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North Carolina's new digital statewide magazine. In-depth reporting and writing about the state. Reach out info @theassemblync .com
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BREAKING: The Assembly has a beer! 🍻
We've partnered with
@PonysaurusBrew
on a new brew called "Tell the Truth."
Ponysaurus has generously agreed to share a portion of the proceeds with us to help fund additional reporting positions across the state.
7
23
90
NEW exclusive emails + multiple sources:
@UNC
donor Walter Hussman repeatedly warned against hiring
@nhannahjones
at the school that bears his name
His outreach included at least 1 BOT member, senior admins, and at least 1 other major donor
22
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307
Durham chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood has won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southeast.
If you missed our latest on Moore and other NC-based nominees:
🔗
0
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Some news: we're excited to announce two big hires for The Assembly: Kate Sheppard and Paige Ladisic
Kate (
@kate_sheppard
) is our new Managing Editor, starting Apr 1.
Paige (
@ladisicpaige
) is our new Revenue and Growth Director, starting May 1.
3
4
130
It’s been months since a Hendersonville aquarium blew up the internet with its announcement of a “miracle” pregnancy, and experts and online fans are growing concerned. When we tried to visit, they called the police.
9
21
94
Stabbed by white supremacists, Cates died on
@UNC
campus in 1970 waiting for an ambulance that never arrived. The bricks were cleaned by the morning's football game
@ValFoushee
& Nate Davis on
@UNC
's opportunity to engage w/their cousin's enduring legacy
1
56
81
NEW from
@b_case
: Two longtime Duke faculty members are behind an anticipated $2M in art sales that raise questions about ethical use of public-domain images, power imbalances within academia, & a university’s thorny role as a gatekeeper of info & access
6
45
71
Today's a big day for The Assembly.
We've got some exciting announcements to share with you — three in fact!
Check out them out:
1
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75
We are excited to announce the launch of our Greensboro bureau.
We’ll be reporting big stories and publishing a free weekly newsletter, The Thread, that pulls it all together. The Thread will launch in June.
Read more about our plans:
1
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68
NEW: A deep dive into Democrats' chance to elect candidates of color with NC's new congressional maps.
From
@michaelngraff
and in partnership with
@axios
... Do Democrats have the candidates to fill the void?
9
22
64
We're Hiring!
Two new full-time leadership positions to guide a fast-growing state-level longform magazine.
Managing Editor, $75,000+ salary
Revenue and Growth Director, $65,000+ salary
Apply by Jan 28
#journalismjobs
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A second 911 call raises additional questions about an accident that seriously injured a lobbyist at the December wedding of state Rep. Destin Hall, who’s in line to become state House speaker in January.
“You need to get the alcohol out of the car.” ⬇️
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If you haven’t heard the big news: We are hiring our first full-time reporters!
We’re thrilled to have
@renLarson_
,
@carlibrosseau
, &
@mhewlettWSJ
join our team.
Meet them:
2
11
60
A deeply sourced piece from our contributing editor
@john_drescher
about donor influence in higher ed, and the debate on journalistic objectivity feat
@benyt
@WesleyLowery
@KevinGuskiewicz
@DeanSusanKing
and more.
Photos:
@c_ocana_
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7
52
Hussman is an ardent believer in strict reporter objectivity. A 2019 WSJ op-ed and appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show lay out his views.
His pushback against Hannah-Jones represents a new front in the debate happening in newsrooms across the country
13
18
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NEW: A look at the increasing burden of sea-level rise on the small communities dotting the state's sounds.
Historic investments in flood mitigation came this fall, but far more is needed.
Reporting: Dair McNinch
Photography:
@abruce_noor
Story:
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21
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NEW: On the deluge of outside money that's made NC's most progressive district the most expensive Democratic congressional primary in state history.
4
25
48
Madison Cawthorn has no shortage of political liabilities.
But his decision to move to the 13th district, before coming back to the 11th, has fundamentally changed his race
@chriscooperwcu
argues it may be enough to force a runoff and a primary defeat
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"The 1974 N.C. State team achieved its goal. To do so, it had to end one of the greatest dynasties in American sports history."
1
5
40
1) We're partnering with
@indyweek
to deliver more local reporting to the Triangle.
We’ll bring our focus on longform, high-quality reporting; they’ll keep their focus on the Triangle.
In partnering, we're excited about what we can do for the area.
1
4
40
NEW from
@ScribblerSix
: The dean of UNC Wilmington’s school of education was removed weeks after telling The Assembly that his chancellor had directed him to ensure a conservative got an award this year.
0
40
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NEW from
@BryanRAnderson
: N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore named a longtime friend to a commission that oversees lawyer misconduct—which had just punished that lawyer a few months ago.
7
32
39
Some news...
We're are so excited to announce Julia Wall (
@juliawall_
) as our first full time visuals hire.
She'll be joining us June 1 as a lead producer and videographer to imagine and execute our video storytelling and reporting.
More to come!
Friends, after nearly five years I left my position as a visual journalist at The News & Observer in late April. I'll be joining
@TheAssembly
on June 1 as a lead producer and videographer.
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6
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1
5
38
What happens when a white supremacist curates the South's preeminent and foundational source of historical information?
@pamkelleyreads
on the push to rename
@UNC
's Hamilton Hall and the power of the archive
0
17
38
"If there’s anything that keeps me up at night, that’s it,” said NC Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson. “Everything we do is important but what our compliance officers do is most important”
New by
@john_drescher
: broken federal promises + stalled state reform
2
16
36
BREAKING: North Carolina House and Senate leaders have reached an agreement to expand Medicaid.
For context on what went into getting to yes, read
@jimmorrill
's recent The Assembly story:
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13
38
NEW by
@jeffreybillman
: North Carolina Democrats are tired of losing.
As they head into the 2024 election cycle in a precarious position, will they risk their future on an untested 25-year-old, or hope that staying the course yields better results?
0
2
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Holden Thorp was the first of three chancellors whose tenure was defined by governance turmoil
As
@UNC
faces another inflection point tomorrow,
@arthomason
revisits Thorp's rise & fall, and the striking similarities between then and now
0
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We're thrilled to announce we've received a grant from
@knightfdn
's Growth Challenge Fund!
Alongside a great cohort of other outlets and our friends at Blue Engine Collaborative, this support will help us build a model for sustainable, state-level news.
2
6
31
SCOOP: NC Promise, the UNC System's big ticket college affordability plan, is expanding to a fourth university - Fayetteville State University. Tuition will drop to just $500 a semester.
Funding is in the conference budget, per three sources.
0
12
30
NEW by
@jimmorrill
: Twenty of North Carolina's ailing rural hospitals have closed or are at immediate risk of closing.
Medicaid expansion in NC, having passed the House and now waiting debate in the Senate, could give them the boost they need.
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NEW: An apple orchard in Western North Carolina is one of the only sites in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to Cherokee pomology, or fruit-growing — merging the apple's past with its future.
0
12
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2) In a different partnership announcement, The Assembly is coming to Wilmington.
Together with
@whqr
,
@ScribblerSix
will be diving into big stories about topics that matter across the Cape Fear region.
Sign up for the weekly newsletter here:
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25
"If his candidacy seemed like a threat to conservatives who prefer their border walls tall and strong, it also threatened moderate Democrats who like their politicians white, Tar Heel-born and ideologically cautious"
@Barry_Yeoman
on
@rickyhurtadonc
1
12
25
NEW: Smoky Mountain National Park has seen a boom in visitors—14 million last year alone. It’s put a strain on the resources in and around the park’s 500K acres
@HollyKaysWrites
looks at the park's evolution, and its effect on the towns around it
1
13
23
McClatchy's NC outlets -
@newsobserver
&
@theobserver
- are still the state's most essential journalism.
But after a decade of cuts, and as new hedge fund ownership settles in, what lies ahead for the state's most storied newspapers?
2
10
23
3) Tune into
@MyPBSNC
tonight at 7 for our TV special.
@juliawall_
produced, shot, and edited this half-hour program, and frequent contributor Dwayne Ballen is the host. We'll take you from Statesville to Burgaw, with in-depth reporting on issues that matter in our state.
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"How do we build good narrative stories that tell readers something new and make them walk away feeling smarter than when they started?"
Thanks to
@NiemanLab
for a great conversation about what we're working to build here at The Assembly.
1
9
23
UPDATE: The curious case of Charlotte the stingray has come to an even more bizarre end, it seems.
The aquarium owner confirmed to TV station WLOS that Charlotte is not pregnant.
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14
22
NEW: from
@jnoisecat
North Carolina’s Lumbee have been fighting for federal tribal recognition for over a century. Their story reveals a great deal about race, identity, and who does—and does not—count as “Native” in the United States.
3
16
22
Paige (
@ladisicpaige
) joins from
@dailytarheel
, where she leads membership growth + ad sales + their
@1893brandstudio
work.
She'll do the same for us, helping chart our path to sustainability as we grow over the years to come.
0
1
22
NEW: Former radio hosts, Joe Ovies and Joe Giglio, are reinventing themselves as podcasters at a fraught time for both media and sports.
0
4
20
A dispatch from Dare County:
@EmilyCataneo
on a bitter fight over school masking policy in one of the most vaccinated counties in the state.
3
6
19
“I swore an oath to the State of North Carolina and not Tim Moore”
The House Speaker wanted a friend with a controversial record named chancellor. Emails show that when a key board member resisted, Moore had her removed.
With
@whqr
's
@Ben_Schachtman
0
7
20
Two different three-judge panels in NC, both bipartisan, have come to two very different conclusions about whether the courts can intervene against partisan gerrymandering.
@davedaley3
on why it matters ahead of this week's Supreme Court hearing.
3
12
19
NEW: President Nido Qubein remade High Point University from a struggling college to a booming campus known for “wow” amenities, flag-waving patriotism, and a “life skills” focus that reflects his philosophy.
He’s not done yet.
READ MORE:
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2
18
New from
@john_drescher
: the power struggle
@UNC
in the wake of
@nhannahjones
' decision.
"Anyone in a position of governance has to have questions about the ability of the current team [at UNC-CH] to do what needs to be done,” said trustee John Preyer
1
15
18
NEW: Serious questions about
@raleighpolice
's confidential informant program after the indictment of a former CI for fabricating drug deals.
Deep reporting by
@jeffreybillman
on an unchecked, powerful CI system
0
6
15
NEW:
@hannaraskin
road-tripped across eastern North Carolina to test out a celebrity chef’s modern vending machine concept — full-course, restaurant-level meals.
1
10
18
A parade of players left this year, and the university investigated a coach. Some athletes say those are just two signs of trouble in Anson Dorrance’s famed program.
2
9
18
@kate_sheppard
joins from
@HuffPost
, where she served as senior national editor working on features, investigations and enterprise stories. She also teaches at
@UNCHussman
.
She'll lead our newsroom, working w/contributing editor
@john_drescher
to take our work to the next level
1
0
18
NEW: Nearly 40 years ago, newspaper columnist Jerry Bledsoe set out to capture the character of North Carolinians as he drove the state’s longest highway.
@matthewRvincent
recreated his trip, finding the columnist along the way.
0
9
16
NEW from
@themhartman
:
@TheNCCourage
were at the top of the women's soccer world - winning championships and anchoring a major proposed investment in downtown Raleigh.
But the last year has seen them fall hard.
Can they recover?
3
7
16
SCOOP by
@renLarson_
: At Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies, work has all but stopped. A staff of 45 is now 24, and The Assembly has learned of layoffs this week.
Its director is promising a new era—but what comes next is unclear.
0
11
17
NEW by
@PhoebeZerwick
: Darryl Hunt was one of the 72 people exonerated for crimes they did not commit in North Carolina since 1989.
But being exonerated couldn’t undo the trauma and systemic racism that shaped every aspect of his life.
3
12
15
NEW: N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham's party switch has been all over the news lately.
@jimmorrill
spoke with her former allies who are puzzled about the decision and say she doesn’t seem to be the same person.
0
14
16
ICYMI from @Eric_Ginsburg: After a long day preparing gourmet food, some of the region’s top chefs dial up Domino’s. What is it about the chain’s pizza that hits the spot?
0
1
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Anderson Clayton is now the North Carolina Democratic Party Chair.
Before the election,
@jeffreybillman
wrote about the race and why some Democrats are taking a gamble on the youngest-ever person to take up this role.
1
5
16
Big news out of Charlotte today, where the United Methodist Church voted to reverse its ban on gay clergy. Assembly contributing writer
@Barry_Yeoman
is on the scene reporting for us and just posted a video from celebrations:
1
7
15
NEW from
@KyleVillemain
: An interview with Lee Roberts, a well-connected technocrat and member of the Board of Governors, who will take over as interim chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill.
0
8
16
NEW: A 2004 law allows the NC General Assembly to decide some contested elections by majority vote, without review by state courts.
@jeffreybillman
on the law, its implications, and the broader challenge facing election administrators
0
10
14
NEW FROM WILMINGTON: A compromise over painting “Black Lives Matter” on the street led to a work of art that has taken on a life of its own.
Read the first story from our partnership with
@whqr
:
1
8
14
ICYMI: The Lumbee have been fighting for federal tribal recognition for over a century.
Their story reveals a great deal about race, identity, and who does—and does not—count as “Native” in the United States.
0
8
13
And more: Critics have called for Mark Martin, a former North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice and High Point's founding law school dean, to account for his part in efforts to fight the 2020 election outcome.
🔗
1
4
12
Scoop: NCSU's Long-Serving Chancellor, Randy Woodson, To Announce Departure.
@GretzingerErin
has more details.
0
11
13
NEW by
@jeffreybillman
: Raleigh police say they acted swiftly to address concerns about falsified evidence in the vice unit.
But new court documents show officers knew about problematic arrests months earlier.
0
6
13
We’re also pleased to announce the journalists who will make the Greensboro effort possible:
📝
@ebmccord
, senior regional editor
📝
@JoekillianNC
, Greensboro editor
📝 P.R. Lockhart, Report for America Corps member in Greensboro
📝
@whatsaysaid
, contributing writer
1
4
13
ICYMI: The News & Record was once a thriving newspaper, making its mark in Greensboro.
But, after years of layoffs and budget cuts, all that remains is a shell of what it once was.
2
6
13
NEW from @katemedley: Roll down the window and put the car in drive as contributing photographer Kate Medley takes you on a trip with her new book, Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South.
0
9
12
Attention was, is, and will be on Alamance County. Veteran journalist
@Barry_Yeoman
went long on
@rickyhurtadonc
, with photography by the amazing Cornell Watson (
@cornwhizzle
).
Typical Yeoman excellence on Hurtado’s story, strategy, and future in HD63
2
2
13
UNC-Chapel Hill officials secretly recorded classes taught by a veteran economics professor — apparently violating Kenan-Flagler Business School policy in the process. ⬇️
2
6
11
Update: Charlotte the stingray has died, aquarium officials confirmed in a Facebook post Sunday evening. The aquarium said in May that Charlotte was suffering from a rare reproductive disease.
It’s been months since a Hendersonville aquarium blew up the internet with its announcement of a “miracle” pregnancy, and experts and online fans are growing concerned. When we tried to visit, they called the police.
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5
12
UPDATE: On Thursday evening, ECCO posted an update on Facebook stating that Charlotte "has developed a rare reproductive disease that has negatively impacted her reproductive system."
It did not state how this relates to a purported pregnancy.
1
5
12
NEW by
@renLarson_
: A fight over new, denser development has split Summerfield, a Greensboro exurb.
As the developer looks to the state Senate for a way forward, the possibility of losing control of the decision has been a unifying factor for the town.
0
6
11
A deeply divided city has banked on a renaissance fueled by outside investment and historic preservation.
But can its reinvention take place without reconciliation?
@kjfernelius
goes long on Rocky Mount + photos from
@hannawon72
1
4
11
NEW from
@kjfernelius
and
@_Benitogarcia
A dive into Henderson County, the history of immigration enforcement in the state, and what happened when a newly elected sheriff tried to change his department's relationship with ICE.
.
@_benitogarcia
and I reported on the long legacy of immigration enforcement in Henderson County, NC for
@TheAssemblyNC
.
Benny is a kind and whipsmart reporter. A real privilege to work with him!
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0
5
10
“The biggest question is what does the Telemundo rating look like?”
New from Matt Hartman (
@themhartman
), the rise of NC's first MLS team,
@CharlotteFC
, as it tries to tap into two very different soccer cultures; w/fantastic photography by
@katemedley
0
9
11
I loved teaching in public schools for more than two decades, unleashing 3,500 eager students on the world. But I just quit—and you need to know why.
1
5
11
NEW: 13 Black chefs are up for regional and national James Beard Awards this year, and no state has more than North Carolina.
@jpryals
on the chefs behind that surge and the state's new wave of culinary talent.
1
6
11
📝 NOW HIRING: Audience Editor
The Assembly is seeking a dynamic audience editor to lead our social media and SEO strategies. If that's you, click here to learn more and apply!
0
15
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NEW from
@mlhewlett
and
@jeffreybillman
: A Guilford County judge seized a reporter’s notebook and prohibited her from publishing, an apparent violation of state law and the First Amendment.
0
11
10
NEW by
@themhartman
: Shopping for a simple couch or dresser drives Americans mad.
But how did we get here? And what's the future for one of the nation’s most important industries?
The answer can come from North Carolina furniture makers.
0
5
10
Nearly 40 years ago, a newspaper columnist set out to capture the character of North Carolinians as he drove the state’s longest highway. His work still endures.
@matthewRvincent recreated his trip this year, finding the columnist along the way.
0
5
9
NEW from
@hannaraskin
: Sonker? Ground steak? Everything has a trail these days. Hanna Raskin follows the scent in Surry County.
0
5
10
From
@mlhewlett
and
@CharlotteKramon
: A Carolina freshman was found unconscious in a Duke University dorm room in March and died two days later of a drug overdose. Neither university said anything publicly about her death until contacted by The Assembly.
1
6
10
Formed just three weeks before the Wilmington massacre, NC Mutual's rise put Durham on the map as Black Wall Street.
What its imminent closure means and why it matters from
@NCCU
's Henry McKoy
0
5
10
The photography, from Eastern NC native Andrea Bruce, is a great excuse to signup for her reporting project Down in the Country ()
Andrea's an internationally known, award-winning photographer who is back doing amazing work in Pamlico County.
2
3
9
NEW by
@mandaabrams
: North Carolina is piloting an ambitious, $650-million Medicaid program to address the social factors that contribute to participants’ health.
It’s a big lift that’s gotten a slow start.
0
4
9
NEW from @TravisFain: Ask for a cheese biscuit west of Wilson and you’ll likely get confused looks. But in Eastern North Carolina, it’s a whole way of life.
0
2
8
NEW from
@jhawk455
: How a few hippies and hillbillies with a good idea for outdoor recreation created a billion-dollar industry in western North Carolina.
1
7
9
NEW: Social-media sensation Thomas Cruz gloats about building a fortune from a government program that houses poor people. But in Wilmington, he left a trail of liens and housing-code violations.
1
7
9
Summerfield was incorporated in 1996 to keep itself separate from Greensboro. Now that all nine town employees have resigned, the future of the antigrowth suburb is more uncertain than ever.
0
9
9
NEW from
@BryanRAnderson
: Charles Hellwig, a self-described “right-wing nut,” works behind the scenes to elect Republican candidates. Sometimes that means deploying the darker arts to reveal secrets.
0
6
9
The ballot is now set for the general election. Everyone knows about Josh Stein v. Mark Robinson, but here are other notable races that will shape the state.
0
5
9
NEW from @LenaRoseGeller & @mlhewlett: Satana Deberry became Durham’s district attorney on a promise to bring progressive policies to criminal justice. Her bid for the Democratic attorney general nomination tests how far that can take her.
2
5
9
An exciting day for The Assembly: Tune in to PBS North Carolina tomorrow to watch short documentaries from
@juliawall_
that explore critical issues in the state.
0
8
9
ICYMI: Last week, we soft-launched The Quad, our new higher education newsletter examining North Carolina's vast landscape of colleges and universities.
Check out the first edition and sign up to get it in your inbox every week starting next month ⬇️
0
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9
NEW: One of the state’s oldest Black newspapers is clinging to life in Wilmington. It hasn’t printed regularly in two years, but some are optimistic for its revival.
1
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ICYMI: Shell Island Beach Resort, a first-class destination for Black southerners, was very popular after it opened in 1923, but it failed three years later. Many believe a fire was the reason for its demise, but a deeper dive suggests something else.
1
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UPDATE: Gov. Roy Cooper has commuted the sentences of three men responsible for an armed robbery at a church in Mitchell County in 2008.
Two of the men were teenagers at the time. The third was 20.
In February, we shared their story. Read it here ⬇️
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