A federal court ruled earlier this year that two of North Carolina’s congressional districts, drawn in 2011, were unconstitutional because they were racially gerrymandered. That case is to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court next week. Earlier this week in a separate ruling, a federal court ordered North Carolina to hold special legislative elections next year – for the state House and Senate – after 28 state districts are redrawn to comply with a gerrymandering ruling. All of those maps

A little more than a century ago, Jewish people around the world faced decisions that have proved critical in shaping the past century. On this edition of CoastLine, we look at those decisions through the eyes of two historians who are launching a lecture series in January at the Temple of Israel’s Reibman Center in Wilmington. Guests: Carole Fink , Humanities Distinguished Professor of History Emerita, The Ohio State University; Professor of History Emerita, University of North Carolina

Did you vote for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein? Are you pro-life or pro-choice? How do you feel about immigration? Do you refer to people living in the United States illegally as illegal aliens or people who are undocumented? Do you think the United States should close its borders to refugees from war-torn parts of the world to keep its own citizens safe, or do you believe the country should more widely share its legacy of welcoming the poor and the oppressed to its

Economic development is the way municipalities, counties, states, and nations improve the quality of life for its citizens. Economic growth is one element and can be a metric for measuring that. In pursuit that growth, communities often lay out a blueprint – a vision – that details how they would like to see that growth unfold. New Hanover County, in service of defining its vision, has been working on a revision of its Special Use Permit, a gatekeeper, essentially, that allows county officials

Throughout election season, Donald Trump referred to the media as "dishonest and crooked." But that assessment is not limited to the President-elect. According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans' trust and confidence in the mass media "to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly" has dropped to its lowest level in Gallup polling history. 32% of those polled say they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media. That's down eight percentage points from last year. And it's fallen

On this edition of the CoastLine Candidate Interviews, we hear from the three Democrats seeking seats on Brunswick County’s Board of Commissioners. There are five members on the Board – one representing each district in Brunswick County. The four-year terms are staggered, and elections are held every two years. This year, Districts 3, 4, and 5 are in play. Nearly 82,000 residents in Brunswick County are white, almost 9,000 are black, less than a thousand are Hispanic and about 3300 fall into a

Today, we continue with our CoastLine Candidate Interviews, and on this edition, we’ll hear from two of the three Republicans seeking seats on Brunswick County’s Board of Commissioners. There are five members on the Board – one representing each district in Brunswick County. The four-year terms are staggered, and elections are held every two years. This year, Districts 3, 4, and 5 are in play. Today, we’ll meet Mike Forte – who hopes to win District 4 – and Frank Williams – who is seeking a

On this edition of the CoastLine Candidate Interviews, we meet one of three Republicans seeking three seats on Brunswick County’s Board of Education. There are five members on the Board – one representing each district in Brunswick County. The four-year terms are staggered, and elections are held every two years. In 2016, Districts 1, 2, and 4 have open seats. No Democrats filed for District 1, however, which means that Republican Ed Lemon has no formal opposition. Write-in candidates are

On this edition of the CoastLine Candidate Interviews, we’ll hear from the two Democrats seeking seats on Brunswick County’s Board of Education. There are five members on the Board – one representing each district in Brunswick County. The four-year terms are staggered, and elections are held every two years. In 2016, Districts 1, 2, and 4 have open seats. No Democrats filed for District 1, however, which means that Republican Ed Lemon has no formal opposition. Write-in candidates are permitted.

I've been out this week, so mostly it's listeners who will do the talking this week. Wendy Lewis wrote on our WHQR Public Radio Facebook page: "I am appalled at this stations partisan rhetoric. It's obvious this station is run by left wing nuts. Maybe you should try to be more in touch with the community that you are supposed to be serving." I thank Wendy for her comment. We do try to be more in touch with the community. Which is why we published an article about early voting, poll locations and