This week on The Debrief, we unpack a major power play at the North Carolina General Assembly. Lawmakers swiftly overrode Governor Josh Stein’s recent vetoes, delivering Republican victories on school choice, reigning in government overreach, strengthening privacy protections, and other policies. What do these new laws actually mean for North Carolinians—and how do they set the stage for the battles ahead? Then, we turn to the 2026 U.S. Senate race. With Governor Roy Cooper jumping in, what dynamics are already forming behind the scenes? And how might this week’s legislative momentum shift the political map?
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A bill the General Assembly ratified Aug. 6 creates a 15-member commission to redesign North Carolina's high schools, giving four private organizations seats on it along with the job of staffing it and drafting its reports. The State Board of Education has no appointments at all.
Stein pulls Smythe DPS nomination, blames NC Senate for inaction
The governor has appointed NC DPS Chief of Staff Casandra Hoekstra to serve as interim secretary while a search is conducted to find the next permanent secretary.
Mamdani’s cheap grocery scheme won’t help poor families
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More bar owners drop out of COVID shutdown lawsuit
Fifteen more plaintiffs are dropping out of a six-year-old lawsuit challenging then-Gov. Roy Cooper’s decision to keep North Carolina bars closed during the COVID pandemic.
