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August 31, 2025

Gloria Weissman

NC wrestles with child care decline, stalled teacher raises, and immigration challenges, even as national headlines—from Fed battles to Gaza to Trump tariffs—raise the stakes for 2026

Chatham/North Carolina


Child Care


NC Health News: Number of licensed child care homes continues to decline after end of stabilization grants



Education


Axios Charlotte: $40K+ AI private schools are popping up around the U.S


Carolina Public Press: Spending on classrooms by NC teachers among highest in US


EdNC: U.S. News ranks best public high schools in North Carolina in 2025


Assembly: Lee Roberts' Long Game At UNC-Chapel Hill



Elections


Assembly: RedSpeed Donated To NC Lawmakers. A New Law Could Make Them Millions.


Assembly: The NC Supreme Court Is Meant To Be Nonpartisan. Today, That's A Challenge


WRAL: NC elections board allows for elimination of Sunday voting, avoids Trump's immigration request


NC Newsline: To require full Social Security numbers to register to vote, NC would need to hurdle a federal law



Environment


Carolina Public Press:  BRIC program cuts leave NC communities in limbo



General Assembly


WRAL: 'We will be watching': As next veto override looms, party defectors rile NC Democrats


WUNC: NC legislature’s inaction continues


WRAL: Why hasn't NC approved raises for teachers and state employees? GOP stalemate over taxes


Carolina Public Press: Omnibus elections bill still simmering in NC legislature



Health Care


WFAE: Medicaid expansion helped hundreds of thousands in NC. Now, it's future is uncertain


Cardinal & Pine: 'I'm afraid of no access': How Republicans' big bill threatens NC repro care



Immigration


Axios Raleigh: 6 states lead U.S. with most unauthorized immigrants: Pew


Cardinal & Pine: In North Carolina, a 20-year-old student will self-deport after six months in ICE custody



Labor


Axios Charlotte: North Carolina makes no movement in national "worst" state to work list



Law Enforcement


Carolina Forward: A Public Path to Public Safety: Incorporating Community Policing in North Carolina



Polling


Quinnipiac University: 8/27/25 - Majority Of Voters Oppose Deploying National Guard To D.C., Support Drops For U.S. Military Aid To Israel As 50% Think Israel Is Committing Genocide In Gazal



Tourism


WRAL: North Carolina visitor spending hits record high in 2024, boosts local economies



U.S./International


Criminal Justice


NY Times: On Politics: More incarcerations, less talk of reform



Democratic Party


Politico: Trump Is Leaning in on Crime. Democrats Need a Better Response — and Fast.


Politico: DNC punts on dueling Israel resolutions as Chair Ken Martin calls for bridging the divide


Axios: Democrats weigh mini-convention before 2026 midterms


NY Times (Gift Article): Opinion | ‘He’s Got That Dog in Him’: 3 Writers Size Up Newsom, Pritzker and Other Democrats



Diplomacy


Politico: Steve Witkoff’s go-it-alone diplomacy is frustrating US and European officials


Politico: ‘His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy



DOGE


NOTUS: Whistleblower Accuses DOGE of Putting Millions of Social Security Numbers at Risk



Economy


AP News: Why the Federal Reserve has historically been independent of the White House


NOTUS: President Trump Says He’s Firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook. She’s Taking Him to Court.


Politico: Trump Tests The Fed’s ‘Don’t Panic’ Strategy


NY Times: The Evening: Fed fights back


NY Times: The Morning: State business


Yahoo Finance: Many Economists See Red Flags Everywhere In The Economy



Elections


NBC News: Democrats break GOP supermajority in Iowa Senate by flipping Republican seat in special election


ProPublica: Heather Honey, an Election Denier, Will Help Oversee Election Security at the DHS



Energy/Environment


NPR: Trump cancels millions in funding for offshore wind projects


Federal Budget


Axios: Democrats push to reverse Trump cuts in government shutdown fight


Politico: White House declares $4.9B in foreign aid unilaterally canceled in end-run around Congress' funding power



Gaza


NPR: 'We didn't do enough': How U.S. policy failed Palestinians in Gaza


NY Times: The Morning: Journalism in Gaza


NY Times (Gift Article): Opinion | I Fought in Gaza. Here Is Why I Would Not Go Back



Health Care


NC Health News: Exodus at VA: 10,000 employees are resigning in September. Here’s the list


NC Health News: Why young Americans dread turning 26: Health insurance chaos


Politico: CDC in turmoil. Trump still backs RFK Jr.


Axios: How Kennedy could exploit the CDC's power vacuum


NY Times: The Evening: Standoff at the C.D.C.


Mother Jones: “Like Making Elon Musk the Head of the FAA”—Meet Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill


Politico: RFK Jr. is forcing doctors to make a tough choice


NY Times (Gift Article): Opinion | Bernie Sanders: Kennedy Must Resign



Immigration


PBS: Appeals court blocks Trump administration from ending legal protections for 600,000 Venezuelans


Politico: Federal judge blocks Trump effort to expand fast-track deportations


NY Times: The Evening: U.S. moves to re-deport Abrego Garcia



Justice


CNN: Judge tosses Trump administration’s lawsuit against Maryland’s 15 federal judges, calling it a ‘constitutional free-for-all’


ProPublica: Trump FBI Pick Andrew Bailey Has History of Prosecuting Democrats


NPR: Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit against federal district judges in Maryland



Law Enforcement


Politico: Foreign Diplomats Are Worried About the Rule of Law in Trump’s America



Mental Health


Mother Jones: Trump’s Mental Health Plan: Defund, Incarcerate, Disappear          



Military


Politico: Inside Pete Hegseth’s Civilian Purge at West Point



Redistricting


Politico: Missouri to take up redistricting in special session, likely netting GOP 1 seat



Tariffs


Politico: ‘Clearly a low moment’: US-India relationship sours as new tariffs kick in


CNN: ‘Sneakflation’: How Trump’s tariffs are gradually raising costs for American consumers


NBC News: U.S. shoppers' orders canceled as world shuts down some American-bound shipments


BBC: Donald Trump's 50% tariff on India kicks in as PM Modi urges self-reliance


NY Times: The Evening: Court rules against Trump tariffs



Trump Presidency


Time: Trump Says He's No Dictator—Years After Obama Said Same as Joke


NY Times: The Morning: Cases closed


NY Times: On Politics: Trump once praised the Black history museum he’s attacking now



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