Daily news from around North Carolina of interest to those who care about social justice in NC. http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=361ec9dcaa41991472bfe9bfb118609d Sat, 26 Sep 2015 21:54:11 +0000 http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ http://www.wral.com/state-bar-weighs-discipline-for-second-lawyer-in-racial-justice-act-case/14926402/ <img src="http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2015/09/25/14926523/14926524-1443215915-160x120.jpg" alt="Attorney Gretchen Engel"/>A disciplinary panel of the North Carolina State Bar ruled Friday that a lawyer who participated in the first case to be heard under the Racial Justice Act didn't violate the rules of professional conduct for attorneys. http://www.wral.com/state-bar-weighs-discipline-for-second-lawyer-in-racial-justice-act-case/14926402/ Fri, 25 Sep 2015 21:59:32 +0000 News http://www.wral.com/durham-schools-investigating-social-media-threats/14925748/ <img src="http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/noteworthy/2008/12/19/4172450/4172450-1431399351-160x120.jpg" alt="Durham Public Schools logo"/>Durham Public Schools and local law enforcement agencies were investigating Friday morning after someone posted threatening messages on social media, according to Superintendent Bert L'Homme. http://www.wral.com/durham-schools-investigating-social-media-threats/14925748/ Fri, 25 Sep 2015 15:11:33 +0000 News http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/five-ways-the-north-carolina-budget-screwed-us/Content?oid=4757075 <img src="http://media1.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/4757072/dolla-bill-yall.jpg" width="600" height="191"/> A primer on the Legislature’s latest machinations by Jeffrey C. Billman We knew it was going to be bad. All summer long—as the July 1 budget deadline came and went, with Republican lawmakers negotiating in secret—we knew the end result would do little to restore education funding and less to alleviate the state's rising unemployment rate.… http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/five-ways-the-north-carolina-budget-screwed-us/Content?oid=4757075 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/is-durhams-affordable-housing-punt-an-epic-fail/Content?oid=4739178 <img src="http://media2.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/4739177/081218_transit_023.jpg" width="600" height="400"/> The city declined to fast-track a nonprofit’s proposal, leading to questions of when deeds will match words by Jeffrey C. Billman Last week in this space, we wondered whether the Durham City Council would jump on an affordable housing project—specifically, city-owned land adjacent to Durham Station on which Self-Help wants to erect 80–100 units for lower-income workers—or opt instead for a private mixed-use development, as city staff recommended. (This recommendation, it's worth noting, came even though the city's explicit goal is to have 15 percent of the units around Durham Station and other transit hubs affordable for those who earn less than 60 percent of the city's median income—up to about $40,000—and currently none are.)… http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/is-durhams-affordable-housing-punt-an-epic-fail/Content?oid=4739178 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/will-durham-finally-tackle-affordable-housing-downtown/Content?oid=4719138 <img src="http://media2.fdncms.com/indyweek/imager/u/blog/4721309/gallery2.jpg" width="600" height="400"/> Advocates want the city to turn some land it owns over to a nonprofit to build affordable units near Durham Station. by Jeffrey C. Billman The city of Durham, as has been well documented in these pages, has something of an affordable housing problem. This is especially true around downtown, where new luxury condo towers seem to sprout from the ground every other day.… http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/will-durham-finally-tackle-affordable-housing-downtown/Content?oid=4719138 Wed, 09 Sep 2015 11:00:00 +0000