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GOP groups retreat from North Carolina Senate race a month early

Major GOP groups are taking their ad dollars elsewhere as Michael Whatley trails Roy Cooper.

Politics

With one month until Election Day, some big GOP spenders are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="giving up on" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/25/gop-october-midterms-key-moment?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="5d6f297c-6d1b-4b75-8208-4dce5566032b" data-vars-headline="GOP groups retreat from North Carolina Senate race a month early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/25/gop-october-midterms-key-moment?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&amp;stream=top" target="_self">giving up on</a> North Carolina and prioritizing other states. Why it matters: It&#x27;s a sign that Republicans believe Michael Whatley can&#x27;t win and that the seat will flip to Democrats, who need <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="four pickups" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/23/senate-ohio-alaska-iowa-texas-kansas-mississippi-nebraska" data-vars-content-id="5d6f297c-6d1b-4b75-8208-4dce5566032b" data-vars-headline="GOP groups retreat from North Carolina Senate race a month early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/23/senate-ohio-alaska-iowa-texas-kansas-mississippi-nebraska" target="_self">four pickups</a> to regain control of the Senate.

Layoffs deepen at RTI International

The nonprofit is eliminating 200 positions after laying off a third of its workforce in 2025.

Business

RTI International says it will cut another 200 positions this quarter.Why it matters: The Triangle-based research institute has already laid off hundreds of others as the U.S. cuts back on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="scientific and humanitarian research" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/09/21/blake-wilson-merkin-prize-million-cochlear-implants-rti" data-vars-content-id="141d9280-2057-42c4-a535-9ba9e780bfab" data-vars-headline="Layoffs deepen at RTI International" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/09/21/blake-wilson-merkin-prize-million-cochlear-implants-rti" target="_self">scientific and humanitarian research</a> under the second Trump administration.

The Triangle's most popular dog breed

A new report reveals the most popular and trending dog breeds in Raleigh and Durham.

Culture

Raleigh and Durham have the same favorite dog breed: the golden retriever.Why it matters: Golden retrievers are likely a familiar sight at the Triangle&#x27;s many <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dog parks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/02/06/dix-park-big-year-play-plaza-record-attendance-trolls" data-vars-content-id="0bb21881-8430-4a2c-9182-35e64237cf71" data-vars-headline="The Triangle&#x27;s most popular dog breed" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/02/06/dix-park-big-year-play-plaza-record-attendance-trolls" target="_self">dog parks</a> (or <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Bark Bar in Cary" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/09/05/kid-friendly-activities-triangle-raleigh-durham-chapel-hill" data-vars-content-id="0bb21881-8430-4a2c-9182-35e64237cf71" data-vars-headline="The Triangle&#x27;s most popular dog breed" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/09/05/kid-friendly-activities-triangle-raleigh-durham-chapel-hill" target="_self">The Bark Bar in Cary</a>, perhaps).

The cost difference between renting and owning in Raleigh

The cost difference between owning and renting in Raleigh has grown.

Development

The average <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Raleigh renter" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/09/03/raleigh-new-apartments-get-smaller" data-vars-content-id="68d140aa-2c51-4afe-9231-d28115718ac8" data-vars-headline="The cost difference between renting and owning in Raleigh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/09/03/raleigh-new-apartments-get-smaller" target="_self">Raleigh renter</a> pays over $1,700 less a month than someone who owns a home in the region, per a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Zillow report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.zillow.com/research/august-2026-rent-report/" data-vars-content-id="68d140aa-2c51-4afe-9231-d28115718ac8" data-vars-headline="The cost difference between renting and owning in Raleigh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.zillow.com/research/august-2026-rent-report/" target="_blank">Zillow report</a>.Why it matters: As Raleigh home prices remain sticky amid <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="high interest rates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/23/mortgage-interest-rates-7-percent" data-vars-content-id="68d140aa-2c51-4afe-9231-d28115718ac8" data-vars-headline="The cost difference between renting and owning in Raleigh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/23/mortgage-interest-rates-7-percent" target="_self">high interest rates</a>, it&#x27;s more evidence that renting might be the way to go for some people.

Duke researcher lands "genius" grant for work on memory

Felipe De Brigard is one of 20 recipients of the MacArthur Foundation fellowship this year.

News

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Felipe De Brigard" data-vars-click-url="https://scholars.duke.edu/person/felipe.debrigard" data-vars-content-id="0293f394-8854-42e0-8b4c-31150be15095" data-vars-headline="Duke researcher lands &quot;genius&quot; grant for work on memory" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://scholars.duke.edu/person/felipe.debrigard" target="_blank">Felipe De Brigard</a>, a cognitive scientist and philosopher at Duke University, has joined the ranks of geniuses. Why it matters: De Brigard is the latest researcher from the Triangle to win one of the MacArthur Foundation&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Genius Grants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.macfound.org/programs/awards/fellows/" data-vars-content-id="0293f394-8854-42e0-8b4c-31150be15095" data-vars-headline="Duke researcher lands &quot;genius&quot; grant for work on memory" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.macfound.org/programs/awards/fellows/" target="_blank">Genius Grants</a>, a prestigious award that comes with an $800,000 stipend that can be used without restrictions.

College offers land before North Carolina seniors apply 

More than 105,000 seniors can claim a community college spot without essays, SAT scores or recommendations.

Education

North Carolina&#x27;s 105,036 high school seniors on track to graduate in 2027 are all receiving letters offering <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="automatic acceptance" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cfnc.org/nc-college-connect/" data-vars-content-id="73dc6b67-6b38-4ac9-8876-8c9433644610" data-vars-headline="College offers land before North Carolina seniors apply " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cfnc.org/nc-college-connect/" target="_blank">automatic acceptance</a> to community college. Why it matters: Bringing in community colleges is a major leap in outreach for the state&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="College Connect" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cfnc.org/nc-college-connect/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=24207070071&amp;gbraid=0AAAAA-Ft7skA6irV1_aovxqvbB9ONimuR&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw8c3VBhCsARIsAA_xJ92tKN8Pl6dQ9eAiAMNaF_COo1KBKXM0sjIoeEYwkRGNsZJA7FmCDEAaAn_rEALw_wcB" data-vars-content-id="73dc6b67-6b38-4ac9-8876-8c9433644610" data-vars-headline="College offers land before North Carolina seniors apply " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cfnc.org/nc-college-connect/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=24207070071&amp;gbraid=0AAAAA-Ft7skA6irV1_aovxqvbB9ONimuR&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw8c3VBhCsARIsAA_xJ92tKN8Pl6dQ9eAiAMNaF_COo1KBKXM0sjIoeEYwkRGNsZJA7FmCDEAaAn_rEALw_wcB" target="_blank">College Connect</a> program, now in its third year offering automatic acceptance at most in-state colleges and universities.

Barnes & Noble joins Chapel Hill's revamped University Place

The 20,000-square-foot bookstore arrives as the mall adds more reasons for people to stick around.

University Place mall in Chapel Hill is continuing to evolve, with a new alcohol-friendly social district up and running and a Barnes &amp; Noble opening Wednesday. Why it matters: Malls had to change to survive online shopping&#x27;s takeover, and the ones that did are up 13% in value since last year, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Wall Street Journal reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/malls-were-left-for-dead-now-they-are-the-top-performer-in-commercial-real-estate-0bf6100f" data-vars-content-id="665f05fd-105a-4e7f-9969-3f8cd6648cd1" data-vars-headline="Barnes &amp; Noble joins Chapel Hill&#x27;s revamped University Place" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/malls-were-left-for-dead-now-they-are-the-top-performer-in-commercial-real-estate-0bf6100f" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal reported</a>.

Triangle research helped bring hearing to 1 million people

Duke's Blake Wilson says today's research cuts could put future medical advances at risk.

Duke Hearing Center director Blake Wilson was honored last week with the Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology for his work decades ago developing the modern cochlear implant.Why it matters: The devices help more than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="1 million" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing" data-vars-content-id="f2362c6e-ee9d-4787-bf29-e48eddd89149" data-vars-headline="Triangle research helped bring hearing to 1 million people" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing" target="_blank">1 million</a> deaf or nearly deaf people hear, and federal research grants helped spur their invention along.

Dolly-Durham and your other picks for renaming RDU

Sports icons, musicians and a former governor made the list of possible names for the airport.

This week, inspired by Nashville&#x27;s move to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rename its airport for Dolly Parton" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/09/11/nashville-board-votes-in-favor-of-naming-airport-for-dolly-parton" data-vars-content-id="669b6ebb-679e-4651-9594-a181d42c187a" data-vars-headline="Dolly-Durham and your other picks for renaming RDU" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/09/11/nashville-board-votes-in-favor-of-naming-airport-for-dolly-parton" target="_self">rename its airport for Dolly Parton</a>, we asked which notable people could someday inspire a new name for Raleigh-Durham International Airport.The big picture: Readers leaned heavily toward North Carolina sports legends — with a few political and musical alternatives.

Raleigh is considering a six-month moratorium on data centers

The pause would last for six months while the city develops new rules around data center construction.

The Raleigh City Council will vote next month on whether to enact a moratorium on any new data center applications in the city while it develops new rules for their construction. Why it matters: Raleigh would join a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="wave of cities and counties" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/02/23/data-center-opposition-grows-across-north-carolina" data-vars-content-id="82f0a1e5-0e01-4925-b1ba-dc4131d0f9ad" data-vars-headline="Raleigh is considering a six-month moratorium on data centers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/02/23/data-center-opposition-grows-across-north-carolina" target="_self">wave of cities and counties</a> placing moratoriums on new data center development across the state, as an increasing number of residents express concerns over the electricity costs, water usage, noise levels and visual aesthetics of data centers. <ul><li>Durham and Charlotte have added similar pauses. </li></ul>

Durham water feature linked to teen's death

Naegleria fowleri DNA was detected at El Futuro but not at the other sites investigators tested.

A water feature at the Durham nonprofit El Futuro was the likely source of a rare brain-eating amoeba that infected and killed a local teenager in August, a state investigation found.The big picture: Naegleria fowleri infections are rare but progress quickly and are nearly always fatal, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/naegleria/about/index.html" data-vars-content-id="ba70ce22-ef9a-4a8d-8756-8111c0e184db" data-vars-headline="Durham water feature linked to teen&#x27;s death" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/naegleria/about/index.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. <ul><li>Between 1962 and 2024, 167 infections were documented in the U.S., per CDC data. Only four people survived.</li></ul>

Raleigh is in the early stages of renovating Nash Square

The city is reviewing plans for refreshing the public square.

<figure><img alt="Proposed park at the corner of Hargett &amp; McDowell: tree-lined plaza with curved walkways, circular shrub beds, benches, and people strolling under dappled sunlight." height="736" id="e610dfa8-d1a9-4f24-875b-07cba0bff240" src="https://images.axios.com/TSmaQwzfq5pCfgyGXreWqjq2uA8=/2026/09/11/1789154415155.png" width="1280"/><figcaption>Rendering: City of Raleigh</figcaption></figure>The city of Raleigh is in the early stages of redesigning Nash Square to make the space more inviting to the public. Why it matters: Nash Square is one of Raleigh&#x27;s five public squares that were laid out in the city&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="original plan from 1792" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wral.com/archive/20829660/" data-vars-content-id="d40b872d-ba81-4ce0-b2d2-c236c10d413a" data-vars-headline="Raleigh is in the early stages of renovating Nash Square" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wral.com/archive/20829660/" target="_blank">original plan from 1792</a>, and it sits in the heart of downtown next to Raleigh City Hall.

Raleigh-Durham International lands a new airline

Guadalajara will be RDU's third Mexican destination.

Volaris, a low-cost Mexican airline, will launch its first flight out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport in October.Why it matters: The airline will give RDU its first nonstop flight to Guadalajara, Mexico. It is the airport&#x27;s third route to Mexico in addition to Mexico City and Cancun.

How Triangle cities differ on license plate reader cameras

Even police without Flock contracts can tap license plate data from privately owned cameras.

If you were to drive your car across the Triangle today, your license plate could pass dozens of automated license plate readers. <ul><li>Each city you drive through, however, could have a significantly different relationship to the technology. </li></ul>Why it matters: Automated license plate reader cameras are popping up in more and more places, and while the technology has been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="helpful in solving crimes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/man-charged-with-murder-after-woman-found-stabbed-to-death-in-raleigh-home-police-say/" data-vars-content-id="6e5d886d-d06d-4f71-b9fe-37ac8549fd9e" data-vars-headline="How Triangle cities differ on license plate reader cameras" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/man-charged-with-murder-after-woman-found-stabbed-to-death-in-raleigh-home-police-say/" target="_blank">helpful in solving crimes</a>, more residents are raising concerns about mass surveillance and privacy violations, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios has reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/flock-camera-local-opposition-surveillance" data-vars-content-id="6e5d886d-d06d-4f71-b9fe-37ac8549fd9e" data-vars-headline="How Triangle cities differ on license plate reader cameras" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/flock-camera-local-opposition-surveillance" target="_self">Axios has reported</a>. <ul><li>This rising concern is playing out across the Triangle, especially in smaller towns like <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hillsborough" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hillsboroughnc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/856/14" data-vars-content-id="6e5d886d-d06d-4f71-b9fe-37ac8549fd9e" data-vars-headline="How Triangle cities differ on license plate reader cameras" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hillsboroughnc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/856/14" target="_blank">Hillsborough</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pittsboro" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wral.com/news/local/pittsboro-terminates-flock-camera-contract-may-2026/" data-vars-content-id="6e5d886d-d06d-4f71-b9fe-37ac8549fd9e" data-vars-headline="How Triangle cities differ on license plate reader cameras" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wral.com/news/local/pittsboro-terminates-flock-camera-contract-may-2026/" target="_blank">Pittsboro</a>, where public backlash led to contracts with Flock, the most prominent of the ALPR companies, being canceled. </li></ul>

News 🗞

Duke researcher lands "genius" grant for work on memory

College offers land before North Carolina seniors apply

Barnes & Noble joins Chapel Hill's revamped University Place

Triangle research helped bring hearing to 1 million people

Dolly-Durham and your other picks for renaming RDU