Housing & Workforce: Gov. Josh Stein highlighted construction apprenticeships and Pitt Community College’s training pipeline as North Carolina tries to boost the construction workforce after a housing affordability executive order. Young Adults Pressure: Recent NC graduates rallied at the General Assembly over housing costs, debt and a tough job market, saying the degree isn’t the hard part—life after college is. Medicaid Budget Watch: A policy review looks at how North Carolina is preparing to implement 2025 reconciliation-law Medicaid changes amid a projected FY 2026 shortfall. Local Business Expansion: Wawa opened its first Wilmington-area store and says it plans major growth across North Carolina, with dozens of sites in the pipeline. Banking Deal: Coastal Carolina Bancshares and Beacon Holding Company announced a merger of equals to build a larger community bank franchise across the coastal Carolinas. Public Safety: A federal complaint says Charlotte’s Garden Inn & Suites operated as a hub for drug and gun trafficking, leading to arrests and a civil forfeiture action. Tech & Connectivity: T-Mobile Fiber customers in multiple states, including parts of NC, reported an outage that stretched into a second day. Healthcare & Industry: Honeywell, headquartered in Charlotte, asked to move a caustic leak injury lawsuit to federal court.