October 15, 2025 • 33 mins
The U.S. Senate’s defense authorization bill includes significant funding for North Carolina’s military installations, providing support for base upgrades and infrastructure improvements. Lawmakers in Raleigh are set to revisit congressional maps next week, a move expected to reignite partisan debate over redistricting. Meanwhile, anticipation is building for the 2025 North Carolina State Fair, with some of the year’s most talked-about new foods and attractions.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's five oh five and welcome into a Wednesday edition
of the Carolina Journal News Hour News Stock eleven, ten
ninety nine three WBT. My name is Nick Craig. Good
morning to you. Well day fifteen now of the government
shutdown in Washington, DC, as federal paychecks are set to
go out to federal workers today. This would be the
(00:30):
second pay period of the month, as the last one
was on was on October the first, and according to
House Speaker Mike Johnson in a news conference yesterday, he
says there's nothing for him to negotiate and we will
watch what unfolds in Capitol Hill today. However, despite the
federal government shutdown, the Senate passed its version of the
(00:51):
Fiscal Year twenty twenty six National Defense Authorization Act, known
as the NDAA last week, which includes funding for North
Carolina military installations. It now clears the way for the
House and Senate Armed Services Committee to negotiate a compromise
bill and send it back to both chambers for a
(01:11):
vote before it would go to President Donald Trump's desk
for a signature. In addition to increasing funding for North
Carolina's military installations, the bill includes numerous provisions to improve
readiness and quality of life for troops protecting the United States,
and strengthening alliances abroad. According to the Senate Armed Serves
(01:34):
Committee chairman named Roger Wicker, who is the Republican Senator
out of Missouri. He said in a press release last week, quote,
Today the Senate passed one of the most important legislative
priorities to enable the modernization of our military and strengthen
our national security. This year's NDAA reflects the severity of
(01:55):
the threat environment we find ourselves in, one that we
have not faced since World War War Two. He said
that the bill centers on two main themes, rebuild and reform,
including in advancements and things like drone technology, shipbuilding, and
innovative low cost weapons. The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman said, quote,
(02:17):
we have also set out to enact historic reforms in
the Pentagon budgeting and acquisition process to unleash innovation and
root out inefficiencies within the military. Senate Armed Service Committee
ranking member Jack Reid said it's a good bipartisan bill
that supports the troops and strengthens America's security. He said
(02:39):
in oppressor release, quote, it provides essential resources for servicemen
and their families, modernizes key platforms, and invests in critical
technologies in things like AI and artificial intelligence and cyber security.
This NDAA also bolsters our posture against China and Russia,
(02:59):
support or It's Americans allies, and protects the Department of
Defense from emerging threats. US Senator Ted budd who is
also a member of that Senate Armed Service Committee, was
instrumental in getting the funding for the military installations, the
variety of them across North Carolina, and the passage of
(03:20):
the main provisions of the bill. Our North Carolina Senator
set in a press release on Friday, quote, North Carolina
has long stood at the forefront of America's military strength,
and I was proud to deliver key victories for our
state and our nation in the fiscal year twenty twenty
six NDAA that will further empower our servicemen and strengthen
(03:44):
our forces both at home and abroad. Last night, the
Senate passed this historic defense package that enhances military facilities,
reinforces air superiority, cuts burdens some regulations, combats terrorism, and
ends discriminate natory affirmative action policies at our service academies.
(04:04):
America's strength rests on the unmatched lethality of its armed forces,
and this year's NDAA reaffirms that commitment by advancing our
military's readiness to confront any threat and resolved to defend
the cause of freedom against any adversary. The senator from
(04:25):
North Carolina, in Senator budd Is Bipartisan Seized Iranian Arms
Transfer Authorization Act was among the fifty five amendments that
were included and passed in the final NDAA. According to
the press release, the amended streamlines the process for taking
ownership over confiscated Iranian weapons seized in transit to terror
(04:48):
proxies like the Huthis in Yemen. It also bypasses a
potential year long legal process for the distribution of captured
Iranian weapons and equipment held by US Central Command, allowing
it to be sent to the United States military partners
around the globe. He also co sponsored the Bipartisan Comprehensive
(05:09):
Operations for Unmanned Systems Neutralization and Threat Elimination Response that
is a long name in the acronym for that is
the counter Act, which also passed the Senate as an
amendment for the fiscal year twenty twenty six NDAA. The
amendment enhances airspace security at military installations across the country.
(05:32):
Senator Ted Budd also championed several key priorities that he
says were aimed at improving the quality of life for
the military and their families, including an across the board
three point eight percent raise for military service members, creating
a basic pilot program to improve basic allowances for housing
rates for North Carolina service members and their families, prohibiting
(05:57):
affirmative action in US Service Academy Administration admissions rather cutting
burdens of environmental regulations that prohibit the Defense Department from
procuring basic items, as well as accelerating the development, prototyping,
and the deployment of mobile nuclear mini reactor systems to
enhance energy resiliency and forward deploying power capability for US
(06:23):
military operations. The fiscal year twenty twenty six NDAA authorizes
more than seven hundred million dollars for military construction projects,
as that includes the full gambit planning and design, finding,
and funding all of those facilities across the country and
here in North Carolina. Senator Ted Budd successfully worked to
(06:45):
include authorizing provisions to support the following facilities programs and
units will go through at least a couple of them.
We will start at a military air station or Marine
air station Cherry Point, where they're authorization for forty million
dollars in funding to boost the F thirty five Aircraft
Sustainment Center and an additional fifteen million dollars in funding
(07:09):
to design the next phase of the flightline utilities modernization projects.
That's over at Cherry Point. Turning our attention to Camp Lajune,
authorizing thirty four million dollars in funding for expansion of
the Special Operation Forces Combat Service support the Motor Transport program. There,
ninety million dollars in funding to boost the Special Operation
(07:32):
Forces Marine Raider Battalion Operation Facility Pretty penny There ninety
million dollars, and an additional forty eight point two eight
million dollars in funding to boost amphibious combat vehicle shelters.
All of that taking place at Camp Lajune. Fort Bragg
has the longest list of moneies set aside for additional programs,
(07:54):
nineteen million dollars for the Automated Infantry Platoon battle Course,
twenty four million dollars to complete the construction of an
aircraft maintenance hangar on Fort braggas outside Fayetteville. Eighty million
dollars in funding to improve the fort's power generation and
micro grid. So you could be looking, as I just mentioned,
at maybe some SMR small modular reactor or nuclear reactor
(08:18):
facilities for Fort Brag. We'll see what goes on there.
Thirty two million dollars in funding for Special Operation Forces
and a Mission Command Center. An additional eighty million dollars
to boost the Special Operation Ammunition supply point, and five
million dollars in funding for what is called the Pathfinder
Airborne Program, which is to improve soldier readiness. Many other
(08:43):
facilities across North Carolina, including Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,
the North Carolina National Guard, and the North Carolina Manufacturer,
Manufacturer and Project groups all receiving some pretty hefty sums
of money in this fiscal year two twenty six NDAA
that did pass the United States Senate. As I mentioned,
(09:05):
this legislation will now make its way to the Senate
Armed Service Committee. It will also make its way to
eventually the United States House for them to give a
final vote on it. Again, all of this happening while
the government shutdown does continue in Washington DC Day fifteen. Now,
we will continue to keep an eye not only on
(09:27):
this NDAA, but some of some of the ongoings as
it relates to the shutdown. Any relevant news and information,
we'll bring it to you right here on the Carolina
Journal News Hour. You can read a more detailed list
of all of the funding that could be coming to
North Carolinas for various military installations by visiting our website
Carolina Journal dot com that headline story funding for NC
(09:49):
military installations in US Senate and DAA. Again those details
at Carolina Journal dot com. It's five twenty one. Welcome
back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk eleven,
ten ninety nine to three WBT. We'll be diving into
more detail on this tomorrow. I do want to let
(10:10):
you know that early voting gets under way coming up tomorrow, Thursday,
October the sixteenth, for voters in three hundred and eighty
different North Carolina municipalities ahead of an early November election day. Statewide,
there are four hundred and forty seven cities, towns, and
villages in eighty eight counties that are conducting elections. Of these,
(10:32):
sixty seven municipalities have chosen not to use early voting
or absentee voting and will only be allowed to vote
on election day, which is Tuesday, November fourth. The vast
majority of those sixty seven municipalities we are talking about
very small towns and cities or villages across North Carolina
that only may have a couple of one hundred residents.
(10:52):
We'll have it and dive into some more detail on
that with Teresa Opeka from Carolina Journal dot com coming
up at tomorrow morning. Just to pass that along, early voting,
especially in the Charlotte metro many other major municipalities, does
begin tomorrow. We'll dive into those details tomorrow morning right
here on the Carolina Journal News Hour where it's now
five twenty three News Talk eleven ten ninety nine three WBT.
(11:16):
One of the major North Carolina political stories that we
continue to track this week on the Carolina Journal News
Hours the announcement that there will be some discussions coming
up early next week starting October the twentieth, about redistricting
in the North Carolina General Assembly. To shine a little
bit more light on that and give us some details
on that. It's my pleasure to welcome doctor Andy Jackson
from the John Locke Foundation to The Carolina Journal News
(11:38):
Hour this morning. Andy, you have been following the redistricting
battle here at North Carolina for quite some time before
we get into any of the details. Were you shocked
by the announcement from Senators of Phil Berger and Representative
Destin Hall earlier this week that they will be looking
at redistricting here at the end of October?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Actually shocked. North Carolina has kind of been on the
front line of these redistricting wars for a while now,
and it was pretty clear that, you know, they could
squeeze out another Republican district. They really could have written
an eleven three district last time around, or eleven three
map last time around. So I guess with all the
(12:21):
stuff happening with California and Texas, it was almost inevitable.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Let me ask you, and you mentioned this, and this
has been something that has been mentioned by a lot
of folks that have been following this in some cases
for twenty or thirty years. You said, North Carolina is
kind of unique in the way in which our redistricting
has continually boiled to the top. It's something that's only
supposed to happen really every ten years, when you get
new data from the census. Yet, Andy, if you look
back at just the last decade, we've seen a whole
(12:48):
bunch of redistricting here in North Carolina. What gives.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, it's been decades since we've had a complete set
of maps state House, state Senate, and congressional maps that
have lasted a whole decade, maybe the nineteen seventies. I'd
have to go back and check it. I only go
back as far as the eighties, and it's never It
never happens. Usually it's a result of a court decision
where there's been either mainly consider what we can call
(13:16):
racial gerrymandering, sometimes political jerrymandarin, or that's been thrown out
by the courts recently. And so you know, over and
over and over again, there's been some problem with redistricting
in North Carolina. The good news is for state legislative districts,
the House and the Senate, unless there's a court case,
they can only draw those districts, you know, once a
(13:38):
decade after the census. The constitution requires that once that's drawn,
they can't do it again until the next census. There
is no such restriction for congressional districts, So they can
redraw them, you know, after every election, if that's what
they want to do, once they get that new set
of election data.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Yeah. And so as we look at the process that
is likely to unfold next week in the General Assembly,
all eyes appear to be on Congressional District number one,
that's in the northeast half of the state. Democrat Don
Davis is currently the representative there. He is a Democrat
serving in Washington. D C walks through some of the
details on that district in why that is something that
(14:17):
the General Assembly is likely to look at well.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
The first district is one of the two traditional Voting
Rights Act districts. For lack of a better word, it's
the ones where Blacks and Democrats are most likely to
represent or elect the candidate of their choice. The other
one was the twelfth district. That's the twelfth district is
the one that used to snake all the way from
Durham to Charlotte. Now it's concentrated in Charlotte. The first
(14:44):
district is up in that northeast corner, and it is
also the only really competitive district in the state. Last
time I took a look at it, we rated it
a D plus zero, which means that it very very
barely leans Democratic by less than half a percentage point.
(15:05):
And so it's a competitive district as it is, Don
Davis always has a competitive race against whoever the Republicans
throw up against them. But now they're going to look
at tweaking that. There's a few ways they can do it,
and certainly the first would be the easiest one to change,
to change it over to say a Republican plus four,
(15:26):
maybe a plus five, and make it more likely to
beat Davis next year.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
And so one of the terms that you have been
using over the last couple of days describing this is
dummy mandering. Andy, if you're going to make the first
congressional district an R plus five, you're going to have
to find and draw in those Republican voters from somewhere
else geographically close to the first congressional district. Is it
accurate to say that you then have to weaken a
(15:51):
district for a Republican to add some more Republican elect
or conservative voters to that first district.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Yeah. If you look at the map and you take
a look at the voter distribution there, the two bordering
districts are the thirteenth and the third, and out of
those two, it's much easier to take Republican leaning areas
out of the third. They can go and take some
of those beach communities. Take Dare County, for example, move
(16:21):
that over and then in exchange, either take parts of
Pitt County from the third or or some of these
other counties that are a little bit more in the
middle of the state. To do that, you're going to
end up reducing the Republican advantage. Republicans are about nine
percentage point advantage currently in the third district. So if
(16:43):
you are going to move the first district up, then
make it say an our four district. Well, then and
you're taking that all out of the third, then the
third is going to go down on R five. And
what makes this a dummy mander potentially is that twenty
twenty six is a midterm election with the Republican in
the White House. Republicans generally suffer in those kind of elections,
(17:05):
as do Democrats when there's a Democrat in the White House.
And so if Democrats can nominate decent a decent candidate
in the third they would have a real shot at
winning that race. So unless Republicans plan on redrawing the
entire map for Matti Odo Murphy. Then you're looking at
making the third district much more competitive than it is
(17:26):
right now.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Will continue the redistricting conversation with Andy Jackson from the
John Locke Foundation. Coming up after this. You're listening to
the Carolina Journal News Hour. It's five thirty six. Welcome
back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk eleven,
ten ninety nine three WBT. Next week is squaring up
(17:49):
to be a very interesting week in Raleigh as lawmakers
Republican leadership in both the House and Senate have announced
that they are going to look at redrawing at least one,
if not multiple North care Mare Alina congressional districts as
we head into the twenty twenty six midterm elections. We're
continuing our conversation this morning with doctor Andy Jackson from
the John Locke Foundation, and so as we watch this
(18:10):
process again likely to unfold, at least from what we've
been told in the General Assembly early next week. Andy,
one of the other things that you've oppined on is
that we seemingly, regardless of what ends up happening, there
will be litigation that are brought against the maps drawn
by the Republican led General Assembly. As the state has
a long history with redistricting, it also has a long
(18:31):
track record and history of lawsuits in the immediate aftermaths
of maps being redrawn. What would something like that even
look like. Is candidate filing for these districts are going
to open up here in early December.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah. I what's probably going to happen is that Democrats
will will ask for a preliminary injunction against the map,
assuming that it gets written in the next month or two.
That will likely fail because the most recent cases that
we've had have failed, and so to win a polimary
(19:04):
injunction you have to demonstrate that you're likely to succeed.
And we just had a case in the same part
of the state with North Carolina Senate districts where they
where that lawsuit was thrown out. The judge said that
they didn't really prove their case, and since there's a
lot of geographic overlap between that suit and any suit
about the first district, I'm expecting that they'll probably fail
(19:27):
getting a preliminary junction. They'll have the election in twenty
six based on the new map, and then this case
will probably be settled in twenty twenty seven. Whether or
not they win depends a lot on what happens within
that district. So, for example, if they end up making
the district less black in the course of making it
(19:49):
more Republican, and they make it so that you split
more counties, or they make it less compact, they make
it so that the plaintiffs could demonstrate, hey, they could
have drawn a much better map that has more black
voters in it, well, then they might succeed in that case.
We had a similar case in Alabama either a year
(20:10):
or two ago, where they showed way, you could draw
a more compact district that has a majority black voters
in it than you did. And so that's what I'm
expecting that Plaineoffs are going to try to demonstrate here.
And it really requires the General Assembly to have some
skill in drawing this because they're not supposed to be
(20:31):
using racial data. They've been successfully avoiding using racial data.
But to draw a map where you don't really affect
the number of blacks, even though you don't know precisely
where they are, it's going to be difficult.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
And one of the terms that has been used as
this national discussion has been growing over the last couple
of months. Andy is jerry mannering, and there's a couple
of different kinds of jerry mannering. But the two that
will focus on is you've got partisan jerrymandering, which the
courts have essentially said is not a valid our. There's
really nothing here. The party that is in charge draws
the maps. The other, however, is racial jerrymandering, and that
(21:07):
is a completely different ballgame. And as you were just
talking about in that case in Alabama, that is a
legal argument that even over the last couple of years,
has been successful for some plaintiffs suing against map drawers.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah. Well, and we have a case coming up that
some people say it's going to be a big test
case coming out of Louisiana where they drew a second
majority black district. There's kind of a bracket that we
have that you have You need to be able to
demonstrate that you can draw reasonably compact districts that have
(21:42):
majority black or a big proportion of black voters that
they can elect candidates of their choice, but you can't
show that you have made race the primary motive for
drawing the district. And so that cuts both ways. We've
had cases where we've had a majority back black district
(22:03):
that was thrown out because they were over concentrating on
race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clause,
which cuts both ways. So people that are drawing these
maps and plaintiffs that are suing these maps are kind
of but in a kind of a narrow band between
the Voting Rights Act, where they're trying to get more
(22:25):
black majority districts or districts where they can elect candidates
that they like, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which says you
can't really consider race when drawing districts, and that is
a very narrow path both for drawing district and succeeding
in lawsuits.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
There's definitely going to be a lot of things to
watch here in North Carolina, and probably a relatively short
time span Andy, over the next probably six or eight weeks,
as we get closer to that early December candidate filing.
We'll keep an eye on all of the details over
on our website Carolina Journal dot com. We appreciate the
information and insight this morning from doctor Andy Jackson from
the John Locke Foundation. He joins us on the Carolina
(23:01):
Journal News Hour, where it's now five point forty one
News Talk eleven ten ninety nine to three WBT. We
appreciate the details this morning from doctor Andy Jackson, and
of course, as we head into next week's legislative session,
we will be keeping up to date with continued coverage
of this what is said to be very hot political
topic over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com and
(23:23):
right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. In some
lights statewide news this morning. The one hundred and fifty
seventh annual North Carolina State Fair opens tomorrow Thursday, October
the sixteenth, no relation there to the start of early voting,
and runs through October the twenty sixth. One of the
maiden features of the fair each and every year is
(23:43):
the extensive amount of food vendors that are available. In
this year, there are eighty eight new food items, with
food being cited as the number one draw to the
State Fair, according to officials with the North Carolina Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The North Carolina State Fair
is the largest event in the state, according to state officials,
(24:05):
and is a unique event that draws families and friends
together over multiple generations and folks from the Department of
Agriculture say that they are very proud to be part
of some of those cherished memories. It takes over a
year to plan the state Fair, and planning for next
year's twenty twenty six fair is already under way, while
the twenty twenty five State Fair kicks off tomorrow. According
(24:28):
to Steve Troxler, he says the fair is all about
family fun looking at some of the various food vendors
that were successful in winning some awards. Earlier this week
on October thirteenth, members of the media across North Carolina
heard remarks from Steve A. Troxler and took advantage of
(24:48):
food sampling at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, just outside
the campus of NC State a variety of different winners
in different categories, including some various events from across the
state of North Carolina. We've got an article this morning
over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com focusing some
of the focusing on some of the winners from twenty
(25:10):
twenty four and twenty twenty five, and according to Katie Zender,
one of our reporters over at Carolina Journal dot com,
they chose their favorite item that was available as part
of the fair item food. We're Pomento cheese and pork
barbecue balls which were battered and deep fried than drizzled
with sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. They are a creation
(25:33):
of Fat Boys Barbecue, which is owned by a husband
and wife, Miles and Aaron two. They are located out
of Clayton, North Carolina, just outside the Raleigh metro and
they are bringing their They are bringing their Pimento cheese
barbecue pork balls to the State Fair this year. You
can read some additional details on that and find out
(25:54):
more information about the fair over on our website This
Morning Carolina Journal dot com that headline story best new
foods coming to NC State Fair in twenty twenty five.
Good morning again, it's five point fifty one. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour News Talk eleven ten
(26:15):
ninety nine three WBT. Don't forget if you miss any
portion of our show live here weekday mornings. You can
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Search for the Carolina Journal News Hour, tap the subscribe
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each and every weekday morning. It's The Carolina Journal News
Hour podcast. Download and subscribe now. Day fifteen of the
(26:40):
federal government shutdown in Washington, DC. Today is set to
be an interesting one as it is the second pay
period of the month for federal employees who received their
last paycheck back on Wednesday, October the first. That's leaving
many scratching their heads and wondering what is going to
happen with the shutdown this morning, as a direct posits
(27:00):
are supposed to be hitting accounts for those federal employees.
In a press conference, say yesterday, how Speaker Mike Johnson
was asked by the media whether he was ready to
negotiate with the other side of the political aisle, and
he very bluntly told the reporters in the room, I
have nothing to negotiate, So we will watch and see
what goes on on this fifteenth day. After a group
(27:21):
of Democrats made their way to Speaker Johnson's office last
night in protest of the ongoing government shutdown. It's not
immediately clear that there is any end in sight for
what we have watched over the last two weeks or so.
We'll keep our eye on it right here on the
Carolina Journal News Hour. However, even with the ongoing federal
(27:41):
government shutdown, work does continue on other legislation, at least
in the Senate in Washington, d C. Where they have
been in session over the last couple of weeks. Last week,
the Senate passed the twenty twenty six Fiscal Year National
Defense Authorization Act, also known as the NDAA, which does
include major funding for military installations across the state of
(28:05):
North Carolina. United States Senator Ted Budd who is a
member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, was instrumental in
getting the funding for military installations across North Carolina. In
a press release, his office says, quote, North Carolina has
long stood at the forefront of Americans America's military strength,
(28:26):
and I was proud to deliver key victories for our
state and nation in the FY twenty twenty six NDAA
that will broaden and empower our service members and strengthen
our forces both at home and abroad. Last night, the
Senate passed this historic defense package that enhances military facilities,
reinforces air superiority, cuts burdens some regulation, combats terrorism, and
(28:51):
ends discriminatory affirmative action policies at our service academies. America's
strength arrests on the unmatched leath that of its armed forces,
and this year's NDAA reaffirms that commitment by advancing our
military readiness to confront any threat. It resolves to defend
the cause of freedom against any adversary. Senator Bob also
(29:15):
had a couple of amendments to the final piece of legislation,
the final NDAA. One of them included the Seized Iranian
Arms Transfer Authorization Act of the short acronym for that seies,
and that was among some fifty five amendments that were passed.
That specific amendment gives the federal government a quicker process
(29:37):
to take ownership over confiscated Iranian weapons that have been
seized during transit to a variety variety of terror proxies
across the globe, more predominantly the Huthis and Yemen, in
which the United States has been successful in confiscating some
of those military arms. The other known as the counter Act,
which enhances airspace security at military installations domestically here in
(30:02):
the United States. Some of the broad strokes from the
NDAA include providing a three point eight percent rais across
the board for all service members, prohibiting affirmative action in
US Service academy admissions, and cutting burdensome environmental regulations that
prohibits the Department of War from procuring basic items. Here
(30:24):
in North Carolina, we are looking at a long list
of additional funding for military installations across the state. Over
at Fort Bragg, eighty million dollars in funding to boost
Special Operation Forces operational ammunition supply points. Another eighty million
dollars to improve Fort Bragg's power generation and a microgrid
(30:46):
as they could be looking at adding some SMR small
modulear reactor nuclear technology to the generation mix. Over at
Fort Bragg, twenty four million dollars for the construction of
aircraft maintenance hangars, as well. Over at Seymour Johnson Air
Force Base, fifty four million dollars in funding to improve
a child development center on base, and forty one million
(31:08):
dollars in funding to boost the combat Arms training and
maintenance complex that exists on Seymour Johnson. That money has
been authorized. The North Carolina National Guard has been authorized
for an additional sixty nine million dollars in funding for
aircraft maintenance hangars. In addition, or altering projects at the
Salisbury Training Center, so we'll potentially watch some of that
(31:32):
money go out there as well. Over at Cherry Point,
forty million dollars to boost the F thirty five aircraft's
sustainment center, and fifteen million dollars to design the next
phase of the flight line Utility modernization project. Over at
Camp Lajune. Looking at ninety million dollars to boost the
Special Operation Forces Marine Raider Battalion operation facility that is
(31:55):
a major facility over at Camp Lajoune, as well as
a forty eight million dollars to boost some amphibious combat
vehicle shelters. We've got a list of all of the
various money that could be coming to North Carolina. I'll
note that this legislation now has to make its way
to the Senate Armed Service Committee and to the United
States House before it is officially sent to President Donald
(32:18):
Trump's desk for his signature. A lot of money coming
to potentially coming to North Carolina. We'll keep our eye
on all the details over on our website, Carolina Journal
dot com and right here on the Carolina Journal News
out that's going to do it for a Wednesday edition
WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're
back with you tomorrow morning, five to six right here
(32:38):
on Newstalk eleven ten and ninety nine to three WBT
It's five oh five and welcome into a Wednesday edition
of the Carolina Journal News Hour News Stock eleven, ten
ninety nine three WBT. My name is Nick Craig. Good
morning to you. Well day fifteen now of the government
shutdown in Washington, DC, as federal paychecks are set to
go out to federal workers today. This would be the
(00:30):
second pay period of the month, as the last one
was on was on October the first, and according to
House Speaker Mike Johnson in a news conference yesterday, he
says there's nothing for him to negotiate and we will
watch what unfolds in Capitol Hill today. However, despite the
federal government shutdown, the Senate passed its version of the
(00:51):
Fiscal Year twenty twenty six National Defense Authorization Act, known
as the NDAA last week, which includes funding for North
Carolina military installations. It now clears the way for the
House and Senate Armed Services Committee to negotiate a compromise
bill and send it back to both chambers for a
(01:11):
vote before it would go to President Donald Trump's desk
for a signature. In addition to increasing funding for North
Carolina's military installations, the bill includes numerous provisions to improve
readiness and quality of life for troops protecting the United States,
and strengthening alliances abroad. According to the Senate Armed Serves
(01:34):
Committee chairman named Roger Wicker, who is the Republican Senator
out of Missouri. He said in a press release last week, quote,
Today the Senate passed one of the most important legislative
priorities to enable the modernization of our military and strengthen
our national security. This year's NDAA reflects the severity of
(01:55):
the threat environment we find ourselves in, one that we
have not faced since World War War Two. He said
that the bill centers on two main themes, rebuild and reform,
including in advancements and things like drone technology, shipbuilding, and
innovative low cost weapons. The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman said, quote,
(02:17):
we have also set out to enact historic reforms in
the Pentagon budgeting and acquisition process to unleash innovation and
root out inefficiencies within the military. Senate Armed Service Committee
ranking member Jack Reid said it's a good bipartisan bill
that supports the troops and strengthens America's security. He said
(02:39):
in oppressor release, quote, it provides essential resources for servicemen
and their families, modernizes key platforms, and invests in critical
technologies in things like AI and artificial intelligence and cyber security.
This NDAA also bolsters our posture against China and Russia,
(02:59):
support or It's Americans allies, and protects the Department of
Defense from emerging threats. US Senator Ted budd who is
also a member of that Senate Armed Service Committee, was
instrumental in getting the funding for the military installations, the
variety of them across North Carolina, and the passage of
(03:20):
the main provisions of the bill. Our North Carolina Senator
set in a press release on Friday, quote, North Carolina
has long stood at the forefront of America's military strength,
and I was proud to deliver key victories for our
state and our nation in the fiscal year twenty twenty
six NDAA that will further empower our servicemen and strengthen
(03:44):
our forces both at home and abroad. Last night, the
Senate passed this historic defense package that enhances military facilities,
reinforces air superiority, cuts burdens some regulations, combats terrorism, and
ends discriminate natory affirmative action policies at our service academies.
(04:04):
America's strength rests on the unmatched lethality of its armed forces,
and this year's NDAA reaffirms that commitment by advancing our
military's readiness to confront any threat and resolved to defend
the cause of freedom against any adversary. The senator from
(04:25):
North Carolina, in Senator budd Is Bipartisan Seized Iranian Arms
Transfer Authorization Act was among the fifty five amendments that
were included and passed in the final NDAA. According to
the press release, the amended streamlines the process for taking
ownership over confiscated Iranian weapons seized in transit to terror
(04:48):
proxies like the Huthis in Yemen. It also bypasses a
potential year long legal process for the distribution of captured
Iranian weapons and equipment held by US Central Command, allowing
it to be sent to the United States military partners
around the globe. He also co sponsored the Bipartisan Comprehensive
(05:09):
Operations for Unmanned Systems Neutralization and Threat Elimination Response that
is a long name in the acronym for that is
the counter Act, which also passed the Senate as an
amendment for the fiscal year twenty twenty six NDAA. The
amendment enhances airspace security at military installations across the country.
(05:32):
Senator Ted Budd also championed several key priorities that he
says were aimed at improving the quality of life for
the military and their families, including an across the board
three point eight percent raise for military service members, creating
a basic pilot program to improve basic allowances for housing
rates for North Carolina service members and their families, prohibiting
(05:57):
affirmative action in US Service Academy Administration admissions rather cutting
burdens of environmental regulations that prohibit the Defense Department from
procuring basic items, as well as accelerating the development, prototyping,
and the deployment of mobile nuclear mini reactor systems to
enhance energy resiliency and forward deploying power capability for US
(06:23):
military operations. The fiscal year twenty twenty six NDAA authorizes
more than seven hundred million dollars for military construction projects,
as that includes the full gambit planning and design, finding,
and funding all of those facilities across the country and
here in North Carolina. Senator Ted Budd successfully worked to
(06:45):
include authorizing provisions to support the following facilities programs and
units will go through at least a couple of them.
We will start at a military air station or Marine
air station Cherry Point, where they're authorization for forty million
dollars in funding to boost the F thirty five Aircraft
Sustainment Center and an additional fifteen million dollars in funding
(07:09):
to design the next phase of the flightline utilities modernization projects.
That's over at Cherry Point. Turning our attention to Camp Lajune,
authorizing thirty four million dollars in funding for expansion of
the Special Operation Forces Combat Service support the Motor Transport program. There,
ninety million dollars in funding to boost the Special Operation
(07:32):
Forces Marine Raider Battalion Operation Facility Pretty penny There ninety
million dollars, and an additional forty eight point two eight
million dollars in funding to boost amphibious combat vehicle shelters.
All of that taking place at Camp Lajune. Fort Bragg
has the longest list of moneies set aside for additional programs,
(07:54):
nineteen million dollars for the Automated Infantry Platoon battle Course,
twenty four million dollars to complete the construction of an
aircraft maintenance hangar on Fort braggas outside Fayetteville. Eighty million
dollars in funding to improve the fort's power generation and
micro grid. So you could be looking, as I just mentioned,
at maybe some SMR small modular reactor or nuclear reactor
(08:18):
facilities for Fort Brag. We'll see what goes on there.
Thirty two million dollars in funding for Special Operation Forces
and a Mission Command Center. An additional eighty million dollars
to boost the Special Operation Ammunition supply point, and five
million dollars in funding for what is called the Pathfinder
Airborne Program, which is to improve soldier readiness. Many other
(08:43):
facilities across North Carolina, including Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,
the North Carolina National Guard, and the North Carolina Manufacturer,
Manufacturer and Project groups all receiving some pretty hefty sums
of money in this fiscal year two twenty six NDAA
that did pass the United States Senate. As I mentioned,
(09:05):
this legislation will now make its way to the Senate
Armed Service Committee. It will also make its way to
eventually the United States House for them to give a
final vote on it. Again, all of this happening while
the government shutdown does continue in Washington DC Day fifteen. Now,
we will continue to keep an eye not only on
(09:27):
this NDAA, but some of some of the ongoings as
it relates to the shutdown. Any relevant news and information,
we'll bring it to you right here on the Carolina
Journal News Hour. You can read a more detailed list
of all of the funding that could be coming to
North Carolinas for various military installations by visiting our website
Carolina Journal dot com that headline story funding for NC
(09:49):
military installations in US Senate and DAA. Again those details
at Carolina Journal dot com. It's five twenty one. Welcome
back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk eleven,
ten ninety nine to three WBT. We'll be diving into
more detail on this tomorrow. I do want to let
(10:10):
you know that early voting gets under way coming up tomorrow, Thursday,
October the sixteenth, for voters in three hundred and eighty
different North Carolina municipalities ahead of an early November election day. Statewide,
there are four hundred and forty seven cities, towns, and
villages in eighty eight counties that are conducting elections. Of these,
(10:32):
sixty seven municipalities have chosen not to use early voting
or absentee voting and will only be allowed to vote
on election day, which is Tuesday, November fourth. The vast
majority of those sixty seven municipalities we are talking about
very small towns and cities or villages across North Carolina
that only may have a couple of one hundred residents.
(10:52):
We'll have it and dive into some more detail on
that with Teresa Opeka from Carolina Journal dot com coming
up at tomorrow morning. Just to pass that along, early voting,
especially in the Charlotte metro many other major municipalities, does
begin tomorrow. We'll dive into those details tomorrow morning right
here on the Carolina Journal News Hour where it's now
five twenty three News Talk eleven ten ninety nine three WBT.
(11:16):
One of the major North Carolina political stories that we
continue to track this week on the Carolina Journal News
Hours the announcement that there will be some discussions coming
up early next week starting October the twentieth, about redistricting
in the North Carolina General Assembly. To shine a little
bit more light on that and give us some details
on that. It's my pleasure to welcome doctor Andy Jackson
from the John Locke Foundation to The Carolina Journal News
(11:38):
Hour this morning. Andy, you have been following the redistricting
battle here at North Carolina for quite some time before
we get into any of the details. Were you shocked
by the announcement from Senators of Phil Berger and Representative
Destin Hall earlier this week that they will be looking
at redistricting here at the end of October?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Actually shocked. North Carolina has kind of been on the
front line of these redistricting wars for a while now,
and it was pretty clear that, you know, they could
squeeze out another Republican district. They really could have written
an eleven three district last time around, or eleven three
map last time around. So I guess with all the
(12:21):
stuff happening with California and Texas, it was almost inevitable.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Let me ask you, and you mentioned this, and this
has been something that has been mentioned by a lot
of folks that have been following this in some cases
for twenty or thirty years. You said, North Carolina is
kind of unique in the way in which our redistricting
has continually boiled to the top. It's something that's only
supposed to happen really every ten years, when you get
new data from the census. Yet, Andy, if you look
back at just the last decade, we've seen a whole
(12:48):
bunch of redistricting here in North Carolina. What gives.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, it's been decades since we've had a complete set
of maps state House, state Senate, and congressional maps that
have lasted a whole decade, maybe the nineteen seventies. I'd
have to go back and check it. I only go
back as far as the eighties, and it's never It
never happens. Usually it's a result of a court decision
where there's been either mainly consider what we can call
(13:16):
racial gerrymandering, sometimes political jerrymandarin, or that's been thrown out
by the courts recently. And so you know, over and
over and over again, there's been some problem with redistricting
in North Carolina. The good news is for state legislative districts,
the House and the Senate, unless there's a court case,
they can only draw those districts, you know, once a
(13:38):
decade after the census. The constitution requires that once that's drawn,
they can't do it again until the next census. There
is no such restriction for congressional districts, So they can
redraw them, you know, after every election, if that's what
they want to do, once they get that new set
of election data.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Yeah. And so as we look at the process that
is likely to unfold next week in the General Assembly,
all eyes appear to be on Congressional District number one,
that's in the northeast half of the state. Democrat Don
Davis is currently the representative there. He is a Democrat
serving in Washington. D C walks through some of the
details on that district in why that is something that
(14:17):
the General Assembly is likely to look at well.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
The first district is one of the two traditional Voting
Rights Act districts. For lack of a better word, it's
the ones where Blacks and Democrats are most likely to
represent or elect the candidate of their choice. The other
one was the twelfth district. That's the twelfth district is
the one that used to snake all the way from
Durham to Charlotte. Now it's concentrated in Charlotte. The first
(14:44):
district is up in that northeast corner, and it is
also the only really competitive district in the state. Last
time I took a look at it, we rated it
a D plus zero, which means that it very very
barely leans Democratic by less than half a percentage point.
(15:05):
And so it's a competitive district as it is, Don
Davis always has a competitive race against whoever the Republicans
throw up against them. But now they're going to look
at tweaking that. There's a few ways they can do it,
and certainly the first would be the easiest one to change,
to change it over to say a Republican plus four,
(15:26):
maybe a plus five, and make it more likely to
beat Davis next year.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
And so one of the terms that you have been
using over the last couple of days describing this is
dummy mandering. Andy, if you're going to make the first
congressional district an R plus five, you're going to have
to find and draw in those Republican voters from somewhere
else geographically close to the first congressional district. Is it
accurate to say that you then have to weaken a
(15:51):
district for a Republican to add some more Republican elect
or conservative voters to that first district.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Yeah. If you look at the map and you take
a look at the voter distribution there, the two bordering
districts are the thirteenth and the third, and out of
those two, it's much easier to take Republican leaning areas
out of the third. They can go and take some
of those beach communities. Take Dare County, for example, move
(16:21):
that over and then in exchange, either take parts of
Pitt County from the third or or some of these
other counties that are a little bit more in the
middle of the state. To do that, you're going to
end up reducing the Republican advantage. Republicans are about nine
percentage point advantage currently in the third district. So if
(16:43):
you are going to move the first district up, then
make it say an our four district. Well, then and
you're taking that all out of the third, then the
third is going to go down on R five. And
what makes this a dummy mander potentially is that twenty
twenty six is a midterm election with the Republican in
the White House. Republicans generally suffer in those kind of elections,
(17:05):
as do Democrats when there's a Democrat in the White House.
And so if Democrats can nominate decent a decent candidate
in the third they would have a real shot at
winning that race. So unless Republicans plan on redrawing the
entire map for Matti Odo Murphy. Then you're looking at
making the third district much more competitive than it is
(17:26):
right now.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Will continue the redistricting conversation with Andy Jackson from the
John Locke Foundation. Coming up after this. You're listening to
the Carolina Journal News Hour. It's five thirty six. Welcome
back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, News Talk eleven,
ten ninety nine three WBT. Next week is squaring up
(17:49):
to be a very interesting week in Raleigh as lawmakers
Republican leadership in both the House and Senate have announced
that they are going to look at redrawing at least one,
if not multiple North care Mare Alina congressional districts as
we head into the twenty twenty six midterm elections. We're
continuing our conversation this morning with doctor Andy Jackson from
the John Locke Foundation, and so as we watch this
(18:10):
process again likely to unfold, at least from what we've
been told in the General Assembly early next week. Andy,
one of the other things that you've oppined on is
that we seemingly, regardless of what ends up happening, there
will be litigation that are brought against the maps drawn
by the Republican led General Assembly. As the state has
a long history with redistricting, it also has a long
(18:31):
track record and history of lawsuits in the immediate aftermaths
of maps being redrawn. What would something like that even
look like. Is candidate filing for these districts are going
to open up here in early December.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah. I what's probably going to happen is that Democrats
will will ask for a preliminary injunction against the map,
assuming that it gets written in the next month or two.
That will likely fail because the most recent cases that
we've had have failed, and so to win a polimary
(19:04):
injunction you have to demonstrate that you're likely to succeed.
And we just had a case in the same part
of the state with North Carolina Senate districts where they
where that lawsuit was thrown out. The judge said that
they didn't really prove their case, and since there's a
lot of geographic overlap between that suit and any suit
about the first district, I'm expecting that they'll probably fail
(19:27):
getting a preliminary junction. They'll have the election in twenty
six based on the new map, and then this case
will probably be settled in twenty twenty seven. Whether or
not they win depends a lot on what happens within
that district. So, for example, if they end up making
the district less black in the course of making it
(19:49):
more Republican, and they make it so that you split
more counties, or they make it less compact, they make
it so that the plaintiffs could demonstrate, hey, they could
have drawn a much better map that has more black
voters in it, well, then they might succeed in that case.
We had a similar case in Alabama either a year
(20:10):
or two ago, where they showed way, you could draw
a more compact district that has a majority black voters
in it than you did. And so that's what I'm
expecting that Plaineoffs are going to try to demonstrate here.
And it really requires the General Assembly to have some
skill in drawing this because they're not supposed to be
(20:31):
using racial data. They've been successfully avoiding using racial data.
But to draw a map where you don't really affect
the number of blacks, even though you don't know precisely
where they are, it's going to be difficult.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
And one of the terms that has been used as
this national discussion has been growing over the last couple
of months. Andy is jerry mannering, and there's a couple
of different kinds of jerry mannering. But the two that
will focus on is you've got partisan jerrymandering, which the
courts have essentially said is not a valid our. There's
really nothing here. The party that is in charge draws
the maps. The other, however, is racial jerrymandering, and that
(21:07):
is a completely different ballgame. And as you were just
talking about in that case in Alabama, that is a
legal argument that even over the last couple of years,
has been successful for some plaintiffs suing against map drawers.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah. Well, and we have a case coming up that
some people say it's going to be a big test
case coming out of Louisiana where they drew a second
majority black district. There's kind of a bracket that we
have that you have You need to be able to
demonstrate that you can draw reasonably compact districts that have
(21:42):
majority black or a big proportion of black voters that
they can elect candidates of their choice, but you can't
show that you have made race the primary motive for
drawing the district. And so that cuts both ways. We've
had cases where we've had a majority back black district
(22:03):
that was thrown out because they were over concentrating on
race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clause,
which cuts both ways. So people that are drawing these
maps and plaintiffs that are suing these maps are kind
of but in a kind of a narrow band between
the Voting Rights Act, where they're trying to get more
(22:25):
black majority districts or districts where they can elect candidates
that they like, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which says you
can't really consider race when drawing districts, and that is
a very narrow path both for drawing district and succeeding
in lawsuits.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
There's definitely going to be a lot of things to
watch here in North Carolina, and probably a relatively short
time span Andy, over the next probably six or eight weeks,
as we get closer to that early December candidate filing.
We'll keep an eye on all of the details over
on our website Carolina Journal dot com. We appreciate the
information and insight this morning from doctor Andy Jackson from
the John Locke Foundation. He joins us on the Carolina
(23:01):
Journal News Hour, where it's now five point forty one
News Talk eleven ten ninety nine to three WBT. We
appreciate the details this morning from doctor Andy Jackson, and
of course, as we head into next week's legislative session,
we will be keeping up to date with continued coverage
of this what is said to be very hot political
topic over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com and
(23:23):
right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. In some
lights statewide news this morning. The one hundred and fifty
seventh annual North Carolina State Fair opens tomorrow Thursday, October
the sixteenth, no relation there to the start of early voting,
and runs through October the twenty sixth. One of the
maiden features of the fair each and every year is
(23:43):
the extensive amount of food vendors that are available. In
this year, there are eighty eight new food items, with
food being cited as the number one draw to the
State Fair, according to officials with the North Carolina Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The North Carolina State Fair
is the largest event in the state, according to state officials,
(24:05):
and is a unique event that draws families and friends
together over multiple generations and folks from the Department of
Agriculture say that they are very proud to be part
of some of those cherished memories. It takes over a
year to plan the state Fair, and planning for next
year's twenty twenty six fair is already under way, while
the twenty twenty five State Fair kicks off tomorrow. According
(24:28):
to Steve Troxler, he says the fair is all about
family fun looking at some of the various food vendors
that were successful in winning some awards. Earlier this week
on October thirteenth, members of the media across North Carolina
heard remarks from Steve A. Troxler and took advantage of
(24:48):
food sampling at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, just outside
the campus of NC State a variety of different winners
in different categories, including some various events from across the
state of North Carolina. We've got an article this morning
over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com focusing some
of the focusing on some of the winners from twenty
(25:10):
twenty four and twenty twenty five, and according to Katie Zender,
one of our reporters over at Carolina Journal dot com,
they chose their favorite item that was available as part
of the fair item food. We're Pomento cheese and pork
barbecue balls which were battered and deep fried than drizzled
with sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. They are a creation
(25:33):
of Fat Boys Barbecue, which is owned by a husband
and wife, Miles and Aaron two. They are located out
of Clayton, North Carolina, just outside the Raleigh metro and
they are bringing their They are bringing their Pimento cheese
barbecue pork balls to the State Fair this year. You
can read some additional details on that and find out
(25:54):
more information about the fair over on our website This
Morning Carolina Journal dot com that headline story best new
foods coming to NC State Fair in twenty twenty five.
Good morning again, it's five point fifty one. Welcome back
to the Carolina Journal News Hour News Talk eleven ten
(26:15):
ninety nine three WBT. Don't forget if you miss any
portion of our show live here weekday mornings. You can
check out the Carolina Journal News Hour podcast. It's available
in Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere you get your shows.
Search for the Carolina Journal News Hour, tap the subscribe
or follow button and you'll get a new program delivered
each and every weekday morning. It's The Carolina Journal News
Hour podcast. Download and subscribe now. Day fifteen of the
(26:40):
federal government shutdown in Washington, DC. Today is set to
be an interesting one as it is the second pay
period of the month for federal employees who received their
last paycheck back on Wednesday, October the first. That's leaving
many scratching their heads and wondering what is going to
happen with the shutdown this morning, as a direct posits
(27:00):
are supposed to be hitting accounts for those federal employees.
In a press conference, say yesterday, how Speaker Mike Johnson
was asked by the media whether he was ready to
negotiate with the other side of the political aisle, and
he very bluntly told the reporters in the room, I
have nothing to negotiate, So we will watch and see
what goes on on this fifteenth day. After a group
(27:21):
of Democrats made their way to Speaker Johnson's office last
night in protest of the ongoing government shutdown. It's not
immediately clear that there is any end in sight for
what we have watched over the last two weeks or so.
We'll keep our eye on it right here on the
Carolina Journal News Hour. However, even with the ongoing federal
(27:41):
government shutdown, work does continue on other legislation, at least
in the Senate in Washington, d C. Where they have
been in session over the last couple of weeks. Last week,
the Senate passed the twenty twenty six Fiscal Year National
Defense Authorization Act, also known as the NDAA, which does
include major funding for military installations across the state of
(28:05):
North Carolina. United States Senator Ted Budd who is a
member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, was instrumental in
getting the funding for military installations across North Carolina. In
a press release, his office says, quote, North Carolina has
long stood at the forefront of Americans America's military strength,
(28:26):
and I was proud to deliver key victories for our
state and nation in the FY twenty twenty six NDAA
that will broaden and empower our service members and strengthen
our forces both at home and abroad. Last night, the
Senate passed this historic defense package that enhances military facilities,
reinforces air superiority, cuts burdens some regulation, combats terrorism, and
(28:51):
ends discriminatory affirmative action policies at our service academies. America's
strength arrests on the unmatched leath that of its armed forces,
and this year's NDAA reaffirms that commitment by advancing our
military readiness to confront any threat. It resolves to defend
the cause of freedom against any adversary. Senator Bob also
(29:15):
had a couple of amendments to the final piece of legislation,
the final NDAA. One of them included the Seized Iranian
Arms Transfer Authorization Act of the short acronym for that seies,
and that was among some fifty five amendments that were passed.
That specific amendment gives the federal government a quicker process
(29:37):
to take ownership over confiscated Iranian weapons that have been
seized during transit to a variety variety of terror proxies
across the globe, more predominantly the Huthis and Yemen, in
which the United States has been successful in confiscating some
of those military arms. The other known as the counter Act,
which enhances airspace security at military installations domestically here in
(30:02):
the United States. Some of the broad strokes from the
NDAA include providing a three point eight percent rais across
the board for all service members, prohibiting affirmative action in
US Service academy admissions, and cutting burdensome environmental regulations that
prohibits the Department of War from procuring basic items. Here
(30:24):
in North Carolina, we are looking at a long list
of additional funding for military installations across the state. Over
at Fort Bragg, eighty million dollars in funding to boost
Special Operation Forces operational ammunition supply points. Another eighty million
dollars to improve Fort Bragg's power generation and a microgrid
(30:46):
as they could be looking at adding some SMR small
modulear reactor nuclear technology to the generation mix. Over at
Fort Bragg, twenty four million dollars for the construction of
aircraft maintenance hangars, as well. Over at Seymour Johnson Air
Force Base, fifty four million dollars in funding to improve
a child development center on base, and forty one million
(31:08):
dollars in funding to boost the combat Arms training and
maintenance complex that exists on Seymour Johnson. That money has
been authorized. The North Carolina National Guard has been authorized
for an additional sixty nine million dollars in funding for
aircraft maintenance hangars. In addition, or altering projects at the
Salisbury Training Center, so we'll potentially watch some of that
(31:32):
money go out there as well. Over at Cherry Point,
forty million dollars to boost the F thirty five aircraft's
sustainment center, and fifteen million dollars to design the next
phase of the flight line Utility modernization project. Over at
Camp Lajune. Looking at ninety million dollars to boost the
Special Operation Forces Marine Raider Battalion operation facility that is
(31:55):
a major facility over at Camp Lajoune, as well as
a forty eight million dollars to boost some amphibious combat
vehicle shelters. We've got a list of all of the
various money that could be coming to North Carolina. I'll
note that this legislation now has to make its way
to the Senate Armed Service Committee and to the United
States House before it is officially sent to President Donald
(32:18):
Trump's desk for his signature. A lot of money coming
to potentially coming to North Carolina. We'll keep our eye
on all the details over on our website, Carolina Journal
dot com and right here on the Carolina Journal News
out that's going to do it for a Wednesday edition
WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're
back with you tomorrow morning, five to six right here
(32:38):
on Newstalk eleven ten and ninety nine to three WBT
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.