January 2025

Mark Robinson Drops Lawsuit Against CNN, Says He’s Exiting Politics

Mark Robinson meets with supporters at Ace Speedway in April 2023. (Cornell Watson for The Assembly)

In December, the combative former lieutenant governor asked a federal judge to rewrite libel laws. On Friday, he conceded that “continuing to pursue retribution from CNN is a futile effort.”

These Moms Never Stopped Fighting For Their Sons

Patsy Clarke and Eloise Vaughn campaigned against U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms over his rhetoric about gays and lesbians. (Photo by Will and Deni McIntyre/Getty Images)

Eloise Vaughn and Patsy Clarke, who lost sons to AIDS and joined forces against Jesse Helms, both died recently.

U.S. Attorney Resigns, Leaving Columbus Corruption Probe in Limbo

The Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via AP)

Michael Easley Jr. announced his resignation on Wednesday as part of the Trump transition.

The ‘Did Duke Win?’ Guy Didn’t Mean to Dunk on Duke

"Did Duke Win?" uses a famously simple style to update fans on men's basketball results. (Illustration by Matt Hartman for The Assembly)

The untold story of how a Duke student accidentally made UNC-Chapel Hill basketball fans’ favorite website.

Greensboro Looks to Ease Housing Crunch

The Greensboro skyline. (Photo courtesy City of Greensboro)

Millions in voter-approved bond money still hasn’t been tapped. City leaders are pushing for speed and accountability.

A Lie’s Reckoning

Jessicah Black testifies in 2022. (Screenshot from WFMY)

Jessicah Black helped send five teens to prison for murdering Nathaniel Jones. Now she’s trying to exonerate them.

Short-Term Rental Owners Steel Themselves for Long Recovery

Hurricane Helene flooded Asheville's River Arts District, once a hotspot for local creatives and tourists. (Photo by Mike Belleme for The Assembly)

Western N.C.’s vacation rental industry, a key component of the tourism economy, faces an uncertain future after Hurricane Helene.

Some N.C. Supreme Court Republicans Seem Willing to Overturn Griffin’s Defeat

Jefferson Griffin, who currently serves on the Court of Appeals, is the Republican candidate for the state Supreme Court. (Photo courtesy of Griffin's campaign)

While the justices remanded the case to Wake County’s superior court on Wednesday, it’s likely to return.

The Reading Wars Go to College

Carson Bridges learned about the science of reading after she became a teacher. (Photo by Mike Belleme for The Assembly)

Nearly everyone backs the latest research on teaching kids to read. Why did it take eight years to update curriculum?

Bringing the Border War Home

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page expresses support for immigration legislation at a committee hearing in April 2024. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

How one North Carolina sheriff helped shape the anti-immigration agenda that will define Donald Trump’s second term.