North Carolina's Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's biggest obstacle to accomplishing his agenda will be the state's Republican-controlled General Assembly.

• Yet even as he actively fights GOP lawmakers in court, Stein's disposition toward them has been otherwise amicable in the early months of his first term.

Why it matters: Stein's "charm offensive," as one person in his administration called it, could mean more compromises, policy solutions and bipartisan legislation than North Carolina has seen in the last eight years.

• The potential for bipartisanship also comes at a critical time for the state as it embarks on the long road of hurricane recovery, and with possible changes coming to the flow of federal disaster relief and education funding.

The big picture: Stein's strategy also comes as his party remains fiercely divided over how to resist President Trump's agenda, with some Democrats taking a more defensive approach to Republicans, rather than a bipartisan one.

Driving the news: In the first few months of his term, Stein has been in touch with first-term and veteran Republican lawmakers alike, key political players tell Axios.

• The strategy is "f***ing brilliant," one Republican lobbyist, granted anonymity to speak freely about his party's chief political opponent, told Axios, because "there were some preconceived notions about how Stein might interact with the General Assembly."
• Stein's efforts to connect regularly with Republican lawmakers, along with steering away from excessive partisan rhetoric in speeches and statements and making some moderate policy and budget proposals, could make his relationship with Republicans better than that of his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

What they're saying: "So far, Governor Stein has done a better job connecting with the legislature than his predecessor," Republican House Speaker Destin Hall, who began his first term as speaker in January, said in a statement to Axios.

• "While we haven't agreed on every issue, he has been responsive and approachable."

Meanwhile, Stein has filed three separate lawsuits against Republican lawmakers, alleging that their passage of legislation that stripped him of some of his key appointment and oversight powers violates the state's separation of powers clause.

• "There are gonna be times when they do things that I very much disagree with — to the point where I actually had to go court to file a lawsuit to block them from their illegal, unconstitutional moves — but I then need to work with them on Hurricane Helene the next day."

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The Triangle will send all three of its ACC schools into the NCAA women's basketball tournament's Sweet Sixteen.

😈 No. 2 Duke beat No. 10 Oregon 59-53 in Durham on Sunday to book its Sweet Sixteen ticket.

🐏 That win means the Blue Devils will take on North Carolina on Friday in Birmingham — after the No. 3 Tar Heels beat No. 6 West Virginia 58-47 to advance.

🐺 And No. 2 N.C. State dominated No. 7 Michigan State 83-49 in Raleigh to make it to the next round.

• The Wolfpack will play No. 3 LSU in Spokane on Friday.

📵 A draft policy that Wake County's school board could vote on later this spring would require students' cellphones to be turned off, silenced or in airplane mode throughout the school day. (WRAL)

✂️ Federal education funding cuts could reduce Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland county school budgets by up to 30%. (Border Belt Independent)

• Cuts could translate to increased class sizes or force schools to lay off teachers, cut programs or ask county commissioners to increase taxes in some of the state's poorest counties.

🎼 UNC-Chapel Hill's Music Department has stopped accepting new students into its music education program due to low enrollment. (INDY Week)

The former Copa restaurant space in downtown Durham has been sold at an auction, with the new owner planning to keep it a restaurant space. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

It feels unfair to call TaTaco, the new restaurant from James Beard Award-nominated chef Oscar Diaz, simply a taqueria.

• While the menu for the restaurant — located 620 Foster St. in downtown Durham — does include a wide variety of tacos using made-in-house tortillas, it goes far beyond that.

Why it matters: Diaz has been on a hot streak since leaving the popular but now closed Mexican restaurant Cortez in Raleigh, partnering with the group behind the Mezcalito restaurants on a number of ventures.

• Since then, he has opened the Durham restaurant Little Bull, the all-day cafe Aaktun, which has locations in Durham and Clayton and now TaTaco.
• He also has plans to open a new, not-yet-named concept in downtown Durham later this year.

Zoom in: TaTaco's menu includes the staples of Mexican cuisine, including tacos and quesadillas to enchiladas and flautas.

• But nestled next to those options include creative entrees like clams dunked in a complex birria broth, salmon made with poblano pasta and fresh seafood options, like a tuna and hamachi crudito and raw oysters featuring a passion fruit mignonette.
• The drink menu includes several takes on the margarita and lesser-known Mexican spirits like raicilla, bacanora and sotol.

Address: 620 Foster St., Durham

Hours: Open daily from 11am-10pm.

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