Economic Development

NC DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE: Fintech Company Robinhood to create nearly 400 new jobs in Mecklenburg county
Robinhood Markets, Inc., a California-based financial services firm, will create nearly 400 jobs in Mecklenburg County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $11.7 million to establish an office in Charlotte focused on customer experience roles.

Education

WRAL: Bill to boost school vouchers moving in NC house
Legislation moving through the General Assembly would increase private school vouchers available to some families, tying the annual amount to what the state spends on the average public school student instead of having a hard cap.

NEWS AND OBSERVER: New required NC summer school program will address COVID learning loss for students
The “Summer Learning Choice for NC Families” bill requires school districts to offer students at least 150 hours or 30 days of summer in-person instruction, along with enrichment activities such as sports, music and arts. The program is geared toward at-risk students, but attendance is voluntary and is open to any student, space permitting.

Government

NEWS AND OBSERVER: NC Gov. Cooper signs three new orders. Here's what they'll do
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued three new executive orders on Tuesday that could offer relief for people who are unemployed or in danger of eviction, and for businesses that sell takeout alcohol.

Healthcare

WCNC: Everyone 16 & older in NC will be eligible for the COVID Vaccine this week
On Wednesday, April 7, every person 16 and older in North Carolina will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The state will move into Group 5 vaccinations as the final stage of the rollout plan. Mecklenburg County will be part of that rollout, with the health department opening new weekly appointments on Wednesdays starting at 8:30 a.m. 

NEWS AND OBSERVER: 100 NC lawmakers signed onto a health care bill. Then donors started calling
In North Carolina’s sharply divided legislature, where few pieces of high-profile legislation receive bipartisan support, lawmakers from both parties are backing a bill that, proponents say, would lower health care costs and remove a layer of bureaucracy.

Politics

NEWS AND OBSERVER: NC Republicans waning in fight against Medicaid expansion, Democrats say. What's changed? 
North Carolina Democrats say this could be the year Republican lawmakers agree to pass a Medicaid expansion — but under a different name. “I think that they call it “Close the Coverage Gap” and that’s fine,” said state Sen. Mike Woodard, a Durham Democrat. “We can give it whatever name we want, but for those 700,000 to 800,000 North Carolinians that fall into the coverage gap, they need to be covered.”

Transportation

WRAL: Raleigh-Richmond is one of the new Amtrak routes NC could add under Biden Plan
More direct train service between Raleigh and Richmond — and cities beyond. New passenger lines running to the North Carolina coast and to the state’s mountains. And a nationwide network of rail service connecting more cities.