🌳 Council Blocks Peregrine Police Software

In this issue:

Bull City Solera and Taproom closes after 5 years
70,000 NC Voters Must Fix Registrations
Duke Professor’s Epstein Ties Detailed
Council Blocks Peregrine Police Software

Approx Read Time: 3 mins

Bull City Solera and Taproom Closes After 5 Years

A longtime Durham restaurant and taproom has quietly shut its doors. Bull City Solera and Taproom announced in late January that it had poured its final beers after more than five years in business, thanking customers for their support and leaving the door open to a possible future concept.

Final pour: The University Drive spot, housed in a former Chick-fil-A, confirmed its closure via social media on January 26, calling the decision “goodbye for now.”
What’s next: No reason for the closure was shared, but ownership said they hope to reopen one day with a new concept. The space is currently available for event rentals.
Owner context: The bar was owned by Seth Gross, who also operates Bull City Burger and Brewery, which remains open downtown.

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70,000 NC Voters Must Fix Registrations

More than 70,000 North Carolina voters face an added hurdle in the 2026 primaries and general election if they do not update missing information on their voter registrations. Without a fix, those voters will be required to cast provisional ballots, which are rejected at much higher rates than regular ballots, and state officials say many affected voters still do not realize they are on the list.

Why this happened: The issue stems from voter registration forms that for years did not clearly require a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number, as mandated by federal law. After lawsuits and a settlement involving the Trump administration, the North Carolina State Board of Elections launched a “Registration Repair” effort to correct the records.
Slow progress: More than 100,000 voters were originally flagged, but removals from the list have slowed sharply in recent months. Many notification letters have been returned undeliverable, and outreach groups report widespread confusion among voters who have never had registration problems before.
What’s at stake: Provisional ballots counted in municipal elections last year were accepted at high rates, but experts warn that higher-turnout elections in 2026 could see more rejections. Voters on the list skew younger and unaffiliated, groups that tend to lean Democratic.

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Duke Professor’s Epstein Ties Detailed

Newly released federal records show longtime Duke professor Dan Ariely had an ongoing personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein spanning much of the 2010s, according to reporting by The Duke Chronicle. The documents raise renewed scrutiny of Ariely, a nationally known behavioral economist, and have prompted Duke to review the information.

What the files show: Department of Justice records released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act reference Ariely more than 600 times and document at least seven in-person meetings between 2010 and 2016, plus continued email contact through 2019. Some messages suggest a friendly relationship, including social invitations and travel planning.
Timing: Much of the contact occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. One 2012 email shows Ariely asking Epstein for help reconnecting with a woman he met through him.
Responses so far: Ariely disputes the scope of the relationship, saying the interactions were limited, infrequent, and logistical, with no financial or professional ties. Duke University said it is taking the disclosures seriously and is reviewing the newly released material but declined to comment on personnel actions.

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