(The Center Square) – Job approval by likely North Carolina voters for Gov. Josh Stein is robustly high and for President Donald Trump running just a tick better than national polling.

Stein, the first-term Democrat with eight years experience as attorney general prior, has dropped a net 15% in five months to 50.5% approving against 30.1% disapproving. In March, approval was 55.6% to 20.4% disapproving, according to a poll taken Monday and Tuesday and released Thursday by Carolina Journal in conjunction with Harper Polling.

His most significant actions in that time have been 15 vetoes and a two-year budget proposal about $2 billion higher than either chamber of the General Assembly. Eight of his vetoes have been overturned, and Friday marked the 46th day late on the spending plan.

Given choices for what Stein’s vetoes reflect, respondents said “a careful approach to policy that checks overreach by the legislative branch” (36%); “a politically motivated obstruction that blocks legislative priorities” (32.9%); and 31% were unsure.

The statewide sampling gave the second-term Republican president an approval of 47.8% and disapproval of 50.3%. In March, he was at 49.5% approval and 48.7% disapproval. Nationally this week, the RealClear Polling average for the time period of July 16 to Thursday is 45.5% approval and 51.5% disapproval.

Trump has won the state in presidential races three consecutive times.

The Carolina Journal/Harper polling of 600 likely voters’ responses were given a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of +/= 3.98%.

(The Center Square) – Following a “successful” meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump said he is going straight for a “peace agreement” in a Monday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.

“The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russa went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO,” the president wrote on social media early Saturday morning after arriving back in Washington.

Trump indicated in-person peace talks between the two Eastern European leaders could be on the horizon, raising hopes for putting an end to a war in its fourth year. He has said similar things since the opening weeks of his second term, and dozens of times on the campaign trail said the war would end on Day 1 if he was elected.

“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump wrote. “President Zelenskyy will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved.”

During a press conference following the Friday meeting between Trump and the Russian president, Putin said his country is interested in “putting an end” to the war with Ukraine.

Trump indicated progress was made in talks with Putin, but did not elaborate on any agreements.

There were no immediate changes on the battlefields.

“Many points were agreed to, and there are just a very few that are left,” said the president. “Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn’t get there but we have a very good chance of getting there.”

Despite the successful meeting, Trump underscored that there is “no deal until there’s a deal” and that it is “ultimately up to” the two Eastern European leaders to come to an agreement.

The Russian president told reporters that the two countries must address the “roots” of the conflict in order to reach an agreement.

“We’re convinced that in order to make the settlement lasting and long term, we need to eliminate all the primary roots, the primary causes of that conflict and … to consider all legitimate concerns of Russia and to reinstate a just balance of security in Europe and in the world on the whole,” Putin said. “We agree with President Trump … that naturally, the security of Ukraine should be insured as well.”

In a social media post Saturday morning, Zelenskyy was much more direct in his demands for peace.

“The positions are clear,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We need to achieve real peace that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions. We must stop the killings as soon as possible, cease fire both on the battlefield and in the skies, and against our port infrastructure. We must free all Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians and bring back the children abducted by Russia. Thousands of our people are still held in captivity; they all must be brought home. We must maintain pressure on Russia as long as the aggression and occupation continue.

“In the conversation with President Trump, I emphasized that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia evades an honest end to the war. Sanctions are an effective tool. We need to reliably and long-term guarantee security with the participation of both Europe and the United States. All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine’s involvement, and no issue, including territorial ones, should be resolved without Ukraine.”

The last time Zelenskyy and Trump met at the White House in February, the meeting ended abruptly following a tense exchange. At the time, Trump said Zelenskyy wasn’t “ready for peace.”

Since then, the leaders appeared to have patched things up during two sidebar meetings in Europe.

(The Center Square) – Days after President Donald Trump declared “Liberation Day” by federalizing the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and deploying hundreds of National Guard members to curb crime, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration claiming the federal takeover is unlawful.

Schwalb describes the Trump administration’s federal takeover of MPD as “brazenly unlawful” and a “hostile takeover,” adding that Trump has “limited authority” in invoking Section 740 of the Home Rule Act.

“The federal government’s power over DC is not absolute, and it should not be exercised as such. Section 740 of the Home Rule Act permits the President to request MPD’s services. But it can only be done temporarily, for special emergencies, and solely for federal purposes,” the attorney general posted on X Friday morning.

He claims the Home Rule Act “keeps operational control of MPD with the Mayor and Chief.”

“This is an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home. Our office will go to court to defend Home Rule, block the unlawful orders, and maintain MPD under District control. We have no choice but to stand up for DC residents’ rights and safety,” Schwalb wrote.

The lawsuit comes on the heels of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issuing an order to replace MPD Chief Pamela Smith with Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole to serve as the agency’s “emergency police commissioner.” In addition, the Trump administration rescinded the district’s “sanctuary policies,” allowing law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Trump tapped Bondi to take operational control of the Metropolitan Police as part of an executive order, citing “out of control” violence in the nation’s capital.

Trump claims the district has “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse” in defense of his reasoning to invoke the act.

Prior to declaring “Liberation Day” in the district, the president described the city’s crime as “out of control,” citing youth violence.

“Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released,” Trump lamented. “They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now! The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14.”

As the law currently stands, Section 740 of the Home Rule Act only allows the president to federalize MPD for up to 30 days.

 However, a group of Republicans in Congress is trying to alter or rescind the Home Rule Act. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is proposing a resolution to remove the 30-day limit.

In February, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ogles introduced legislation to repeal the Home Rule Act, claiming the district is plagued by violence and crime.

The duo tied the title of the legislation to Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser. The Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act can be shortened to the BOWSER Act.

The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 was enacted by Congress and ratified by D.C. voters. The act gave the district residents limited autonomy over local affairs, allowing them to elect local leaders, including mayors and council members.