VOLUME 11 ISSUE 20 | THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2026
NSJONLINE.COM
COURTESY MOLLY RILEY / THE WHITE HOUSE
Happy birthday, America Though it was delayed by storms, an enormous fireworks display — said to be a world-record, though it has yet to be certified by Guinness — over the National Mall in Washington, D.C. delighted hundreds of thousands of Americans who stayed up past midnight to see it. The 40-minute show saw some 850,000 individual shells launched into the air, with heavy rain beginning again just moments after the show completed.
the
North Carolina finally passes state budget
BRIEF this week
Hamas dissolves its government in Gaza to transfer power to a UN-backed committee Hamas says it has dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a U.N.-backed technical committee. The decision announced Monday is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. Hamas did not clarify if it would disarm or hand over security to an international force. The Board of Peace, led by U.S. President Donald Trump, says it will assess the impact based on actions. Israel dismissed the announcement as a ploy by Hamas to avoid disarmament. The technocratic committee is tasked with restoring services and overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza. Israeli strikes have lessened since the ceasefire but continue almost daily, targeting Hamas and other militants, and also killing civilians.
Three tankers hit in Strait of Hormuz as US revokes license authorizing sale of Iranian oil Dubai, United Arab Emirates Three tankers were struck by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, and hours later the United States revoked a license that had authorized the sale of Iranian oil. The assaults announced Tuesday by the British military were the most in a single day in the fuel-shipping waterway since late April. The fresh attacks threatened to choke off the flow of traffic in the strait just as countries hoped to restore normal shipping practices and ease the global economic strain of the war. A U.S. official said the license was revoked because Iran’s actions in the strait were unacceptable and needed to be met with consequences.
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The $34B bill gives raises, tax relief and Medicaid funding
New law would protect farmland from foreign ownership It also covers areas near military installations By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A bill protecting certain areas and types of land in the state from foreign ownership is headed to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. The Farmland and Military Protection Act (House Bill 133) would stop certain adversarial foreign governments and their
related companies from buying or leasing farmland and property near the state’s military bases. The bill received its final approval vote in the House last Tuesday by a vote of 111-2. The two votes against the measure came from Rep. Maria Cervania (D-Wake) and Rep. Laura Budd (D-Mecklenburg). The bill was first passed unanimously by the House in April 2025. See FARMLAND, page A2
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The state has a budget. Gov. Josh Stein signed it on Tuesday morning after the legislature passed it last week. “When we work together across our differences and put people first, we can make good things happen,” Stein wrote in a post on social media. “That’s why today I’m signing the budget.” The appropriations bill received bipartisan support; the House passed it 88-21, and the Senate’s vote was 35-10. “This budget helps North Carolinians keep more of their hard-earned money while making historic investments in the people who serve our communities every day — from teachers and state employees to law enforcement,” said House
Rockingham sheriff sues Senate Leader’s son Sam Page is suing Kevin Berger, alleging retaliation for legislation and candidacy By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page is suing Rockingham County and Kevin Berger, son of Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), according to court documents recently filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Page defeated Phil Berger in the March primary for Berger’s Senate seat, which spans part of Guilford County as well
as Rockingham. Page faces Steve Luking, a Democrat, in the upcoming November general election. Court records also show attorney Alicia Jurney is representing Page in the current lawsuit. She was involved in his campaign during recount requests made by Phil Berger following the primary. The suit claims violations of the First and 14th Amendments and seeks declaratory and injunctive relief plus damages, including punitive damages against Berger personally. Kevin Berger has yet to comment on the complaint. According to the complaint, Page alleges his opposition to a
“This case arises from Defendants’ retaliation against Sheriff Page for his opposition to Senator Berger’s casino legislation and candidacy.”
See LAWSUIT, page A8
Lawsuit filing
Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) in a statement. “The 2026 Appropriations Act demonstrates that we can deliver tax relief in a responsible way while making historic investments in raises for teachers and law enforcement, efforts to root out fraud in government, ongoing Helene recovery for Western North Carolina, and more,” Hall said. “The House fought hard for this budget, and the result is proof that we can keep taxes low, spend wisely, and invest in the priorities that matter most.” Minority Leader Rep. Robert Reives (D-Chatham) issued a separate statement critical of the time it took to pass the budget. “This is not the budget that House Democrats would have written, and as with many of the bills we pass in this General Assembly, it’s a mixed bag,” Reives said in part. The initial round of approvals came on July 1, with both See BUDGET, page A3