Brandon Kingdollar
@kingdollar.bsky.social
Politics reporter for NC Newsline. Words in the Tampa Bay Times and The Harvard Crimson. “If you’re gonna hype it, hype it with the facts.”
📫 [email protected]
Fan of hiking, horror, the Chicago Bears (sigh), and my cat.
📫 [email protected]
Fan of hiking, horror, the Chicago Bears (sigh), and my cat.
Pinned
Hey folks! My name is Brandon Kingdollar and I’m a politics reporter for NC Newsline covering politics and government in the Tar Heel state.
Questions? Tips? You can email me at [email protected].
Questions? Tips? You can email me at [email protected].
A federal panel denied a request to halt the use of North Carolina’s new congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms on grounds that the new districts are racially discriminatory. The map will remain in place as the lawsuit continues.
Federal court allows Republican-led North Carolina redistricting plan to proceed • NC Newsline
North Carolina Republicans prevailed on a preliminary injunction that would have blocked a 2026 congressional map redrawn to favor the GOP.
ncnewsline.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:05 AM
A federal panel denied a request to halt the use of North Carolina’s new congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms on grounds that the new districts are racially discriminatory. The map will remain in place as the lawsuit continues.
More than 200 online stores who do business using e-commerce platform Shopify illegally sold electronic cigarettes or other tobacco products, circumventing age and safety requirements, AG Jeff Jackson and the attorneys general of 25 other states allege.
North Carolina AG calls on Shopify to take action against illegal online e-cigarette sales • NC Newsline
More than 200 online stores who do business using Shopify allegedly sold electronic cigarettes or other tobacco products illegally.
ncnewsline.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:26 PM
More than 200 online stores who do business using e-commerce platform Shopify illegally sold electronic cigarettes or other tobacco products, circumventing age and safety requirements, AG Jeff Jackson and the attorneys general of 25 other states allege.
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
As final exams approach at NC State, stress over studies has been overtaken for some by fear of the federal immigration crackdown in Raleigh. ncnewsline.com/2025/11/21/o... Story by @kingdollar.bsky.social #ncpol #NCSU #Raleigh
On NC State’s campus, hundreds of students protest as fears of ICE persist • NC Newsline
As final exams approach at N.C. State, stress over studies has been overtaken for some by fear of the federal immigration crackdown in Raleigh.
ncnewsline.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:58 PM
As final exams approach at NC State, stress over studies has been overtaken for some by fear of the federal immigration crackdown in Raleigh. ncnewsline.com/2025/11/21/o... Story by @kingdollar.bsky.social #ncpol #NCSU #Raleigh
The first thing Border Patrol agents asked 18-year-old Fernando Vazquez was “Where are you from?”
Read how a U.S. citizen in Cary was handcuffed and detained amid the immigration crackdown in North Carolina:
Read how a U.S. citizen in Cary was handcuffed and detained amid the immigration crackdown in North Carolina:
‘They basically just kidnapped me’: US citizen taken by Border Patrol in Cary • NC Newsline
As Border Patrol agents swept the Triangle area, a construction worker born in the U.S. was among those detained.
ncnewsline.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:18 PM
The first thing Border Patrol agents asked 18-year-old Fernando Vazquez was “Where are you from?”
Read how a U.S. citizen in Cary was handcuffed and detained amid the immigration crackdown in North Carolina:
Read how a U.S. citizen in Cary was handcuffed and detained amid the immigration crackdown in North Carolina:
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
Hundreds turned out in Durham and Raleigh Tuesday night to protest federal immigration actions critics say are indiscriminately targeting communities of color. Story by @lbonner.bsky.social and @galenb.bsky.social #nc #Raleigh #Durham
Protests, warnings across the Triangle as federal Border Patrol agents begin immigration crackdown • NC Newsline
NC residents protested as Border Patrol agents, spotted at businesses throughout the Triangle, began detaining people.
ncnewsline.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Hundreds turned out in Durham and Raleigh Tuesday night to protest federal immigration actions critics say are indiscriminately targeting communities of color. Story by @lbonner.bsky.social and @galenb.bsky.social #nc #Raleigh #Durham
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
BREAKING: Trump administration unveils plan to try to dismantle Department of Education ncnewsline.com/2025/11/18/r... By @statesnewsroom.com #ncpol #nced
BREAKING: Trump administration unveils plan to try to dismantle Department of Education • NC Newsline
President Donald Trump’s administration took major steps Tuesday in trying to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, announcing six total inter-agency agreements signed with other departments tha...
ncnewsline.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:14 PM
BREAKING: Trump administration unveils plan to try to dismantle Department of Education ncnewsline.com/2025/11/18/r... By @statesnewsroom.com #ncpol #nced
A small town of 4,000 in Johnston County will soon be home to the largest magnet factory in the world outside of China.
Read more about the new Vulcan Elements plant coming to Benson, NC:
Read more about the new Vulcan Elements plant coming to Benson, NC:
Stein announces $1B rare earth magnet plant in Johnston County • NC Newsline
The small town of Benson, North Carolina is about to become home to the largest magnet factory in the world outside of China. Gov. Josh Stein announced Tuesday that North Carolina-based defense contra...
ncnewsline.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:32 AM
A small town of 4,000 in Johnston County will soon be home to the largest magnet factory in the world outside of China.
Read more about the new Vulcan Elements plant coming to Benson, NC:
Read more about the new Vulcan Elements plant coming to Benson, NC:
As ICE raids target Charlotte and Raleigh, Gov. Josh Stein says the White House has told the state nothing about the ongoing immigration operations. #ncpol #ice #northcarolina
November 18, 2025 at 8:06 PM
As ICE raids target Charlotte and Raleigh, Gov. Josh Stein says the White House has told the state nothing about the ongoing immigration operations. #ncpol #ice #northcarolina
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
NC politicians have flocked to the hemp industry. This former governor is one of them. ncnewsline.com/2025/11/17/n... #ncpol #hemp @kingdollar.bsky.social
NC politicians have flocked to the hemp industry. This former governor is one of them. • NC Newsline
Set to be banned next year, recreational hemp products have attracted interest and investments from influential figures in both parties.
ncnewsline.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:10 PM
NC politicians have flocked to the hemp industry. This former governor is one of them. ncnewsline.com/2025/11/17/n... #ncpol #hemp @kingdollar.bsky.social
The North Carolina hemp industry has a surprising new face: former Gov. Bev Perdue, who in an ad for her son’s company says she takes the products herself.
NC politicians have flocked to the hemp industry. This former governor is one of them. • NC Newsline
Set to be banned next year, recreational hemp products have attracted interest and investments from influential figures in both parties.
ncnewsline.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:06 PM
The North Carolina hemp industry has a surprising new face: former Gov. Bev Perdue, who in an ad for her son’s company says she takes the products herself.
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
The hemp ban that was tucked into the stopgap funding agreement to end the federal government shutdown could have dramatic consequences for this growing industry. Newsline's @kingdollar.bsky.social spoke to hemp business owners in North Carolina who are now scrambling to respond. #NC #Hemp
‘We can’t really pivot’: North Carolina hemp stores, farms prepare to fight federal ban • NC Newsline
North Carolina hemp business owners and their counterparts across the U.S. are bracing for a 2026 ban and advocating to reverse it.
ncnewsline.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
The hemp ban that was tucked into the stopgap funding agreement to end the federal government shutdown could have dramatic consequences for this growing industry. Newsline's @kingdollar.bsky.social spoke to hemp business owners in North Carolina who are now scrambling to respond. #NC #Hemp
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
With a ban on most hemp-based cannabinoid products set to take effect in 2026, hemp business owners in North Carolina are scrambling to respond. ncnewsline.com/2025/11/14/w... Story by @kingdollar.bsky.social #ncpol #Hemp
‘We can’t really pivot’: North Carolina hemp stores, farms prepare to fight federal ban • NC Newsline
North Carolina hemp business owners and their counterparts across the U.S. are bracing for a 2026 ban and advocating to reverse it.
ncnewsline.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
With a ban on most hemp-based cannabinoid products set to take effect in 2026, hemp business owners in North Carolina are scrambling to respond. ncnewsline.com/2025/11/14/w... Story by @kingdollar.bsky.social #ncpol #Hemp
“We have a year to either figure it out or we have a year to just like, crush it and fight for the plant and hope that we can change this with legislation,” hemp farmer Dana Rider told me.
How NC hemp business owners are responding to the ban:
How NC hemp business owners are responding to the ban:
‘We can’t really pivot’: North Carolina hemp stores, farms prepare to fight federal ban • NC Newsline
North Carolina hemp business owners and their counterparts across the U.S. are bracing for a 2026 ban and advocating to reverse it.
ncnewsline.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:41 PM
“We have a year to either figure it out or we have a year to just like, crush it and fight for the plant and hope that we can change this with legislation,” hemp farmer Dana Rider told me.
How NC hemp business owners are responding to the ban:
How NC hemp business owners are responding to the ban:
North Carolina Democrats’ hopes for 2026 got a boost Tuesday after the Democratic party swept statewide races in Virginia, New Jersey and Georgia. But what do those wins really mean for the state’s midterm elections in 2026?
Do big 2025 wins for Democrats mean a blue wave in North Carolina? • NC Newsline
NC Democrats hope electoral successes in 2025 will lead to major victories in next year’s midterm elections. Political experts say it'll still be an uphill battle.
ncnewsline.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:14 AM
North Carolina Democrats’ hopes for 2026 got a boost Tuesday after the Democratic party swept statewide races in Virginia, New Jersey and Georgia. But what do those wins really mean for the state’s midterm elections in 2026?
The campaign to unionize Amazon has come to Durham, North Carolina, where organizers are launching efforts at four local facilities.
‘We didn’t lose, we learned’: Amazon union campaign expands to Durham • NC Newsline
The campaign to unionize Amazon has set its sights on Durham, with an organizing drive held outside the company’s RDU5 warehouse on Monday.
ncnewsline.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:10 PM
The campaign to unionize Amazon has come to Durham, North Carolina, where organizers are launching efforts at four local facilities.
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
Legal Aid of North Carolina is closing offices in Rocky Mount and Pembroke after losing access to funding from the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts program. ncnewsline.com/2025/10/30/r... Story by @kingdollar.bsky.social #ncpol
Rural NC legal aid offices close after General Assembly freezes public assistance fund over politics • NC Newsline
For 40 years, IOLTA has funded legal aid to low-income North Carolinians. That money is now halted over GOP accusations of progressive bias.
ncnewsline.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Legal Aid of North Carolina is closing offices in Rocky Mount and Pembroke after losing access to funding from the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts program. ncnewsline.com/2025/10/30/r... Story by @kingdollar.bsky.social #ncpol
Legal Aid of North Carolina is closing offices in Rocky Mount and Pembroke after the General Assembly froze the IOLTA program, a longstanding NC legal assistance fund that has operated without controversy for decades until now.
Rural NC legal aid offices close after General Assembly freezes public assistance fund over politics • NC Newsline
For 40 years, IOLTA has funded legal aid to low-income North Carolinians. That money is now halted over GOP accusations of progressive bias.
ncnewsline.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Legal Aid of North Carolina is closing offices in Rocky Mount and Pembroke after the General Assembly froze the IOLTA program, a longstanding NC legal assistance fund that has operated without controversy for decades until now.
North Carolina hospitals could lose $32 billion in funding over the next decade due to Medicaid cuts, according to a new report, with rural hospital closures and staffing shortages likely.
NC hospitals provided $7.4B in benefits last year, report says, but face risks from Medicaid cuts • NC Newsline
NC hospitals could lose $32 billion in funding over the next decade, a new report shows, with rural hospital closures and staffing shortages likely.
ncnewsline.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
North Carolina hospitals could lose $32 billion in funding over the next decade due to Medicaid cuts, according to a new report, with rural hospital closures and staffing shortages likely.
More than 200 Medicaid recipients and advocates called on lawmakers to act in Raleigh today, weeks into statewide rate cuts due to inadequate funding. “There are lives on the line.”
‘We need action’: Medicaid recipients and advocates call on lawmakers to provide funding • NC Newsline
More than 200 people gathered in Raleigh Tuesday to call for Medicaid funding before heading to the legislature to make their pitch to lawmakers.
ncnewsline.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:08 PM
More than 200 Medicaid recipients and advocates called on lawmakers to act in Raleigh today, weeks into statewide rate cuts due to inadequate funding. “There are lives on the line.”
Despite growing opposition to the Trump administration, only one North Carolina Republican in Congress, Rep. Chuck Edwards, has held an in-person town hall in 2025.
Now, their constituents are meeting without them.
Now, their constituents are meeting without them.
As Trump opposition grows, North Carolina Republicans duck town halls. Does it matter? • NC Newsline
Only one North Carolina Republican, Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), has held an in-person town hall with constituents in 2025.
ncnewsline.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Despite growing opposition to the Trump administration, only one North Carolina Republican in Congress, Rep. Chuck Edwards, has held an in-person town hall in 2025.
Now, their constituents are meeting without them.
Now, their constituents are meeting without them.
Thousands lined Capital Boulevard Saturday afternoon to protest Trump at Raleigh’s No Kings rally. For about three hours, you could hear a nonstop stream of cars honking in support.
Thousands gather for No Kings protest in Raleigh to condemn Trump • NC Newsline
From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, protesters lined both sides of Capital Boulevard voicing anger toward the Trump administration.
ncnewsline.com
October 18, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Thousands lined Capital Boulevard Saturday afternoon to protest Trump at Raleigh’s No Kings rally. For about three hours, you could hear a nonstop stream of cars honking in support.
Gary Lucido, a Texas transplant in North Carolina, said he voted Republican all his life before Trump came along. He said GOP descriptions of No Kings as a “Hate America” protest are a “bunch of crap.”
“We love America. We’re here because we want to preserve America,” Lucido said.
“We love America. We’re here because we want to preserve America,” Lucido said.
October 18, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Gary Lucido, a Texas transplant in North Carolina, said he voted Republican all his life before Trump came along. He said GOP descriptions of No Kings as a “Hate America” protest are a “bunch of crap.”
“We love America. We’re here because we want to preserve America,” Lucido said.
“We love America. We’re here because we want to preserve America,” Lucido said.
Donna and Larry Shipman came to No Kings in Raleigh to fight for their right to vote, with key Voting Rights Act protections under threat.
“We need to stand up and say, ‘No, you’re not going to take this away from us,’” said Donna Shipman. “The Supreme Court, they say racism is over. No, it’s not.”
“We need to stand up and say, ‘No, you’re not going to take this away from us,’” said Donna Shipman. “The Supreme Court, they say racism is over. No, it’s not.”
October 18, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Donna and Larry Shipman came to No Kings in Raleigh to fight for their right to vote, with key Voting Rights Act protections under threat.
“We need to stand up and say, ‘No, you’re not going to take this away from us,’” said Donna Shipman. “The Supreme Court, they say racism is over. No, it’s not.”
“We need to stand up and say, ‘No, you’re not going to take this away from us,’” said Donna Shipman. “The Supreme Court, they say racism is over. No, it’s not.”
The scene at No Kings in Raleigh, where protesters have been met with a near-constant stream of supportive honks for the last two hours.
October 18, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The scene at No Kings in Raleigh, where protesters have been met with a near-constant stream of supportive honks for the last two hours.
Reposted by Brandon Kingdollar
Wondering what's happening with No Kings protests across the country? Wonder no more: @statesnewsroom.com has live coverage from our 39 newsrooms. @tennesseelookout.com is covering home base.
October 18, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Wondering what's happening with No Kings protests across the country? Wonder no more: @statesnewsroom.com has live coverage from our 39 newsrooms. @tennesseelookout.com is covering home base.