Sunday Edition

This week, the DOJ announced federal charges against three noncitizen voters from New Hanover County, part of a nationwide crackdown. In bombastic language, U.S. Attorneys have touted the importance of the work — but there’s sometimes less enthusiasm for other aspects of our elections.

PFAS played a significant role in this year’s local election, but telling the whole story of these chemicals is a tall order. Plus, New Hanover County sent a lobbyist to Washington to follow up with congressional reps on its letter about the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement; meanwhile, the City of Wilmington hasn't heard back after sending its own letter. And, law enforcement agencies often dismiss bystander footage – but getting bodycam video isn’t easy in North Carolina.

The Cape Fear region’s longtime Congressman has become known for avoiding public forums and interviews – though it wasn’t always that way. It’s an unfortunate evolution but, thankfully, it’s not representative of most local politicians, who remain willing to submit to public scrutiny.

We’re headed into the final lap of the election season, and so it is, of course, time for October Surprises. Usually this means nasty and scandalous dirt on a candidate, but in this case, it’s actually some ostensibly good news — a reprieve on gas prices statewide and a proposed boost to local film grant funding. But just because it’s positive, doesn’t mean it’s not political.

In a polarized era, marked in places by open hostility between politicians and the press, it’s worth recognizing candidates willing to put themselves out there, living up to their end of the campaign bargain. It’s far better than the alternative, which is a further descent into siloed and politicized media channels — and the frustrating half-truths of campaign ads.

After a week occupied with the business of the pledge drive, WHQR’s newsroom is pivoting back to reporting. News Director Benjamin Schachtman catches up on a few stories from this month, with some postscripts and a few lingering questions.

Public media is not a perfect system, but it may be the best chance for local journalists in a news ecosystem that is rapidly degrading. WHQR News Director Ben Schachtman makes the case for it in the middle of a pledge drive — when the whole thing seems a little fragile, but also urgently necessary.

There’s significant momentum behind the plans for a tolled replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, which are nearing the point of no return. Serious questions remain about the plans’ impact, and some are asking if there are any alternatives. Here’s a look at how we got here and what could come next.

The campaign for incumbent Republican State Senator Michael Lee recently dropped an AI deepfake ad, mocking his opponent, Democrat Jessica Bichler. It’s not totally surprising, given that AI slop has made its way into almost every corner of our lives. But as some states move to regulate the practice, it’s worth unpacking some ethical, political, and even constitutional facets of AI-generated political messaging.

New Hanover County is trying a new approach to food deserts, based on a South Carolina program, which has had its own successes and challenges. But these efforts take place against the backdrop of a bigger question: why do we have food deserts, and can we actually fix them?