Emily Stephenson

In 2008, I wrote this story about Zena Cardman. Today, she launches for the space station. 🥹

The Assembly obtained two internal UNC documents that show various options the Tar Heels have explored to fund revenue-sharing.

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi... @theassemblync.bsky.social @themhartman.bsky.social

UNC System President Unveils Plans for New Accreditor President Peter Hans said in an interview he aims to create a ‘streamlined, non-ideological’ accreditor with five other southern states.

BREAKING: The UNC System is launching a new accreditor with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas called the Commission for Public Higher Education

The goal is to create a “streamlined, non-ideological” accreditor, Hans told me in an exclusive for @theassemblync.bsky.social

U.S. Lawmakers Urge Duke to End Partnership With Wuhan University Two U.S. House committee chairmen say Duke's partner school is a “direct extension of the Chinese military and intelligence apparatus.”

U.S. Lawmakers Urge Duke to End Partnership With Wuhan University

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi... @eringretzinger.bsky.social

Guilford College faculty hatched a radical plan to run the school by Quaker-inspired councils. Some alumni say the college needs to make tough business decisions first.

“This kumbaya stuff is for the birds now.”

t.co/w0YHLYpqv3 @themhartman.bsky.social @theassemblync.bsky.social

Longtime N.C. Voters May Have Their Ballots Wrongfully Tossed in Supreme Court Race The "never resident" list appears to include some longtime residents, while other voters appear in two different challenge categories.

The state Supreme Court said 260 ballots cast by overseas voters who never lived in NC should be thrown out in the Griffin-Riggs race.

One problem: @BryanRAnderson found that several of them DID live in NC. @theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/politics/nc-...

NC’s GOP state treasurer tells @bryanranderson.bsky.social that Trump’s tariffs present a series of bad choices for NC businesses.

“Countries and companies will be much more hesitant to trust that U.S. policy will remain constant.”

www.theassemblync.com/newsletter/t...

Rep. Chuck Edwards’ town hall in Asheville was one of the most intense events I’ve ever covered.

This was his press conference at the end:

UNC’s Risky Belichick Math An Assembly analysis finds UNC football has already set aside millions of dollars to bolster incoming head coach Bill Belichick and the team.

UNC-Chapel Hill transferred $21 million from other funds to the athletic department last year–and that was before it agreed to spend millions of dollars more on Bill Belichick. @theassemblync.bsky.social @axios.com @themhartman.bsky.social @zeanes.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

About Those Southern Accents on This Season of The White Lotus “No one has ever said that there is anything unique about a couple of vowels in Durham,” says Walt Wolfram, a North Carolina linguist.

“We’ve done over 3,500 interviews everywhere in North Carolina over the last 30 years. And no one has ever said that there is anything unique about a couple of vowels in Durham,” says the expert.

Your move, Jason Isaacs.

indyweek.com/culture/abou...

Some exciting news for The Quad, @theassemblync.bsky.social's higher ed newsletter: We're hosting our first live event!

Join us on 3/25 for an exclusive look at how the Trump administration’s first moves are playing out at North Carolina’s colleges and universities.

I've covered my share of N.C. higher education stories over the years. I can tell you, you do not want to miss this conversation.

Premium subscribers get into events like this, all our higher ed team's great coverage and everything in the archive. A steal.

www.theassemblync.com/premium/

The Assembly, Now With Reporting From Our Nation's Capital The Assembly has been selected as one of six newsrooms in the first cohort of the NOTUS Washington Bureau Initiative.

The Assembly has been selected as one of six newsrooms in the first cohort of the NOTUS Washington Bureau Initiative.

Read the full announcement below.

www.theassemblync.com/internal/the...

Last week, the head of UNC-Chapel Hill’s cancer center sounded calm about potential cuts to NIH grants. Cancer research has bipartisan support, and “uncertainty in federal funding is not new,” he said.

These week, he sounded a little less sure.

www.theassemblync.com/newsletter/t...

What This Johnston County Racial Justice Act Ruling Means for NC The ruling in the first Racial Justice Act evidentiary hearing in more than a decade will have implications for the death penalty in N.C.

Nearly 15 years after Hasson Jamal Bacote first filed a claim under the Racial Justice Act, a judge ruled last week that racism not only significantly affected Bacote’s case, but pervaded every death penalty case ever tried in Johnston County.

www.theassemblync.com/politics/cou...

Defense secretary orders Fort Liberty to be Fort Bragg again Defense secretary orders Fort Liberty to become Fort Bragg again — but this time it will be Fort Roland L. Bragg, in honor of a WWII hero

“The Army in 2023 estimated it was spending $8 million to change Fort Bragg’s name to Fort Liberty.” 🤷🏻‍♀️ @paulwoolverton.bsky.social

www.cityviewnc.com/stories/defe...

UNC System Limits UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees’ Authority Over Athletics In a memo sent after UNC-CH hired Bill Belichick, the system's leader said trustees' actions around athletics "create substantial legal risk."

UNC System president to UNC-CH trustees: “Instances continue to occur where members of the board appear to act independently of their campus’s administration in matters squarely within the responsibility of the chancellor.”

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...
@themhartman.bsky.social

Welcome to @theassemblync.bsky.social!

UNC System Lobbyist Urges Calm Amid Trump's Directives As the White House's policy changes hit colleges, lobbyist Elizabeth Morra says the UNC System is taking a wait-and-see approach.

UNC System Lobbyist Urges Calm Amid Trump’s Directives

“We’ve tried to just, you know, tell our folks just to stay calm at this time, and we’ll see where this is going,” Elizabeth Morra told @eringretzinger.bsky.social @theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Like the Nation, North Carolina’s Airport Towers Are Understaffed A review of the latest data shows the state’s largest airports are hurting for air traffic controllers, a federal job that’s recently come under scrutiny.

As of the latest data available, North Carolina's six FAA-staffed air towers had just 178 certified air traffic controllers.

Combined, that's 57 air traffic controllers short of meeting an industry agreed-upon standard.
@theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/business/nor...

How I Accidentally Became Part of China’s PR Campaign Dozens of Duke University students signed up for a free trip to China. Even the university was surprised by what happened when they got there.

Dozens of Duke University students signed up for a free trip to China. Even the university was surprised by what happened when they got there.

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi... @theassemblync.bsky.social

The 'Did Duke Win?' Guy Didn't Mean to Dunk on Duke The untold story behind "Did Duke Win?"—and how a Duke student accidentally made UNC-Chapel Hill basketball fans’ favorite website.

I got the scoop everyone has been dying for just in time for the first Carolina-Duke game. Here's the untold story of the Duke student who made @diddukewin.com

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

The 'Did Duke Win?' Guy Didn't Mean to Dunk on Duke The untold story behind "Did Duke Win?"—and how a Duke student accidentally made UNC-Chapel Hill basketball fans’ favorite website.

The Duke student who made “Did Duke Win?” didn’t realize he was building a tool for opposing fans to gloat any time Duke lost. @themhartman.bsky.social @theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

The Reading Wars Go to College Nearly everyone backs the science of reading. Why did it take eight years to update the UNC System's literacy curriculum?

i've got a new story up about the science of reading in the unc system educator prep programs

it's a fascinating case where the system implemented a reform that every single person i spoke with supports. yet it took eight years and some are still hesitant

www.theassemblync.com/education/sc...

Bringing the Border War Home Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page helped shape the anti-immigration agenda that will define Donald Trump’s second term.

Over the years, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page made himself chief spokesman for the idea that "every sheriff is a border sheriff," arguing for the necessity of the immigration-related crackdowns President Trump has now endorsed. #ncpol

www.theassemblync.com/politics/bri...

Jefferson Griffin’s Gambit For a State Supreme Court Seat Last year, a state board said overseas voters didn’t need to provide photo ID. Now he's want ballots from Democratic counties tossed.

Jefferson Griffin is asking the court to do something experts say no court has done: throw out thousands of votes not because voters did anything wrong, but because he believes a state agency did.

More from @blackmuse.bsky.social @jeffreybillman.bsky.social:

www.theassemblync.com/politics/ele...

The Quad: To Be or Not to H-1B? A look at H-1B visa applications from North Carolina colleges and universities. Plus, we highlight job moves and bricks.

this week in the quad, @eringretzinger.bsky.social did important reporting about h-1b visas. i, meanwhile, tried to figure out why colleges keep putting down bricks for me to trip over

www.theassemblync.com/newsletter/t...

Commuting by train in the Triangle isn’t ready for prime time, @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social found out the hard way.

indyweek.com/news/wake/i-...

Where Did the General Assembly Go to College? The colleges North Carolina’s legislators attended reveals different backgrounds that may shape how they tackle higher education issues.

More from @themhartman.bsky.social here: www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Where did North Carolina’s legislators go to college? @theassemblync.bsky.social did some digging to find out.

Featuring fewer Tar Heels than I expected, but still a lot, and a small-but-mighty Wake Forest Law contingent.