This story is published through our partnership with NOTUS.

When the Department of Government Efficiency started slashing federal grants, North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District was the hardest hit in the country.

The solidly Democratic district in the Raleigh-Durham area is home to two tier-one research universities, 11,000 federal workers, and the largest research park in the country. As of May 2025, when Elon Musk left DOGE, the district had lost 186 federal grants, according to a tracker from the Center for American Progress.

The area is still reeling from the millions in lost federal funds. And those impacted said the cuts could play a role in the midterms, especially with the state home to one of the most closely watched Senate races of 2026.

“If you care about North Carolina as a purple state and as a state that could swing presidential elections, the House makeup, and the Senate makeup, these conversations that we’re having about the people who have lost their jobs are going to be economic stories,” said Brianna Clarke-Schwelm, executive director of the North Carolina Global Health Alliance. “Next year, people aren’t necessarily going to be talking about was it USAID or was it some other federal institution. They’re going to be talking about how many people don’t have jobs.”

Democrats in Virginia specifically cited the chaos surrounding DOGE cuts as one reason they did so well in November, as did labor unions who told NOTUS they saw increased engagement during the off-year election cycle.

It’s unlikely that DOGE cuts in North Carolina will be as salient an issue as they were in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, but they may be another reason voters are growing dissatisfied with Trump, said Thomas Mills, a former Democratic political consultant and election watcher in the state.

“You’re going to have motivated Democrats who are the people that are getting impacted by these—they are going to come out,” Mills said. “The biggest single driver of Democratic turnout is going to be Donald Trump and his policies.”

Rep. Valerie Foushee, who represents North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, said she doesn’t think the administration’s claim, that is rooting out waste and fraud, will land well in her district.

“You’re solving a problem that doesn’t exist, and in so doing, you’re creating a bigger problem by way of taking away people’s jobs, taking away people’s livelihoods and destroying local economies, even as you are destroying the national economy,” she told NOTUS.

RTI International, an independent scientific research institute in the Research Triangle Park, bore the brunt of the cuts, according to a report by Harris Search Associates, a consultancy for the higher education and research sectors. The firm’s report found that DOGE cuts cost RTI about $1 billion and forced the company to lay off one-third of its workforce.

Most of the grants stripped from RTI International came from the now-dismantled United States Agency for International Development. Others came from NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health.

“RTI is proud to partner with the current Administration in scientific and technical areas that are aligned with our mission,” Tim J. Gabel, president and CEO at RTI International, told NOTUS in an emailed statement.

He said that RTI is actively changing its business.

“This means expanding beyond our traditional federal portfolio into high-growth commercial sectors such as health, energy, and food/agriculture,” Gabel said.

The administration’s decision to shutter USAID had direct impacts in the battleground state.

North Carolina is the fourth-highest recipient of USAID awards, according to the NC Global Health Alliance. The state received 153 active awards across 15 organizations from the agency. Nine of those went to the 4th District. Since January, North Carolina institutions have lost $3 billion in future USAID-funded awards.

“That was a massive hit to our institutions. We have major implementing partners here that employed thousands of people and impacted millions of lives around the world,” said Clarke-Schwelm.

FHI 360, a global health nonprofit in the Research Triangle Park, lost about half its revenue and laid off more than a quarter of its workforce, including 144 workers in North Carolina, after Trump dismantled USAID.

The alliance estimates that at least 625 North Carolinians lost their jobs due to the cuts.

Leonardo Williams, the Democratic mayor of Durham, called DOGE cuts a “self-inflicted wound.” He said that he’s never seen more middle-class people apply for unemployment.

“They’re basically not only dismantling some of these companies, they’re dismantling households. That’s what I see at the ground level in District 4,” he said. “I see less people shopping at the grocery stores. I see less people opting in to have their child at daycare. I see more daycares closing.”

He said voters in Durham and District 4 will consider Trump’s push to downsize government and promote fiscal responsibility, led by billionaire Elon Musk, to be “out of touch.”

“I think people are going to remember that in the midterms. I’m damn going to do my part to make sure they know about it,” Williams said.

The campaign arm for Senate Republicans, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, did not respond to a request for comment.

Universities also suffered cuts to their operations. University of North Carolina atChapel Hill has lost $38.4 million in federal grants since Trump took office, reported The Daily Tar Heel. Most of those awards came from the National Institutes of Health. At Duke University, the federal government terminated or froze more than $135 million in grants.

Mills said that Republicans may struggle to convince voters that blocking money from flowing into the state and downsizing the federal workforce will benefit them.

“A lot of this new populist Republican base is going to be motivated by things that the government can do for them, and that’s not historically where Republicans have been,” Mills said. “It makes it difficult to say, ‘We cut the size of the government, and somehow it benefited you.’”

Christa Dutton is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.

ARDEN, N.C. (WLOS) — Nonprofits are providing food to hundreds of veterans in need.

To tackle food insecurity, a Charlotte-based organization partnered with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry.

The Independence Fund said it hosts feedings in Charlotte regularly, and after seeing an unprecedented level of need there, the group decided to expand operations to western North Carolina.

VETERANS HONORED AT ‘RED, WHITE, AND BURNSVILLE’ EVENT

On Wednesday, Nov. 19, they met at ABCCM’ Arden location to offer more than 300 meal boxes to veterans.

Essential household supplies, along with hams or turkeys, were available just in time for Thanksgiving.

Roman’s Deli and Catering was also on-site, providing each veteran with a fresh, warm meal.

Veteran Tim Branch drove from Black Mountain and said this is a great help after the impact of the government shutdown.

“It makes a big difference because we’re on a fixed income,” Branch said.

NOV. 19, 2025 -{ }Essential household supplies, along with hams or turkeys, were available just in time for Thanksgiving. (Photo: WLOS Staff)

Heidi Selbe with the Independence Fund said they serve the Warfighter Community and host Feeding Independence events nationwide, and didn’t want to leave western North Carolina out.

“We were seeing an increased need with the government shutdown and, of course, western North Carolina already suffering from hurricane Helene, our veterans, we felt like we were seeing an increased need for support, and so we wanted to provide this for them,” Selbe said.

VETERANS DAY HIGHLIGHTS THE PLIGHT OF OVER 35,000 HOMELESS VETERANS IN THE US

This was also an opportunity for veterans to get connected with ABCCM case managers and other long-term support.

“We have a housing program, we have an employment program, we do suicide prevention, and we have outreach teams that are engaging with those individuals,” said Jessica Rice, the managing director for veteran services of the Carolinas at ABCCM.

Anyone who missed the event can reach out to the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry for assistance by visiting here.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – The recent government shutdown highlighted a continuing battle over healthcare, specifically the extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.

The outcome of this debate in Washington could significantly impact how much North Carolinians pay for their health insurance.

For 67-year-old Gerry Fiesler and his 62-year-old wife, Kelly, healthcare is essential. Gerry Fiesler is on Medicare, but Kelly Fiesler, who has an autoimmune disease and Crohn’s disease, relies on the ACA Marketplace.

Thanks to expanded federal subsidies, they currently pay just $60 a month for Kelly Fiesler’s coverage. However, if these subsidies expire, their bill could jump to over $450 – a 750% increase.

“It’s a good program. It really is. The insurance is good. It was affordable,” Kelly Fiesler said. “I think because of the income I reported was a little more they put us in a tier. I think the deductibles are higher a lot of changes. I haven’t even approved the plan yet for 100%.”

Facing rising costs for food, gas, and other necessities, the Fieseler’s have made the difficult decision to sell their retirement home of eight years.

“We have to do that, it’s the only way we may survive this. It’s about survival. I don’t know how long it’s going to last with us with the money and all. I may have to go back to work,” Gerry Fiesler said.

The number of North Carolinians insured through the ACA Marketplace has doubled since before the pandemic, from 500,000 to nearly 1 million, largely due to the affordability subsidies provided.

Nicholas Riggs, Director of the NC Navigator Consortium, warns of the consequences if subsidies are not extended.

“Without the enhanced subsidies, people are seeing their premiums jump two to three times what they are right now,” Riggs said “And not only that, but for individuals who are above 400% of the federal poverty level, they will have to pay full price for marketplace plans if the enhanced subsidies aren’t extended.”

Who currently qualifies for enhanced subsidies?

• Individuals making up to $62,000
• Couples making up to $84,000
• Families of four making up to $128,000

If subsidies expire, the previous rules will return, potentially eliminating eligibility for many middle-income households, including those who are too young for Medicare and do not qualify for Medicaid, yet cannot afford to go without medical care.

“The American dream is slowly getting out of reach for most people, I think,” Gerry Fieseler said.

Riggs advised against panic, stating that even if enhanced subsidies expire, other subsidies and marketplace plans will still be available.

“There are four different categories of plans. There’s bronze, which covers 60% of out-of-pocket costs, silver, which roughly covers 70% of out-of-pocket costs, gold, 80%, and platinum, 90%. So we always want to make sure that folks do know that there are health coverage options available in the marketplace, regardless of what’s going to happen with the subsidies,” Riggs said. “And it is much better to protect yourself against a health emergency and have coverage, even if it’s a bronze plan, than to go without coverage at all. So explore your options.”

The decision by Congress will determine whether hundreds of thousands in North Carolina maintain their health coverage. Navigators recommend checking options early and not panicking.

Copyright 2025 WBTV. All rights reserved.