A troubling sign that the advertising slump causing daily newspapers’ financial problems is hitting alt weeklies, too: Creative Loafing filed for bankruptcy protection today. The company has more than $40 million in debt, following its purchase last year of the Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper. A statement from the CEO says the move will […]
Fiona Morgan
Posted inNews
Linker: Hagan’s health care plan better than Dole’s
Adam Linker of N.C. Policy Watch presents this analysis of Kay Hagan’s health care reform plan. “As with much of her campaign, Hagan takes a cautious approach to health care reform, not proposing anything that might rock the boat. That having been said: her proposals are much better than the alternative,” Linker says. “Our current […]
Posted inNews
Durham People’s Alliance endorses meals tax
The Durham People’s Alliance, a progressive grassroots citizens’ group, announced last week that its political action committee voted to support a ballot referendum to impose a 1 percent sales-tax surcharge on restaurant meals in the city order to fund a minor league baseball museum and other cultural amenities. “[M]embers of the organization engaged in a […]
Posted inNews
Chapel Hill Town Councilman Bill Thorpe dies
Local news radio station WCHL reports that Chapel Hill Town Councilman Bill Thorpe passed away Saturday night at his home at the age of 67. Thorpe was a well known local civil rights leader. Bill Thorpe Thorpe had announced earlier this month that he was taking a medical leave of absence to deal with matters […]
Posted inNews
Where to watch tonight’s debate
The Galaxy Cinema in Cary hosts a debate-watching party tonight. The Obama campaign provides this handy map and list of many other Triangle-area debate-watching parties. They include: Fosters American Grille, Raleigh Alivia’s Durham Bistro Carolina Ale House, Durham location UNC’s Upper Quad, Chapel Hill And many other parties in private homes across the Triangle. Fun […]
Posted inNews
Farewell, What’s Up
Today’s issue of The News & Observer‘s pullout weekend preview section is the last. Beginning next week, its content — movie, music, and TV coverage, as well as Greg Cox’s restaurant reviews — will be folded into a Weekend section. The farewell What’s Up cover is a collection of 15 covers from the section’s 15 […]
Posted inNews
Marine veteran from Durham blasts McCain
Jonathan Kuniholm, a Marine from Durham who lost an arm in the Iraq War, has posted this YouTube video addressing Sen. John McCain in response to another video addressing Sen. Obama: “You say you want victory,” Kuniholm says. “I’m sorry, sir, but America doesn’t need another victory that’s just a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner that ignores […]
Posted inNews
More N&O newsroom losses on features, business desks
Internal email memos from section editors, obtained by the Indy, confirm the names of more editorial staffers who have decided to take voluntary buyout offers from The News & Observer: Danny Hooley, TV and radio writer who writes the blog TV Eye. Hooley got the first interview with Clay Aiken when Aiken was auditioning for […]
Posted inNews
N&O loses more reporters
Sources at The News & Observer today confirmed that approximately 10 percent of newsroom staffers have accepted buyout offers and will depart the paper in early October. Among them is Samiha Khanna, who covers Durham County and its school system; Matt Dees, a former Durham city reporter who was recently transferred to the Orange County […]
Posted inNews
Chapel Hill wants to make Halloween less scary
How do you keep a street party of 80,000 people from getting out of hand? That’s the question the Chapel Hill Town Council will discuss tonight. The police chief and parks and recreation director will present a report on ways to make the state’s most famous annual Halloween party safer and less draining on the […]