https://www.publicradioeast.org/pre-news Public Radio East News en-US Copyright Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:50:34 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/camp-lejeune-toxic-water-victims-to-rally-in-jacksonville-over-stalled-claims For more than thirty years, the federal government estimates that nearly one million military service personnel, their families, and civilian employees drank, cooked with, and bathed in water severely poisoned by industrial solvents at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Brian Amburgey formed the grassroots advocacy group Lejeune Veterans for Justice and is organizing a mass rally at the Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville on August 19th. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:50:34 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/camp-lejeune-toxic-water-victims-to-rally-in-jacksonville-over-stalled-claims Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/animal-shelter-in-kinston-has-hit-maximum-capacity The Lenoir County SPCA has officially declared a "Code Red," warning that it has completely run out of space for dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:24:20 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/animal-shelter-in-kinston-has-hit-maximum-capacity Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/new-poll-reveals-a-disconnect-between-how-north-carolina-voters-view-state-leaders-versus-the-federal-government The latest Economist-YouGov poll shows first-term Democratic Governor Josh Stein holding steady with a solid 44 percent approval rating back home. Only 27 percent disapprove. The political outlook gets much darker at the federal level. Nationally, President Donald Trump’s job approval has fallen to 36 percent, with 60 percent of Americans disapproving. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:17:53 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/new-poll-reveals-a-disconnect-between-how-north-carolina-voters-view-state-leaders-versus-the-federal-government Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/new-bill-would-block-commercial-red-snapper-sales-whenever-federal-waters-are-closed-to-the-public The South Atlantic Red Snapper Fair Access Act, would fix what local fishermen call a broken system. Right now, North Carolina recreational anglers are locked into tiny, one- or two-day seasons, while commercial harvesting continues for months. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:14:48 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/new-bill-would-block-commercial-red-snapper-sales-whenever-federal-waters-are-closed-to-the-public Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/heavy-friday-rainfall-caused-more-than-5-300-gallons-of-wastewater-to-overflow-in-bethel The spill was discovered just before noon and poured directly into stormwater systems that feed into tributaries of Grindle Creek. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:02:38 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/heavy-friday-rainfall-caused-more-than-5-300-gallons-of-wastewater-to-overflow-in-bethel Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/nc-governor-pushing-back-against-plans-to-build-immigration-detention-facility-in-eastern-north-carolina Internal federal documents reveal that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to turn the shuttered Rivers Correctional Institution in Winton into a 1,400-bed detention center. The move would create one of the largest ICE hubs on the East Coast, sparking immediate protests from civil rights advocates. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:00:01 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/nc-governor-pushing-back-against-plans-to-build-immigration-detention-facility-in-eastern-north-carolina Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/state-lawmakers-ratify-a-law-granting-request-to-change-how-new-bern-city-leaders-are-elected The new state law cancels the scheduled 2029 municipal election, effectively giving the mayor and all six aldermen an extra year in office. The changes shift future city contests to even-numbered years starting in 2030 and eliminate runoff elections in favor of a plurality system. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:57:50 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-27/state-lawmakers-ratify-a-law-granting-request-to-change-how-new-bern-city-leaders-are-elected Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/federal-government-hands-over-more-records-in-camp-lejeune-water-contamination-case In addition, the federal government is pouring millions of dollars into its legal defense team to tackle the massive wave of Camp Lejeune toxic water claims. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:56:38 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/federal-government-hands-over-more-records-in-camp-lejeune-water-contamination-case Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/north-carolina-beach-remains-closed-because-of-flea-infestation Interestingly, experts say these are domestic pet fleas—not the common sand fleas usually found on the coast. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:51:33 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/north-carolina-beach-remains-closed-because-of-flea-infestation Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/cyclosporiasis-cases-skyrocket-to-561-statewide That marks an 82% increase in infections in just one week. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:49:53 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/cyclosporiasis-cases-skyrocket-to-561-statewide Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/federal-civil-rights-investigation-launched-into-ecu-medical-school-over-allegations-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions-process Investigators are examining if the university used hidden racial proxies to bypass the 2023 Supreme Court ban on affirmative action. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:48:14 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/federal-civil-rights-investigation-launched-into-ecu-medical-school-over-allegations-of-racial-discrimination-in-admissions-process Annette Weston https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/drought-impacting-enc-rivers-and-the-creatures-that-live-in-them Under normal weather conditions, eastern North Carolina’s rivers operate like a massive, invisible shield. Millions of gallons of freshwater rush downstream toward the Atlantic Ocean, creating a powerful, steady flow that acts as a natural hydrological barrier. This outward pressure successfully holds back the heavy, dense saltwater of the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. But this summer, that shield has collapsed. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:45:41 GMT https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-07-22/drought-impacting-enc-rivers-and-the-creatures-that-live-in-them Annette Weston