In North Carolina, Republican legislators called a surprise special session Wednesday with the aim of restricting some of incoming Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s power, following a contentious and close election between him and outgoing Republican Governor Pat McCrory. Democratic lawmakers protested the surprise session, calling it unconstitutional. The Republican lawmakers are attempting to impose measures to require state Senate approval for all of the governor’s Cabinet picks, as well as measures to strip him of the power to appoint University of North Carolina trustees. Another effort by Republican lawmakers to pack the state Supreme Court appears to have been defeated. Republicans were threatening to try to add two more justices to the court after Democratic African American Judge Mike Morgan defeated a Republican incumbent in the November election, tilting the court 4-3 to the Democrats. The North Carolina Supreme Court has had seven judges for the last 80 years.