Jimmy Donaldson, Aka MrBeast, walking on the red carpet at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York on September 07, 2025. (Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

North Carolina leaders made an eyebrow-raising announcement that flew relatively under the radar this week.

Stein, Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, and Guy Gaster, director of the North Carolina Film Office, announced on Wednesday the latest recipients of film and television grants, which are rebates for programs that spend within the state. The largest beneficiary: Jimmy Donaldson, a Greenville resident, YouTube personality behind the MrBeast channel, and creator of Beast Games. He was awarded up to $15 million, the maximum amount possible. […]

Bryan Anderson is a politics reporter for The Assembly, covering state government and anchoring our twice-weekly politics newsletter, The Caucus. He previously covered elections, voting access, and state government for WRAL-TV, The Associated Press, and The News & Observer.