While S.C. officials play the blame game, rape kit testing remains slow
With limited state and local processing capacity, S.C. has long left thousands of rape kits on shelves untested. And while state officials continue to argue over who's to blame, the problem isn't getting much better.
Brack: A hope for the return of red lights
"Since the January inauguration of President Donald Trump, the nation has often felt like a place without red lights. It’s been go, go, go. But in government, like in traffic, if there aren’t a few red lights to help to order what’s happening in the course of human events, then people, agencies and a country run in different directions like mad headless chickens."
Audit faults SLED for slow rape kit progress, but agency leaders say they never had the power to fix it
An April legislative audit criticized the State Law Enforcement Division for not fixing the state's backlog in rape kit testing as directed by lawmakers in 2020, but SLED maintains it was never given the resources to address the problem.
HOLIDAYS: American Red Cross offers Thanksgiving cooking safety tips
According to S.C. Red Cross officials, holiday cooking is a major source of home fires, but these safety tips will keep Thanksgiving chefs and their families safe.
Health care businesses sponsor Marion County Turkey giveaway
S.C. poultry farmers say Thanksgiving business is good
Richland County leaders distribute Thanksgiving meals to those in need
S.C. Statehouse kicks off season with governor's Carolighting event
S.C. grocery stores cut holiday food prices amid ongoing inflation
S.C. Aquarium lights up holidays with 'Aquarium Aglow'
Christmas Tree Festival returns to Charleston's Boone Hall Farms Nov. 22
GUN VIOLENCE: 2 toddlers shot in Newberry County
According to the sheriff's department, deputies found two children, aged two and three, with single gunshot wounds to the hand and foot Sunday night.
Aiken Walmart shooter gets 20 year sentence
1 injured in Darlington County shooting
Spartanburg County deputies investigating shots fired during high school football game
1 dead, 1 injured in Richland County shooting
Man airlifted to Florence hospital after Sumter County shooting
McMaster touts low unemployment insurance costs for S.C. businesses
Gov. Henry McMaster is touting low 2026 unemployment insurance rates as evidence that the state's system works better than most, but critics say it's just the result of lower-than-average benefits.
S.C. WEEK IN REVIEW: Reducing S.C. child abuse could save billions, study says
Child abuse and neglect costs South Carolina more than $74 billion a year — or about $14,000 for every man, woman and child in the state, according to a new economic study from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business.
Senate panel rejects abortion ban plan + more
State seeks input on S.C. water plan
Graham blocks U.S. House bill to repeal law he wants to collect damages under
S.C. pushes for longer red snapper season
McMaster signs new trade pact with Germany
137 quarantined as Upstate measles outbreak continues to spread
Newly elected S.C. mayor under investigation by SLED
Former S.C. Rep. May faces new state tax charges
S.C. nonprofits help hurricane-ravaged Jamaica
NATION: Federal immigration raids reach into Charlotte's wealthiest neighborhoods
With immigrants laying low and armed federal officers sweeping the city, Charlotte's toniest country clubs, upscale shops and private homes are feeling the pinch of life without migrants.
N.C. Republicans fret over Trump immigration raids
Thousands of immigration detainees strain Memphis jails
Trump promises new health care proposal
Nursing home magnate got presidential pardon after paying conservative lobbyists nearly $1 million
As Trump's poll numbers fall, some GOP hardliners start to rebel
1960's radical, convicted felon H. Rap Brown dies in N.C. prison
Trump-Mamdani meeting roils MAGA world
Growing right-wing antisemitism divides GOP power players
FBI director facing scrutiny over travel, security expenses for girlfirend
WORLD: U.S., Ukraine claim progress in peace talks
U.S. and Ukrainian leaders say they're making real progress in talks about President Donald Trump's peace plan to end the war with Russia.
Trump slams Ukraine leaders, says they have 'zero gratitude'
British P.M. says former Prince Andrew should testify in Epstein probe
Pilots warned to exercise caution over Venezuela as tensions with Trump rise
Canada strengthens trade ties with China, India to offset Trump tariffs
Israeli military leaders face dismissal, discipline over Oct. 7 security failures
Euro leaders look to Denmark for lessons on migrant restrictions
New student housing development to rise near College of Charleston
The 335 bed development, slated for the 2027-'28 school year, is expected to include rooftop decks, a pool deck, fitness center, study areas and ground-floor retail.
Developer turning abandoned Charleston rail hub into 277 units of upscale housing
Local preservationists give the developer. Lifestyle Communities, high marks for the project's materials and design.
New report identifies threats to S.C. rivers and lakes
At least a dozen rivers and lakes in S.C. could effectively run dry over the next 45 years if industrial and agricultural water usage continues to rise, according to a new state report.
As feds look to limit wetlands protections, some S.C. communities are pushing back
As S.C. development continues at a breakneck pace, S.C. communities are passing local wetlands protection ordinances to compensate for recent Trump administration moves to weaken federal regulations.
Greenville County Council gives first reading to big tax abatement for unnamed investor
Dubbed "Project Spero," the economic development initiative is looking to lure a $2 billion-plus investment to the county. Two more readings are required before the abatement can become law.
Lowcountry Episcopal churches commend diversity as a Christian value
In response to "perilous times," three Charleston-area Episcopal churches have come together to celebrate the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Spartanburg deputy fired after racial posting
Spartanburg Sheriff Bill Rhyne said the deputy, whose name has not been released, posted what he described as "racially insensitive" comments on a social media platform Friday night.
Cogswell deal for new affordable housing property collapses
A key Charleston City Council committee walked away from an agreement to buy Charleston County's Morrison Drive properties when they decided the price was too high, complicating Mayor William Cogswell's as-yet-unfunded affordable housing plan for the city.
Hundreds gather in Charleston for 'Remove the Regime' rally
Organizers say the anti-Trump march, which ultimately moved forward, was almost suppressed due to the city's restrictive protest ordinance.
Activists in Charleston rally against Trump amid permit dispute
Charleston protesters part of national 'Remove the Regime' protest
FOOD: How women are shaping Charleston’s food and bev scene
Labor shortages and high turnover are making it hard for many restaurants in the Holy City to stay in business. But amid closures, several eateries with women at the helm are thriving.
Greenville restaurant hub to serve as incubator for new chefs
New sushi bar coming to Church Street in Charleston
Don’t white out SC’s 6th District unless you fix the whole system
"Normally, we wouldn’t pay any attention to a proposal by the head of the cantankerous House Freedom Caucus, particularly since the actual Republicans who lead the House have said there is less than zero chance that they'll even try to re-gerrymander congressional districts before the next census... But who knows anymore, given the tsunami of redistricting efforts sweeping the nation."
Hicks: The best holiday deal you’ll find this Friday isn’t under fluorescent lights
"South Carolina State Parks are offering an alternative to this week’s shop-til-you-drop bonanza, and it slyly appeals to that stirring bargain-hunter mentality. On Friday, every state park in South Carolina is offering free admission. Honestly, it doesn’t cost much to get into these beautiful places any day, but this is sure to attract people who simply haven’t thought of it, or are, well, cheap. Or believe they’re actually getting the best buy at some big box store. It’s genius, frankly."
Spain: Democrats voting in SC GOP primaries is surrender, not strategy
"The argument that South Carolina Democrats should vote in the GOP primary to pick the Republican 'who will do the least harm' sounds clever. Yet, it's a horrible idea, strategically, morally and mathematically, and it gives away the very power Democrats do have in this state when we turn out to vote. First, the argument is built on a false premise that Democrats are powerless here, that South Carolina is a 'one-party state' and Democrats don’t matter."
Scoppe: The race for the SC Supreme Court just got a lot more interesting
"Well now: It looks like we might have an interesting race for the S.C. Supreme Court after all. By interesting I mean 'can’t guess how it will turn out,' and until Monday, I had my doubts. With the Legislature already angry over Associate Justice John Few’s vote to strike down its initial six-week abortion ban (hold that thought) and over the entire court's decision to take $18,000 a year out of every legislator’s pocket, and with the very smart and popular former Speaker Jay Lucas running against the incumbent, I figured Mr. Lucas was a shoe-in."
Nyhan: The Boomers are protesting Trump. Where is Gen Z?
"While there has been pushback — most notably, the No Kings movement drew an estimated five million people to the streets in October — the scale of the protests is still not as large as one might expect, given the severity of the threat. During President Trump’s first term, millions of people protested when the situation was far less dire. One of the most notable and puzzling factors is the lack of young people."
Booker: What it takes to believe in America again
"I don’t want Donald Trump to be the main character in our narrative of where we are in America right now. Look, there are existential urgencies about him right now and what he’s doing to hurt people. But I think we make a big mistake if we center him as the main character in the narrative."
Bruni: The absurd asymmetries that prop up President Trump
"While President Trump certainly has supporters who adore him and feel no need to justify that, he survives — and too often prospers — with the crucial help of voters who basically regard him as the lesser of evils... But those claims insist on a symmetry that doesn’t exist. They’re equivalences not merely false but fantastical. They ignore the severity, the prevalence, the consequences of the misconduct in question."
Carville: How about a sweeping, aggressive, nnvarnished platform of pure economic rage
"President Trump has done nothing to curb the cost of what it requires to take even a breath in America today, the centerpiece promise of his 2024 campaign. The people are revolting, and they have been for some time. This offers Democrats the greatest gift you can have in American politics: a second chance."
Americans want order, not overreach
"White House border czar Tom Homan revealed last week he is planning a widespread dragnet across the Big Apple “in the near future,” in addition to enforcement sweeps already happening. The administration sees this as the obvious next step in its pressure campaign against “sanctuary” policies in blue cities and states. But these actions are not without cost. In fact, the administration’s mass deportation campaign is already backfiring."
Boot: Ukraine needs Russia’s frozen $200 billion immediately, Europe
"Russia’s barbaric assault on Ukraine continues: A single Russian drone and missile strike on an apartment block in western Ukraine last week killed at least 31 civilians. Meanwhile, Russia is ramping up its campaign of sabotage in Europe: Polish authorities blamed the Kremlin for a Nov. 15 explosion on a rail line used to transport supplies to Ukraine. As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said recently, Europe “is not at war” but it is also “no longer at peace” with Russia."
Ignatius: Zelensky may never have faced a more agonizing choice
"The Trump administration’s new push for a peace deal in Ukraine accelerates Sunday as U.S. envoys travel to Geneva to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite widespread skepticism, officials say the talks will be a flexible negotiation, not a directive to Kyiv."
McArdle: The signs of educational decline are now impossible to ignore
"The results of this thinking can be seen in a recent report from the University of California at San Diego, which like the rest of the UC system stopped accepting standardized test scores in 2020. In 2024 the school had to redesign its remedial math program to create a class that focused entirely on remediating elementary school and middle school math. In 2025, more than 8 percent of entering students needed that class."