March 2024

‘We Come Here Broken and Desperate’

One of Durham Rescue Mission’s thrift stores. (Kate Medley for The Assembly)

The Durham Rescue Mission takes in people with nowhere else to go, but some former guests say the nonprofit exploited them at their lowest point.

Kathie Niven, president and CEO of Biscuitville. (Kate Medley for The Assembly)

Biscuitville CEO Kathie Niven brings outsider energy to the family-owned company, and plans to add five new locations by the end of 2024.

A ball falls through the net in the women's NCAA Tournament game between Richmond and Duke. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

UNC System President Bill Friday scaled back basketball after players shaved points. Now a gambling executive sits on the board.

Podcasters Joe Ovies and Joe Giglio record in their studio. (Photo by Ethan Hyman, courtesy of Ovies)

The former radio hosts are reinventing themselves as podcasters at a fraught time for both media and sports.

Sheila Mikhail has a CT scan. (Julia Wall for The Assembly)

MRIs and ultrasounds detect cancer better than mammograms for some women, but insurance often doesn’t cover them.

Former Greensboro City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba. (Travis Dove for The Assembly)

A Greensboro case tests the limits of the public’s right to know when city officials are involved in police activity.

Durham County’s abuse, neglect, and dependency court has effectively prohibited anyone involved in child welfare cases from talking to the media.

Hannah Davis beheads fresh-caught shrimp at Davis Seafood for a customer order. (Photo by Johanna F. Still)

Shrimpers are fleeing the industry as cheap imports flood the domestic market. They’re fighting for relief before it’s too late.

Photos of Moms Mabley at the Mary C. Jenkins Community & Cultural Center in Brevard. (Mike Belleme for The Assembly)

“Moms” Mabley gained national fame as the mother of stand-up comedy, but it took nearly 50 years for her to be recognized back home in Brevard.

Notre Dame forward Tae Davis shoots against North Carolina forward Jae'Lyn Withers (24). (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

Legalized sports betting brings fresh tax revenue—and reports of gambling addiction. Experts say N.C. colleges aren’t ready.