Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh, who helped establish what became known as “The Lost Colony” on Roanoke Island, bestowed the title “Lord of Roanoke and Dasamonguepeuk” upon Manteo. The village of Dasamonguepeuk is located in present-day Bertie County.

Technology stars in today’s edition, from the use of AI in precision farming to a dating app for dog lovers. Learn more in Top Stories and Et Cetera.

Today’s sponsor is M2i Global, presenting an investment opportunity in the U.S. minerals market.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Annual Fisheries Management Plan Released

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries released its annual Fishery Management Plan Update, detailing stock status, data trends, and management strategies for species like Southern Flounder, Red Drum, and Blue Crab.

The update, which focuses on data from the previous calendar year (2024), highlights ongoing reviews and amendments to address overfishing and stock declines, with key reviews scheduled for 2025.

Notable actions include accelerating a 50/50 recreational-commercial Southern Flounder allocation and implementing new Spotted Seatrout harvest restrictions. The update also focuses on Eastern Oyster and Hard Clam management, emphasizing wild harvest, habitat recovery, and phasing out mechanical harvesting methods by 2028.

Other measures address recreational fishing by exploring increased access for Southern Flounder, implementing Spotted Seatrout slot and bag limits, and studying recreational shellfish participation.

Erin on Track to be Season’s 1st Major Hurricane

The National Hurricane Center is watching Tropical Storm Erin, moving west from the African coast at 22 mph with 45 mph winds and wind gusts up to 60 mph.

Erin is forecast to become the season’s first major hurricane later this week and could reach or exceed Category 3 status by this weekend. Current models show the storm north of the Dominican Republic at that time, posing no threat to North Carolina beaches this weekend.

While some models show Erin curving northward and staying away from the East Coast, meteorologists say it’s too early to know where the storm is headed since there are “100 scenarios that can unfold between now and a week from now.”

NC State Uses AI to Advance Precision Farming

North Carolina State University’s Chris Reberg-Horton, a professor of cropping systems and co-director of Precision Sustainable Agriculture, is advancing precision farming through AI-driven computer vision.

Reberg-Horton’s team is taking a “camera-everywhere” approach, equipping farm machinery with low-cost cameras that monitor crops for diseases, pests, and fertility issues, transforming data collection across 120 locations in 25 states.

His work emphasizes training AI with expert-annotated images, enabling precise tasks such as distinguishing red from white clover.

By developing these innovations, NC State aims to prepare farmers for future robotic swarms that could replace large machinery to enhance efficiency with smaller, autonomous equipment tailored to farm size.

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What the U.S. (and Investors) Learned From Israel v. Iran

When Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a gateway for 20% of the world’s oil, it reminded us why the U.S. keeps up to 714M barrels in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

As for the critical minerals we rely on for national defense and consumer electronics, the situation is far worse. For example, China controls 80% of the global lithium supply, but the U.S. has no strategic reserves of these critical minerals.

M2i Global plans to fix that. They’re shoring up the U.S.’s critical mineral supplies by rolling out a three-tiered approach—revitalizing abandoned mines, recycling reclaimed scrap metal, and forging public-private partnerships across industry, academia, and government at all levels.

The federal government is actively working with them at Nevada’s Hawthorne Army Depot to launch the first phase of a U.S. Strategic Mineral Reserve. They recently secured a $850M copper offtake agreement. It’s not hard to understand why M2i is already publicly traded.

But now that M2i Global’s finalized a reverse takeover of Volato Group, they’re preparing to uplist onto the NYSE and open even bigger doors. Even better? For a limited time, investors in this round can unlock up to 20% bonus shares as M2i scales across a $163B+ U.S. market.

➤ Statewide: As of Dec. 1, North Carolina will eliminate vehicle window tint inspections and the $10 fee. Tints must still meet a 32-35% light transmittance, and drivers must lower tinted windows for approaching officers. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Eight suspects face 101 felony charges after North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agents raided two Raleigh homes, seizing enough fentanyl for 170,000 lethal doses, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, guns, and cash. (More)

➤ Burke County: U.S. Marshals arrested Ricky Dean Clinton, 40, on child trafficking and other sex offense charges after a shootout in eastern Burke County. He was wounded and taken to a hospital. No officers were injured. (More)

➤ Greensboro and Asheville: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stopped in both cities Sunday for his “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour. Sanders criticized President Trump’s Medicaid cuts and tax breaks, advocating for free public college and universal health care. (More)

➤ Transylvania County and North Carolina Emergency Management are assessing waterway and private property debris from Hurricane Helene via the State Mission Assigned Recovery (SMART) Program. So far, 412 applications have been submitted, with FEMA reviewing them for eligibility. (More)

➤ Fletcher: The 31st annual North Carolina Mountain State Fair returns Sept. 5-14—just before the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene—featuring a carnival, farming, agriculture, livestock, heritage, music, and arts and crafts. (More)

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➤ Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has named Austin Corbett as the team’s starting center. Entering his fourth season in Carolina, Corbett beat out Cade Mays, who started eight games at center last year. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets will reveal their 2025-26 season schedule tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET. (More)

➤ Austin Blaske, perhaps UNC football’s top offensive lineman, could miss up to two months after suffering a non-contact foot injury in training camp. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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➤ Germany-based HSP, which produces bushings for high-voltage power transformers, broke ground on its new U.S. headquarters in southwest Charlotte Monday. The $50 million facility is expected to bring 74 jobs to the region. (More)

➤ A Watauga County judge ordered Horizon 30, LLC to immediately stop unpermitted mining along the Nolichucky River and submit a reclamation plan within 30 days, warning that the company could face contempt charges for noncompliance. (More)

➤ The Marquee, a landmark in Asheville’s River Arts District, has been cleaned out and remodeled following damage from Hurricane Helene and is expected to reopen next month once inspections are completed, welcoming back 320 artists and vendors. (More)

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The Government-Backed Minerals Stock Hiding in Plain Sight

The U.S. has set aside billions to secure the minerals that power EVs, missile defense systems, and grid-scale storage batteries.

But while most companies are years from breaking ground and bolstering supply, one is already working with federal officials to produce real results. No wonder they’re publicly traded.

Meet M2i Global ($MTWO). Combining abandoned mine revitalization, recycled metals, and public-private partnerships, they’ve become an authority on U.S. minerals.

Their Nevada facility is on track to generate $8.3M by 2027. They’re working with the federal government to launch the nation’s first Strategic Mineral Reserve. They recently secured a $850M copper offtake deal and just completed a reversed takeover that will allow for an NYSE uplisting.

Best of all? Investors in this round can unlock up to 20% bonus stock.

Invest in MTWO and claim your bonus today.

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➤ Duke University released seven life-changing health breakthroughs it developed over the years, including cochlear implants, modern ultrasound technology, and DNA discoveries that improved cancer treatments. (See List)

➤ Asheville native Eileen Fulton, honored with a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award and known for her 50-year role as Lisa on As the World Turns, was laid to rest Saturday at Central United Methodist Church. She was 91. (More)

➤ Frolly, a new dating app for dog lovers created by a Charlotte mother-daughter team, uses AI to match people based on dog-related preferences and lifestyle, with profiles for owners and their pets, including details like breed and social habits. (More)

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➤ L