Agriculture
WUNC: Proposed USDA rule change would affect NC poultry farmers
The USDA has proposed a rule change to the law that would require these companies to provide more information about contracts before farmers sign them. The disclosures include everything from the minimum number of chickens needed to make a profit to data about other farmers.
economic development
WRAL: NC’s project portfolio is ‘strongest it’s ever been,’ says NC economic development executive
The passage and signing of the CHIPS Act could result more interest from semiconductor companies and other companies looking to invest in new or existing facilities in North Carolina, a business development executive with the North Carolina Economic Development Association (EDPNC) tells WRAL TechWire.
WLOS: Gov. Cooper makes a stop in the mountains to speak at the economic development conference
During his speech, Governor Cooper focused on key issues affecting the area and how hundreds of millions of federal COVID-19 relief dollars are being spent.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: MetLife to add 400 jobs to Cary campus, including technology roles
Insurance giant MetLife plans to add about 400 jobs at its Global Technology Campus in Cary, the company said Wednesday. The new hiring will be for customer service and technology, including software engineering, cybersecurity, data science and operations engineering, said Bill Pappas, MetLife’s head of technology and global operations.
education
ABC 11: NC teachers rally against proposed new salary structure
The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) spoke out against the state’s licensing and compensation proposal on Tuesday. The proposal would change the way North Carolina teachers are promoted and paid.
NEWS & OBSERVERS: North Carolina colleges enter fall semester with ‘guarded optimism’ and relaxed COVID rules
As thousands of college students flood North Carolina campuses for the start of a new semester, universities are scaling back some of their operations and COVID-19 safety measures, even as the virus s ‘is spreading more easily than ever.
WCTI: Expanded NC Community College Scholarship Program
North Carolina leaders used $31.5 million from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund to establish the Longleaf Commitment Grant. The program was intended to address a sharp decline in the number of new students enrolling in the state’s community colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Natural environment
NEWS & OBSERVERS: White House officials to visit Gastonia to announce new climate funding
Governor Roy Cooper will join Mitch Landrieu, the president’s senior infrastructure adviser, and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on a tour of a nature-based infrastructure project that received funding for climate resilience, according to a FEMA press release.
Health care
AXIOS: Failed Medicaid expansion negotiations reveal power of North Carolina hospitals
Both Republicans and Democrats tell Axios that a driving force behind the latest Medicaid failure in our state is a group that represents the state’s hospitals: the North Carolina Healthcare Association.
Politics
NEWS & OBSERVERS: North Carolina lawmakers divided as tax, health and climate bill clears Congress. How they voted
All eight North Carolina Republicans, including the party’s Senate nominee Ted Budd, opposed the Inflation Relief Act of 2022. But the state’s five Democrats helped push it through the House in a vote of 220 to 207. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden to sign into law, which is expected to happen quickly.
THE CAROLINA JOURNAL: Stein asks judge to block ruling, cites state election board investigation
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has asked a federal judge to block his own ruling against Stein in his challenge to a state law against campaign lies. The attorney general cites recently released evidence from a state board of elections investigation into his 2020 campaign.
Transportation
PORT CITY DAILY: Biden-Harris Administration Infrastructure Act Increases RAISE Funding, Brings $18 Million to NC Ports
The federal government has given the North Carolina State Ports Authority an $18 million boost to build an improved rail loading area as part of a larger effort to modernize the North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure. country
