Republicans face three competitive legislative races in Wake County that could leave the state's most populous county without GOP representation in the General Assembly Republican incumbents Erin Par and Mike Schietzelt are defending their House seats while Chris Stock challenges Democratic Sen Haseeb Fatmi Meanwhile western North Carolina is receiving an additional million in federal funding to repair roads bridges and other infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation joins the program to discuss a federal judge's decision to reject a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's mail-in ballot requirements allowing existing signature [... more]

Democrats have narrowly regained their position as North Carolina's largest registered political party surpassing Republicans for the first time since January although unaffiliated voters remain the state's largest overall voting bloc Andy Jackson of the John Locke Foundation joins the program with the latest mail-in voting numbers showing accepted absentee ballots running below the same point in Meanwhile North Carolina's Local Government Commission has voted to take control of the finances of Ronda and Rowland following ongoing financial management problems Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation discusses new filings before the North Carolina Supreme Court involving Gov Josh Stein [... more]

North Carolina Gov Josh Stein has signed legislation temporarily suspending the state's -cent-per-gallon gas tax through November while criticizing Republican lawmakers for not doing more to address the rising cost of living Republican legislative leaders defended the measure as an example of the state's fiscal responsibility and commitment to providing relief for drivers Meanwhile the North Carolina State Health Plan has filed a lawsuit against Atrium Health seeking to block a new pricing program arguing it could threaten the plan's financial stability Atrium maintains its program is designed to lower healthcare costs for state employees and retirees Andrew Pomeranz of [... more]

North Carolina lawmakers have approved a temporary suspension of the state's -cent-per-gallon motor fuel tax through Nov passing the measure - in the House and - in the Senate during Wednesday's special session The program features audio from the General Assembly as lawmakers debate the measure and its impact on drivers and transportation funding Meanwhile the Department of Public Instruction is asking the state for recurring funding to replace aging student laptops with more than half of public school units reporting they lack sufficient replacement funding Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation joins the program to discuss a th [... more]

North Carolina lawmakers return to Raleigh today for a special session focused on rising fuel costs with the House and Senate scheduled to convene at noon as lawmakers consider a temporary suspension or reduction of the state's -cent-per-gallon gas tax Donna King of Carolina Journal joins the program to discuss NCInnovation's board approving its fiscal year audit despite an ongoing dispute over how millions of dollars in research grant expenses were recorded Andy Jackson of the John Locke Foundation provides the latest mail-voting update with accepted ballots running nearly below the same point in the midterm election Plus a new [... more]

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is facing expanding scrutiny with the FBI and U S Attorney's Office joining state and local investigations into matters involving the district while the State Board of Education says it will take whatever actions are authorized if violations of state fiscal requirements are established North Carolina lawmakers are also returning to Raleigh Wednesday to consider relief from high fuel prices including a potential suspension of the state's -cent-per-gallon gas tax Meanwhile the State Board of Elections plans to contact registered voters identified by a federal database as potential noncitizens as officials work to verify their eligibility A new [... more]

North Carolina election officials are welcoming a U S Supreme Court decision allowing the state to continue using the federal SAVE database to verify the citizenship status of registered voters while officials say voters will not be automatically removed based on database results Meanwhile a new Wake County school library policy is drawing criticism from House Majority Leader Brenden Jones who is promising a legislative response Andrew Pomeranz of Carolina Journal joins the program to discuss scrutiny facing Democratic state House candidate Evonne Hopkins after she said she had used Flock camera data in her work as a family law [... more]

News analysis from David Dolan Ken Timmerman Yisreal Medad Paul Scharf and Dr Jimmy DeYoung [... more]

U S Representative Steve Cohen TN- just filed Articles of Impeachment in Congress against President Donald Trump If the Democrats win the House and Senate in November will President Trump be removed from office The Sekulow team breaks down the counts and what this means for the Left's attempt to impeach Trump the ACLJ's legal work and much more [... more]

Renewed flooding around Lake Lure is raising questions about downstream safety dam operations and emergency monitoring nearly two years after Hurricane Helene destroyed the town's upstream flood gauges Heavy rainfall this week prompted additional releases from the Lake Lure Dam and downstream warnings though no evacuations were required Andrew Pomeranz of Carolina Journal joins the program for a two-part look at North Carolina's ballot which includes races for U S Senate Congress the General Assembly and statewide courts along with three proposed constitutional amendments Plus the National Republican Senatorial Committee is disputing a Politico report that it plans to shift [... more]

North Carolina's mail-in ballot rules are facing a new federal lawsuit from voting-rights groups represented in part by the Elias Law Group The plaintiffs are challenging guidance approved by the State Board of Elections covering ballot envelopes and signature verification arguing the rules could result in lawful ballots being rejected the board has previously defended the process as secure and workable Meanwhile nearly million in interest-free loans is heading to western North Carolina communities still recovering from Hurricane Helene Andrew Pomeranz of Carolina Journal joins the program to discuss backlash over an attack on US soil comment from a North [... more]

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian just shockingly announced at the U N General Assembly that Iran will never bow our head or bend at the knee to President Trump and the U S military The outburst led the only U S delegate in the room to walk out The Sekulow team discusses Iran's threat the Trump Administration's response the ACLJ's legal work and much more [... more]

SHOCK POLL Democrats Support Military Coup [... more]

Former political prisoner and NYU international relations scholar Prof Kian Tajbakhsh joins Brian Kilmeade to analyze President Trump's critical options regarding Iran Tajbakhsh explains why economic strangulation must pair with a clear military strategy how Tehran views American political division and why reviving the Carter Doctrine is essential for securing the Persian Gulf Plus insights on the UN General Assembly the Red Sea blockade and middle-eastern proxy dynamics Learn more about your ad choices Visit podcastchoices com adchoices [... more]

President Donald Trump returned to North Carolina to campaign for Republican U S Senate candidate Michael Whatley using his Gastonia rally to criticize Democrat Roy Cooper's record on crime and the response to Hurricane Helene The program also highlights remarks from Whatley and congressional candidates Laurie Buckhout and Jennifer Balkcom as Republicans rally supporters ahead of the November midterms Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation joins the program to discuss an appeals court ruling upholding the transfer of North Carolina election board appointment authority to State Auditor Dave Boliek Plus Butterball has agreed to pay to settle a disability [... more]

The North Carolina State Board of Elections has approved new absentee ballot guidance in a - vote as election officials prepare for voting ahead of the November election Meanwhile North Carolina Medicaid and the State Health Plan are taking different approaches to coverage of GLP- medications highlighting the growing debate over costs and access to the popular drugs Andrew Pomeranz of Carolina Journal joins the program to discuss state Sen Bobby Hanig's retirement from the General Assembly and what his departure means for the legislature See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is bringing the Trump administration's economic pressure campaign against Iran to Asheville as global finance leaders gather in western North Carolina Meanwhile FEMA has approved an additional million for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts as rebuilding continues across the region Andrew Pomeranz of Carolina Journal joins the program to discuss Kalshi's decision to suspend NC- congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout after she traded on the outcome of her own race Plus lawmakers are returning to Raleigh for a skeleton session of the General Assembly with no business expected See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

A Statesville family was featured at a White House event highlighting school choice as the Trump administration continues promoting expanded education options for families nationwide Meanwhile two Lenoir County women have pleaded guilty in a COVID-related fraud case The program also examines concerns from CaptiveAire President Bob Luddy who says tariffs are creating challenges for small businesses Andrew Pomeranz of Carolina Journal joins the program to discuss state Sen Bobby Hanig's decision to retire from the General Assembly and what his departure could mean for the legislature See omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

North Carolina's 11th congressional district is set to choose a new Republican candidate after Congressman Chuck Edwards dropped out of the race due to a House Ethics Committee report. The district's executive committee will meet Monday to select a replacement nominee. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction marked the first anniversary of Superintendent Mo Green's five-year strategic plan, launching a public dashboard and pointing to four record results as evidence of progress. The plan aims to make North Carolina's public education system the best in the nation by 2030. In other news, the North Carolina General Assembly has taken action on two pieces of legislation, House Bill 958 and House Bill 834, dealing with elections across the state. The bills have undergone significant changes, with some provisions being moved from one bill to the other. Dr. Andy Jackson from the John Locke Foundation joins the Carolina Journal News Hour to discuss the latest developments. Additionally, new data from the 2025 North Carolina High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that North Carolina has returned to and exceeded pre-pandemic levels across nearly all reported measures, with encouraging percentage drops in student safety, risk behaviors, and mental health. [... more]

A major political bombshell unfolds in North Carolina as Congressman Chuck Edwards announces he will not seek re-election, leaving a vacancy in the 11th congressional district. The Republican Party will select a replacement nominee, and the candidate will face Democrat Jamie Ager in the election. Meanwhile, the North Carolina General Assembly is considering a hemp ban and election laws, with the governor planning to veto the legislation. [... more]