Compared to pre-pandemic prices, ground beef is up 35%, chips are up 45%, bread is up 57% and a 12-ounce can of soda is up 66%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks trends on common grocery store items.

WRAL Investigates: 'Greedflation' and other drivers behind inflation at the grocery store

A look at inflation at the grocery store

Stores that sell electronics, like Best Buy and Staples, offer convenient and accessible solutions for North Carolina residents looking to responsibly dispose of their electronics.

How to recycle your old electronics: A guide for North Carolina households

Old electronics 

Democrats' plans to take Jesse Helms' old Senate seat, but state Sen. Kay Hagan and Sen. Elizabeth Dole were tied after the primary. Although Dole struck back, gaining ground on immigration and off-shore drilling, the economy and presidential race favored Democrats. Dole did herself no favors with an ad questioning Hagan's ties to an atheist-advocate group – and Hagan’s Christian faith, critics said. On Election Day, Hagan beat Dole.

Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan beat first-term U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole in a nasty U.S. Senate race in which the Republican incumbent questioned Hagan's faith and ties to an atheist advocacy group. Hagan's win gave Democrats the Senate seat that had been in Republican hands for 36 years, since Sen. Jesse Helms won his first election in 1972.

Dole-Hagan Senate race