A new budget provision directs NC's DEQ to join the federal FAST‑41 fast‑track for nuclear and gas projects, prompting warnings from environmental groups about rushed reviews.

State lawmakers canceled Kannapolis’ 2027 municipal election, extended current officials’ terms and moved future mayor and council races to partisan, even‑year ballots.

Commissioners will vote July 21 on two school bond questions totaling $400 million that would fund K‑12 construction and a Rowan‑Cabarrus Community College package. Voters would decide each question separately in November.

James Burns advanced as the lone Republican filer for SC Senate District 15. Democrats Chad Williams and Monika White will meet in a Sept. 1 primary.

Cabarrus County approved a four-site early voting plan that excludes Midland and removes Sunday voting after weeks of debate and public records showing auditor involvement.

The state budget lets the SBI place AI license‑plate readers on DOT land, expanding a pilot into an option for any agency and setting off privacy alarms. Lawmakers say it’s about public safety; advocates call it mass tracking.

Rep. Chuck Edwards and his wife sold their McDonald's restaurants in Western North Carolina to Asheville franchisees Christine and Chris Nevant. The family says the move will free them to focus more on public service.

FEMA Region 4's Rob Ashe met with Sen. Ted Budd in D.C. as the agency signals new obligations for North Carolina recovery and local buyouts begin.

A former Webb Street School teacher has sued Gaston County Schools, saying her firing over a Facebook comment about Charlie Kirk violated her First Amendment rights. She is seeking damages and reinstatement.

Sen. Thom Tillis met with Cameron Hamilton and pledged to support his FEMA nomination while pressing for faster aid for Helene-hit western North Carolina.

A published 4th Circuit opinion says CBP officers may manually inspect phones at U.S. ports of entry without a warrant, while forensic extractions remain limited. The ruling will bind courts across the circuit.

Sen. Woodson Bradley is drafting a domestic violence offender registry after a fatal Pineville case and says she’s using Tennessee’s new system as a model. Lawmakers will debate scope and safeguards.

A federal review finds North Carolina behind on special education: slow evaluations, staffing holes and a push to study weighted funding.