U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday the Trump administration has rescinded its plan to use a nearly $1.8 billion fund to pay people who believe they were wrongly prosecuted by the Justice Department.

As unflattering stories emerged, Whatley withdrew from the media, cutting reporters from invite lists and retreating to friendly outlets.

North Carolina will participate in a federal tax-credit scholarship program after the state Senate voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto.

The actions leave him with an empty desk before lawmakers return to Raleigh at the end of the month.

Several states have enacted or considered laws this year to increase reporting and oversight of child neglect and abuse. Some of the new laws came after high-profile deaths or abuse cases, with lawmakers citing warning signs such as repeated visits from child services or complaints about unsafe family dynamics. The issue often draws support — even unanimously — across party lines.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce estimates that data centers could soon cost the state $450 million a year under current tax exemptions.

A Democratic-aligned political group is launching a $2.3 million ad campaign targeting Whatley over his ties to sex offender Harvey West.

House Republican leaders did not advance the measure Wednesday after Tuesday’s protests at the legislature, saying it needs additional work.

The agreements — also made with the departments of Health and Human Services, State, Treasury, Interior and Justice — are a main part of the plan by the Trump administration to axe the 46-year-old Education Department.

A group of current and former U.S. Department of Agriculture employees are calling on the Trump administration to halt the mandated relocation of more than 2,500 employees from its Washington, D.C., headquarters to five regional offices across the country.