, United States Senator Ted Budd (R- North Carolina) filed an amicus brief encouraging the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court’s decision, which wrongly ruled that homeschool independent-study programs are public school programs. The brief defends homeschooling parents’ rights by reinforcing a common-sense principle: parents are not state actors. It also makes clear that neutral government programs can support parents’ choice of faith-based curriculum while remaining consistent with the Constitution and our nation’s history.

“Roy Cooper abandoned our families in favor of the woke mob. He stood for men in girls sports, supported transgender mutilation of our kids, and vetoed the Parents Bill of Rights. Why? Cooper is a disgrace. As your next Senator, I will always put our FAMILIES FIRST and protect our kids from the radical far-left policies of extremists like Roy Cooper,” said Michael Whatley. 

Democrat hypocrisy on full display

New Hanover Democrat faces legal exposure due to false ads

Sen. Ted Budd completes second 100 county tour

Within hours, North Carolinians mobilized to help. Michael Whatley, then serving as the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), joined forces with Samaritan’s Purse to help Watauga County — where Whatley grew up — to help deliver supplies to those in need. Whatley also called President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign to assist those who were suffering. Whatley was the “number one advocate” for Helene recovery, according to Trump. “The Democrats didn’t do a damned thing,” Trump said.

Six years ago this week, two polls showed Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) struggling to reach 40 percent in a North Carolina Senate race he would go on to win by just under two points. In this year’s race, Republican Michael Whatley is already polling ahead of Tillis’s numbers against former Gov. Roy Cooper (D., N.C.), according to a Washington Reporter analysis of North Carolina’s polling trends.

Here are some of Green’s policy proposals directly from her website (some of these may have be deleted to cover her tracks):  

• Sign an executive order on her first day in office to “end local and state law enforcement cooperation with ICE.” 

• Sign an executive order banning ICE from entering state buildings. 

• Prevent members of her administration and state employees from sharing personal identifying information or immigration status with federal immigration agents. 

• Provide state funding for legal representation for immigrants facing deportation and “know your rights” information for immigrant and refugee communities. 

• Direct the Tennessee Department of Labor to issue guidance to businesses and workers regarding ICE access to workplaces. 

“I am proud to introduce this resolution celebrating the schools, churches, and organizations that help shape our children’s character. Faith-based schools and those that allow time for off-campus religious instruction are a testament to the right of parents to choose an education that reflects their family’s faith and values,” said Senator Darline Graham. “Religious education plays an instrumental role in providing spiritual growth, moral development, and academic excellence to the next generation of South Carolinians. I’m grateful to lead more than a quarter of the U.S. Senate in support of religious education in our country.”

There’s an old Latin phrase we all know, Carpe Diem. We translate that to “seize the day.” But the rest of the phrase is seize the day-trusting as little as possible in tomorrow. That’s the part that often gets left out.  

“Serving as Interim Chief over the past year has reinforced my pride in the men and women of the Asheville Police Department,” said Chief Stepp. “I am deeply honored to step into the permanent Chief role and will work alongside our dedicated officers, city leadership, and community partners as we continue to build on our progress and move Asheville forward together.” 

"Seniors are the backbone of the American electorate, and they deserve elected officials who deliver for them," said SMFA Senior Advisor Sean Spicer. "The Champion for America's Seniors Award lets our seniors know that they can count on SMFA to watch, keep score, and honor those who fight for them." 

“This marks a big year for the N.C. State Fair and completing some much-needed improvements on the fairgrounds,” said Kent Yelverton, State Fair director. “The State Fairgrounds at its present location will mark 100 years in 2028 and with these investments we are preparing for the next 100 years.”

Rutherford County approved for FEMA Funds

“Roy Cooper has spent 40 years turning North Carolina into a revolving door for murderers, rapists, and violent career criminals to terrorize innocent people and dodge accountability for their heinous crimes. Cooper treated public safety like a joke, and no one trusts him to change.” - RNC Spokeswoman Emma Hall  

“These state and local agencies and non-profit groups do so much to help people who are going through traumatic circumstances. With these funds, we are able to support agencies throughout the state as they assist victims of violent crime in their recovery,” Attorney General Wilson said. 

U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor ahead of President Trump’s meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. In his speech, Senator Budd called attention to China’s war on religious freedom, its role in fueling the U.S. drug epidemic, its relationship with key U.S. adversaries, and the consequential state of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) race. 

“Most wildfires in this state are preventable,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Human activity continues to be responsible for more than 99% of wildfires in North Carolina, making individual actions one of our most important tools for preventing wildfires. Before you burn, take simple steps to keep your backyard fire in your backyard.”

North Carolina State Treasurer Brad Briner announced the 2026 round of interest free Cashflow Loans is now being distributed to communities in Western North Carolina. The legislature was able to set aside $20 million in the 2026 state budget a part of ongoing efforts to help communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.

"After the RNC stepped in, Cobb County agreed to comply with Georgia law, fix its drop box practices, and pledged to not use an illegal ballot collection scheme," said RNC Chairman Joe Gruters. "Election officials don't get to pick and choose which laws to follow, and the RNC will continue holding them accountable when they don't."