The Change.org petition claims many households are seeing dramatic increases—some as high as $200 a month—despite no change in their energy habits. Supporters are demanding that state regulators review Duke’s billing system and issue refunds if errors are found.

North Carolina utilities pass 100% of their fuel costs on to customers. But the industry has changed in recent decades, and utilities now exert more control over when and how they buy fuel — or whether they need it at all.

North Carolina's Forest Service is having a hard time retaining firefighters, even as incidents of wildfires climb across the state. Helene damaged more than 800,000 acres of forest.

As a recount (and possible election legal challenges) loom in the close primary between Senate leader Phil Berger and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, Page is raising concerns over whether the process can be handled fairly.

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission has scheduled three public hearings starting next month to address the monitoring and reduction of 1,4-dioxane. The chemical, often used in industrial solvents, is classified by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen.

For many people, there’s nothing more personal than their name, and when it's said wrong or doesn’t fit someone’s identity, they can feel deeply disturbed. A 32-foot mobile unit is travelling the country, aiming to help LGBTQ+ community members navigate a more challenging legal landscape when it comes to issues such as name and gender marker changes. The 'Caravan of Hope' recently visited Charlotte on its national tour and aims to bring ‘hope’ to residents at a challenging time.

The lawsuit, filed by Matthew Ammel’s ex-wife, seeks over $75,000 in damages from Kyrsten Sinema under the state’s rare “alienation of affection” law.

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, but on earth it's in short supply. And Iran's retaliatory strikes on helium-rich Qatar have made it even more scarce.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, professor of Economics at Virginia Tech, about the potential impact of a strike on oil facilities on Iran's Kharg Island.

Both the Senate and President Trump have taken action recently to address the high cost of housing. But many different economic realities are colliding in the housing market.

The rise of the far-right movements in France has changed the nature of politics in Paris and other French cities. We look at how this might affect the results of thousands of mayoral elections today.

The war with Iran has caused diesel prices to spike nationwide. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with energy analyst Patrick De Haan about the implications for all the industries that rely on the fuel.

The driest place in North America is covered with an explosion of wildflowers right now. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with ecologist Tiffany Pereira about Death Valley's superbloom.

The El Niño weather pattern will likely emerge this summer and persist through the rest of the year, boosting global temperatures and affecting regional weather around the world.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to Lauren Kahn of Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology about the role of artificial intelligence in war.

Armadillos are making North Carolina their home. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with wildlife biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel about how Texas' state mammal has gotten a foothold in the Tar Heel State.

We look at President Trump's shifting objectives in the war with Iran, as well as the last front on his fight to impose global tariffs on dozens of countries.