Budget Pressure Builds, Judge Blocks CMPD Video

Questions are emerging over whether progressive activists are strategically entering North Carolina GOP primaries, raising concerns among Republican leaders about voter confusion. State officials are also urging lawmakers to pass a long-delayed budget, warning that growing workloads and staffing pressures are straining agencies across state government. In the courts, a federal judge has blocked the release of CMPD body-camera video tied to the Charlotte light rail killing, citing legal and procedural concerns. Meanwhile, North Carolina officials say they have received no formal notice of a rumored federal freeze on child care funding.