Let’s get right to it.

1) President expected to withdraw from Paris accord.

Sorry, Mother Nature. From The New York Times:

The Obama administration pledged $3 billion to an international fund meant to aid the hardest-hit countries. Only $1 billion of that had been transferred to the fund by the time President Trump took office on Jan. 20. He wants to walk away from the balance of the commitment, though Congress may have the last word.

Mr. Trump, his Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt and Stephen K. Bannon, a top White House adviser, argue that meeting the terms of the Paris accord will strangle the American economy and lead to major job losses. Many in manufacturing and fossil fuel industries also want the United States to leave the pact, but corporate opinion is deeply split. Quitting Paris was a central Trump campaign pledge.

Trump took to Twitter last night to announce that he’s making an announcement:
2) Comey could testify about confrontations with Trump.

The president might exercise executive privilege and block the testimony, but former FBI director James Comey appears to be ready to tell his story to the Senate. From The Washington Post:

Former FBI director James B. Comey is preparing to testify to Congress as early as next week about his private conversations with President Trump leading up to his abrupt firing, according to an associate of Comey’s.

Since his dismissal last month, Comey had been expected to testify at some point about his private interactions with the president, as well as the detailed memos he took describing the conversations.

Before he could testify, however, Comey had to ensure that his appearance at a public hearing would not complicate the ongoing investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is overseeing the probe of possible coordination between Russian agents and Trump campaign officials during last year’s presidential campaign.

3) Raleigh T-shirt shop immortalizes Trump gaffe.

You have to give the House of Swank credit. They’re quick. Very quick.
Speaking of covfefe, Hillary Clinton was trolled by the man who beat her in the election on Twitter. She fired back.


4) The Orange County school board will vote on new dress code.

If you saw yesterday’s INDY, you know that a group of several hundred concerned parents, students, teachers, and community members want the Confederate flag and swastika banned on Orange County schools property.

Yesterday, an amended dress code—one members of the Hate Free Schools Coalition argue doesn’t go far enough—was presented and will be voted on in a few weeks. From ABC 11:

Board members had asked Superintendent Dr. Todd Wirt ahead of the work session to prepare a draft revision of the dress code policy which reads:

“Clothing and accessories are not to substantially disrupt the education process. Students are not to wear clothing, buttons, patches, jewelry or any other items with words, phrases, symbols, pictures or signs that are indecent, profane, or racially intimidating that creates a reasonable forecast of disruption.”

LaTarndra Strong, the parent behind Hate-Free Schools Coalition which has been leading the movement to ban the Confederate flag from Orange County schools said she was disappointed with the suggested policy.

“I’m actually baffled,” she said. “I want a statement from the school that they understand that the Confederate flag is in itself disruptive enough.”

5) Erstwhile Raleigh landmark Finch’s to reopen.

From the INDY:

Owner Peggy Jin, who ran the landmark former drive-in that was razed to make way for the new Peace Street overpass on Capital Boulevard, told me Wednesday that the new Finch’s will open at 3211 Chapel Hill Boulevard, probably in July.

“We’ll have breakfast all day long,” Jin says. “We’ll probably have some new dishes, but a lot similar.”

Jin’s company pulled a renovation permit in March for the site near University Drive. Diners can look forward to chicken pot pie and other menu items, Jin says.

Finch’s in Raleigh started business in 1945 and operated as a drive-in for many years. Its fate was sealed when state and local authorities unveiled a plan to relieve traffic on the nearby Capital Boulevard overpass, itself built in 1948.

That’s it for now. Have a solid Thursday everyone.