The Triangle’s top stories: 6 stories from Wednesday to catch up on
From a $1.4 billion pharma investment in Durham to lobbyist indictments tied to the General Assembly, it was a busy news day in North Carolina.
Here are the top stories from The News & Observer on April 22, 2026.
Here are key takeaways:
• New investment & jobs: Pharma giant AbbVie plans to invest $1.4 billion in a new 185-acre Durham campus, promising 734 jobs with an average annual wage of $118,041. North Carolina awarded up to $19.35 million in state incentives, while Durham offered $24.8 million in local tax breaks.
Read the story: Pharma giant AbbVie picks Durham for $1.4 billion investment with hundreds of jobs
• Lobbyists indicted: A Wake County grand jury indicted four Raleigh lobbyists on misdemeanor charges for allegedly getting their clients to fund a 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Trail trip for NC lawmakers. An investigation into the trip’s nonprofit sponsor, Greater Carolina, is ongoing. Two of the four who responded to The News & Observer’s request for comment denied any wrongdoing.
Read the story: Four lobbyists indicted over Kentucky bourbon distillery trip for NC lawmakers
• The future of SAS: Cary-based SAS Institute is no longer insisting it will go public, instead pursuing “public readiness” to give 83-year-old CEO Jim Goodnight multiple succession options. Goodnight has promised an IPO multiple times since 2000 but never followed through.
Read the story: SAS walks back pledge to go public, creates space for Goodnight succession options
• Medicaid vote moves ahead: The NC House and Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill providing $319 million more for Medicaid, but the legislation also cuts coverage for some legal immigrants and requires referral of unverified applicants to the Department of Homeland Security.
Read the story: NC lawmakers vote for Medicaid deal. It goes beyond money to fraud and immigration.
Sports
• Duke basketball changes: Forward Isaiah Evans declared for the NBA Draft while guard Caleb Foster announced he’ll return for his senior season as Duke reshapes its roster after going 35-3.
Read the story: Duke basketball gets answers on next season from Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster
• A night of philanthropy: Former UNC quarterbacks Drake Maye and Sam Howell headlined a Carrboro fundraiser that raised a record $1.2 million in one night for TABLE, a nonprofit fighting childhood food insecurity in the Chapel Hill area. The event has now raised more than $2.7 million over five years.
Read the story: Why Drake Maye, Sam Howell helped raise more than $2 million for NC nonprofit
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.