open
Hatteras Island open to visitors; NC 12 open at Pea Island; Frisco and Cape Point campgrounds openDare County, North CarolinaSince 4 p.m. Oct 29; expect slow traffic and storm debrischecked Oct 30
Weather & climate
Dare County lifted the visitor evacuation Thursday as NC 12 reopened at Pea Island, a day ahead of the state's target. Frisco and Cape Point campgrounds and most beach ramps are open.
By News Unc
Hatteras Island is open to visitors again. Dare County lifted its visitor evacuation order on Thursday, October 29, as N.C. 12 reopened near the Pea Island Visitor Center, a day ahead of the transportation department's Friday target, ending a closure that began with overwash on October 22. Visitors can again drive N.C. 12 across Pea Island and use the Ocracoke-Hatteras ferries, WRAL reports, though traffic remains slow through the repaired section.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore reopened its Frisco and Cape Point campgrounds at 4 p.m. Thursday, and most off-road vehicle ramps are open again, the park said; current ramp status is at go.nps.gov/beachaccess. The park asks visitors to use caution on Rodanthe beaches, where several oceanfront houses are still threatened and storm debris may be on the beach and in the water.
The road is still fragile. The state has said a permanent two-lane repair is weeks away and is planning to move about a mile of the highway away from the surf; check DriveNC.gov and the county before you go, especially around high tide.
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Economy & business
Third-quarter growth sped up, while the Fed's favorite inflation gauge rose to 3.6 percent and income after taxes and inflation fell in September.
By News Unc
The U.S. economy grew at a 3.4 percent annual rate in the third quarter, up from 2.2 percent in the spring, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said October 29 in its first estimate. Investment, consumer spending and government spending all rose, partly offset by lower exports.
The same day, the bureau said its personal consumption expenditures price index, the inflation measure the Federal Reserve targets, was 3.6 percent higher in September than a year earlier, and 3.1 percent excluding food and energy, after rising 0.5 percent in the month alone. Personal income rose 0.2 percent in September, but disposable income adjusted for inflation fell 0.3 percent, and the saving rate was 3.8 percent.
What it means for you: strong growth with inflation running well above the Fed's 2 percent goal is the backdrop for this week's Fed decision, where two officials wanted to raise rates. It makes near-term rate cuts unlikely, which keeps card and loan rates high, while savers can still find yields well above zero. If your raise this year was smaller than about 3.5 percent, your pay has likely lost ground to prices. These are first estimates and will be revised.
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notice
ACA marketplace open enrollment for 2027 coverageNationwideOpens Nov 1; enroll by Dec 15 for Jan 1 coveragechecked Oct 30
Health
To be covered on January 1, pick a plan by December 15 on HealthCare.gov. Whether you can still enroll into January depends on your state, and reports differ, so don't wait.
By News Unc
Open enrollment for 2027 health coverage through HealthCare.gov and state marketplaces begins Sunday, November 1. If you buy your own insurance, plan to pick a plan by December 15: that is the deadline for coverage starting January 1 on HealthCare.gov.
Whether the window stays open past December 15 is less clear than usual. A 2025 federal rule set a shorter enrollment period for 2027 coverage, ending no later than December 31, and several insurance sites list December 15 as the final deadline in HealthCare.gov states; others say a court blocked that change and that HealthCare.gov will again run through January 15. Check the official deadline for your state at HealthCare.gov or your state's marketplace, and treat December 15 as your target either way.
Before you renew automatically, compare: premiums and plans change every year, and prices for 2027 are expected to rise. Update your income estimate, since your premium tax credit depends on it, and check that your doctors and prescriptions are still covered. Free help is available from certified navigators through HealthCare.gov, and Medicare's separate open enrollment runs through December 7.
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