The latest U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday, shows a massive rainfall deficit of more than ten inches since last August. This persistent dry spell has pushed parts of the northern Coastal Plain into the "Extreme" category—the second-highest severity level.

The move involves roughly 248 acres of land, including a massive 229-acre site on Sarge Martin Road and smaller tracts on Bishop and East Ocean Roads. While the land is already used by the town, officials say the goal is operational independence.

Officials say the upgrades will lower flood levels for roughly 200 nearby homes and businesses. It will also help ensure that East Fire Tower Road—a major artery used by more than 33,000 drivers every day—stays open and passable even during torrential rain.

The Environmental Management Commission has launched a series of public hearings on proposed rules that would require industrial facilities and water treatment plants to monitor for 1,4-dioxane and three specific types of PFAS—PFOA, PFOS, and GenX.

The tour, which included stops in Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde, and Pamlico counties, focused on identifying high-priority capital projects for the 2027 fiscal year.

The 2023 law changed same-day registration rules, making it easier for ballots to be disqualified if a single address-verification letter is returned as undeliverable by the post office.

Police say Bobby Jackson was arrested Tuesday after officers responded to reports of a masked man armed with what appeared to be swords at Maplewood Cemetery on South Queen Street. Upon arrival, officers found Jackson actively damaging headstones.

Montes is accused of using a cellphone camera to record a person inside one of the changing rooms at Plato’s Closet.

Officials with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said more than 150 officers from 13 different agencies worked in Nashville to stop online exploitation, resulted in more than 80 criminal charges.

The report also confirmed a clear favorite for North Carolina consumers: Tito’s Handmade Vodka remains the state’s top seller by a landslide, moving over 300,000 cases.

Senator Ted Budd urged the President to advocate for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri. The lead pastor of Zion Church is one of many Christian leaders currently imprisoned as part of what lawmakers call a "violent crackdown" on unsanctioned churches in China.

U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle said the updated program offers a path to leniency for insiders who come forward with information before an investigation begins.

Scientists discover what makes basketball shoes squeak on the courts, and celebrate their discovery by making music.

The federal debt continues to grow, topping $39 trillion this month. Like a shopper who buys more than he earns every week, the nation's credit card bill is compounding. Just paying the interest now costs more than every other government program except Social Security.

Staff at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium have reared a special kind of fish known as a warty frogfish for the first time in captivity. Their success may hold broader lessons for raising marine species.

The White House has depicted the war in Iran online with videos that weave real life images of missile strikes and destruction with clips from video games, sports clips, and action movies.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with House Armed Service Committee ranking member Adam Smith, D-Wash., about the war on Iran, now a month old, and DHS funding.

When Maddie Christine Brokop learned she was dying, she invited her friends to help weave the tray she will be buried in.

As the war with Iran enters its second month, the U.S. has determined with certainty that about one third of Iran's missile arsenal has been destroyed.

NPR's Scott Simon and sports reporter Michele Steele talk men and women's March madness.

Protests against the Trump administration are planned to take place around the country today. Organizers say there may be more than 3,000 rallies across 50 states.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Sina Toossi, Senior Fellow, Center for International Policy, about the power structure in Iran, and how things have changed within it since the start of the war.