North Carolina news stories on Newser

Charlotte Looking Like Worse and Worse DNC Pick

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:00:00 CDT

The Democratic National Convention could be meeting on enemy territory come September. The state that flipped for Barack Obama last election, making him the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state in more than 30 years, is increasingly at odds with the White House. North Carolina just banned gay...

Woman's Claim of Implanted Device Diverts Plane

Matt Cantor — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:31:33 CDT

A US Airways flight from Paris to North Carolina was diverted to Maine after a woman claimed to have a device implanted in her body. Authorities have since determined that she posed "basically no threat," but the flight was halted "out of an abundance of caution," according to the TSA....

Tropical Storm Alberto Forms Off Carolinas

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:48:38 CDT

With 12 days left before the official start of hurricane season, Tropical Storm Alberto has formed about 95 miles off the coast of South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center. Thus far, Alberto isn't expected to make landfall, but he's got his own tropical storm warning and could mean...

Gator Nearly Has Scientist for Lunch

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:31 CDT

A North Carolina aquarium scientist planned to move an alligator from the side of a highway—but the gator had different ideas. As the scientist dropped a towel over the alligator's face and attempted to lift the eight-foot creature with his bare hands, the gator spun around, tripped the man...

236K Lose Jobless Benefits

Kevin Spak — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:53:54 CDT

Unemployment benefits abruptly dried up for 236,300 people this weekend, as federal support for the long-term unemployed expired in some of the country's hardest-hit states. Thanks to a law Congress passed in February, long-term benefits are being scaled back from 99 weeks to 79 weeks, the Hill explains. So...

Lesbian Seeking Marriage License Arrested in NC

Rob Quinn — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:31:00 CDT

A lesbian who refused to leave a North Carolina government office without a wedding license was taken away in handcuffs yesterday after what organizers say was the first of many protests against the state's newly passed gay marriage ban . After a march through downtown Winston-Salem, nine gay and lesbian couples—...

Obama Has a Gay-Marriage Headache in 7 States

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:37:43 CDT

President Obama’s official embrace of gay marriage will certainly energize some of his supporters, but it’s also sure to give him grief in these seven states, as rounded up by Politico : North Carolina : As evidenced by the recently-passed constitutional amendment banning it, gay marriage is not very popular with voters...

By Doing Squat, Obama Helped NC Gay-Marriage Ban

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:52:23 CDT

North Carolina banned a lot more than gay marriages yesterday: Amendment 1 also bans civil unions, which means it will likely hurt more than just gay couples, and will strip many—including kids—of their health insurance. And President Obama bears some of the blame for its passage, writes Amy...

North Carolina Approves Ban on Gay Marriage

John Johnson — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:15:00 CDT

North Carolina will make a ban on gay marriage part of its state constitution. Voters tonight approved a measure that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, reports AP . The state already has a law against gay marriage, but legislators wanted to make sure it couldn't...