G20 & Housing: At the Asheville G20, North Carolina’s housing crunch stayed front and center, with a state auditor dashboard saying recovery spending has reached $5.1 billion and 347 projects completed after Hurricane Helene—but the region still faces a shortage of more than 5,000 homes, pushing renewed calls to cut zoning and permitting barriers. Workforce & Community Colleges: North Carolina lawmakers boosted community colleges in the latest budget, adding $99 million for enrollment growth and $57.5 million for Propel NC to better align training with in-demand jobs. AI in Schools: NC lawmakers are backing AI tools to lift student performance, with supporters pointing to studies and lawmakers planning to measure results through the state’s learning research office. Data Centers Tax Fight: A new NC budget bill ends one data-center incentive while keeping other tax breaks, as Gov. Josh Stein weighs whether to veto amid local concerns over power, water, and permitting. Elections & Mail Voting: North Carolina began widely distributing mail ballots for the midterms as legal fights over Trump’s limits and Postal Service changes raise uncertainty for voters and election officials. Cybersecurity: The U.S. military disabled advertising location trackers on government devices after concerns that commercial location data could be used to target troops. Fraud Watch: A new report says 700 NC residents lost more than $8.4 million in 2025 to a major fraud scheme, highlighting how scammers use digital pressure and AI to impersonate real people. Energy Costs: Diesel hit a new U.S. record, squeezing farmers and other businesses—an added pressure point ahead of November.