Politics

February 15, 2013 - With North Carolina flipping back into the Republican column, you could say that the new Solid South begins in Henderson, N.C. and ends in Valdosta, Ga., bracketed by Virginia and Florida.

February 14, 2013 - The North Carolina governor may soon get to appoint all members of the N.C. Utilities Commission -- even though he's heavily invested in the state's largest regulated utility. Now a watchdog group is calling on him to come clean about just how big those holdings are.

February 14, 2013 - Once known as the "most aggressively conservative" federal appeals court and the "black hole of capital litigation," the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond has shifted to the center, thanks to six appointments by President Obama.

February 13, 2013 - As commissioners consider whether to approve Duke Energy's controversial electric generation plan, the legislature wants to fire all of them and let Gov. Pat McCrory appoint a new slate. But given McCrory's longstanding ties to -- and ongoing investments in -- the utility giant, watchdogs say that represents a serious conflict of interest.

February 11, 2013 - Organized by the state NAACP, the 7th annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street march in Raleigh, N.C. called for economic justice amid a legislative push for austerity.

February 8, 2013 - This month the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a landmark case challenging Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Considered the heart of the law, the section prohibits racially discriminatory election changes in covered jurisdictions, most of which are in the South.

February 8, 2013 - The mismatch between who voters chose for Congress, and the actual makeup of the U.S. House after the 2012 elections, has sparked a new debate about gerrymandering. But what's the best solution to ensure the wishes of voters are honored?