, House leaders rolled out their new state budget proposal in a series of appropriations subcommittees and, at least in theory, opened it up to debate and amendment. Unfortunately, there was catch: a long list of restrictive rules that barred even the consideration of most meaningful amendments. For example, no amendment to spend additional dollars was allowed unless it reduced another line item from a very restricted list by the same amount – even if a majority of lawmakers wanted to do so. The bottom line: In representative government, the majority is supposed to rule. In the North Carolina House a list of anti-democratic restrictions make sure that’s not the case. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
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1 Former South Carolina utility regulator offers damning assessment of NC Senate energy proposal 1:04
Among the most worrisome bills under consideration in Raleigh this year is a Senate proposal that would weaken the state’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By removing a 2030 target for a 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions, the bill takes another big step backward in confronting the global climate crisis. But as Tom Ervin, a former judge and South Carolina Public Service Commission member noted in a recent op-ed for NC Newsline, there’s another reason for concern: the legislation’s likely impact on ratepayer electric bills. As Ervin explained, under the proposal, utility giants Duke and Dominion would be allowed to charge their electric customers upfront for the costs of building new plants. And when this happened in his state, consumers were left stuck with billions of dollars in sunk expenses to cover when a planned power plant went belly up. The bottom line: According to our neighbor, big and expensive trouble is on the way for North Carolina unless lawmakers reject the utility industry gift. Let’s hope they’re listening. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
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Few initiatives of modern American conservatives have been more successful than the crusade to take control of the courts. From the U.S. Supreme Court on down, big dollars and a commitment to hardball politics have helped give Republicans large majorities on several courts where the partisan divide should be about even. Notably, however, Republican Jefferson Griffin’s recent effort to overturn his loss to Justice Allison Riggs in a North Carolina Supreme Court election by tossing thousands of ballots, may have flipped the script. Griffin’s sore loser refusal to concede has angered so many people of all stripes that it’s greatly altered the environment surrounding state judicial elections. Meanwhile, thanks to her energetic defense of her candidacy and the voting rights of all North Carolinians, Justice Riggs has emerged as a minor political rock star. The bottom line: Things can still change quickly, but for now, Democrats’ chances of reversing recent patterns in state judicial elections have brightened considerably. And all those concerned can thank Jefferson Griffin for the shift. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
The list of Trump administration cuts to vital public services has become so long and destructive that it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but as North Carolina anti-poverty advocates continue to remind us, it’s important to hold the cuts up to the light, to document their cruel illogic. Take, for instance, the disastrous scheme to eliminate the AmeriCorps program. As the North Carolina Housing Coalition reported last week, it’s suing over the planned elimination of this program that will cause thousands of dedicated young people and seniors to be summarily fired. Here in North Carolina, AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Senior volunteers serve at more than 700 locations across the state, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, veterans’ facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. The bottom line: The Trump administration is gutting scores of vital programs like this, all so that it can dispense more big tax cuts that chiefly benefit the top one percent. And the cruel shortsightedness of it all is hard to overstate. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
Why are so many conservative politicians obsessed with denying the existence of transgender people? Several years ago, it was the infamous bathroom bill that sought to micromanage the public restrooms trans people used. Now, the same forces are at it again with bills targeting transgender youth. Under legislation approved by the state House last week, charges of abuse and neglect against parents who refuse to acknowledge their child’s gender identity would be barred. Supporters say the bill is about validating parental rights, but if that’s so, why did they defeat an amendment that would protected parents who acknowledge and support their transgender kids? After all, some politicians have promoted attacks of precisely this kind on parents who love and celebrate their trans children. The bottom line: Gender dysphoria is a long-established medical condition for which gender transition frequently amounts to lifesaving care. By denying this reality, lawmakers are assuring that some young people will be denied care and that their lives will be cruelly and needlessly endangered. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
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1 NC League of Women Voters president Jennifer Rubin on the ruling finalizing NC’s Supreme Court race 10:40
It’s been six long months now, but North Carolina’s seemingly never ending state Supreme Court election may soon be over. This past week, federal Judge Richard Myers II – a Republican appointed by President Trump — issued a complete rejection of GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin’s effort to overturn his narrow defeat by tossing the ballots of thousands of voters. In a detailed 68-page opinion, Myers wrote that Griffin’s effort to change rules governing voter eligibility after the election violates the U.S. Constitution. One advocacy group especially heartened by the ruling was the North Carolina League of Women Voters – which intervened in the case – and the day after the ruling came down, NC Newsline caught up with the League’s president, Jennifer Rubin. Click here to listen to the full interview with NC League of Women Voters president Jennifer Rubin.…
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NC Newsline
1 Rep. Zack Hawkins on the chaos of crossover week and improving services for those with disabilities 15:02
This past week was crossover week at the North Carolina General Assembly – a chaotic period in which lawmakers considered and voted on scores of bills in just a few days – often with precious little informed discussion. It’s a tough time for legislators who take their jobs seriously and try to understand every proposal on which they’re voting – a task that some have more success with than others. One lawmaker who’s gotten pretty good at the speed-reading and comprehension that crossover week demands is Rep. Zack Hawkins of Durham and earlier in the week NC Newsline caught up with Hawkins to learn more about how he’s been faring, and to get his views on some front-burner issues – including the controversy surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in state government and the urgent need to better serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Click here to listen to the full interview with Rep. Zack Hawkins.…
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1 Hilary Harris Klein of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice on voter list maintenance concerns 10:54
The challenge of keeping state voting rolls current and accurate has always been a big task and today, in a fast-growing state with more than seven and a half million voters – many of them often on the move – it can be tougher than ever. That said, there are sound and accurate ways to do this important work that keep things up to date without disenfranchising voters who may simply have skipped an election or two — and as a new report from researchers at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice shows, this is an area in which North Carolina officials can and should do a better job. Fortunately, as Newsline’s Rob Schofield was reminded in a recent conversation with the Southern Coalition’s senior voting rights counsel Hilary Harris Klein, the solutions in this area aren’t terribly complex and many are largely just a function of providing adequate funding to state and county election officials to hire necessary staff and purchase 21st century computer systems. Listen to the full interview with Hilary Harris Klein of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Click here to read the new SCSJ report.…
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NC Newsline
Fears about the trouble that lies ahead for North Carolina now that judges have okayed the scheme to give auditor Dave Boliek control over the state Board of Elections, were confirmed last week by the cruel and classless behavior of Boliek’s new right-wing appointees. After firing longtime elections board executive director Karen Brinson Bell – a rigorously nonpartisan professional who worked miracles on a shoestring budget and won national acclaim for her work to help western North Carolinians vote after Hurricane Helene – the new board members wouldn’t even allow her to say farewell. When she asked to say a few words at her final board meeting, Boliek’s new appointees adjourned before she could say a word and walked out of the room. Unbowed by the shabby treatment, Brinson Bell stayed behind to deliver a powerful message to the news media and other witnesses. The bottom line: For nearly six years, Karen Brinson Bell dedicated her career to strengthening our democracy and exemplifying public service at its finest – two concepts about which the men who fired her haven’t a clue. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
No modern political leader has done more to undermine science and research – both by slashing funding and directly spreading myths and disinformation — than President Donald Trump. Whether defunding everything from cancer studies to the National Weather Service or placing a troubled conspiracy theorist like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in charge of the nation’s health, Trump has recklessly endangered millions of lives and wreaked havoc that will take many years to repair. And sadly, Trump has also spurred state and local government in a similar direction. Last week, North Carolina House Republicans advanced a bill to ignore the Food and Drug Administration by allowing the sale of a drug used to kill parasites in horses — ivermectin – without a prescription. Though touted by some right-wing pundits as a miracle cure, peer reviewed scientific research has repeatedly shown such claims to be bogus. The bottom line: Ivermectin advocates may be sincere, but by overturning established, science-based drug approval laws, they are setting a very dangerous precedent indeed. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
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NC Newsline
The nation’s last unsettled election contest has finally been decided. On Wednesday, Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin conceded to incumbent Democratic Justice Allison Riggs. It was a long overdue act that many observers, including Justice Riggs (who prevailed in two separate recounts), are rightfully celebrating as a victory for democracy. That said, Griffin’s challenge – which called for trashing thousands of ballots cast by voters according to the rules in effect last November – has done tremendous damage. Not only did it waste vast sums of money and further undermine the public’s confidence in the judiciary, but one fears that it will inspire copycat losers in future elections who will try to overturn their losses by retroactively altering election rules. God help us if this were to happen in a presidential election. The bottom line: a federal judge dismissed Griffin’s shameless challenge as unconstitutional, but several of Griffin’s GOP pals on the state courts were ready to go along with it. And that’s a red flag that should alarm us all. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
If you’re like the vast majority of North Carolina voters, the decision you made last November in the auditor’s race was pretty low on your list of priority contests. Ah, but for Republican lawmakers looking for ways to seize more powers from Gov. Josh Stein, newly elected Republican auditor Dave Boliek has turned out to be a convenient tool. Thanks to a bill rammed through during a lame duck session, Boliek has been given all sorts of new powers that have absolutely nothing to do with the auditor’s traditional role – including bizarrely enough, appointing the state Board of Elections. And last week Boliek followed marching orders from GOP leaders by appointing a pair of hard right ideologues to the Board. The bottom line: It makes no more sense to place the auditor — state’s accountant — in charge of elections than giving the duty to the agriculture commissioner – especially when voters had no inkling of the shift when they cast their ballots. Unfortunately, for Republican lawmakers bent on shamelessly seizing power at every turn, logic and the will of voters is of little interest. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
While it’s no surprise that President Donald Trump is undoing years of hard won national progress in combating discrimination, the decision by many corporations to cowardly follow suit is shameful. Take North Carolina-based Duke Energy. As researchers at the Energy and Policy Institute recently reported, Duke once held itself out as a leader in fighting injustice. Its former CEO led her presentation at a 2020 earnings call by stating quote “issues surrounding racial equity and social justice are front and center, as they should be.” “Now, more than ever” she continued, “we are relying on these values to cultivate a workplace rooted in diversity and inclusion.” What a difference a few years make. Today, the report notes, Duke has been busy scrubbing numerous references to diversity and inclusion from important corporate documents. The bottom line: While some corporations are proudly reenforcing their commitment to fight discrimination, Duke bosses have sadly but predictably folded like a cheap suit. One suspects it’s a sign of their true colors. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
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NC Newsline
1 The NC Conservation Network’s Grady McCallie and Luna Homsi discuss State of the Environment 2025 21:06
Few issues on the public policy agenda in 2025 are more urgently important than the health of the environment. Whether it’s global challenges like climate change and the rise in weather disasters or hyperlocal matters like land use planning and access to clean drinking water, elected leaders undoubtedly have their work cut out for them. Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of experts at the North Carolina Conservation Network, we now have a wonderfully comprehensive and data rich report that details exactly where things stand. The report – entitled simply enough, “North Carolina State of the Environment” – is based on the analysis of data from 114 different source indicators over a period of five years. And recently NC Newsline caught up with the Conservation Network’s Policy Director Grady McCallie and Campaigns Data Manager Luna Homsi, for a special two-part conversation to learn more. In Part One of our recent extended conversation, we commenced discussing their organization’s new and remarkably comprehensive report on the state of the environment in North Carolina. In Part Two of our chat, we took a closer look at some of the many specific environmental challenges confronting our state – including some encouraging news on air pollution, the importance of rapidly transitioning to a sustainable energy grid, the huge challenges posed by the spread of so-called forever chemicals, and the report’s inclusion of dozens of specific policy recommendations. Click here for the full interview with the NC Conservation Network’s Grady McCallie and Luna Homsi. Read the full report: North Carolina State of the Environment 2025.…
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NC Newsline
1 Equality NC’s Eliazar Posada on recent anti-LGBTQ bills, and how caring people are pushing back 16:14
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has helped give rise to many disturbing trends in merican politics and policy in recent months, and one of the most troubling has been the crusade to marginalize and revive discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans. Both in Washington and Raleigh, conservative politicians and their appointees have been working hard to roll back hard won victories that allowed LGBTQ+ people to live normal lives free from harassment and even to, quite literally, deny their existence. Thankfully, a cadre of smart and courageous activists has been helping to speak out and push back, and recently Newsline’s Rob Schofield got a chance to chat with one of their most eloquent leaders – the executive director of Equality North Carolina, Eliazar Posada. Listen to the full interview with Equality North Carolina executive director Eliazar Posada…
Like many seemingly inexplicable practices that just sort of happened over time, designers of our state government could probably never have imagined something like “crossover week” at the North Carolina legislature. “Crossover” is an artificial semi-annual deadline by which bills must be approved by at least one body – the Senate or the House – in order to remain eligible for passage that year. This year’s deadline is this Thursday May 8. While the reasoning behind crossover deadline –to cull hundreds of bills and spur lawmakers to action – probably makes some sense, the practical result is that scores of bills will be approved this week in an absurdly rushed fashion. Indeed, large numbers of dramatic state law changes will be brought closer to enactment with, quite literally, just a few minutes of discussion and scarce – if any – public input. The bottom line: The crossover deadline has become obsolete. In a large, diverse and fast growing state of 10 million people, lawmakers ought to be serious and disciplined enough to get their work done without having to cram like college students. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
As anyone who steps outside of a gated community these days is aware, the number of impoverished and homeless people living on the street is, thanks to our unjust and top heavy economy, way up. What’s more, providing useful assistance to these people – many of whom struggle with disabilities, mental and physical health challenges and just plain hopelessness — is extremely tough. Here, however, is one thing we do know from the experts who do this heroic work: passing laws to make life on the street even tougher isn’t a solution. Unfortunately, that’s where the North Carolina legislature is heading with a bill that would force local governments to criminalize camping or sleeping on public property. As a Methodist pastor told lawmakers, quote “How can we push down folks who are already down? Seems like it’s impossible, but this bill has figured it out.” The bottom line: As several advocates told lawmakers, the solution to homelessness lies in a sustained commitment to building a genuine social safety net and ending poverty, not criminalizing people who have no other place to go. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
It’s a pretty remarkable situation when elected leaders feel compelled to share their own intimate personal health stories in hopes of passing legislation that would save the lives of others. And it’s even more remarkable (and troubling) when the leaders doing the sharing are all women and the officials blocking action are all men. But that’s what happened this week at the state legislature when a trio of female lawmakers who are also breast cancer survivors demanded action on legislation that would require health insurance companies to cover the cost of diagnostic imaging for the disease. Amazingly, many insurers don’t cover those tests and even more amazingly, the male legislators who run the General Assembly have repeatedly blocked bipartisan bills to require it. It’s an outrageous situation that, as Senator Val Applewhite of Cumberland County rightfully observed, should leave all women, quote “as mad as hell.” The bottom line: The all-male crew behind the breast cancer screening blockade should be ashamed. Let’s hope their mothers, wives and daughters let them know about it. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
There are many factors that go into the overdose epidemic of opioids and other drugs that kill thousands of North Carolinians each year. As a pair of law and medicine experts explained, however, in a recent NC Newsline op-ed, there are some increasingly successful strategies that deserve public support. And topping the list is the urgent need for everyone – health care providers, law enforcement, elected officials – to recognize that substance use disorder – is just that: a medical disorder, not merely an addiction or personal weakness to be frowned upon. Fortunately, polls show that an overwhelming majority of North Carolinians have come to understand this truth and strongly favor what experts describe as “a health-first approach” to the problem, that includes funding for non-judgmental, evidence-based treatment programs. The bottom line: To his great credit, Governor Josh Stein has voiced strong support for committing the state to just such an approach and ending the stigma that too often attaches to substance use disorder. All state policymakers and providers should follow his lead. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield…
North Carolinians are generally of two very different minds on the gun violence that plagues our society. While polls consistently show that most favor stronger laws to regulate firearms, a loud and determined minority opposes virtually any regulation. Here, however, is at least one simple prevention step that all sides should be able to endorse: installing inside locks on the doors to college classrooms. As NC State professor Walter Robinson explained in a recent NC Newsline op-ed, he and his faculty colleagues have repeatedly asked school leaders to install locks in all classrooms and lecture halls so that instructors and students can shelter in place in the event of a campus shooting. Unfortunately, and amazingly, however, the requests have been rejected. The reason: cost. And it’s hard to overstate just how absurd this is. The bottom line: In a multi-billion dollar system, it’s ridiculous that university leaders didn’t long ago invest in such a simple and basic safety precaution. Further delay is inexcusable. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
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NC Newsline
1 Sen. Graig Meyer on the Senate’s budget and his concerns that it ignores a raft of important needs 16:18
Members of the North Carolina General Assembly took a post-Easter break last week as they prepared for what promises to be the busiest period of the 2025 session in May and June, but prior to that, Republican leaders in the state Senate unveiled and quickly approved their version of a new two-year state budget. The proposal attracted sharp criticism from Democratic senators who blasted the tiny pay raises allotted to teachers and state employees, as well as the decision to double down on regressive corporate tax cuts at a time in which the state’s economists are warning of impending revenue shortfalls. And recently, NC Newsline caught up with one of those critics, State Senator Graig Meyer. He’s not only worried about the budget, he’s deeply concerned about what a host of other top state and national GOP priorities portend for our country’s future. Click here for the full interview with Sen. Graig Meyer.…
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NC Newsline
1 Common Cause of NC’s Ann Webb on the latest in unsettled Riggs/Griffin Supreme Court election 12:01
It’s hard to believe, but it’s now been nearly six months since the November 2024 election and one race remains officially undecided – the contest for an associate justice seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Two recounts have confirmed that incumbent Justice Allison Riggs was the narrow victor, but remarkably, challenger Jefferson Griffin refuses to concede and continues to pursue the audacious strategy of seeking to have thousands of ballots – ballots cast according to the rules in effect on Election Day – thrown out. The challenge has led to multiple lawsuits and numerous state and federal court rulings and recently, in order to try and get a handle on where things stand, what’s at stake and what might happen next, NC Newsline’s Rob Schofield caught up with one of our state’s top good government champions, Common Cause of North Carolina Policy Director, Ann Webb. Click here for the full interview with Common Cause of North Carolina Policy Director Ann Webb.…
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NC Newsline
1 Meredith College pollster David McLennan on Trump administration policies and voter dissatisfaction 15:11
We’re now more than three months into the second Trump administration and to say that it’s been a tumultuous period would be a vast understatement. From the precipitous economic decline, to the mass firings of federal workers, to the rise of an immigrant deportation program that has cast aside traditional norms of due process, the national news has been chockful of unprecedented and highly controversial actions. So how has this drumbeat of controversy impacted the views of North Carolina voters? A new public opinion survey from the Meredith College Poll indicates that people are very concerned – both about the direction the country is headed and the performance of the Trump administration. And recently NC Newsline’s Rob Schofield caught up with poll director David McLennan to learn more. Click here to listen to the full interview with David McLennan.…
For the second time in recent weeks, a North Carolina Republican judge has courageously put the constitution ahead of their political party. First, it was Supreme Court Justice Richard Dietz who rightfully dissented when his four Republican colleagues okayed a GOP effort to change election rules after the election in last fall’s disputed Supreme Court contest. And last week, Superior Court Judge Lori Hamilton helped strike down a law passed by the Republican-dominated legislature last fall to seize powers from Gov. Josh Stein. The law would have placed the auditor – in effect, the state’s accountant – in charge of appointing the state Board of Elections. In rejecting the scheme, Hamilton wrote that the duty to faithfully execute the laws has been exclusively assigned to the governor and cannot be reassigned without violating the constitution. Good for her. The bottom line: In this time in which a handful of politicians are trying to seize and monopolize more and more power, courageous judges are a bulwark against despotism. North Carolina is fortunate to have two of them. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
Enough! That’s what a large, growing and bipartisan chorus of legal experts, government watchdogs and average North Carolinians are saying right now in response to Judge Jefferson Griffin’s farfetched effort to overturn his Supreme Court election loss last fall to incumbent Justice Allison Riggs. It’s been almost six months now since Griffin was narrowly defeated – a fact confirmed by two recounts – but nonetheless, he persists in his brazen effort to have thousands of ballots cast according to the rules in place at the time of the election thrown out. It’s a remarkable stance that, if somehow validated, would invite all kinds of post-election mischief in the future and further undermine faith in our democracy. Fortunately, an end to this absurd situation could be in sight as earlier this week, a federal appeals court granted Justice Riggs’ request to put a stay on confusing lower court directives. The bottom line: For the sake of our democracy, let’s hope the court’s action is a signal that it’s ready to take control of and put an end to a dispute that’s gone on way too long. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
Flood insurance. It’s something that most people have heard of and that many probably have a notion they should look into as the climate warms and severe storms grow more frequent. To their credit, some have done more than think about it. As NC Newsline’s Galen Bacharier reported this week, about 10 percent of businesses and five percent of homeowners in western North Carolina actually had flood insurance prior to Hurricane Helene and were, quite understandably, counting on their policies to help them rebuild in the aftermath of the disaster. Unfortunately, as Bacharier also reported, that’s often not been the case. In numerous instances, it’s taken several months for the policyholders to collect and even then, many payments have been only partial. Many other claims have been denied outright based on technicalities and other questionable grounds. The bottom line: the industry’s failure to aid people and businesses in need cries out for better government oversight of flood insurance policies to protect consumers. If state and federal policymakers are serious about their pledges to aid disaster victims, they’ll make it an immediate top priority. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
There’s a vicious downward cycle that’s been at work in North Carolina state government in recent years. And here’s how it worked: First, conservative politicians blast quote “government bureaucracy” and enact big tax and spending cuts in response. Next, core services like schools, mental health, transportation, and public safety – plagued by funding cuts and staff reductions — all struggle mightily to keep up with rising demands in a fast-growing state. Next, besieged by constituent complaints, the same politicians who imposed the big cuts decry the decline in services and move to turn agencies over to private interests and/or lower standards – so that for example, class sizes can rise, or driver’s licenses have to be renewed less frequently. Finally, claiming to be motivated to improve quote “efficiency,” the same politicians impose more tax cuts and start the whole process over again. The bottom line: slashing funding for basic public services does no more to improve outcomes than scrimping on the upkeep of your car or home. And it’s long past time for our state to break this vicious cycle. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.…
At first blush, the idea that eviction is the solution for landlords when residential tenants fall behind on their rent or otherwise violate terms of a lease seems obvious. And, indeed, in many situations, it is the only realistic path. As new research from landlord-tenant law experts at the national Legal Services Corporation shows however, there are actually relatively few situations in which evictions end up being a win for landlords. The study found that eviction proceedings seldom result in landlords recovering back rent and often end up costing thousands of dollars. So, what should landlords do? The researchers found that by working together — rather than merely as adversaries — landlords and legal aid providers can reduce financial losses, improve stability for all parties, and minimize costs and disruptions. The bottom line: At a time in which so many renters are cost-burdened, there is no magic solution. But data show that, often, landlords can achieve better results for everyone by thinking outside of the box. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield…
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NC Newsline
1 Sen. Lisa Grafstein on the Senate budget, DEI, and the latest on the unresolved Supreme Court race 19:28
After several weeks of conducting business at a steady, manageable pace, the North Carolina General Assembly suddenly shifted into high gear. This past week, legislative committees rapidly considered and okayed scores of brand new, never before-heard bills on an array of topics, while at the same time Senate Republicans were unveiling and advancing their proposed version of a new two-year state budget. So, what is the average lawmaker to do at such a time – especially if you’re not a member of the majority party? For Wake County state Senator Lisa Grafstein, the path has been obvious – read each proposed new law as quickly and thoroughly as possible and do your best ask questions, offer amendments and speak up on behalf of average North Carolinians whose interests are so often ignored. Last week Newsline’s Rob Schofield caught up with Grafstein at her Legislative Building office for a special two-part conversation at which they discussed an array of issues starting with a review of the Senate’s new budget proposal. Click here to listen to the full interview with state Senator Lisa Grafstein.…
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NC Newsline
1 Former NC state Senator and U.S. representative Wiley Nickel discusses Trump, tariffs, and Tillis 15:28
We’re now three months into the second Trump administration and, as so many experts had feared and warned, the chaos – in the global economy, in the federal government, in our courts, and on the ground in scores of communities across the nation – is palpable. Between the seemingly random economic tariffs, massive and crude cuts to public services, and cruel and unlawful treatment of lawfully present immigrants, the national mess is already looking as if will be bigger than it was during the first Trump administration. Not surprisingly, however, resistance to the administration’s policies seems to be growing and gaining steam and earlier this week Newsline’s Rob Schofield caught up with a former North Carolina state Senator and U.S. representative, Wake County’s Wiley Nickel, who says, that while he sees some encouraging signs, he also believes it’s time for caring and thinking people to redouble their efforts. Listen to the full interview with Wiley Nickel here .…
There are many shortcomings in the new proposed state budget approved by the North Carolina Senate last week – the inadequate pay raises for teachers and state employees, the failure to invest in numerous core public services that have been reeling from staffing shortages, the giveaways to unaccountable special interests. But if there’s an overarching flaw that lies at the heart of the proposal, it is the plan to plow ahead with new and regressive tax cuts at a time when state economists are warning of significant budget shortfalls in the near future. Republican Senate leader Phil Berger – a smalltown lawyer with no credentials in economics – says the consensus forecast of the state’s economists is wrong. He claims the state’s fiscal picture will remain rosy even with new corporate and personal income tax cuts taking effect and massive new reductions in federal aid from the Trump administration. It’s a remarkably oblivious stance. The bottom line: North Carolina public services are already running on a shoestring and the Senate’s decision to pull that string even tighter is a huge mistake. For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield…
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