It's the first weekend of college football! Check out what happened this week before going tailgating on Saturday.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

STORIES FROM DC

First Walmart and Cisco post great returns, then Target's CEO raved about the economy. Now, consumer confidence as a whole has risen to the highest level since October of 2000 despite expectations it would slip. CNBC

We talked about the economy humming along at a stellar 4.1% for the second quarter. Economists upgraded it to 4.2% as jobless claims approach an all-time low: CNN Money

As socialism continues its ascent within the Democrat Party, we need to be precise in our language when describing particular policies. Here's why: The Federalist

A big scoop out of New York: Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo, a rumored 2020 presidential candidate, shut down an investigation into liberal mega-funder Harvey Weinstein (who's accused of numerous instances of sexual assault and harassment) after receiving $25,000 from a legal firm that was representing Weinstein. Capital And Main

The Democrats and anti-2A advocates like to push numbers from Michael Bloomberg's liberal Everytown For Gun Safety group despite The Washington Post debunking their statistics. NPR took a dive into school shooting statistics. A recommended read: NPR

Regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Democrats are trying to throw anything at the wall to see if it sticks. So far, they're failing miserably. This week, a report showed Kavanaugh was more interested in basketball than contentious debates while in college. Can't have a monster like that on SCOTUS: Associated Press

STORIES FROM NC

Speaking of the courts, the Obama-nominated activist Judge James Wynn feels the full wrath of the WSJ Editorial Board for his ridiculous ruling regarding NC's Congressional district map. The pièce de résistance: "What they really want is judges to enshrine a Democratic congressional majority." Want to stop that from happening? Get out and vote. The Wall Street Journal

Most of us have experienced long lines and wait times at the DMV. Governor Roy Cooper decided to open up a secret one just for his friends and Attorney General Josh Stein is refusing to provide lists of who used it: WBTV

Remember everyone, voter fraud doesn't exist (except for the 19 foreign nationals who voted illegally in NC): ABC 11

Under Democrat control, NC's teachers faced the largest drop in average pay in the country from 2001-02 to 2011-12: 15.7%. Under Republican control, teacher pay has been among the fastest-growing in the country since 2014.  What could help the state pay teachers more? Examine administrative bloat and auditing school board spending: The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Two days ago, the Democrat-led Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board passed legislation that would remove four towns from any new school construction if they didn't agree to put in a 15-year moratorium on new charter schools. Even The Charlotte Observer editorial board called it what it was: "...bullying, plain and simple." The editorial is here and the full story is here.

Support for school choice continues to rise, and the actions by the Democrat-led CMS School Board are exactly why school choice isn't going anywhere (unless Governor Cooper and the NC Democrat Party get their way). John Hood explains why: The News & Observer

CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT

COURT OF APPEALS

This week we're looking at another statewide race for the Court of Appeals and we're highlighting Judge Jefferson Griffin. Judge Griffin was born and raised on a farm in Red Oak, NC in Nash County. He graduated from Northern Nash High School where he was captain of the football team. Judge Griffin also serves as a First Lieutenant in the North Carolina Army National Guard as a JAG Officer. He is assigned to the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, known as “Old Hickory." Judge Griffin is an avid hunter, fisherman and lover of the outdoors. Check out his campaign website here.

NC HOUSE

First up this week is incumbent Rep. Bill Brawley. One of the senior co-chairs of the Finance Committee, he is one of the driving forces behind tax reform and the STI funding model. Bill is a North Carolina native who grew up in the Charlotte area. He a proud graduate of both Garinger High School and UNC Charlotte. Bill is an honorably discharged veteran who enlisted in the United States Army in 1969 and served on active duty until 1972. Check out his campaign website here.

Next is another incumbent, Rep. Steve Ross. A Burlington native and graduate of Walter M. Williams High School, he graduated from Elon University and attended graduate school at North Carolina State University. He now serves on the Elon Board of Visitors. Steve is a proud Eagle Scout and serves as a member of the Old North State Council‘s Executive Committee. Visit his campaign website here.

NC SENATE

For the Senate this week, check out Vickie Sawyer. Growing up in a trailer park in rural Davidson County, Vickie looked to her teachers for influence and direction.  She realized education was the key to a better life for herself and her family. She attributes her success to the Lord, her grandparents and her teachers. All these life experiences give Vickie a unique perspective to take to the State Senate and they will guide her as she seeks to enact policies that make living the “American Dream” a possibility for Iredell and Yadkin County citizens. Visit her campaign website here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Reps. Nelson Dollar and Chris Malone both have door-knocking events this weekend. Click on their names for details.

On Friday, September 7, join the Mecklenburg County GOP, Dr. Mark Harris, and Rep. Bill Brawley for an evening with SC Senator Tim Scott. You can find information about attending the event here: An Evening With Tim Scott

On Saturday, September 8, hosted by the NC State College Republicans, join the NC Federation of Young Republicans for a discussion regarding an incredibly important issue - human trafficking. Details are here: Breaking The Silence On Slavery: Uniting In The Fight Against Human Trafficking

The next National Day of Action is September 15! Stay tuned for additional details in the near future.

With football season kicking off tomorrow, that means that the NC State Fair is almost here! Check out this article regarding the music schedule so you can plan your visit: The News & Observer

Have events coming up you'd like for me to include? Send me a link and details so it can be in next week's Recap.

VOTING TOOLS

As of today, we're 67 days away from Election Day, 47 days until early voting starts (Oct. 17), 42 days until voter registration ends, and (potentially) 21 days until absentee voting starts. 

If you're not registered to vote, or need help registering someone to vote, go here: https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voters/Registering-to-Vote

If you're registered, check to make sure: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/

Check your polling location: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/

Additional voting tools: https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voters/Voter-Tools

Hope everyone has a safe Labor Day weekend. College football is BACK!

Jeff Hauser

@j_hauser9