The Assembly

When Pitt County’s district attorney prosecuted former pro-basketball player James Richardson for a drive-by double murder in 2011, he showed surveillance footage to convince jurors of Richardson’s guilt. Did a low-quality video help convict the wrong man? theassemblync.com/politics/crimi…

Cooper was elected attorney general in 2000 by five points. He was easily re-elected three times, even as the state shifted rightward. The GOP claimed control of the legislature in 2010, the governor’s office in 2012, and both U.S. Senate seats by 2014. theassemblync.com/politics/roy-c…

Popular, easy-to-reach Wrightsville Beach says charging for parking pays for services that benefit beach-goers. Surfers and other locals say it’s intensifying the region’s class divide. theassemblync.com/place/parking-…

Trump and GOP Leaders Line Up Behind Michael Whatley for N.C. Senate Seat theassemblync.com/politics/whatl…

A defining part of life in the region for centuries, the culture of herring fishing is now poised to disappear, even in the towns most closely connected to the tradition. theassemblync.com/culture/food/h…

The tomato sandwich in summer is a sacred Southern thing. But is there room for innovation, or only blasphemy? theassemblync.com/greensborothre…

Via @NOTUSreports | Republicans are coalescing behind former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley’s anticipated bid for North Carolina’s open Senate seat. theassemblync.com/politics/whatl…

“I work hard every single day to make sure the North Carolina Republican Party is going to be the party of faith,” said Whatley. “I pray that I can use this platform that I’ve been given…to be an instrument of God.” theassemblync.com/politics/micha…

Under current predictions, the sea level in Beaufort is expected to be 4.3 feet higher by 2100 than it was in 1992. At least 262 homes in Beaufort sit at or below 4 feet above sea level, putting vulnerable residents at risk. theassemblync.com/environment/se…

The World Trade Center Health Program, which provides health care to some 2,000 North Carolinians who survived or responded to 9/11, faces more than $1.2 billion in federal funding cuts. theassemblync.com/health/9-11-su…

Business leaders across various sectors are uneasy with the arrival and rollout of Trump’s tariffs, but still others remain in a happy minority. theassemblync.com/business/some-…

Under the deal New Hanover County commissioners and the hospital’s trustees reached, the endowment is an independent organization with a 13-member board appointed by the county and Novant. theassemblync.com/place/a-1-25-b…

Since Trump’s reelection, Siembra NC has been busy operating an emergency hotline where callers give tips on where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be operating and hosting training sessions on how to respond. theassemblync.com/immigration/si…

Historic and cultural preservationists are trying to save the house where Nina Simone was born in Tryon, N.C. The process reveals the artist’s complicated relationship with her hometown. theassemblync.com/culture/nina-s…

Two moms needed a place for their kids to play while they caught up on or finished work. So they built their own playplace cafe. theassemblync.com/greensborothre…

Via @NOTUSreports | The South is especially vulnerable to storms and flooding due to its low-lying coastal plains. Lawmakers and activists there are questioning what President Donald Trump’s shifting views on the future of the FEMA could mean. theassemblync.com/environment/tr…

Entrepreneurs are repurposing a historic firehouse, opening a new jazz bar and organizing events in the downtown plaza. For the first time in a long time, business owners and town officials say, Lumberton is on the precipice of becoming a true destination. theassemblync.com/business/lumbe…

Researchers and restauranteurs are trying to shuck the idea that you’re only supposed to eat oysters September through April. theassemblync.com/culture/food/o…