The shortage of cash means laid-off employees of delinquent companies are waiting longer for their unemployment checks or aren't getting them at all. The cash shortage is also causing the N.C. Employment Security Commission, the state agency that doles out unemployment benefits, to borrow more from the federal government.

Ultimately, it could mean higher unemployment taxes and lower benefits for businesses and workers, as state officials scramble to pay back the debt.

"The number of employers who are delinquent is a serious concern for us," said Moses Carey Jr., the ESC's chairman. "We've got a hole to dig ourselves out of." (Char-O)

* Several Triangle school systems said they have been fielding calls this week from concerned parents, some of whom don't want their children to watch a speech by President Barack Obama.

White House officials sent a letter to educators across the country this week encouraging them to show the speech, during which the president will "challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning."

The White House also distributed suggested classroom activities, including goal-setting activities and discussions about the speech's themes. Students in Durham will watch the speech with the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. State Republican Party chairman Tom Fetzer has called on schools to skip the speech. (N&O)