Republican state lawmakers are negotiating whether intoxicating hemp products — including gummies, vapes, seltzers and flower — should remain legal after new federal restrictions take effect in November.

Why it matters: Without a state carveout, many hemp-derived THC products could disappear from North Carolina shelves this fall, threatening businesses across the state.

The latest: A small group of senators and representatives are negotiating House Bill 328 behind closed doors.

• The year-old bill was taken up again late last week after budget negotiators failed to reach a broader agreement on hemp policy.

What they're saying: "I hope that we take some action before we're done," House Speaker Destin Hall told reporters yesterday.

• "We're having those conversations; not quite at agreement," Senate leader Phil Berger said separately, adding that he too was hopeful.

State of play: Federal spending legislation set a 0.3% THC limit for hemp products in an attempt to weed out the ones that make people feel high. It would doom most non-CBD products sold today.

• The ban takes effect this November, leaving cannabis companies in limbo even as many support tighter regulations.

Zoom in: As currently written, the state bill limits hemp sales to people 21 and older, and applies the same 0.3% THC restrictions as the feds.

• Chris Karazin, CEO of Carolindica, a hemp company with around 35 employees, says that "no hemp company can survive this bill."

Case in point: Les Stewart, co-owner of Trophy Brewing, tells Axios the company will likely stop making THC seltzers this month.

• "We knew when they passed the federal funding legislation that put the deadline in place for November that something had to give. But that hasn't happened," Stewart says.

What's next: The House and Senate are both meeting today.

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While the state budget has sucked up most of the air in the General Assembly this week, some other consequential pieces of legislation are advancing quickly.

Driving the news: A newly fast-tracked bill rewrites North Carolina's homeless policy to align with Trump administration priorities, and a House proposal would eliminate sales taxes on period products, baby wipes and diapers.

⛺️ Both chambers passed legislation that bans camping on public property unless it's done in a recreational context.

Zoom in: Republicans argued it's necessary to ensure money doesn't stop flowing from the federal government.

• They cited President Trump's executive order on "Ending Crime and Disorder of America's Streets." It instructs federal agencies to prioritize awarding grants to states that enforce public camping bans.

What's next: The bill is now on Gov. Josh Stein's desk.

🚺 Wake County Republican Rep. Mike Schietzelt sponsored a bill that would eliminate sales taxes on diapers, baby wipes and period products, saying it would put "approximately $75 million back in the pockets of women and families."

The latest: The House unanimously passed the bill a few hours after its first committee hearing Tuesday, an unusually quick turnaround.

Yes, but: Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters yesterday that it was notable the legislation wasn't in the budget, meaning its passage could be merely symbolic.

• The Senate hasn't yet calendared the bill.

💰 What's next: Final budget passage is slated for today.

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🏘️ Residents of one Raleigh neighborhood are still divided over whether to call it Cameron Park or Forest Park. (News & Observer)

💨 Duke Energy reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of the Interior to end its offshore wind lease off the coast of Wilmington. (WUNC)

🏡 Durham AI home design startup Higharc has raised $95 million from investors. (Woodworking Network)

• Read our previous profile of the company.

🫀 $4 million is included in the state budget to buy AEDs for every North Carolina public school.

👋 Zachery here with another dispatch for our World Cup eats journey.

• On the docket today is Little Portugal, a small, family-run spot down in Fuquay-Varina serving Portuguese dishes and pastries.

Why it matters: It's one of the few places you can find a Portuguese meal in the Triangle before Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. take on Croatia today at 7pm.

Zoom in: Located about a 30-minute drive southwest of Raleigh, Little Portugal's menu offers a glimpse at the hearty meals that the small country on the edge of the Iberian peninsula eats.

• That includes Portuguese-style chargrilled chicken (think Nando's if you've ever had it), cod fritters and garlic shrimp.
• But the pastries are worth the drive alone, with two varieties of Portuguese tarts on the menu: pasteis de nata (an egg custard tart) and queijadas de leite (a milk tart).

What we ordered: The pork cutlet bifana, a traditional Lisbon street food option that includes tender, thin strips of pork drenched in sauce and served on a roll ($16).

• For dessert, we got one of the milk tarts ($2.75), which provided an excellent sweet contrast to the savory sandwich.

📍Stop by: 736 N. Main St.

A profound identity crisis has gripped America ahead of its 250th birthday: Citizens are less proud, less religiously unified and losing faith that the American Dream still works.

Why it matters: Democracies can survive policy brawls, but they struggle to function when citizens lose faith in shared institutions and use politics to replace community.

• A new survey from the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute finds that Americans are retreating into ideological camps — viewing the opposing side not as a political rival, but as a threat to democracy itself.

The big picture: 51% of Americans say they are extremely or very proud of being American, down sharply from 82% in 2013.

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There's at least one Carolina Hurricanes jersey in Vatican City now.

What's happening: North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley presented Pope Leo XIV with a Hurricanes jersey and the Order of the Tar Heel during a Vatican visit in June.

Between the lines: It's been noted many times that Pope Leo, the first American-born pope in the history of the Catholic Church, is a huge fan of the Chicago White Sox.

• Whether he is also a Blackhawks fan is unclear. Perhaps there's room for one more on the Hurricanes bandwagon.