Will Michaels

Duke and N.C. State Universities are among eight schools in the country now providing scholarships for British students to study engineering in the US.

North Carolina is among 39 states to reach a settlement with Google over privacy concerns about the company's Street View feature.

Google used cars equipped with cameras and antennas to capture street level photos across the country from 2008 to 2010.  Authorities say the vehicles gathered personal information over open wi-fi networks during that time. 

"In broad terms, it might include URLs of web pages and possibly partial or complete email communications,"  says Kevin Anderson, head of the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice.

Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) says she's co-sponsoring a bill that would prohibit colleges from using federal grants for their advertising budgets. 

Sen. Hagan and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) presented the proposal Tuesday.  They say higher education institutes need more financial oversight to ensure responsible spending.  Sen. Hagan said the measure will prevent for-profit colleges in particular from recruiting people who might end up deep in debt.

"Use your taxpayer dollars on education, improving education outcomes for students," Hagan said.

  North Carolina's US senators have re-introduced a bill that would allow off-road vehicles more access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  Republican Senator Richard Burr and Democratic Senator Kay Hagan filed a proposal last week to reinstate rules that open most of the seashore to four-by-fours without a permit.  Senator Hagan says the bill represents a compromise between protecting the national park and supporting local businesses that run tours of the beach.  

North Carolina is among 33 states that face penalties for not complying with federal regulations designed to crack down on drunken drivers. 

The North Carolina DOT starts a series of public meetings Monday to get feedback about its plans for Highway 12 and new ferry tolls on the Outer Banks. 

The DOT said Monday it would add one departure time to the ferry from Swan Quarter to Ocracoke Island as more over-wash covers Highway 12.  The route faces intermittent closures after last week's winter storm flooded the highway.

Researchers at N.C. State say playing video games might have positive psychological effects later in life.  A report released this week says a study of people who were 63 or older found those who play video or computer games at least occasionally reported more positive emotions in a mental health survey than those who don't.

"There's a whole gaming industry that's focused on the 12-year-old to 21-year-old demographic," says Dr. Jason Allaire, lead author of the study.

Customers of Cary's public water utility can now monitor how many gallons they use on an hourly basis.  The town invested $172,553 in a system that updates water usage online.  Cary Financial Director Karen Mills says the new system is meant to make customers more aware of how much water they're using or wasting.

"They can see what's going on with their usage, understanding, for example, their irrigation usage if they have an automated system; when it's running, how long it's running," Mills says.

No. 3 Duke suffered an upset loss Thursday night at the hands of Virginia, 73-68. 

Coach Mike Krzyzewski said his team was focused on the matchup despite their preparation for no. 5 Miami this weekend.

"Virginia just played great.  They were terrific tonight," Krzyzewski said.

"They had our full attention and preparation for this.  They beat us when we were trying to be at our best and it's because of them that we were not."

The Blue Devils got 28 points from Seth Curry.  All but five of those came in the second half.

Durham County Commissioners have approved a plan to buy 260 acres of land near Falls Lake.  The board voted 3-2 this week to purchase the property in east Durham for $650,000.

Commissioner Ellen Reckhow says the deal will allow Durham County to comply with a state mandate that says all local governments in the Falls Lake watershed must help clean up the polluted lake.

"It has Falls Lake frontage and so many creeks and streams such that 93 percent of the acreage is within 300 feet of water," Reckhow said during this week's meeting.