Julie Rose

South Carolina's Republican governor paints an optimistic picture of the state's economy. But with a higher-than-average unemployment rate, voters are focused on economic issues when it comes to the 2012 presidential election.

One county sterilized more people than any other, partially because the head of welfare believed it was a good option for women at a time when abortion was illegal and the birth control pill didn't yet exist. But in the context of an ugly eugenics campaign, serious questions remain over whether consent was forced.

Unionized businesses in Charlotte, N.C., have traditionally had to keep a low profile in this right-to-work state. But with the Democratic National Convention headed to town in 2012, having union ties could now be something to flaunt — and cash in on.

The president won the state by a narrow margin in 2008. His fall in support among independents in North Carolina means Obama now faces a struggle to stay competitive for 2012. His problem in the state is the same one he faces everywhere: unemployment.

The North Carolina city is perhaps best known as the home of Bank of America. But Mayor Anthony Foxx, banks aren't the city's only job engines. Other big sectors include energy, health care and transportation. Energy workers now compete with bankers for a sunny spot to lunch downtown.