State Supreme Court Fight: Gov. Josh Stein and top GOP legislative leaders will clash in North Carolina’s highest court on Nov. 10 over limits on Stein’s appointment authority, with two consolidated cases set for 2 1/2 hours of oral arguments and briefs due Sept. 2 and Oct. 30. Rural Health Funding: UNC Health will run a new ROOTS Hub for a 14-county region, overseeing a competitive $39 million pot for perinatal health, chronic disease, nutrition, and workforce priorities, with community listening sessions scheduled in Nash, Vance, Caswell, and Chatham counties. Maternal Care Push: Hospitals across the country are expanding a North Carolina-led effort using “I Gave Birth” wristbands to flag postpartum risks and reduce maternal deaths, with more expansion planned using federal rural health dollars. Military Training in NC: The Army’s Robin Sage special-operations exercise begins Friday at Fort Bragg and will run Aug. 14-27 across dozens of NC counties, with residents warned to expect blank fire and flares. Voting Access Watch: A new report says some county election boards are targeting student voters by cutting or excluding on-campus early voting sites ahead of November. Local Governance & Growth: Raleigh filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a casino zoning lawsuit at the state Supreme Court, arguing rulings could reshape zoning litigation and development decisions statewide. Public Safety Tech Backlash: Wilmington is taking four Flock Safety license plate readers offline amid privacy concerns and misuse allegations, while other states consider new guardrails. Education & Housing: North Carolina A&T celebrated a new dorm opening as enrollment climbs, adding to a broader push to expand housing at Black colleges.