Stella Mackler

Building, rehabilitating, instructing, developing, growing, employing. Those are the promises made by the BRIDGE program, which trains incarcerated young men to fight fires, among other skills. But does it hold true to those promises?

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $50 million in grants to small and midsized farms across the country. This year, the grant program — meant to help farmers hire and retain workers — was frozen by the Trump administration.

Thousands of protesters are hitting the streets today as part of a nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” movement. WFAE spoke with protesters to understand what got them out the door.

After Hurricane Helene hit last year, resource hubs popped up around western North Carolina to receive and distribute supplies. Many closed as donations slowed. But in Clyde, Camp Restore Hope is going strong. For now.

Many low-income homeowners live in older houses that are less energy efficient and more vulnerable to storm damage. When money’s already tight, costly repairs and high energy bills can threaten their health — and even whether they can stay in their homes.

As part of the “battery belt,” North Carolina will soon be home to four lithium-ion battery factories, the power behind electric vehicles. But President Trump’s sweeping federal reconciliation bill eliminated tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, raising concerns about the future of the industry.

A typical Charlotte summer day with a high near 90 degrees is not classified as extreme heat, that's reserved for “abnormal” temperatures. Unhoused people, however, experience these temperatures differently since they are often outside all day, unable to cool off.

Lake Norman is looking more colorful these days. Bright green, deep red and milky blue algae is blooming in northern parts of the lake — but these bright colors don’t bring good news.

The Charlotte region is one step closer to its first state trail. The state House passed House Bill 23 earlier this week, which includes the official designation of the South Fork Passage State Trail. Now, hikers and paddlers are awaiting that final signature from Gov. Josh Stein.

People who live outside in unstable housing are vulnerable to any kind of weather — storms, floods, temperature changes. WFAE followed street outreach workers to see how they help people survive outside during the summer.