Republican super PAC pauses spending in NC’s US Senate race + NC residents flagged by federal database asked to confirm citizenship

By Clayton Henkel

Multiple media outlets reported Friday that the Senate Leadership Fund, a leading GOP super PAC, is diverting tens of millions of advertising dollars away from North Carolina’s closely watched U.S. Senate race between Republican Michael Whatley and former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

The super PAC had pledged just six months ago to invest $71 million in the race to help Whatley secure the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

By Lynn Bonner

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is planning to ask the 1,599 registered voters flagged by a federal database as potential noncitizens to either confirm their citizenship or ask to be removed from the state voter list. 

The letters will go out to those registered voters early next week, state elections board spokesman Jason Tyson said Friday. 

By Christine Zhu

Both major party candidates for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District debuted new ads in the Asheville media market this week. The political commercials couldn’t be much more different, yet they’re competing to appeal to the same rural community.  

Democrat Jamie Ager, a fourth-generation farmer who owns Hickory Nut Gap, put out a spot titled “Barn Dance.” It’s the first ad to run in NC-11 this cycle in partnership with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 

By Greg Childress

A lot of big changes are underway at the Raleigh Rescue Mission, which this month opened a new $41 million campus in Knightdale for women and children experiencing homelessness.

The new campus, named The Garden, allows the faith-based nonprofit to increase its capacity to serve as many as 350 women and children daily, which is 290 more than the 60 it served at its downtown Raleigh facility. 

NC receives first $45.2M payout from Meta child safety settlement | Trevon Spencer

North Carolina cannabis council considers public consumption policy for THC products | Clayton Henkel

NC has a list of nearly 1600 people flagged as noncitizens on its voter rolls. How will it be used? |Lynn Bonner

As economic damage from climate change grows, NC experts urge ‘pre-recovery’ planning | Clayton Henkel

NC voters want partisan politics out of election administration, poll shows |Lynn Bonner

NC traffic safety experts call for tougher laws on speeding, impaired or distracted driving | Trevon Spencer

National Dems expand US House battlefield, targeting Knott in NC-13 | Christine Zhu

NC school finance officials call for more flexibility in funding rules |Ahmed Jallow

Medicaid is about to end in NC for thousands of refugees |Lynn Bonner

Census changes proposed by Trump administration put accuracy, money for NC at risk, critics say |Lynn Bonner

North Carolina high schoolers say schools feel safer, but experts want more school resource officers |Clayton Henkel

Motivated older voters could shape NC’s 2026 US Senate race, poll finds | Christine Zhu

NC Housing Coalition joins lawsuit against HUD over housing counseling cuts  | Greg Childress

Commentaries:
Don’t eat the candy! |Bob Hall

Who could vote against a constitutional amendment limiting income tax rate to 3.5%? | Paul Stam

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