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Here's who's running for North Carolina governor in 2024

The election will take place November 5, 2024.

News

Remote work is shaping the Triangle

Remote work has a huge influence on the Triangle's economy

Nugget blew up during the pandemic. Now what?

Nugget's couches became one of the hottest items to own during the pandemic.

Budget proposal could include new limits on suing North Carolina employees

Under a little-known provision quietly slipped into early state budget proposals, North Carolinians who sue state employees could soon lose the ability to present their case to a jury of their peers in state court.

North Carolina's effort to turn oysters into a cash crop

Oyster farming is seeing a significant uptick in North Carolina

The mighty oyster is a balm for the coastline.<ul><li>One adult oyster alone can filter 50 gallons of water a day, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="improving water quality" data-vars-click-url="https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/water-cleaning-capacity-of-oysters-could-mean-extra-income-for-chesapeake-bay-growers-video/#:~:text=Oysters%20feed%20by%20filtering%20algae,gallons%20of%20water%20a%20day." data-vars-content-id="a4a513ef-ead5-4a66-b014-cb24d4d8a91c" data-vars-headline="North Carolina&#x27;s effort to turn oysters into a cash crop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/water-cleaning-capacity-of-oysters-could-mean-extra-income-for-chesapeake-bay-growers-video/#:~:text=Oysters%20feed%20by%20filtering%20algae,gallons%20of%20water%20a%20day." target="_blank">improving water quality</a>.</li><li>Clusters of them <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="create reefs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/oyster-reef-habitat#:~:text=Oysters%20live%20in%20salty%20or,other%20marine%20animals%20and%20plants." data-vars-content-id="a4a513ef-ead5-4a66-b014-cb24d4d8a91c" data-vars-headline="North Carolina&#x27;s effort to turn oysters into a cash crop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/oyster-reef-habitat#:~:text=Oysters%20live%20in%20salty%20or,other%20marine%20animals%20and%20plants." target="_blank">create reefs</a> that shelter other organisms and act as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="natural sea walls" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-11-19/to-fight-floods-new-york-city-rebuilds-a-wall-of-oysters" data-vars-content-id="a4a513ef-ead5-4a66-b014-cb24d4d8a91c" data-vars-headline="North Carolina&#x27;s effort to turn oysters into a cash crop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-11-19/to-fight-floods-new-york-city-rebuilds-a-wall-of-oysters" target="_blank">natural sea walls</a> that combat flooding and erosion.</li></ul>Why it matters: There is hope that they might also be able to support the farmers that live alongside them in one of the most economically <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="disadvantaged parts of the state" data-vars-click-url="https://nccppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/How_Does_the_East_Compare_to_the_Rest_of_NC.pdf" data-vars-content-id="a4a513ef-ead5-4a66-b014-cb24d4d8a91c" data-vars-headline="North Carolina&#x27;s effort to turn oysters into a cash crop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nccppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/How_Does_the_East_Compare_to_the_Rest_of_NC.pdf" target="_blank">disadvantaged parts of the state</a>.<ul><li>Tom Looney, a former Lenovo executive and a board member of the N.C. Coastal Federation, views the oyster as a potential economic development tool for the region.</li><li>Oysters after all, Looney told Axios, are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="big business in Virginia" data-vars-click-url="https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/press-releases-221219-va-seafood.shtml#:~:text=The%20total%20labor%20income%20was,Atlantic%20Coast%20in%20seafood%20landings." data-vars-content-id="a4a513ef-ead5-4a66-b014-cb24d4d8a91c" data-vars-headline="North Carolina&#x27;s effort to turn oysters into a cash crop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/press-releases-221219-va-seafood.shtml#:~:text=The%20total%20labor%20income%20was,Atlantic%20Coast%20in%20seafood%20landings." target="_blank">big business in Virginia</a> and could be here as well.</li></ul>

El Niño could bring a wetter, warmer winter to Raleigh

Climate

There&#x27;s a chance that winter in the Triangle this year will be wetter than average, per a new NOAA seasonal outlook.Driving the news: The outlook forecasts central North Carolina to be 40%-50% wetter, which could increase our chances of wintry precipitation.

Bird once found in Carolinas declared extinct

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared 21 species extinct this month

The Bachman&#x27;s warbler has tweeted its last song.Driving the news: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="declared 21 species extinct" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/17/us-declares-21-endangered-species-extinct" data-vars-content-id="556ae4e5-069b-48ea-9adc-606a869dd19b" data-vars-headline="Bird once found in Carolinas declared extinct" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/17/us-declares-21-endangered-species-extinct" target="_self">declared 21 species extinct</a> this month, including the Bachman&#x27;s warbler, a migratory songbird that once had its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="breeding grounds in the Carolinas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/maps/bachmans_warbler_map.htm" data-vars-content-id="556ae4e5-069b-48ea-9adc-606a869dd19b" data-vars-headline="Bird once found in Carolinas declared extinct" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/maps/bachmans_warbler_map.htm" target="_blank">breeding grounds in the Carolinas</a>.

Extreme weather could cause insurance rates across North Carolina to spike

Close to 30% of homes across the state are at risk of rate hikes or non-renewals because of wind, wildfires or flooding.

Nearly 13% of properties in the Raleigh metro could be facing higher insurance premiums or policy non-renewals due to the risk of high winds and flooding.<ul><li>Just east of Raleigh, however, a much larger percentage of homes are at risk.</li></ul>

Kane Realty going lights out for bird migration

Every year hundreds of millions of birds die by striking buildings at night

Every year Wake County&#x27;s Audubon chapter pushes for building owners to cut off their lights during migration season, which is about to hit its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="busiest period this week" data-vars-click-url="https://alert.birdcast.info/?latLng=35.7795897,-78.6381787&amp;locName=Raleigh,%20NC,%20USA" data-vars-content-id="18c50cda-0cad-4f14-8c3d-f256df0bb691" data-vars-headline="Kane Realty going lights out for bird migration" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://alert.birdcast.info/?latLng=35.7795897,-78.6381787&amp;locName=Raleigh,%20NC,%20USA" target="_blank">busiest period this week</a>.Why it matters: Hundreds of millions of birds die by flying into buildings, often confused by their lights at night, during migration season, which in the fall runs from Sept. 10 to Nov. 30.

Wake County is losing its tree canopy

Wake County lost more than 11,000 acres of tree canopy over the course of a decade, according to a Wake County report.

Wake County lost more than 11,000 acres of tree canopy over the course of a decade, according to a Wake County report.<ul><li>That&#x27;s more than double the size of William B. Umstead State Park.</li></ul>

Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin

Collagen is used throughout numerous industries. This Raleigh startup wants to make it more sustainable

The idea of lab-grown meat, which includes cultivating real <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="animal meat from cells" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/01/what-is-lab-grown-meat-cell-cultivated" data-vars-content-id="bdb63939-cb85-4387-ac56-107c00cd03b1" data-vars-headline="Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/01/what-is-lab-grown-meat-cell-cultivated" target="_self">animal meat from cells</a> rather than slaughter, has captured the attention of investors around the world in recent years.<ul><li>Some of that money is now finding its way to a small lab in West Raleigh that is attempting to create collagen proteins without killing animals.</li></ul>Driving the news: Raleigh-based startup Jellatech <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="raised $3.5 million" data-vars-click-url="https://www.jellatech.com/seed-round-press-release" data-vars-content-id="bdb63939-cb85-4387-ac56-107c00cd03b1" data-vars-headline="Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.jellatech.com/seed-round-press-release" target="_blank">raised $3.5 million</a> from investors last month, as part of a seed round to scale up the company&#x27;s capabilities.<ul><li>Founded in 2020 by the Danish entrepreneur Stephanie Michelsen — who moved to Raleigh from the Bay Area to start the company — Jellatech has already cultivated small amounts of bovine and porcine collagen from cells and is now attempting to make cell-grown collagen that is bio-identical to human collagen.</li></ul>Why it matters: Collagen, a protein that strengthens skin, bones and cartilage, is a key ingredient for several large industries.<ul><li>It&#x27;s the building block of gelatin used in food production and medicine, from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="gummy bears" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/shopping-for-candy-and-cell-phones-and-will-you-even-be-able-to-buy-them-at-the-bay-in-ten-years-1.5332657/pig-skin-dead-wasps-and-bee-vomit-what-s-really-in-that-candy-1.5332660#:~:text=Gelatin%20comes%20from%20animal%20skin,bears%20a%20delightfully%20bouncy%20texture." data-vars-content-id="bdb63939-cb85-4387-ac56-107c00cd03b1" data-vars-headline="Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/shopping-for-candy-and-cell-phones-and-will-you-even-be-able-to-buy-them-at-the-bay-in-ten-years-1.5332657/pig-skin-dead-wasps-and-bee-vomit-what-s-really-in-that-candy-1.5332660#:~:text=Gelatin%20comes%20from%20animal%20skin,bears%20a%20delightfully%20bouncy%20texture." target="_blank">gummy bears</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pharmaceutical manufacturing and cosmetics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7578929/" data-vars-content-id="bdb63939-cb85-4387-ac56-107c00cd03b1" data-vars-headline="Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7578929/" target="_blank">pharmaceutical manufacturing and cosmetics</a>.</li></ul>The big picture: Michelsen says if her company is successful it could help cut down on the reliance on animal agriculture, which is a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="large generator of greenhouse gas emissions." data-vars-click-url="https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2022/03/15/it-may-be-uncomfortable-we-need-talk-about-it-animal-agriculture-industry-and-zero-waste" data-vars-content-id="bdb63939-cb85-4387-ac56-107c00cd03b1" data-vars-headline="Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2022/03/15/it-may-be-uncomfortable-we-need-talk-about-it-animal-agriculture-industry-and-zero-waste" target="_blank">large generator of greenhouse gas emissions.</a><ul><li>Once it&#x27;s able to produce them at a larger scale, Jellatech could sell its complex proteins to other businesses that need them in the production process.</li><li>It would likely target selling to companies working in research and development first rather than food or medicine as it works through the regulatory process.</li></ul>What&#x27;s next: Jellatech plans to use its most recent investment to grow its team of scientists and continue to add larger bioreactors where it grows its cell-cultivated collagen.<ul><li>Michelsen said she wants to add several positions to the seven-person team. They&#x27;re currently looking for larger lab space around Research Triangle Park.</li></ul>Zoom in: Jellatech is not the only Triangle startup making waves in the cell-grown protein space.<ul><li>Durham-based Biomilq is trying to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="create lab-grown breast milk" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/20/biomilq-startup-makes-lab-grown-breast-milk-amid-baby-formula-issues.html" data-vars-content-id="bdb63939-cb85-4387-ac56-107c00cd03b1" data-vars-headline="Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/20/biomilq-startup-makes-lab-grown-breast-milk-amid-baby-formula-issues.html" target="_blank">create lab-grown breast milk</a> that matches the nutritional value of human breast milk. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="It raised $21 million" data-vars-click-url="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article255117162.html" data-vars-content-id="bdb63939-cb85-4387-ac56-107c00cd03b1" data-vars-headline="Meet the Raleigh startup trying to create cell-based gelatin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article255117162.html" target="_blank">It raised $21 million</a> from investors in 2021.</li></ul>

Storm leaves tens of thousands in Durham without power

Over 40,000 customers were still without power Wednesday afternoon after a storm Tuesday night

Widespread power outages and spotty cell phone service remain a day after a deadly thunderstorm hit Durham.Driving the news: More than 40,000 customers remained out of power as of Wednesday afternoon, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to Duke Energy" data-vars-click-url="https://outagemap.duke-energy.com/#/current-outages/ncsc" data-vars-content-id="2ff50243-cd78-4cb1-9de4-622e6b6d91fc" data-vars-headline="Storm leaves tens of thousands in Durham without power" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://outagemap.duke-energy.com/#/current-outages/ncsc" target="_blank">according to Duke Energy</a>, with repair crews racing to repair lines damaged by falling trees.

Red wolves will be released into the wild again in North Carolina

The only wild-roaming red wolves are located in Eastern North Carolina.

The U.S. government will release more endangered red wolves into Eastern North Carolina after settling a lawsuit with conservation groups, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Associated Press reports" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/red-wolves-endangered-lawsuit-settlement-north-carolina-483e66dbdb5f1e7d1f89f2d941eafc8d" data-vars-content-id="0e7bb34b-fc9b-4025-8b8b-c310f14e9958" data-vars-headline="Red wolves will be released into the wild again in North Carolina" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/red-wolves-endangered-lawsuit-settlement-north-carolina-483e66dbdb5f1e7d1f89f2d941eafc8d" target="_blank">the Associated Press reports</a>.Why it matters: Eastern North Carolina is the only place in the world <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="where red wolves roam wild" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-wildlife-wolves-us-fish-and-service-a1cee6f38c6e2aa3ad5341201ea2ccd3" data-vars-content-id="0e7bb34b-fc9b-4025-8b8b-c310f14e9958" data-vars-headline="Red wolves will be released into the wild again in North Carolina" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-wildlife-wolves-us-fish-and-service-a1cee6f38c6e2aa3ad5341201ea2ccd3" target="_blank">where red wolves roam wild</a> due to a reintroduction plan by the government that started in 1987.

Raleigh's hottest neighborhoods

Nearly a quarter of Raleigh residents live in neighborhoods where summer temperatures climb much higher than the city's average due to what's called the urban heat island effect.

Nearly a quarter of Raleigh residents live in neighborhoods where summer temperatures climb much higher than the city&#x27;s average due to what&#x27;s called the urban heat island effect.Why it matters: Heat islands — wherein heat is trapped by heat-absorbing surfaces and structures — can make cities less livable and increase the risk of heat-related health complications, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick writes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/26/heat-islands-cities-heat-wave-climate" data-vars-content-id="df1c563d-0301-4ad2-9ef5-55fc31f13dab" data-vars-headline="Raleigh&#x27;s hottest neighborhoods" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/26/heat-islands-cities-heat-wave-climate" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick writes</a>.<ul><li>They can also amplify the effects of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="already-dangerous heat waves" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/25/heat-waves-climate-change" data-vars-content-id="df1c563d-0301-4ad2-9ef5-55fc31f13dab" data-vars-headline="Raleigh&#x27;s hottest neighborhoods" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/25/heat-waves-climate-change" target="_self">already-dangerous heat waves</a>.</li></ul>

Climate 🌿