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Agriculture
ASSOCIATED PRESS: Judge Blocks NC Law Provision Aimed at Farm Workers’ Union
U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs issued a permanent injunction this week declaring a provision is unconstitutional that prevents legal settlements between workers and farms from including mandates for a farm to enter a collective bargaining agreement. Bargaining agreements between FLOC and farms in North Carolina are voluntary.
Education
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Despite pressure from campuses, UNC System leaders aren’t pushing for a vaccine mandate
UNC System officials and leaders of the individual system campuses have faced consistent pressure from some faculty and students to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. But top leaders have not pushed for that, saying they don’t have the authority.
ABC13: Judge sets deadline for North Carolina to boost school funding
A North Carolina judge has set a mid-October deadline for state lawmakers to provide funding for improving public education or he will take action himself.
Economic Development
WRAL TECH WIRE: Job openings across Triangle continue to grow despite ‘Delta’
Good news for people seeking work: The Triangle’s job market is still heading upward despite the COVID-19 Delta variant
FOX8: North Carolina’s unemployment rate has fallen for 11 months in a row
North Carolina’s unemployment rate declined slightly in August, which means it’s now fallen for 11 months in a row. The state Commerce Department said on Friday the seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell from 4.4% in July to 4.3% last month.
Environment
CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS: Seeking solutions for NC shoreline and fisheries
The project not only supports Cherry Point’s critical military mission but also serves as an on-the-ground laboratory of a Duke University initiative to restore eastern oysters in estuarine habitat.
Government
CNBC: North Carolina judges block voter ID law, saying it discriminates against Black people
A panel of North Carolina judges in a split decision Friday blocked the state’s voter ID law, saying it discriminates against Black people.
THE CENTER SQUARE: North Carolina legislation requiring legislative approval of lawsuit settlements heads to Cooper
A bill that requires legislative leaders to sign off on lawsuit settlements involving the North Carolina General Assembly is on its way to Gov. Roy Cooper.
Healthcare
NC Health News: Rural COVID-death rate twice as high as urban one
Rural residents are currently dying from Covid-19 at twice the rate of metropolitan residents, according to a Daily Yonder analysis. And the rate of new infections in rural counties is 50 percent higher than the metropolitan rate.
WBTV: Union County Board of Education to discuss N.C. health leader’s letter about COVID-19 protocols in special meeting
The Union County Board of Education is holding a special meeting Monday morning to discuss a North Carolina’s health leader’s letter warning of legal action if the district doesn’t align with state COVID-19 guidance.
Politics
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Long-serving Democrat from Orange County to retire from NC legislature
State Rep. Verla Insko, who has represented Orange County since 1997, announced her decision Wednesday. Her term ends Dec. 31, 2022.
Transportation
SPECTRUM: Audit: N.C. DOT spent less than planned, but risks remain
North Carolina’s Department of Transportation spent less than predicted in the second half of 2020, a state performance audit showed. But the report’s authors said the agency hadn’t carried out key recommendations from an audit last year that found several hundred million dollars in overspending.