North Carolina Republicans seeking to give themselves another safe seat in Congress will begin voting on redistricting on Monday.

• A newly redrawn map swaps a handful of eastern counties between the 1st and 3rd congressional districts, shaking up both races ahead of 2026.

Why it matters: The aim is to oust Democratic Rep. Don Davis (NC-01) without endangering Republican Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03).

• Combined with other states' redistricting efforts, the shift could help Republicans maintain control over the U.S. House of Representatives, even if a midterm slump hits the president's party, as it often does.

The intrigue: Neither Davis nor Murphy has said where they'll run. Congressional representatives aren't required to live in the same district they represent.

• Murphy's statement says he will definitely run in 2026, but notes "the proposed map splits the counties I now represent down the middle."
• Davis — one of the few Democrats to win in a district that also elected President Donald Trump in 2024 — was less committal. His home in Greene County will flip to the 3rd district.

What they're saying: Davis released a statement saying he is "considering every option." His chief of staff tells Axios that Davis "will not be backing down from a fight."

• And Murphy says he's reviewing the new lines, hinting that the 1st might be a good fit because he's "had a home at the coast for decades and always represented coastal concerns."

Catch up quick: Texas was first to strike when Trump began encouraging states to redistrict, prompting California to plan redistricting that benefits Democrats. More states have since jumped into the fray.

• North Carolina's legislative leaders' joint statement characterizes it as heeding "President Trump's call to thwart blue state attempts to take Congress."

Between the lines: Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper notes that's a shift in tone from previous redistricting cycles.

• "What that says to me is they have zero fear of a partisan gerrymandering claim being successful in litigation, because they're saying it out loud," Cooper tells Axios.

The big picture: The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering a case that would gut the Voting Rights Act and reshape how race is considered in redistricting.

• The section of the law in question was written to protect Black voters from disenfranchisement by preventing race-based voting discrimination.

By the numbers: If the new congressional map passes, it would be the state's fifth since the 2020 census.

What's next: A Senate hearing on the map begins today at 10am.

• Both chambers are expected to vote this week.

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North Carolina is joining more than a dozen states in suing the Environmental Protection Agency to block the cancellation of a $7 billion solar energy program.

Why it matters: It's the latest lawsuit that North Carolina's attorney general, Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, has filed against the Trump administration to block money from being cut for the state.

• A lawsuit this summer, for instance, forced the U.S. Department of Education to release millions of dollars in frozen funds.

The big picture: The states argue in a lawsuit filed Thursday in a U.S. District Court in Washington state that the EPA "illegally terminated" the program that's "designed to bring low-cost distributed solar energy to over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities."

• Another suit the states filed in the Court of Federal Claims in D.C. on Wednesday seeks monetary damages for the program's termination.

State of play: Congress appropriated funds for the Solar for All program during President Biden's administration in 2022 through the Inflation Reduction Act.

• EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called the program a "boondoggle" and a "grift" as he announced its cancellation in an August YouTube video.

Zoom in: Jackson said that $150 million from the program was intended for North Carolina to help low-income and rural communities use solar power.

• His office estimated the program would have helped around 12,000 households save on average 20% on their utility bills by installing rooftop solar panels.
• "This is a lot of money for the state," Jackson tells Axios, noting the money was already in the state's accounts. He calls it a "flagrant violation of federal law."

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💦 Clean water activists in North Carolina worked for years to convince the EPA to regulate PFAS in drinking water. (The Assembly)

• Now they're confronting a Trump administration intent on rolling back their wins.

🚜 The longtime Raleigh business Gregory Poole Equipment Co. is moving its headquarters from Beryl Road to a 130-acre property between Garner and Clayton. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

🪧 Thousands of people gathered across the Triangle for the No Kings Protests on Saturday. (Check out photos of the protests at WUNC)

State Senator Norm Sanderson was charged with a DUI in Raleigh. (WITN)

The value of hockey in Raleigh has never been higher.

Why it matters: After nearly a decade straight of the Canes making the playoffs, plus the launch of an ambitious redevelopment around Lenovo Center, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has completely transformed the fortunes of the club since buying it seven years ago.

Zoom in: The valuation of the Carolina Hurricanes is estimated to have grown 49% in the past year to $1.9 billion, according to the sports business outlet Sportico.

• That was the second biggest jump in the entire NHL, only trailing the Florida Panthers, winners of the Stanley Cup.
• The Canes had the 15th highest valuation in the entire league, and moved up 10 spots compared to last year.

Flashback: The purchase price when Dundon bought a majority stake in 2018: $420 million.