Council shake-ups and energy supply questions
Changes to how council services are delivered in North Yorkshire are a step closer, after clearing their final hurdle in parliament this week.
The Lords giving approval on Monday without any voicing of dissent was another sign of how this has been pretty uncontroversial, though concerns particularly about the size of the new authority have previously been raised.
What's happening is that in April 2023, the county council and seven district councils will be abolished, and replaced by one new unitary council providing all services for the whole of North Yorkshire (not the city of York).
On 5 May this year, elections will be held for councillors who will serve on the county council for 11 months, then on the new unitary council for four years.
There's also a significant change to the local authority in Newcastle.
Nick Forbes, who has led the city council since 2011 and been quite a big figure in Labour circles more widely, is stepping down after being deselected from his seat.
On Monday, Byker councillor Nick Kemp was chosen by Labour colleagues as their new group leader, which means he's in line to take over as council leader after the elections in May.
There are concerns around jobs within central government, as the Department for Work and Pensions is closing four offices in the North East.
The news started to filter out on Thursday morning, with a succession of our region's MPs in the Commons asking what was happening in their areas, and minister David Rutley telling them he couldn't say as workers were only just being informed.
MPs in affected areas were then sent letters in the afternoon, which several shared with me.
The letters confirmed that staff in Stockton are being moved to Middlesbrough, and those in Washington and Seaham are going to Sunderland.
Labour MP for Easington Grahame Morris told us Seaham "can ill-afford to lose" such local employment and "transport links are very poor... so I don't think it's as straightforward as transferring the jobs."
No direct move has been identified for 55 staff in Bishop Auckland. The government says it hopes to find them roles, though surely that won't work out for everyone.
This week has highlighted how the North East now plays a central role in the controversial relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia.
After 81 people were executed by the Saudi state last Saturday, Cheshire MP Mike Amesbury asked in the Commons on Monday if Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is a "right and proper" owner of Newcastle United Football Club.
Then on Wednesday, the Prime Minister visited Saudi Arabia, seeking to find replacements for Russian oil and gas supplies.
As is often the way, his trip was accompanied by the announcement of investment - in this case £1bn from the Saudi company alfanar for a new green aviation fuel plant at Port Clarence on Teesside.
Boris Johnson said such investment "is the kind of thing that we want to encourage" and "doesn't in any way mean that we can't stick to our principles and raise those issues that we all care about."
Middlesbrough's Labour MP Andy McDonald told us he was "absolutely supportive of any measures to bring jobs to Teesside, but we've got to take care who we do business with and we cannot ignore human rights abuses."
The UK's energy sources also generated debate on our programme 'Around the House' on Thursday, this month featuring Darlington Conservative MP Peter Gibson and Labour MP for Newcastle Central Chi Onwurah. The Prime Minister is due to set out a major 'energy supply strategy' sometime soon.
Definitely coming up on Wednesday is the Chancellor's spring statement.
Mr Sunak recently announced a £150 council tax rebate for bands A-D and a £200 energy bill loan, but prices have continued to rise, linked to the war in Ukraine.
In a discussion at the Conservative spring conference in Blackpool on Friday, the Chancellor said: "Where we can make a difference... I'm always going to do that."
So it sounds like he will go further at this mini-budget.
All eyes though will be on what approach he takes, and ultimately how much of a difference it makes for so many who are struggling right now.