It’s officially Fall season here in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Fair is upon us and we are excited. Just sitting here thinking about all that good looking forward to the food that will make me run to the gym the following week. We can’t forget the rides and games that drive people through the gates every year.
Eleven public water systems in North Carolina have detected levels of the toxic compound PFAS above the EPA’s proposed maximum contaminant level of 4 parts per trillion (ppt). This information was revealed through the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), which requires public water systems to sample for certain unregulated contaminants, including PFAS.
According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, overdose deaths in the state increased by 22% in 2021, to more than 4,000. For 2022, data from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner showed a 7% increase in suspected overdose deaths.
Voters across the state are voicing their concern over Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s long history of disturbing comments regarding guns and mass shootings.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s 2024 gubernatorial campaign team has been able to prevent Robinson from showing up and stumbling through primary debates, but they weren’t able to prevent him from using a pro-Bidenomics company to try and attack the president and Democrats, the American Independent reported.
Since 2016, North Carolina Republicans have continued efforts to change the rules in their favor and undermine gubernatorial authority, with the latest state budget adding to the list.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has officially vetoed two dangerous bills that were passed by Republican supermajorities in the legislature and focused on making it harder to vote and taking away powers from the governor.
The death of a migrant worker from Mexico at a Nash County farm on a near 100-degree day in early September is under investigation by the North Carolina Department of Labor – and it has a connection to a Republican state senator and her family.
US District Judge Catherine Eagles recently issued an order blocking two provisions of North Carolina’s new abortion ban from taking effect during an ongoing lawsuit. According to the Associated Press, nearly all the restrictions put forth by NC Republicans, such as the ban on abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, are still in place and aren’t being specifically challenged at this time.
This year, Banned Books Week arrives amid a tumultuous time for communities, schools, and libraries fending off the ever-increasing right-wing campaign to remove books from shelves.