Energy Firm Bankrupt; VinFast Secrecy Fight; Senate Fundraising

A Durham-based energy trading firm has filed for bankruptcy after federal regulators imposed a $1.1 billion fraud judgment, marking one of the largest enforcement actions of its kind. The program also examines several studies funded in North Carolina’s new state budget, exploring the policy issues lawmakers want to evaluate over the coming years. Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation discusses a legal dispute in which the Department of Commerce and VinFast argue portions of their ongoing lawsuit should remain under seal. Plus, the latest second-quarter campaign finance reports show former Governor Roy Cooper outraising Republican National Chairman Michael Whatley in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race.