Former Congressman Robin Britt is a major player in helping the needy in North Carolina. Britt founded Uplift, Inc., a statewide program for the poor, and was recently appointed to head the NC Department of Human Resources.
A conflict has arisen between the faculty of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) and John Friedrick, the school's administrative director. NCSSM is the nation's first state-funded residential science and math academy.
The biotechnology industry, which has some 67 firms in North Carolina, is on the verge of developing plants with new genes that naturally resist insects, as an alternative to creating potentially harmful chemical-resistant crops.
A compromise has been struck between high school students and school authorities on a proposed policy governing student speech, which extends to the issue of censorship of student plays, newspapers and library books.
Homeowners in Woodcroft, a housing subdivision in Durham that is predominantly white and upper middle class, fear the rise of crime in the city and feel that Woodcroft is a targeted area.
The health-care reform debate continues between business/insurance interests and proponents of a universal health care system. Yeoman contends that lobbyist money from corporations and insurance companies weakens the resolve of reform-minded legislators.
The Friends of Tobacco, a group of farmers, businessmen, legislators, and other tobacco advocates in the state, argues that smoking doesn't cause cancer and that the tobacco industry is being discriminated against.
Three major development projects on Highway 15-501 between Durham and Chapel Hill would stimulate the economy but would also eliminate the last undeveloped land on the Durham-Chapel Hill corridor.
Banks make billions loaning students money to attend trade schools - like Raleigh's Hardbarger Junior College or Durham's Rutledge College - even when the schools' programs turn out to be deceptive and fraudulent.
Yeoman argues that public radio was created as a tax-supported forum for controversy and diversity, but that WUNC-FM rarely profiles its diverse community, airs voices of dissent, or explores alternative types of programming.
Last week Durham played host to the Creating Change Conference, the country's largest gay political gathering, whose attendants urged the gay movement to link itself to the struggle of other minority groups.
Durham mayor-elect Sylvia Kerckhoff and Raleigh mayor-elect Tom Fetzer will have to tackle some tough issues, including economic development, crime, and taxes.