September 17, 2014 -
Dollar Tree of Virginia and Dollar General of Tennessee are battling to take over North Carolina-based Family Dollar -- but the takeover fight isn't the most interesting part of this story, which also involves sleeping anti-trust watchdogs, wage theft and other exploitative labor practices, and a business model that profits from economic desperation.
September 16, 2014 -
The civil rights group has filed a complaint with the State Board of Elections and a local district attorney over a TV ad sponsored by the campaign of state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger that suggests citizens need to show a photo ID to vote -- even though the ID requirement doesn't take effect until 2016. In North Carolina, misrepresenting election law to discourage voting is a felony.
September 15, 2014 -
A study by researchers at five universities found contamination of drinking water in Texas and Pennsylvania from gas drilling operations. The authors say it wasn't fracking per se that caused the contamination but faulty gas well construction -- though they note that fracking could potentially affect well integrity.
September 12, 2014 -
A resolution to amend the U.S. Constitution and overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision lifting restrictions on money in politics failed in the Senate this week on a party-line vote. But voters support such an amendment by a wide margin, and pro-reform activists vow to press on.
September 12, 2014 -
Suppose we stopped bribing companies to do what already benefits them, and instead focused our public dollars on restoring and expanding public services.
September 11, 2014 -
A Facing South analysis finds that candidates for the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are set to spend record sums on campaign ads in the coming weeks. The election will be the first in a decade without the state's public financing program for judges, and special-interest money is pouring in.
September 11, 2014 -
An analysis by a voting rights watchdog found that 454 North Carolina citizens who would have been able to successfully cast ballots in previous elections had their votes discounted in this year's primary because of the state's new election law -- and those affected were disproportionately African Americans and Democrats.
