The short session begins today. N.C. lawmakers will take up unfinished business from the last full legislative session and then some. At this point it's a guessing game: Will lawmakers take up the expected, growing state budget shortfall? How will House Speaker Thom Tillis, who's running for U.S. Senate, try to out-conservative himself? Will lawmakers abolish Common Core or do anything about coal ash? Stay tuned.
Carolina Panther Greg Hardy was arrested Tuesday and charged with assault "on a female and communicating threats following an early-morning dispute with a 24-year-old woman at Hardy's uptown apartment." The woman, who told officers she and the defensive end had been in a relationship since September, suffered minor injuries.
A mine fire has killed 232 in Turkey and has the potential to top the country's worst such incident, a fire in 1960 that killed 260. About 200 miners are still trapped, though officials have little hope there will be any survivors as the fire is still burning.
The Defense Department is considering a request from the Army to transfer Private Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, who's serving 35 years in prison for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, to a civilian prison so she can receive treatment for gender dysphoria. Manning has requested hormone therapy so she can live like a woman.
Michigan lawmakers are considering a partial ban of e-cig use indoors. "A committee bill reflects a compromise between the Senate and House and would ban use in state buildings and public schools. An earlier bill would have banned use in all public places and put e-cigarettes under the Clean Indoor Air Act. House members claim the partial ban proposal is necessary to get some sort of ban on the books."