👀 Top aides quit

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Today's newsletter is 818 words — a 3-minute read.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, North Carolina's Republican nominee for governor, announced a major staffing shakeup Sunday, days after CNN reported that he had called himself a "black NAZI" on an online porn forum.

The big picture: Robinson, who denies making comments outlined in the CNN investigation, announced in a statement that his top adviser Conrad Pogorzelski; Chris Rodriguez, campaign manager; Heather Whillier, finance director; and Jason Rizk, deputy campaign manager "have stepped down from their roles with the campaign."

• "I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors. I look forward to announcing new staff roles in the coming days," Robinson said.

Zoom in: Pogorzelski said in a text message Axios: "The reports are true that I, along with others from the campaign have left of our own accord."

• He said in addition to those announced that political director John Kontoulas, political director Jackson Lohrer and director of operations Patrick Riley had also resigned.
• Representatives for Robinson did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on these other resignations.

Zoom out: Robinson said in his statement that polls had "consistently underestimated Republican support in North Carolina for several cycles now and with a large portion of the electorate still undecided as we continue to ramp up our efforts across the state," he's confident his campaign remains in a strong position to win on Nov. 5.

• Doug Heye, a Republican strategist from North Carolina, told Axios over the phone that the staffing overhaul "doesn't matter because the campaign was already over."

The intrigue: Former President Trump endorsed Robinson in the Republican primary for governor, but the GOP presidential nominee made no mention of the lieutenant governor while campaigning in Wilmington on Saturday.

• Democrats hope — and some Republicans fear — that Robinson could weigh down Trump in the state, where polls show the former president neck-and-neck with Vice President Kamala Harris.
• "Hurting somebody up ballot is very rare," Heye said. But right now, the possibility that Robinson hurts Trump "is real."

Go deeper: Democrats see path to N.C. victory following Robinson bombshell

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Forge Nano, a Colorado-based battery company, is expanding its Morrisville gigafactory thanks to $100 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Why it matters: Forge Nano is among a growing list of companies helping to make North Carolina a destination for production and employment in the battery industry.

• Other battery-focused projects announced throughout the state in recent years include Toyota, Natron Energy and Epsilon Advanced Materials.

Between the lines: Forge Nano plans to increase the production capacity of its lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility from 1 GWh/year to 3 GWh/year thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the company said in a statement.

• The purpose of the expansion: To meet mounting customer demand for domestically produced battery cells, per Forge Nano.
• The company plans to have over 280 full-time and 550 part-time employees, spokesperson Will McKenna tells Axios.

Flashback: This latest funding boost adds to the plans Forge Nano disclosed late last year to invest $165 million into a new battery production facility at 401 Southport Dr. in Morrisville and hire around 200 people by 2027.

• The state, Wake County and Morrisville gave the company around $3.2 million in combined incentives for the facility.

What they're saying: "Domestic production of best-in-class lithium-ion battery cells is critical for the United States to compete on a global scale in the energy transition," said Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano, in the statement.

Keep reading

Blue Cross NC invests in primary care training programs, tools and tech to recruit and support health care workers.

Why it's important: North Carolina faces some of the largest physician shortages in the U.S. and is set to lose 20K nurses by 2032.

See how Blue Cross NC supports health care providers.

The North Carolina Museum of Art closed to the public over the weekend over a social media threat. The museum will be closed through Wednesday. (ABC11)

✍️ Gov. Cooper vetoed legislation passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly that would have fully funded the state's school voucher program and required that local sheriffs work with federal immigration officials in cases involving suspected undocumented immigrants. (WECT)

🌮 Two restaurants have closed in Raleigh's Seaboard Station: Tacos Mama Chava and Mon Macaron. (News & Observer 🔒)

⛽️ Wawa has opened two new stores in North Carolina. (WBTV)

🏠 Another home in the Outer Banks collapsed — the third to do so this year. (WRAL)

Captain Cookie & the Milk Man opens another Raleigh storefront Oct. 5 in North Hills.

Why it matters: The D.C. food truck-turned-sweet shop is known for its homemade cookies, local ice cream and ice cream sandwiches.

Dig in: Its menu also features edible cookie dough, milkshakes, floats and cookie cakes.

• On opening day starting at 10am, customers also have the opportunity to win free cookies for a year.

📍 Find Captain Cooke & the Milk Man at 4421 Six Forks Road, Suite 110, between Sur La Table and Total Wine. It'll be open 10am-10pm daily.

• This is the brand's second Raleigh location — it's operated at Transfer Co. Food Hall since 2019.

Blue Cross NC supports youth mental health with on-demand care, more in-network and school-based providers, and Youth Mental Health First Aid Training.

Key numbers: 4 in 10 North Carolina teens report feeling hopeless or sad daily.

See how Blue Cross NC makes mental health care more accessible.

🥰 Lucille loved seeing our readers this weekend.

🎧 Zachery is listening to the new Bob Dylan live records from his 1974 tour.

Thanks to Katie Peralta Soloff for editing this newsletter.