North Carolina House and Senate leaders have announced a new state budget framework, outlining agreements on key issues after months of negotiations and stalemate. Meanwhile, renewed scrutiny is falling on COVID-era prison releases under former Governor Roy Cooper, with lawmakers and critics raising fresh public safety concerns. In redistricting news, challengers have dropped their case against two northeastern North Carolina Senate districts, ending another legal fight over legislative maps. Separately, an investigation in Pilot Mountain has led to the indictment of the town’s former manager, adding to a growing list of local government accountability cases.