The UNC System could officially define academic freedom across North Carolina’s public universities. A Board of Governors committee plans to vote on the policy at the end of February. Some professors, however, are concerned about whether it will restrict their research and teaching abilities. Published by Carolina Connection on Feb. 13, 2026.
Raleigh is now prioritizing mental health in its emergency response tactics. The initiative is part of the Raleigh CARES program, which is designed to offer a more compassionate and comprehensive approach to policing- and bring resources to members of the local community. Published by Carolina Connection on Feb. 6, 2026.
UNC Health no longer provides gender affirming care to people under 19. That new policy exceeds state law, which only bans treatments for minors under 18. Now, doctors at the Triangle’s largest health care system are working to connect their patients with outside care. Published by Carolina Connection on Jan. 30, 2026.
The UNC leaders have abruptly reversed a controversial new policy that angered many faculty members. The policy – enacted earlier this month – allowed administrators to record classes without instructor knowledge. The policy said recordings are allowed for any lawful purpose, but specifically mentioned investigations. After backlash from faculty, Chancellor Lee Roberts announced late Friday afternoon that UNC is reversing the policy. Before Roberts’ announcement, many faculty members were vocal in their opposition to being recorded. Published by Carolina Connection on Feb. 27, 2026.
Releasing throughout the 2025-2026 school year, the Better Than Good series is hosted by Keith Hawkins – an inspirational speaker who grew up in a struggling family from a tough part of Los Angeles. Featuring various student perspectives, these videos will focus on the greatness bottled up inside us and the opportunities that life offers. Published by Jostens Renaissance Education in 2025. View all episodes in the series here.
For this series, I conducted nine 60-Minutes-style video interviews with “Better than Good” host Keith Hawkins, which introduced each episode topic.
Host Gian Paul Gonzalez shares lessons he’s learned from his personal journey working with his students as a ninth-grade world history teacher, professional athletes and inmates serving sentences in correctional facilities. Episodes of All In feature the authentic perspectives of students, captured by students. Published by Jostens Renaissance Education in 2024. View all episodes from the series here.
For this series, I conducted and filmed in-depth student interviews at an Austin, Texas high school. I also culled through the raw footage and selected clips for each episode. This series was inspired by test footage that I created, which received Jostens’ highest Dialsmith Market Research ratings to date.
For months, Houston’s World Cup host committee has been promoting the so-called Green Corridor, which includes a seven-mile hike-and-bike trail that connects the official FIFA Fan Festival, in East Downtown, to NRG Stadium, the venue for the city’s seven soccer matches.
Writer Michael Hardy took this as a challenge, and walked it so you don’t have to. Published on the Texas Monthly Instagram account @texasmonthly on July 3, 2026.
The Texas Book Club just finished its July read, @amandaeyreward‘s latest novel ‘Arrivals and Departures.’ Here, Ward visited the Texas Monthly office and poked around our archival closet to pick a few of her favorite issues during last year’s @texasbookfest. She has a simple request for future writing assignments: no more RVs, please. Published on the Texas Monthly Instagram account @texasmonthly on Aug. 4, 2026.
