The issue of how much partisan gerrymandering is too much is before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court heard oral arguments Tuesday on a case out of Wisconsin challenging maps there for being too lopsided in favor of Republicans. That case could have huge implications in North Carolina, which has a nearly identical political situation, and where a similar case is winding its way through the courts. For the latest, BPR's Jeremy Loeb spoke with Western Carolina University political scientist Chris

State lawmakers are heading back to Raleigh with major items up for consideration. Republicans are pushing for a redrawing of judicial district lines that critics say would favor their party. They also want to sweep away Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's vetoes. Colin Campbell, editor of the Insider Government News Service, spoke with BPR's Jeremy Loeb about session and about donations from the National Rifle Association to WNC Congressman Patrick McHenry.

MANNA Foodbank is partnering with several organizations in Buncombe County for a hurricane relief drive. BPR’s Helen Chickering has details.

In the age of the internet the future of the American department store has grown increasingly uncertain. Earlier this year, Toys "R" Us—a company with nearly 900 stores across the country— filed for bankruptcy. Kmart and Sears underwent another round of store closings—from nearly 1,600 last year, to just over 1,200 this year. Whenever these so-called “big box” stores close, it can often stifle development in the communities they once served, and hurt the bottom line of nearby small businesses.

The so-called "Brunch Bill" that passed the North Carolina General Assembly means restaurants can now serve alcohol before noon on Sundays. Local governments throughout the state quickly permitted the earlier sales under powers granted them by the state bill. Hendersonville and Asheville quickly approved earlier sales. To the west in the mountains of Western North Carolina, some localities have said yes to mimosas and bloody mary's before noon on Sunday - and some have not. Smoky Mountain News

Opponents of Duke Energy’s plan to raise monthly rates close to 17% packed a public hearing in Asheville Wednesday night. The North Carolina Utilities Commission is holding a series of public hearings across the state to get ratepayer reaction to Duke’s plan. The average bill could go up close to $18 a month if the commission approves Duke’s request. It’s the utility’s desire to use some of that new revenue to clean up coal ash that had many in attendance angered, like Hartwell Carson of

Thursday October 5th is the 'termination date' for the contract between Mission Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina. If no agreement between the two is reached by then, customers of North Carolina's largest insurer will find themselves 'out of network' for non-emergency visits at facilities operated by Western North Carolina's largest healthcare provider. This would affect hundreds of thousands of people in the region, meaning they would either have to pay more for non-emergency

Waynesville Democrat Joe Sam Queen lost the most closely-contested state legislative race in 2016. Fewer than 300 votes separated him and Bryson City Republican Mike Clampitt. Now Queen says he'll try to win back his seat from Clampitt in 2018. It will be the fourth contest between the two in the 118th district, which includes Jackson, Swain, and Haywood Counties. Queen won the first two before losing in 2018. He spoke with BPR's Jeremy Loeb about why he's running again.

The opioid crisis is affecting all of the U.S., and Western North Carolina in particular. And it is showing no signs of slowing down in the region's most populous county. In the first 8 months of 2017, 230 visits to emergency departments were reported in Buncombe County, as opposed to just 84 during the same time frame last year. Mountain Xpress reporter Dan Hesse has been examining the opioid crisis extensively in Buncombe County. He joined BPR's Matt Bush in studio to discuss the numbers in

Senate Republicans' efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act are once again floundering. The bill currently lacks enough support. But many times the effort has been called dead, only for it to reemerge. The bill would need to pass by Friday. Health groups are scrambling to find out the impact. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the original version of the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill would have cost North Carolina more than 8 billion dollars in federal funding. Rachel Garfield