Constitutional amendments, astronaut superfan and sweet tea: Triangle's top stories
The News & Observer covered major political shifts, education controversies, energy decisions and lighter fare across North Carolina on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Here’s a quick digest of today’s top stories from across the state.
- GOP targets governor’s power: North Carolina Republicans advanced two constitutional amendments Tuesday. One would strip power from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, while the Senate separately passed a measure to let voters cap the state personal income tax at 3.5%, down from the current 3.99%. The Senate’s tax cap bill passed 30-18, with Stein calling it “a financial straightjacket that could wreak havoc on our public schools and public safety.”
Read more: NC Republicans advance new constitutional amendments to strip governor’s power and NC Senate passes constitutional amendment to let voters cap the income tax
- UNC tenure denied: The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted against conferring tenure on Kiran Asher, a professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, even after her appointment had been approved by faculty, the College of Arts & Sciences, the tenure committee and the provost. The board approved 33 other promotions or appointments conferring tenure at the same meeting.
Read more: UNC trustees block tenure for gender studies prof + GOP ex-lawmaker may join board
- Solar projects on pause: North Carolina Utilities Commission Chairman William Brawley ordered Duke Energy in April to halt solar procurement for the rest of 2026, a move environmental groups say could stall projects expected to come online in the early 2030s and raise future energy rates. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a motion challenging the order as unlawful because it was issued solely by the chairman rather than the full commission.
Read more: The NC solar power projects of the future are now on pause. How to have a say.
- Astronaut Christina Koch roots for Flyers: Artemis II astronaut and N.C. State graduate Christina Koch attended Game 4 of the Carolina Hurricanes-Philadelphia Flyers playoff series last weekend dressed in Flyers gear at the franchise’s invitation. Koch developed a connection to the Flyers while working on the International Space Station, when NASA uplinked Eagles games for her and her Philadelphia-fan husband.
Read more: What NC State grad, astronaut Christina Koch said about the Carolina Hurricanes
- Sweet tea showdown: A team of N&O reporters tasted and ranked 20 fast-food sweet teas from across the Triangle, with Waffle House, Hardee’s, Cook Out and Whataburger landing among the top performers. Icons including Bojangles, Popeyes, Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s underperformed, while Arby’s finished last for serving unsweet tea.
Read more: We tasted 20 top NC fast-food sweet teas. Here are the rankings
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 6:14 PM.