Ren Larson

Raleigh

reporter @theassemblync past:@TexasTribune @ProPublica @azcentral @UCBerkeley, always: learning spoken languages, climbing rocks

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Articles

A Small, Private College Got $40 Million in State Funds for Cybersecurity Training

1 month ago | theassemblync.com | Ren Larson

In 2018, the state legislature gave Montreat College, which has fewer than 1,000 students, $2 million to use toward building a regional cybersecurity training center in nearby Black Mountain in Buncombe County. The next year, legislators upped the ante by agreeing to give Montreat $20 million for the regional facility known as the Carolina Cyber Center. The eight-figure sum to a private, Christian college was unprecedented.
He Was In N.C. Legally. Why Was He Deported?

2 months ago | theassemblync.com | Jeffrey C. Billman |Ren Larson

The Zambrano family had no reason to suspect that anything would go wrong when they arrived at the Charlotte Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on January 29. As asylum seekers from Venezuela who’d entered the U.S. in November 2023, their check-in was routine, an annual ritual. They were in the country legally, awaiting immigration court dates that were still likely years off.
NC Republicans Move to Eliminate State's DEI Initiatives

Mar 24, 2025 | theassemblync.com | Ren Larson

In 2015, Republican state Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry added a benchmark to her employees’ annual performance review that evaluated how each employee treated their colleagues, regardless of their gender, age, race, religion, disability status, or other characteristics.
How North Carolina Got a Trump-Backed Voting Chief

Feb 12, 2025 | theassemblync.com | Ren Larson

Donald Trump stood at an arena in downtown Asheville in August, soliciting campaign contributions and promising to cut taxes on tips. It was 83 days until Election Day, and Trump started his rally stumping for a seemingly unlikely candidate. “State auditor candidate Dave Boliek,” Trump began. “He said, ‘I’m only in politics for you, sir.’ Where is Dave?” Trump’s eyes scanned the crowd until they, and his index finger, landed on a then-56-year-old man with clear-framed glasses.
How the N.C. Legislature Bankrolls Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Jan 8, 2025 | theassemblync.com | Ren Larson |whitney clegg

Desiree walked into Gateway Women’s Care in September 2022 excited to learn how far along she was in her pregnancy. Then 24, the self-described “Google freak” had spent days studying images from ultrasounds to get ready for what she might see. She was happy about the pregnancy and eager to share the news with her close-knit family, especially her mom.
How a Disaster-Relief Package Constrains N.C.’s New Governor

Jan 6, 2025 | theassemblync.com | Anne Blythe |Evey Weisblat |Ren Larson

When it tore through Western North Carolina in late September, Hurricane Helene caused nearly $60 billion in damage and killed more than 100 people, according to the . State lawmakers late last year passed legislation containing a third round of disaster-relief measures—and they also stuck in a slew of unrelated provisions aimed at chipping away at the governor’s power and reshaping the judiciary. Then-Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill, but the General Assembly overrode his veto. He and now-Gov.
A New Campaign Asks: 'Does Duke Respect Durham?'

Nov 21, 2024 | indyweek.com | Erin Gretzinger |Justin Laidlaw |Ren Larson

On a windy Saturday afternoon in September, approximately 100 people filled the pews of Asbury United Methodist Church in Durham. But it wasn’t a congregation that gathered under the filtered light of the stained glass windows. “This is a justice service!” proclaimed Keith Bullard, a member of the Union of Southern Service Workers, prompting hoots and hollers from the crowd.
A New Campaign Asks: Does Duke Respect Durham?

Nov 21, 2024 | theassemblync.com | Erin Gretzinger |Justin Laidlaw |Ren Larson

On a windy Saturday afternoon in September, approximately 100 people filled the pews of Asbury United Methodist Church in Durham. But it wasn’t a congregation that gathered under the filtered light of the stained glass windows. “This is a justice service!” proclaimed Keith Bullard, a member of the Union of Southern Service Workers, prompting hoots and hollers from the crowd.
Company Misspent $6.2 Million in State Funds to Lure Olympic Groups, Audit Finds

Nov 19, 2024 | theassemblync.com | Ren Larson

The U.S. Performance Center, a company that aims to bring U.S. Olympic organizations to Charlotte, misspent nearly $1 out of every $4 that was appropriated to it by the state legislature, according to a memo from the Office of State Budget and Management. The company, which was awarded $25 million from the state legislature in 2021 in a no-bid grant, billed state taxpayers at least $6.2 million in unallowable charges, the memo said.
Democrats Break the GOP Supermajority in the Legislature–But Barely

Nov 6, 2024 | theassemblync.com | Ren Larson

When state House Republicans redrew district lines last year, they moved Democratic Rep. Lindsey Prather from a Buncombe County district that was safely Democratic to one that leans Republican. Prather was opposed by Republican Ruth Smith, a personal injury attorney who has filed federal lawsuits challenging the city of Asheville’s affirmative action policies.