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Ronni Butts is a reporter based in North Carolina. This summer, Ronni covered legislation, midterm campaigns, immigration and healthcare as a politics intern at The Raleigh News & Observer. She is also a member of The New York Times Corps mentorship program.

Ronni is a rising senior at North Carolina Central University who aspires to be a White House correspondent. In 2025, Ronni covered politics and metro news at The N&O and served as a co-editor-in-chief at the Campus Echo, NCCU's student newspaper in the 2025-2026 academic year. She is also an alumna of the 2025 Politico Summer Journalism Institute. 

Ronni will graduate in May 2027 and is searching for full-time roles and fellowship opportunities. 

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About Me

Articles

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Resume

 Photo by Cytonn Photography on Pexels

Multimedia

Recent Work

Raleigh News & Observer •

NC sues Trump administration over Medicaid eligibility changes

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is suing the Trump administration over changes to work requirement exemptions for medically frail individuals, which he contends could jeopardize the coverage of tens of thousands of North Carolinians with severe illnesses.

Jackson, a Democrat, and the other officials bringing the lawsuit allege that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, and the federal Department of Health and Human Services violated congressionally passed protecti...
Raleigh News & Observer •

NC GOP bans sex offenders from holding party office in new committee report

The North Carolina Republican Party recently added an eligibility requirement that bars those convicted of sexual abuse, violent felonies or child abuse from holding party office. Advocates for the new clause say adding the clause took years of convincing, despite calls on leadership to make changes.

The decision, which was finalized at the party’s state convention in mid-June, comes just months after long-time GOP leader and donor Harvey West, who was convicted of several sex offenses in 2000,...
Raleigh News & Observer •

More than 250,000 in NC may lose Medicaid coverage under new work requirements

North Carolina has just six months to implement new Medicaid eligibility requirements after receiving final guidance this month. Implementing new federal work requirements and strict state mandates will be costly for the state and could lead to thousands losing health coverage.

More than 3 million North Carolinians rely on Medicaid. But according to Melanie Bush, deputy secretary for North Carolina Medicaid, an upwards of 255,000 of them who access Medicaid through expansion could lose health c...
Raleigh News & Observer •

Understaffing, DOGE cuts at NC’s federal wildlife lands stretch workers thin

Monitoring thousands of tundra swans, snow geese and other waterfowl that flock to Eastern North Carolina is among Wendy Stanton’s fondest memories of working at the state’s wildlife refuges. Conserving federal lands and maintaining endangered and at-risk animal populations was more than work, she said. It was a way of living.

In the two years since Stanton retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wildlife and habitat conservation efforts across more than 400,000 acres in the state have...
Raleigh News & Observer •

Corporate landlords get tax break meant for nonprofits. NC delays closing loophole

Lawmakers in North Carolina agree that a state property tax loophole is costing local governments millions in tax revenue loss, but the legislature has yet to close it. Two state House members say that lobbying of the state Senate has contributed to the holdup.

The tax break is called the “Blue Ridge Housing” loophole, which allows for-profit businesses to avoid paying property taxes by sharing ownership of a property with a nonprofit. In North Carolina, nonprofit organizations are exempt from...
Raleigh News & Observer •

Top Republican wants NC Democrats ‘disciplined’ after explicit language in video

A top leader in the Republican-controlled state House is calling for two Democratic lawmakers to be punished for appearing in a video with profanity that describes frustration with Republicans and the state’s delayed budget.

House Majority Leader Brenden Jones shared a statement on Thursday morning that asks House Democratic Leader Robert Reives to “discipline” any member of the House Democratic Caucus involved in creating the video. He also asks Reives to investigate any Democratic staff membe...
Raleigh News & Observer •

NC Democrat Don Davis launches campaign in newly gerrymandered congressional district

Rep. Don Davis, a candidate in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, officially launched his campaign in the state’s most competitive district Saturday in Rocky Mount. Davis said he’s fighting to ensure that Eastern North Carolina does not get left behind.

The Snow Hill Democrat said he’s advocating for the often-overlooked needs of Eastern North Carolinians, including more money for education, protections for farmers, improved healthcare and support for seniors.

“… Within [North Caroli...
Raleigh News & Observer •

NC Democrats divided over resolution that accuses Israel of genocide

A draft resolution that calls Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide” has sown division in the North Carolina Democratic Party, especially among some of its Jewish members, proving that disagreements over Israel continue to be a point of contention for the party.

The resolution, obtained by The News & Observer from the party’s Jewish Caucus, also calls for the prosecution in the United States of individuals and entities involved in genocide, regardless of citizenship status, in alignment with a 200...

Watch Me Moderate Durham's Mayoral Debate!

In October 2025, I moderated Durham's only mayoral debate in more than 10 years. The debate, between Mayor Leonardo Williams and Anjanée Bell, was held at North Carolina Central University.

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