Rich Eisen Show discusses the Pro Football Hall of Fame, NFL legends, and the upcoming season, including the Detroit Lions' chances with Jameer Gibbs as the bell cow and the impact of Drew Petzing as the new offensive coordinator. [... more]

The Republican Party is facing a demoralized base, and President Trump is warning that if Democrats take over, it will be the end of the Trump presidency. Meanwhile, the Democrat Party is struggling with the rise of radical candidates, and some are calling for a return to moderation. In Tennessee, Democrats won historic victories, including control of the Knox County Board of Education and the Hamilton County Commission. The Patriot Games, a national athletic competition, is underway, and Jackson Cressman, a 17-year-old from Mississippi, is representing the Mid-South. Congressman Ralph Norman is running for the Senate in South Carolina, promising to be a conservative leader and a strong advocate for the Second Amendment. [... more]

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is celebrating its 64th enshrinement class, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport. The enshrinement ceremony is a weekend-long event that includes a jacket dinner, where incoming Hall of Famers receive their gold jacket, and a luncheon where returning Hall of Famers share their experiences and advice with the incoming class. The event is a celebration of football, family, and the legacy of the sport. [... 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]

Congressman Chuck Edwards announces he's dropping out of his reelection campaign after a House ethics committee found him in violation of House rules related to sexual harassment and creating a hostile workplace. Meanwhile, North Carolina lawmakers are debating hemp regulation, with some advocating for a ban on THC products and others pushing for a more nuanced approach. A bipartisan group of officials has also formed a partnership to combat fraud and protect taxpayer money. [... more]

A North Carolina congressman is facing calls for censure after being found in violation of the House Code of Conduct. Meanwhile, the state's pension fund has posted a $17 billion gain, but concerns about Social Security's solvency are growing. Additionally, data centers are becoming a contentious issue in North Carolina, with some localities imposing moratoriums on their expansion, citing concerns about energy usage and noise pollution. [... more]

The North Carolina Supreme Court has signaled it will hear oral arguments in a case involving appointments and judicial vacancies in November, with no resolution expected before the 2027 election. Meanwhile, the governor of Asheville is criticizing North Carolina's firearm laws, arguing they have made the community less safe, despite the legislation not being in effect. A private gated community in North Carolina received $300,000 in public funding for emergency services and shelter repairs, sparking questions about transparency and accountability in the earmarks process. Additionally, a new federal school choice tax credit program could benefit nearly 1.7 million North Carolina children, with 93% of the state's K-12 population qualifying for scholarships. [... more]

North Carolina officials are recruiting aerospace and defense manufacturers to the state, while Governor Josh Stein has announced a new statewide advisory council to bolster the state as a premier location for defense research and innovation. Meanwhile, the state is also dealing with the potential opening of a federal immigration processing center in North Carolina, and the collapse of a major economic development project with VinFast, a Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer. [... more]

Western North Carolina continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, with federal grants aimed at rebuilding infrastructure and strengthening the workforce. Meanwhile, Duke Energy has joined the Trump administration's ratepayer protection pledge, promising to support measures preventing households and small businesses from paying for power plants and grid infrastructure changes. The North Carolina General Assembly is also debating election laws, with a pair of rewritten bills passed by the Senate that would shorten early voting for primary elections and add performance audits for election systems. Additionally, a state representative is raising concerns about professional standards in public schools, specifically regarding a transgender music teacher at an elementary school. [... more]

A new rapid response report from the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor raises questions about how more than $111 million was spent to operate 55 Hurricane Helene base camps and comfort stations. Meanwhile, former FBI director James Comey is facing charges related to a social media post he made in 2025, and lawmakers in North Carolina are working on election reform bills that include changes to early voting periods and voter challenges. [... more]

A potential ICE detention center in North Carolina's northeastern part of the state has sparked debate over immigration enforcement and local cooperation. Meanwhile, a major elections overhaul bill is set to see significant movement in the North Carolina General Assembly. Electricity rates across the state are also under scrutiny, with Duke Energy proposing a 9.5% rate increase over the next two years. As North Carolina aims for a carbon-neutral future, the cost of achieving this goal is being felt by consumers. [... more]

A new performance audit of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services found concerns with the way compliance visits were conducted at child care centers across the state. The audit also highlighted issues with the division's scheduling practices and the handling of judicial vacancies, with the governor and the General Assembly disagreeing on the interpretation of state law. [... more]

A Durham-based energy company, American Efficient, files for bankruptcy after being accused of collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in electricity savings it did not produce. The company's CEO, Adam Abrams, has ties to former Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Democratic Party. Meanwhile, VinFast, a Vietnamese EV manufacturer, is facing a lawsuit from the North Carolina Attorney General's office over its failure to meet job creation targets. The company received a $300 million grant from the state's JDIG program. In other news, former Governor Roy Cooper is leading in fundraising for the US Senate race, with $14.8 million raised in the second quarter compared to Michael Watley's $5 million. [... more]

A state audit flags financial control failures in the town of Zebulon, North Carolina, with issues including excessive travel expenses and unsupported payments to consultants. Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Ted Budd testifies in favor of additional disaster relief funding for Western North Carolina, citing delays and inefficiencies in the federal recovery process. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction issues guidance on managing screen time on school-issued devices, recommending a focus on purpose and structure rather than strict time limits. [... more]

North Carolina officials marked a major milestone in Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, awarding over $1 billion in grants for water, wastewater, and resilience projects across western North Carolina. Meanwhile, the North Carolina State Board of Elections approved new permanent absentee ballot rules, sparking concerns about election integrity and voter ID requirements. [... more]

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is implementing new rules for photo ID exemptions, sparking controversy over voter fraud and election integrity. Meanwhile, businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are still navigating insurance claims and government shutdowns, highlighting the complexities of public policy and the importance of transparency in government. [... more]

Medicaid spending in North Carolina has nearly doubled over the last four years, with the state budget fully funding the state's projected Medicaid obligations for the coming fiscal year. Meanwhile, the state is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, with thousands of applicants remaining in various stages of the recovery process. Additionally, cities across North Carolina are grappling with large youth-led gatherings organized or amplified through social media, known as teen takeovers, which have led to violence, property damage, and innocent people getting hurt. [... more]

A new investigation by the North Carolina State Auditor's Office has uncovered widespread failures in financial oversight and questionable taxpayer-funded spending in the town of Kerry, one of the state's largest municipalities. The report highlights a culture that discouraged employees from questioning leadership and a lack of transparency in financial decision-making. Meanwhile, former FBI Director James Comey faces a federal investigation in North Carolina, accused of threatening President Donald Trump with a 2025 social media post. [... more]

A new analysis from Carolina Journal shows that elite private schools across North Carolina take little opportunity scholarship dollars, while predominantly lower-cost religious schools receive the largest share of funds. The state budget also expands sports betting and prediction markets, with a 5% increase on gross wagering revenue taxes and a 6% tax on net trading in prediction markets. A federal lawsuit is filed against the Gaston County School Board over a teacher's social media post after Charlie Kirk's assassination, raising questions about First Amendment rights and public vs. private conduct. [... more]