Amid a political tug-of-war over North Carolina’s judiciary, state Democratic lawmakers put forth a series of proposals they say are needed to protect the branch’s independence.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, transformed how American intelligence and law enforcement agencies collect, share and analyze information. Twenty-five years later, that infrastructure has merged with a digital world capable of generating vast amounts of data about Americans — and artificial intelligence is making it easier to connect and analyze that information. The result is a surveillance system far more powerful than anything imaginable in 2001, raising new questions about privacy, policing and civil liberties.
The measure is up against opposition from the powerful Big Ten and Southeastern conferences, and faces a narrow legislative window as Congress rushes toward its summer recess and the fall campaign season.
More than 200 American mayors are calling on the federal government to reverse changes that will cost states billions and push millions of people off the food stamp program. This week, the United States Conference of Mayors asked the U.S. Senate’s agriculture committee to reconsider the deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, enacted in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Republicans say the change would enhance election security. Democratic critics say it would disenfranchise legitimate voters, and could be applied arbitrarily with political motives.
State and local government employees report high levels of job satisfaction across the country, but face significant rates of burnout and on-the-job harassment. That’s according to a new national survey of nearly 5,000 public servants across all 50 states released today by The People Lab at Harvard University’s Kennedy School.
Cook Political Report rates the race as “solid Republican.”
Supporters of the pauses say cities need rules before projects arrive, especially to answer residential concerns about electricity use, energy costs and nuisance issues. Industry supporters argue data centers bring jobs and tax revenue and are an essential part of the nation’s digital infrastructure.
The U.S. Postal Service took another step Thursday in implementing a Trump administration policy to restrict mail-in voting, even as a high-stakes legal battle plays out and midterm elections approach.
The North Carolina legislature’s 2026 session continues to linger on with no end or state budget in sight, and we’ll get an update on several subjects under discussion in an extended conversation with Wake County state Senator, Lisa Grafstein