Raleigh

Raleigh Alerts

Alert

blue

Axios Raleigh Partners

Axios Raleigh

Standard

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Raleigh.

Axios Raleigh Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Raleigh Members

Membership

Ex-Democrats hand North Carolina GOP key votes

Two Mecklenburg lawmakers helped Republicans advance constitutional amendments and override a veto.

Politics

Two former Democrats gave Republicans in the North Carolina House the three-fifths majority they needed for several votes Wednesday, passing a trio of constitutional amendments that will likely appear on ballots across the state in November.Why it matters: Charlotte state Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed having joined the Republican majority Wednesday may have long-term effects, given the high threshold for altering the state constitution.

North Carolina sues VinFast to take back control of Chatham County land

The lawsuit is meant to take back control of the Chatham County land VinFast wanted to build on.

Business

N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson is suing the Vietnamese car maker VinFast, alleging the electric vehicle company breached its agreement with the state to build a manufacturing facility in Chatham County. Why it matters: Announced with much fanfare in 2022, VinFast&#x27;s promise to build a $4 billion EV plant in Chatham County and employ some 7,500 workers has not materialized, according to the lawsuit. <ul><li>The lawsuit is part of an effort by the state to reacquire the 1,765-acre site from VinFast and begin marketing it to new companies. </li></ul>

Why a Raleigh church is rethinking its parking lot's future

Many churches across the country are now using excess land to add affordable housing.

News

One of Raleigh&#x27;s most historic churches, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Edenton Street United Methodist Church" data-vars-click-url="https://www.esumc.org/" data-vars-content-id="9115327a-afae-4966-bbd1-0316fa8cf9e6" data-vars-headline="Why a Raleigh church is rethinking its parking lot&#x27;s future" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.esumc.org/" target="_blank">Edenton Street United Methodist Church</a>, is contemplating the future of its downtown parking lot and how it can be best used going forward in a rapidly changing city. Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The church&#x27;s 1.2-acre parking lot" data-vars-click-url="https://www.esumc.org/dawsonlot" data-vars-content-id="9115327a-afae-4966-bbd1-0316fa8cf9e6" data-vars-headline="Why a Raleigh church is rethinking its parking lot&#x27;s future" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.esumc.org/dawsonlot" target="_blank">The church&#x27;s 1.2-acre parking lot</a> sits in the heart of downtown Raleigh, where the church has been located since the early 1800s.

North Carolina Aquarium closing for yearslong expansion

The aquarium closes after Memorial Day for a renovation that will add a huge new shark habitat.

<figure><img alt="A shark moves through the screen, its multiple rows of teeth and dead-looking eye nearing the camera lens." height="450" id="10af9e22-a47b-481f-8ca1-65b5730e5a68" src="https://images.axios.com/WCIhcD3MIptV2oxxjZP1B4fDUy0=/2026/05/21/1779378719507.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>A sand tiger shark at Fort Fisher Aquarium. Video: Mary Helen Moore/Axios</figcaption></figure>This is the final weekend the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will be open for several years. Why it matters: A lengthy renovation and expansion begins after Memorial Day that will give the already popular destination a new look and make it the state&#x27;s largest aquarium.Zoom in: Today, the aquarium is home to around <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="200 species" data-vars-click-url="http://inaturalist.org/guides/1499?page=1" data-vars-content-id="2a2d2d2e-f96d-4944-8fce-fdff17ba1be1" data-vars-headline="North Carolina Aquarium closing for yearslong expansion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://inaturalist.org/guides/1499?page=1" target="_blank">200 species</a>, many native to North Carolina&#x27;s waters, including sand tiger sharks, an albino alligator and, sometimes, sea turtles. <ul><li>Many of the fish and other animals. including two families of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Asian small-clawed otters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/NCAquariumFF/posts/1332249242280196?ref=embed_post" data-vars-content-id="2a2d2d2e-f96d-4944-8fce-fdff17ba1be1" data-vars-headline="North Carolina Aquarium closing for yearslong expansion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/NCAquariumFF/posts/1332249242280196?ref=embed_post" target="_blank">Asian small-clawed otters</a>, will remain on-site throughout construction, aquarium staff said.</li><li>Renovations will add a massive 400,000-gallon shark habitat, new touch tanks and more.</li></ul>Driving the news: Construction breaks ground Tuesday. The state says it will take around 30 months, putting completion in late 2028. <ul><li>North Carolina has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="two other state-run aquariums" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ncaquariums.com/" data-vars-content-id="2a2d2d2e-f96d-4944-8fce-fdff17ba1be1" data-vars-headline="North Carolina Aquarium closing for yearslong expansion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ncaquariums.com/" target="_blank">two other state-run aquariums</a>, but Fort Fisher is the closest one to the Triangle.</li><li>Fort Fisher&#x27;s Civil War-era historic site and beach access both will remain open.</li></ul>By the numbers: The aquarium had about 474,000 visitors in 2025.If you go: Aquarium entry continues <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="9am-5pm" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ncaquariums.com/visit-fort-fisher" data-vars-content-id="2a2d2d2e-f96d-4944-8fce-fdff17ba1be1" data-vars-headline="North Carolina Aquarium closing for yearslong expansion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ncaquariums.com/visit-fort-fisher" target="_blank">9am-5pm</a> through Monday. Adult tickets cost $15.<ul><li>The drive from Wilmington takes about 30 minutes. </li><li>900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach</li></ul><figure><img alt="View of visitors, including many children, as they view various fish in a tank at the Fort Fisher Aquarium, Kure Beach, North Carolina, 1997. " height="3125" id="eb139a25-ff97-4611-841b-fc98a2b44e19" src="https://images.axios.com/dMbGQ11G1AI8i0MxbapijzwHlhA=/2026/05/21/1779385682123.jpeg" width="4800"/><figcaption>The Fort Fisher aquarium in 1997. Photo: Brownie Harris/Corbis via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>

Durham parks rank last among biggest US cities

While Durham plummets, Raleigh parks move up in Trust for Public Land's annual rankings.

Durham&#x27;s park system ranks the worst among the country&#x27;s largest cities, per the nonprofit Trust for Public Land&#x27;s new rankings.<ul><li>TPL&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="annual report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tpl.org/parkscore" data-vars-content-id="47347ed2-7916-4f7a-b7de-69d14347005a" data-vars-headline="Durham parks rank last among biggest US cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tpl.org/parkscore" target="_blank">annual report</a> ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities&#x27; park systems relative to one another based on five categories: access, acreage, amenities, equity and investment.</li></ul>Why it matters: It&#x27;s been a rough few years for Durham&#x27;s parks, with five of them closed to the public <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="due to lead soil contamination issues" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/06/whats-next-for-the-durham-parks-closed-for-lead-issues" data-vars-content-id="47347ed2-7916-4f7a-b7de-69d14347005a" data-vars-headline="Durham parks rank last among biggest US cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/06/whats-next-for-the-durham-parks-closed-for-lead-issues" target="_self">due to lead soil contamination issues</a>. <ul><li>But the city is hoping to turn the corner on the issues and launch new investments into its parks. </li></ul>

North Carolina SBI pushes to expand license plate camera network

A pilot program captured millions of license plates across the state and led to many arrests.

Even as a growing number of North Carolina towns end contracts with companies that provide license-plate-reading cameras, the amount of cameras using the technology could expand on state-owned roads.Why it matters: The State Bureau of Investigation has been piloting a program to put automated license plate recognition (APLR) cameras in the rights-of-way of state roads across North Carolina for the past year.

It's gotten more expensive to own a car in North Carolina

New car payments now average $742 per month in North Carolina, according to Edmunds.

Even if you put aside <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rising gas prices" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/29/gas-prices-continue-upward-trend-in-triangle" data-vars-content-id="01d62c1e-60c7-4cb1-b846-00beae569de4" data-vars-headline="It&#x27;s gotten more expensive to own a car in North Carolina" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/04/29/gas-prices-continue-upward-trend-in-triangle" target="_self">rising gas prices</a> for the moment, car ownership in North Carolina has gotten a lot more expensive in recent years. Why it matters: For the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="majority of us" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/car-affordability-survey-santander" data-vars-content-id="01d62c1e-60c7-4cb1-b846-00beae569de4" data-vars-headline="It&#x27;s gotten more expensive to own a car in North Carolina" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/car-affordability-survey-santander" target="_self">majority of us</a> in the Triangle, a car is necessary for getting to work and picking up groceries, making the price of car ownership hard to avoid.

WakeMed is seeking to combine with Atrium Health

WakeMed, previously owned by the Wake County until 1997, has three hospitals in Wake County

WakeMed Health, a nonprofit hospital that has served the Raleigh area since 1961, is moving to combine with Atrium Health, the state&#x27;s largest hospital system, they said in a joint release Friday. Why it matters: WakeMed is the third-largest healthcare provider in the Triangle, giving Atrium a large foothold here, if the combination is approved by regulators.<ul><li>Atrium, which has a significant presence in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Charlotte" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/29/south-charlotte-arts-hub-nonprofit-campus-plan-feasibility-study-funding-theater" data-vars-content-id="0814822d-8981-4ce6-b306-90cfb940f0af" data-vars-headline="WakeMed is seeking to combine with Atrium Health" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/04/29/south-charlotte-arts-hub-nonprofit-campus-plan-feasibility-study-funding-theater" target="_self">Charlotte</a> and the Triad, is part of the nonprofit healthcare company Advocate Health. </li></ul>

Durham and Raleigh's economies went two different directions last year

The Durham-Chapel Hill metro area was impacted by federal research and USAID cuts

While the Raleigh metro area was one of the biggest winners for jobs last year, it was a completely different story in the Durham-Chapel Hill metro. Why it matters: Durham shed around 3,800 jobs in 2025, according to new data from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/metro_oty_change.htm" data-vars-content-id="7c539d69-b09d-4021-b088-178ce15f4183" data-vars-headline="Durham and Raleigh&#x27;s economies went two different directions last year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bls.gov/web/metro/metro_oty_change.htm" target="_blank">U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>. <ul><li>The losses appear to be a direct reflection of the area&#x27;s exposure to federal research cuts. </li></ul>

Data center opposition is growing in North Carolina

Orange County just passed a moratorium and Durham is considering one.

Data center moratoriums continue to expand <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="across the state" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/02/23/data-center-opposition-grows-across-north-carolina" data-vars-content-id="d5ae119a-65ef-4c61-92e1-7fcbbf98ec8d" data-vars-headline="Data center opposition is growing in North Carolina" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/02/23/data-center-opposition-grows-across-north-carolina" target="_self">across the state</a>, according to an analysis by the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="N.C. Data Center Newsletter" data-vars-click-url="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/four-new-moratoriums-approved-apex-project-reemerges-vance-muraca-mwkre/?trackingId=6Tvli1J5RCa6lvpSM%2F1JwA%3D%3D" data-vars-content-id="d5ae119a-65ef-4c61-92e1-7fcbbf98ec8d" data-vars-headline="Data center opposition is growing in North Carolina" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/four-new-moratoriums-approved-apex-project-reemerges-vance-muraca-mwkre/?trackingId=6Tvli1J5RCa6lvpSM%2F1JwA%3D%3D" target="_blank">N.C. Data Center Newsletter</a>. Why it matters: As developers race to build data centers to meet a growing demand for computing power for artificial intelligence, residents across the country are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="increasingly trying to limit where they can be built" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/05/data-centers-midterms-state-bans-bills-ai" data-vars-content-id="d5ae119a-65ef-4c61-92e1-7fcbbf98ec8d" data-vars-headline="Data center opposition is growing in North Carolina" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/05/data-centers-midterms-state-bans-bills-ai" target="_self">increasingly trying to limit where they can be built</a>.

Raleigh Police Chief reflects on city's growing pains, new technology

When RPD's chief Rico Boyce joined the force in 2000, Raleigh's population was just 276,000 people.

Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce says his department is finally back to adequate staffing after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="years of shortages" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/11/14/police-vacancies-still-prevalent-in-raleigh-durham" data-vars-content-id="2413efbb-98cf-4dba-9503-6f7bfec91dda" data-vars-headline="Raleigh Police Chief reflects on city&#x27;s growing pains, new technology" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/11/14/police-vacancies-still-prevalent-in-raleigh-durham" target="_self">years of shortages</a> coming out of the pandemic.<ul><li>But as the city&#x27;s population continues to boom, he says the force must keep growing and be given the tools to focus on crime. </li></ul>Why it matters: Boyce, a 26-year veteran of the Raleigh Police Department, has now been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="police chief " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2025/02/28/raleigh-promotes-rico-boyce-next-police-chief" data-vars-content-id="2413efbb-98cf-4dba-9503-6f7bfec91dda" data-vars-headline="Raleigh Police Chief reflects on city&#x27;s growing pains, new technology" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2025/02/28/raleigh-promotes-rico-boyce-next-police-chief" target="_self">police chief </a>for more than a year. Creating a culture that retains officers and attracts new ones has been a major focus of his.

Chart: How the Triangle's bus ridership has changed since the pandemic

Bus ridership took several years to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic

GoRaleigh is now the Triangle&#x27;s most-used bus service, as Raleigh&#x27;s bus system recovers from COVID-19&#x27;s disruptions to service and ridership, according to data from the American Public Transportation Association. Why it matters: Bus service is key to the region&#x27;s future transit goals, as it adapts to a surging population, and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="all of the" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/03/13/bus-rapid-transit-momentum-picks-up-in-chapel-hill-raleigh" data-vars-content-id="a2b49d1f-1d80-4617-8efd-67b862c154ee" data-vars-headline="Chart: How the Triangle&#x27;s bus ridership has changed since the pandemic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/03/13/bus-rapid-transit-momentum-picks-up-in-chapel-hill-raleigh" target="_self">all of the</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="area&#x27;s major" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2025/07/25/durham-unveils-initial-bus-rapid-transit-plans" data-vars-content-id="a2b49d1f-1d80-4617-8efd-67b862c154ee" data-vars-headline="Chart: How the Triangle&#x27;s bus ridership has changed since the pandemic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2025/07/25/durham-unveils-initial-bus-rapid-transit-plans" target="_self">area&#x27;s major</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bus systems" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2025/06/11/gotriangle-new-ceo-bus-rapid-transit-raleigh-durham" data-vars-content-id="a2b49d1f-1d80-4617-8efd-67b862c154ee" data-vars-headline="Chart: How the Triangle&#x27;s bus ridership has changed since the pandemic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2025/06/11/gotriangle-new-ceo-bus-rapid-transit-raleigh-durham" target="_self">bus systems</a> are considering adding bus rapid transit to their communities.

A rough return to the ice

Carolina's new arts festival

Carolina Performing Arts to launch new festival

A heat table showing U.S. cities with the highest and lowest ParkScore in 2026. D.C. earned 85 points out of 100 for the overall quality of its parks system, the highest in the analysis, followed by Irvine, Calif., Minneapolis and St. Paul. Durham, N.C., had the lowest overall score, at 36, followed by Glendale, Ariz., and Lubbock, Texas. Cities have scores across five metrics, including park access, acreage, amenities, equity and investment.

News 🗞

A rough return to the ice

Why a Raleigh church is rethinking its parking lot's future

North Carolina Aquarium closing for yearslong expansion

Carolina Performing Arts to launch new festival

Durham parks rank last among biggest US cities