WakeMed malpractice verdict, timeline for NC employee raises: Wednesday's top stories
North Carolina headlines on Wednesday spanned a major medical malpractice verdict, shifting school policies and big changes for state employees.
Here’s a roundup of the top stories from The News & Observer on July 15, 2026.
$18.2 million malpractice verdict: A Wake County jury awarded $18.2 million to a 6-year-old boy and his mother after finding a WakeMed doctor negligent during his 2019 birth, which left him with permanent nerve damage. A judge, however, will have the final say on the amount WakeMed will have to pay.
It will likely be reduced significantly, under a state law that caps the amount of some medical malpractice payouts. WakeMed spokesperson Kristen Kelly said WakeMed “is committed to providing a safe environment for patients to receive care and for future generations of health care providers to learn.”
LGBTQ+ protections removed: The Johnston County school board voted 5-2 Tuesday night to strip explicit references to sexual orientation and gender identity from its anti-bullying and equal employment policies. The district replaced the specific categories with a hyperlink to a state bullying statute.
St. Augustine’s launches online programs: The Raleigh HBCU is launching eight fully online certificate programs and selling merchandise on Amazon to generate income against $74 million in debt. The school has lost its accreditation and is bankrupt.
Teacher and state employee raises coming: Teachers will receive an average 8% raise, with starting pay jumping from $41,000 to $48,000, while most state employees get 3% raises. State employees will see the increases in their August paychecks, retroactive to July 1.
State Health Plan picks Duke over WakeMed: The State Health Plan Board of Trustees designated UNC Health and Novant Health as preferred providers and named Duke Health as the Triangle’s access-tier provider, leaving most WakeMed services non-preferred. WakeMed called the decision “extremely damaging.”
Midtown expansion displaces affordable housing: Kane Realty is advancing a 28-acre luxury expansion on the eastern edge of North Hills that will bring more than 1,200 new homes, towers and retail. The project displaces The Pointe at Midtown, a 365-unit affordable complex where rents ranged from the low $900s to mid-$1,500s.
For more on the situation:
- Raleigh Midtown’s affordable housing is quietly erased as luxury plans advance
- What Raleigh’s Midtown boom means for the immigrant enclave tucked behind it
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.