VOLUME 11 ISSUE 4 | THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2026
NSJONLINE.COM
ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO
Imperfect storm
A person looks at the departure board with multiple flight cancellations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Monday as a swath of storms caused travel chaos and canceled schools across the state. The system triggered tornado watch alerts in the Piedmont, but the storm was limited mostly to strong winds and rain.
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Stein issues $1.4B ‘critical needs budget’
BRIEF this week
Crockett confirms security team member killed by Dallas police Dallas U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas confirmed that a man killed during a police standoff in Dallas was a longtime member of her security team. Dallas police said Monday that Diamon Mazairre Robinson used the fake name “Mike King” for years. Police say he ran security businesses and hired off-duty officers. Investigators say his real identity surfaced after Irving police flagged a vehicle with stolen government plates. Police say Robinson fled a traffic stop on March 11 and later faced an hourslong standoff in a hospital parking garage. Officers say they shot him after he stepped out and drew a handgun. Crockett says her team did not know about the alias.
Top counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war Washington, D.C. Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation Tuesday, citing concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war. Kent, a former Green Beret and political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed last July on a 52-44 vote. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats. The leadership change at one of the nation’s top counterterrorism offices comes at a time of heightened concern about terrorism following recent attacks at a Michigan synagogue and a Virginia university.
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The 12-page proposal appears to be a targeted minibudget
More financial issues for troubled school system Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools had $15 million in off-the-books spending, according to an audit By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — A new state audit report following up on financial and budgetary issues in the Winston-Salem/
Forsyth County Schools district shows approximately $15 million in expenditures in fiscal year 2025 that were kept off the books until September 2025 and backdated to June 30, 2025. The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) released the follow-up report on March 5, detailing Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ (WS/FCS) improper recording See SYSTEM, page A3
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein released a proposed $1.4 billion “critical needs budget” he says is needed to address urgent shortfalls in state operations amid the General Assembly’s budget stalemate. Released last Monday, the 12-page plan appears to be a mini-budget targeting specific areas. The plan document shows $1.37 billion in specific adjustments: $1.17 billion recurring and $200 million nonrecurring, primarily from the General Fund. Stein said his plan prioritizes preventing service disruptions in health care, education, public safety and essential state functions, citing driving factors like persistent inflation, population growth of 326,000 residents
Education Department continues downsizing The agency entered partnerships with the State and Health and Human Services departments By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The U.S. Department of Education recently announced two new partnerships with other federal agencies to help reduce the federal role in education and make programs run more smoothly. The agreements involve the State and Health and Human Services (HHS) departments, adding to several sim-
ilar deals made last November. The goal is to cut red tape, improve efficiency and move toward returning more control over education to states, as promised by President Donald Trump. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the steps as practical ways to boost efficiency, coordination, school safety and accountability, putting students and families first. “As we continue to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states, our new partnerships with the State Department and HHS represent a practical step toward See EDUCATION, page A2
“These efforts strengthen accountability and security in our education system.” Linda McMahon, U.S. Education secretary
since 2023, rising costs and shifts in federal funding. “North Carolina has gone nearly two and a half years without passing a new state budget — the only state in the country to finish 2025 without one,” Stein said in a press release. “While lawmakers work toward a full, fiscally responsible budget this spring, there are urgent needs facing our state right now like fully funding Medicaid and giving law enforcement, teachers, and other public servants a long-deserved pay raise. This budget invests in critical public safety, education and health care services for the people of North Carolina that cannot wait.” Key elements of Stein’s plan include: • $397 million (recurring) for teacher and instructional support raises; a 13% increase in starting pay to at least $49,518 including supplements • $319 million (recurring) See BUDGET, page A8