Economy

Manufacturing – that broad industry sector that was once the pillar of the Triad economy – is slowly making a comeback. The jobs are different, and they aren't as plentiful. But more companies are finding reasons to make things in this region and not overseas.  

Apprenticeship programs have been in decline, but South Carolina is bucking the trend. Nearly 11,000 apprentices have been trained there since 2007 in fields ranging from manufacturing to nursing.

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has received another downgrade from a bond rating credit service.

A large write-off of uncollectable payments contributed to the lower grade.

GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is set to head the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It can be easier for her oil-reliant state to adapt to the changing climate rather than address its causes.

Consumers in the region are in for a shock this winter. Electricity rates there are set to jump as much as 50 percent for some customers as New England awaits the construction of more gas pipelines.

The U.S. is now the world's largest oil producer, and some worry that falling prices could mean an industry slowdown. But with production costs also falling, drillers are unlikely to cut back soon.

As oil prices dip, controversial and relatively expensive production methods, like oil sands and fracking, have become less profitable. Some drillers are already cutting back on plans for more wells.