It’s Wednesday, February 21.

Thanks to our sponsor: The Nasher Museum is proud to present María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold, María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold. The exhibition spans nearly four decades of the artist’s work in photography, installation, video, painting and performance.

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Good morning, readers. 

During the final moments of a marathon meeting Monday night, the Durham city council voted 5-2 to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Inside City Hall, the response to the vote sounded something like a sudden rainstorm, with attendees in the chambers, the lobby, and the streets outside applauding and beating drums at downpour decibel. 

The resolution urges the Biden administration to “facilitate a sustained, bilateral ceasefire” and demands an end to U.S. aid “to the Netanyahu government.” It also calls for release of hostages in Gaza and release of “all people held unjustly in the region” and acknowledges both the October 7 Hamas attacks and the “disproportionate retaliation by the Israeli Government” that has killed or wounded more than 100,000 Palestinians. 

Durham is the second city in North Carolina and one of around 70 cities in the U.S. to adopt a ceasefire resolution. Carrboro’s town council passed a resolution in November and Raleigh and Chapel Hill leaders have declined to consider resolutions.

Hundreds of people came to watch the vote in Durham on Monday. Labor unions and activist organizations such as Mothers For Ceasefire and Jewish Voice for Peace, which have spent months petitioning the council, showed up in full force. Around 30 people signed up to speak in favor of the resolution and a smaller group spoke against it. 

In the end, only mayor Leonardo Williams and council member Mark Anthony Middleton voted against the resolution. 

We’ll have a full recap of the meeting on our website later today. We also have a new paper out today with more election coverage and the INDY’s first ever special drinks issue. 

Have a good Wednesday. 

—Lena

Durham

With a salary dispute roiling the school system, dwindling education bond funds, and a perpetual affordable housing crisis, the stakes are high for Durham’s board of county commissioners election this cycle.

Wake

The Wake County Democratic Party sees an opportunity to pick up another seat in District Court 10 with the retirement of chief justice Ned Mangum earlier this month.

Orange

UNC interim chancellor Lee Roberts reflects on his first five weeks on the job. 

Meanwhile, graduate students are raising concerns that the committee assembled to identify a new permanent chancellor doesn’t have graduate student representation 

Racial disparities persist at UNC nearly 60 years after desegregation.

North Carolina

The North Carolina Supreme Court will revisit the landmark Leandro case addressing public education funding beginning this week.

Today’s weather

Sunny with a high of 58 degrees.

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