Airbnb-style rentals are a massive, controversial issue in Asheville. The Blade’s built a map to show where they’re being halted, who’s profiting, who owns them and more as local government continues to wrangle with this complicated behemoth Above: a shot from the Blade‘s interactive map showing the impact of Airbnb

An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the planning meeting for a local, not-at-all-cluelessly-awful Black Friday promotional video for a business consortium Recently, the following promotional video has been making the rounds causing, as one might expect, some comment. The Blade has obtained an exclusive transcript of the decision-making process behind it. We’ve

After Charlotte passes extensive LGBT protections, it’s a matter of question if Asheville City Council will do the same in the near future Above: A pride flag flies from City Hall in 2014 after a federal court struck down the state’s ban on equal marriage. Photo by Max Cooper. On Monday

A divided Council decides on a ‘McKibbon standard’ for new hotels, approving an overhaul of one of downtown’s most notorious buildings Above: Council member Gordon Smith. File photo by Max Cooper. After the hibernation of the holidays, city politics sprang back to life again on Jan. 12 as Asheville City Council

Despite misinformation and outright lies, you have a legal right to talk about how much you’re paid. Given Asheville’s catastrophically low wages, it’s time for this culture of silence to end Above: Tupelo Honey’s downtown location. Last year, following wage cuts for support staff at the booming chain, workers launched

A fight over development in Shiloh, a new pact with the chamber and new terms for a major Block project in a packed Council meeting Above: Council member Gordon Smith. File photo by Max Cooper. Welcome back, readers. My apologies for the delay. The venerable, held-together-with-tape charger for our laptop

Tupelo Honey is touted as an Asheville success story. But some workers say that hides a reality of wage cuts and worsening conditions. Now they’re pushing back Above: Tupelo Honey’s original downtown location UPDATE, Jan. 11: Following the public campaign and Blade investigation, wage cuts for Tupelo Honey support staff

With poor wages and working conditions a major problem in Asheville, Labor Day is an excellent time to look at some changes Above: The fight for the eight-hour working day rallied workers around the world. Image via Wikimedia. It’s Labor Day. In Asheville it’s a day off for some, a

As pushes for higher wages increase, can Asheville pass its own minimum wage? A look at the legal questions and political battles over a key issue Above: Raise Up for 15 protesters near the Biltmore Avenue Hardee’s in April. Partly inspired by that regional labor movement, some locals are now pressing

Airbnb cues up the lobbyists to push Asheville City Council as the fight over short-term rentals continues, local government considers new rules and the tech giant turns its attention to our city Short-term rentals are, to put it mildly, a controversial topic here. With the explosion of sites like Airbnb