As negotiations over a major deficit reduction package appear to be going nowhere over the weekend, federal and state officials, financial and corporate executives, and average investors and consumers suddenly face the very real threat of the first-ever default on U.S. debt, a possibility that once seemed unthinkable. more

Failure to raise the federal debt ceiling could cripple state and city capital projects across the country, including wiping out funding for building schools and roads, according to a report on Wednesday. more

Gov. Bev Perdue Monday signed into law model legislation that makes it easier for North Carolina military serving overseas to vote. Standing in front of dozens of National Guardsmen, Perdue said the legislation was part of North Carolina's efforts to become make the state military friendly.

First came the pay freezes and unpaid furloughs. Then came the higher contributions for health insurance. Now, in the most definitive sign yet that the era of generous compensation for public-sector employees is ending, workers in more than half the states face the prospect of paying more of their salary toward their pensions. more