Justin Laidlaw

BREAKING: Nida Allam has conceded the North Carolina 4th District congressional race to incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee. #ncpol

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee came out on top in the 4th Congressional District primary, with a less-than-1% lead over Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam. The race could be headed for a recount; candidates can demand one when the margin is smaller than 1% of total votes.

Stay locked into the INDY live blog as results start rolling in tonight.

Welcome to INDY’s 2026 Primary Live Blog INDY is bringing you election updates and results in Durham, Orange, and Wake counties for the 2026 N.C primaries.

We’re bringing you election updates and results in Durham, Orange, and Wake counties.

The Road to Victory in NC-04 Runs Through Western Wake County Rep. Valerie Foushee and challenger Nida Allam are working to win over 170,000 Wake voters added to the district since their 2022 matchup.

Rep. Valerie Foushee and challenger Nida Allam are working to win over 130,000 Wake voters added to the district since their 2022 matchup.

Back to the Future With North Carolina's Modernist Design Advocates North Carolina looms large in the history of modernist design. Today, dedicated local preservationists and architects keep the dream alive.

“You know,” Smart said, standing in his South Durham kitchen with a cup of coffee, “Star Trek is the world we want, and Star Wars is the world we have.”

obsessed with this horrifying, evocative landfill dispatch very @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social: “All the while, flocks of migratory birds whirl overhead, noshing on trash. Depending on the season you can spot rock pigeons, eagles, Canada geese, starlings, and turkey vultures.”

I spent the calendar in self-imposed exile // and reemerged cut from a different textile.

What’s Going On With Durham’s Zoning Code Rewrite? An update to Durham’s UDO is on pause after a convenience store operator threatened to sue, citing a zoning restriction in a hurricane relief bill.

"What's Going On With Durham's Zoning Code" is a headline we could have published just about every week for the past several years.

But these past few days have introduced all kinds of interesting wrinkles.

indyweek.com/news/durham-...

Get in line, @cityofdurhamnc.bsky.social.

The Morrow You Know Michele Morrow is betting the name recognition she earned in 2024 will help her win a U.S. Senate seat. But is all publicity good publicity?

Michele Morrow is betting that the name recognition she earned running for superintendent of public instruction will help her win a seat in the U.S. Senate. But is all publicity good publicity?

www.theassemblync.com/news/politic...

Preach! I listen to old BM eps all the time.

Words Without Consequence What does it mean to have speech without a speaker?

“An LLM’s words shape our beliefs, decisions, and actions, yet no speaker stands behind them.” Deb Roy on how AI might be training us to “accept words without ownership and meaning without accountability.”

A House District Divided Incumbent Valerie Foushee and challenger Nida Allam present starkly different approaches to politics. Could NC-4 be a bellwether for Democrats?

"If a candidate like Mamdani is going to ascend to Congress anywhere outside New York City in 2026, this would be one of the likeliest places—but it is far from a sure thing."

www.theassemblync.com/news/valerie...

These dudes think this is so clever.

Beyond the difference in harms that accompanies the age limits for booze and voting, there were 26,000+ arrests of minors for liquor law violations in 2019. It’s a relatively common crime.

There are functionally no arrests each year for in-person voter fraud.

N.C.-Based Nonprofit Sues Trump Administration Over Organ ‘Hunger Games’ The state’s largest organ procurement organization argues new rating system will lead to cutthroat competition and fewer lives saved.

Several organizations that coordinate organ procurement across the country argue new federal rules will throw the system into chaos.

Others say the rules are desperately needed.

@theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/news/health/...

A Social-Media Ban Really Could Do a Lot of Good Australia’s experiment is the first of its kind, but the evidence from alcohol, drug, and other bans is promising.

Australia’s social-media ban is the first of its kind—but evidence from drug and alcohol bans suggests it could work, Keith Humphreys and Jonathan Caulkins argue.

I think it might be the football causing the injuries

I heard murder ran this vast, deserted land // since back when Burning Man was Blacks in Birmingham.

It's not quite the most pressing issue at the moment, but the American people absolutely have a right to know the names of the federal officials who shot and killed a man peacefully protesting, who was on his knees, prone in the street when they shot him in the back.

Durham Committee and People's Alliance Release Candidate Endorsements The influential PACs' Durham endorsements overlap in exactly half of March’s 14 contested elections, but split on Court of Appeals and District Attorney Races.

The influential PACs’ endorsements overlap in exactly half of March’s 14 contested elections.

'A National Model': How One Program is Preparing Durham Youth for Life Sciences Careers Made in Durham's BULLS Life Sciences Academy and Durham Tech are building a pipeline to land Durham residents in the area's flourishing life sciences industry.

Across NC, the biotech sector has grown 38% since 2018, now home to more than 840 life sciences companies.

Durham leaders may have found a model for attracting young adults to that growing business sector.

My latest at @indyweek.bsky.social.
indyweek.com/news/a-natio...

Steph Curry on watching the protests from his hotel window: "In negative 10-degree weather. It was beautiful to see that turnout. That speaks to how important people felt to have their voice heard. In those elements and whatever streets outside our hotel, they were out, and it was amazing to watch."

Alt text: Screenshot of a long social media post by Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump). The post claims the United States has subsidized Denmark and European countries for decades and argues that Greenland is critical to U.S. and global security. It states that China and Russia want Greenland, criticizes Denmark’s ability to defend it, and asserts that only the U.S. can protect the territory. The post announces planned tariffs starting February 1, 2026—10% on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, rising to 25% on June 1, 2026—until a deal is reached for the complete purchase of Greenland. It ends with Trump signing as “President of the United States of America,” with engagement metrics and a timestamp of January 17, 2026.

Trump just placed a tariff on most of the EU of 10% that will increase to 25% in June unless they agree to sell him Greenland.

This is mad king shit.

Stephen Miller sees three women on TV at once and demands an entire franchise be handed over to a 94-year-old. (I thought the new show was fun, fwiw.)

Requiem for a Hoop Dream A writer remembers his late father through a shared love of basketball, from the scuffed courts of Durham YMCAs to the hallowed stands of the Dean Dome.

I'm confident the @ringernba.bsky.social family will enjoy this beautiful essay by my dear friend @sammyfeldblum.bsky.social about his late father's love for the game and what basketball can give us over a lifetime.

indyweek.com/news/culture...

Requiem for a Hoop Dream A writer remembers his late father through a shared love of basketball, from the scuffed courts of Durham YMCAs to the hallowed stands of the Dean Dome.

I'm confident the @ringernba.bsky.social family will enjoy this beautiful essay by my dear friend @sammyfeldblum.bsky.social about his late father's love for the game and what basketball can give us over a lifetime.

indyweek.com/news/culture...

You can start Asking Me Anything right now

@robmahoney.bsky.social the Steph Curry most important skill award is going to Steven “I get more offensive rebounds per 36 than most teams” Adams and it’s not close! Come on, Rob. @ringernba.bsky.social

A Beloved Durham Lesbian Nightlife Institution Turns Ten Last year, Arcana was designated by The Lesbian Bar Project as one of 36 official lesbian bars across the country. This month, it turns ten.

“It really matters that we’re on the [lesbian bar] list. It really kind of makes the whole state seem a little bit safer and queerer and is part of a contributing force that helps indicate Durham is definitely a little bit of a safe pocket.”