VOLUME 10 ISSUE 40 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2025
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ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, right, speaks with reporters last Thursday at the White House.
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Education Department signals breakup with moves
BRIEF this week
MrBeast, Rockefeller Foundation team up New York One of the most storied American philanthropies is teaming up with the internet’s biggest creator to instill young people with a concern for what they call the world’s “most vulnerable” populations. Beast Philanthropy, the charitable organization started by MrBeast founder and North Carolina native Jimmy Donaldson, and the Rockefeller Foundation announced a strategic partnership Monday. The idea is to pair Donaldson’s unique ability to capture youth attention spans with the foundation’s 112-year history of using its resources and technology to tackle global problems. Speaking together ahead of a Nov. 21 video shoot at MrBeast’s Greenville studio, the two sides said they have a mutal interest in combatting child hunger and have started work to combat child labor in the cocoa industry.
Audit says billions in COVID funds remain unspent Any unused funds would revert to the U.S. Treasury on Dec. 31, 2026 By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A state audit of COVID funds shows the money was accounted for and had been allocated, but the audit also revealed $2.95 billion — more than half — of those funds is still undistributed.
“State agencies were allocated billions of dollars for COVID, but a lot of that money sat parked,” North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek said in a press release. “With funds not expended by the end of 2026 going to the U.S. Treasury, state agencies should be proactive in making sure taxpayers realize a return on the investment of these funds.” See AUDIT, page A3
The federal agency will offload various responsibilities By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The U.S. Department of Education announced partnerships to unload certain responsibilities to other agencies last week as part of President Donald Trump’s promise to return education authority to the states. “The Trump Administration is taking bold action to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release. “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission. “As we partner with these
4 shot during Concord tree lighting ceremony Concord Four people were shot Friday evening at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in North Carolina, according to officials. Three people were in critical condition and one in stable condition following the shooting in Concord, which is about 19 miles northeast of Charlotte, according to a statement from the city. Video and photos posted online show crowds of people fleeing, along with a street lined with emergency vehicles. The event was advertised as the city’s 28th annual tree lighting ceremony and was expected to feature Santa and Mrs. Claus, food trucks, the film “The Grinch” and fireworks, according to the city’s website.
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Earls knocks immigration raids, met with criticism Republicans called the statement biased and “irresponsible” By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A statement on immigration activities in North Carolina issued on social media by North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls has drawn criticism for its perceived partisan nature. “I cannot be silent while the constitutional rights of our neighbors are being violated right here in North Carolina,” Earls said in a statement. She also said there were “reports of federal agents stopping and seizing lawful res-
idents and immigrants with no criminal records, causing many North Carolinians to be fearful of leaving their homes, going to work, sending their children to school, shopping for food, or getting medical attention.” Earls, a Democrat, also claimed, “These agents are being pulled off cases investigating sex trafficking, child abuse, and terrorism,” before calling the immigration enforcement actions a “political stunt” that “further erodes the public’s trust in the already broken justice system.” “The willingness of this administration to abandon the prosecution of serious crimes See EARLS, page A3
“Judges are not political commentators, and we are not supposed to be advocates.” Phil Berger Jr., state Supreme Court justice
agencies to improve federal programs, we will continue to gather best practices in each state through our 50-state tour, empower local leaders in K-12 education, restore excellence to higher education, and work with Congress to codify these reforms. Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools — ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.” This recent move aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order in March directing McMahon — a New Bern native who graduated from East Carolina — to close the Department of Education and return authority to the states. The White House, in a post on X, touted the planned dismantling of the agency. See EDUCATION, page A2