North Carolina
NC Democratic lawmakers file new version of maternal health care bill
A state senator hopes that the third time is the charm for a bill aimed at improving maternal care for North Carolina mothers.
Sen. Natalie Murdock, NC-Chatham, along with her Democratic colleagues in the NC House, filed Senate Bill 571/House Bill 725, known as the MOMnibus Act.
The bill, if passed, would establish grants for community-based organizations, provide implicit bias training for maternal care professionals, fund lactation consultant training programs at historically Black colleges, establish a perinatal education grant program and create the “Mom-nibus” initiative, which seeks to bring care to mothers and babies in areas without access care access.
Charity Watkins, an assistant professor of social work at North Carolina Central University, and Gabriel Scott, an MPA with the North Carolina State Coalition of the National Council of Negro Women, both said they experienced the issues many other women of color could face if the bill is not passed.
“I’m highly educated [and] I am able to advocate for myself,” Watkins said. “Yet, I was dismissed, and my symptoms could have easily resulted in me losing my life.”
“I was telling the nurses and the staff, ‘Hey, I’m in full-blown labor. I need some medication, please, for pain management,’ I actually was ignored,” Scott said.
Murdock said one goal of the bill is to make situations like Watkins and Scott’s far less common.
“The data shows us Black women continue to be three to four times more likely to die from childbirth, even with education,” Murdock said.
This is the fourth time Murdock has introduced the MOMnibus. She first sponsored the bill as SB 632/HB 507 in 2021, HB 552/SB 467 in 2023 and SB 838 in 2024.
Dr. Michelle Benoit-Wilson, an OBGYN in the state, said the MOMnibus bill is exactly the kind of legislation the state needs.
“We need to stop using politics as a bouncing ball, as opposed to recognizing the core problem, which is that women are dying, and they shouldn’t be,” Benoit-Wilson said.
The current version has no Republican sponsors, who control both chambers of the state legislature. In all previous iterations, the bill didn’t make it out of the committee in either chamber.
The latest bill is unlikely to pass during the 2025 legislative session, but NC Rep. Julie von Haefen, D-Wake, said getting the messaging out is just as important.
“Even if we can’t get the bill passed in the General Assembly right now, we need to build the momentum so that when we finally are in a position to get some of these things passed, we have the advocates,” von Haefen said.
WRAL New on Friday reached out to State Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall, both Republicans, for comment on the bill and are waiting to hear back.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
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Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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