A crime bill that will limit North Carolina's ability to offer cashless bail and revive the death penalty is moving swiftly through the legislature, passing the Senate 28-8 on Monday, less than 24 hours after being unveiled.

Why it matters: State leaders feel pressured to act after the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutsksa, 23, on the Charlotte light rail.

• They've dubbed the legislation "Iryna's Law."

The big picture: House and Senate leaders blame local officials for letting the suspected killer out of jail this summer on a written promise to appear, despite his lengthy criminal history and spiraling mental health.

• Republicans, who have controlled the General Assembly since 2011, are using the case to label Democrats as "weak on crime," a strategy also embraced by President Donald Trump.
• Democrats say they've been repeatedly stymied in attempts to secure funding for mental health care. Specifically, Senate Democrats pointed to the 2015 state budget, "which cut $110 million in state funding for regional mental health centers."

Zoom in: The new crime legislation largely focuses on limiting cashless bail.

• Some defendants would have to undergo mental health examinations before being released from jail to determine if an involuntary commitment is needed.
• Cash bonds would be required for anyone charged with a violent offense. They'd also be required for all repeat offenders (three convictions in 10 years).
• And over $1.6 million would be set aside for 10 new prosecutors in Mecklenburg County.

What they're saying: Sen. Danny Britt, R-Robeson, said those provisions would have helped in the Charlotte case.

• The suspect was a repeat offender, but his most recent charges were low-level misdemeanors, so he "would not necessarily have been someone that would otherwise be on a secure bond."
• Jake Sussman, an attorney with the nonprofit Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said the "very obvious consequence" of those provisions is that "people who are too poor to pay for their pre-trial freedom are going to end up pleading guilty to charges."

State of play: Bipartisan support evaporated after a late-afternoon amendment to introduce new methods of execution.

• State officials would be ordered to select a new execution method, since lethal injection has been held up in the courts, preventing executions since 2006. Options could be firing squad or electric chair.
• The bill already made it easier to seek capital punishment in cases where the victim was using public transit, like Zarutska was.

Keep reading about what's included in the bill

The number of apartments built in the Raleigh metro area is expected to fall by 44% this year compared to last year.

Why it matters: That is one of the steepest drops in the country, according to an analysis from Rent Cafe, reflecting higher interest rates and the effect that a surge of new apartments is having on construction.

• Nationally, new apartment construction fell by 21%, Axios' Sami Sparber writes.

Zoom in: The Raleigh metro area is expected to add 5,884 units this year, with 37% of those in the city of Raleigh and 22% in Knightdale.

• Raleigh ranked 20th among metro areas for the most new apartments built this year.

Between the lines: Many apartment builders have slowed construction due to interest rates, which make it more expensive, as well as an inability to raise rents because of how many new apartments are competing for tenants.

• But some are still forging ahead, like Turnbridge Equities' 37-story Highline Glenwood. The firm cites Raleigh's forecasted population growth.

☕️ The Raleigh coffee maker Larry's Coffee has been acquired by the Raleigh-based couple Jessie Lotrecchiano and Sandro Niessen. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

🎓 A UNC-Chapel Hill partnership with community colleges to train future preschool teachers on working with students with disabilities had its federal funding canceled by the U.S. Department of Education. (WUNC)

🗳️ Jarrod Lowery, a N.C. House representative who helped turn Robeson County Republican in 2022, is leaving the state legislature next month to take a job with the Trump administration. (Border Belt Independent)

Four North Carolina universities ranked among the 100 best national colleges in U.S. News' annual ranking of universities across the nation.

Why it matters: While its methodology has been criticized over the years, U.S. News' annual list remains one of the most influential rankings of schools published.

Zoom in: Among the top-ranking schools in the state were:

• Duke University was tied for No. 7, dropping one place from last year.
• UNC-Chapel Hill was tied at No. 26 with the University of Virginia, up one place from last year.
• Wake Forest University ranked at No. 51, down five places from last year.
• And N.C. State University came in at No. 64, down six places from last year.

In a ranking of national liberal arts schools, which was separate from the national rankings, Davidson College outside Charlotte was ranked No. 13, a rise of one spot compared to last year.

Go deeper into the rankings