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When lawmakers passed a spending bill ending the federal government shutdown, many people celebrated — but not hemp farmers. That’s because language contained in the spending bill threatens to ban nearly all products derived from the hemp they grow. Daniel Larlham Jr. spoke with North Carolina hemp farmers for the Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter. He joined WFAE's Marshall Terry.
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CHARLOTTE TALKS WITH MIKE COLLINS
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Penguin Press/CourtesySportswriter Sam Smith and former NBA coach Phil Jackson are longtime friends and now co-authors. Their new book, "Masters of the Game: A Conversational History of the NBA in 75 Legendary Players," dissects the careers of some of the all-time greats, including Jordan, Shaq and Steph Curry. We sit down with Smith to talk about the book and take a look at some players on the list with North Carolina roots. -
Tylerlately, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons2025 in Review: Looking back at Charlotte's economy, from trends in mergers to the impact of tariffsWe look back on some of the biggest economic news of the year for the region. We also take a moment to consider what’s in store for the region in 2026.
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LOCAL NEWS
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Dr. Julie Horvath is the head of the Genomics & Microbiology Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and also an Associate Research Professor at North Carolina Central University. She’s studying personal hygiene and its effects on the microbes on our skin – by taking samples from people's arm pits and from the underarms of other primates. -
People leaving North Carolina prisons are far more likely to die of an overdose in their first weeks back home. Prison officials are trying to reduce that risk by providing medications for opioid use disorder before release. -
ARPA program money allocated to NC agencies set to return to the feds if the COVID funds aren’t spent before the end of 2026. -
The economic distress tier system that NC agencies use to rank counties saw downward movement in places recovering from Helene. -
Contest to replace retiring US Sen. Thom Tillis in NC is predicted to draw more money than any Senate race in history. -
An unusually high number of Republican state lawmakers are facing challengers in the March primary. Candidate filing for the 2026 election got under way on Monday and runs through Dec. 19.
NATION & WORLD
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
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A suspect has been arrested in Friday's rush hour stabbing on Charlotte's Blue Line light rail. The Lovin' Life Music Festival will not return in 2026. Union County officials are investigating a incident at Parkwood High School in which a student attacked a teacher. N.C.'s hemp industry is under threat as a result of the new federal government spending bill.
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