Leaders Set 5-Year Public Schools Strategy

North Carolina education leaders unveiled a strategic five-year plan for reaching seven improvement goals in public schools by 2030. The event is part of an eight-region tour to engage communities on the plan’s goals.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green and the State Board of Education hosted a public forum in Charlotte on Monday to discuss the plan, titled Achieving Educational Excellence.

The plan aims to improve the four-year graduation rate from 86.9% to 92%, boost the ACT composite score from 18.5 to 20, and increase AP participation from 21.5% to 30%.

Additional goals include upping participation in career technical education from 36.1% to 41% and enrolling 89% of all school-aged in public schools.

The plan also aims to make North Carolina the Southeast’s leader in educator compensation and the national leader in reading and math scores. Read the full plan here.

Lawmakers Prep for Map Redraw Votes

North Carolina lawmakers are accepting public comments before voting on a proposed congressional map redraw that would increase Republican seats in the U.S. House from 10 to 11 by targeting Democratic Rep. Don Davis’ 1st District.

Democrats currently hold four seats in the U.S. House.

A draft of the redrawn congressional map shifts District 1 south and east, making it more Republican, while District 3 would gain moderate areas, potentially softening the Republican advantage there.

North Carolina’s Senate Select Committee on Redistricting approved the redrawn map in a party-line vote Monday while several dozen protesters decried it as “racist” before being ejected. More protests were planned for today’s House Redistricting Committee hearing.

Report Discloses DEI Protections in Raleigh

Raleigh’s Department of Economic and Social Advancement, led by Briana Scurry, is strategically protecting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs by rebranding them, according to an investigation by Accuracy in Media.

Scurry is shown on video stating her goal is to keep DEI work “as protected as possible.” The department currently operates with a budget of $2.6 million and 19 employees, marking a 69% spending increase in three years.

The North Carolina House was scheduled to vote yesterday on veto overrides of three bills designed to curb DEI efforts in K-12 education, higher education, and state and local government, after the votes were rescheduled from late September.

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➤ Statewide: Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined 21 other states and the District of Columbia in suing the EPA for canceling the $7 billion Solar for All program, which he said would help 12,000 North Carolina homes save 20% on utility bills. (More)

➤ Rockingham County: Singer Taylor Swift donated $100,000 to a GoFundMe for Lilah Smoot, a 2 year old with a rare cancer, inspiring others to make $13 donations in reflection of Swift’s favorite number. (More)

➤ Gaston County: NCDOT is closing the right lane of I-85 North between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. at mile marker 24 through Thursday for a geotechnical investigation as part of widening the South Fork Catawba River bridge. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden met with U.S. Immigrations and Customs (ICE) officials Friday to discuss a new state law mandating 48-hour detainee holds, with ICE officials describing it as a “very productive meeting.” (More)

➤ Outer Banks: A 50-foot boat carrying Francis Hennigan Jr., 50, from Pennsylvania, and a 29-year-old from New Jersey capsized near Oregon Inlet, killing Hennigan. Both men were thrown into the water without life jackets. (More)

➤ Lincoln County: Emergency crews suspended a search Sunday night for a missing kayaker on Mountain Island Lake near the N.C. 73 bridge due to weather conditions. Officials didn’t say when the search would resume. (More)

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➤ Charlotte FC will play New York City FC in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Game one is at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 28, and game two is at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 1. (More)

➤ High Point women’s basketball lost a preseason exhibition game to No. 9 NC State 69-77 this weekend, prompting frustration from the Wolfpack’s coach for not winning more handily. (More)

➤ NC State swimming and diving won first place in their season-opening tournament, beating out the Georgia Bulldogs thanks to a dominant performance by the women’s team. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NHL | Soccer | Tennis

➤ The North Carolina Supreme Court upheld a ruling giving Pinnacle Health a certificate of need (CON) for an MRI scanner in Wake County, affirming it was able to prove “substantial prejudice”—required for plaintiffs in CON cases. (More)

➤ Sawdust pollution complaints from residents near the Port of Wilmington prompted the state to issue fugitive dust plans for Enviva Pallets and Basaga International, with compliance required by Oct. 22 and Nov. 2, respectively. (More)

➤ Avelo Airlines will discontinue its Raleigh-Durham International Airport flights to Montego Bay effective Jan. 3 due to insufficient demand. (More)

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“One of the Largest Industries Ever”

That’s what NVIDIA’s CEO said about robotics. And he’s not alone. Ark Invest values it as a $24 trillion global opportunity. 

So it’s a big deal that NVIDIA, Uber AI, and Amazon helped Miso Robotics perfect Flippy, its new fully commercial kitchen robot. It’s no wonder that initial units sold out in just one week.

Miso already has 200K+ hours for brands like White Castle under its belt. With the $1T fast-food industry facing 144% employee turnover rates, Flippy provides 24/7 labor and can boost profits by up to 3X.

Now, Miso’s leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale US-based production nationwide across a $4B annual revenue opportunity. 

➤ Wake County sisters Kenzie and Lily Ferguson, who both have closed ear canals, are participating in a UNC School of Medicine study to test a bone conduction hearing implant known as the Bonebridge system. (More)

➤ Walltown Children’s Theatre in Durham marked 25 years of inspiring youth through the arts with a weekend of performances, a documentary preview, and community celebrations. (More)

➤ A father-daughter team from Georgia who found over $26,000 in coins on Bailey Mountain Preserve in Madison County while participating in the Countdown Treasure hunt will donate the entire $16,420 sidepot to Hurricane Helene relief efforts. (See Photos)

➤ A local photographer captured a rare Brocken spectre on Grandfather Mountain, which occurs when an object’s shadow is projected onto a cloud. Water droplets can also create a mini-rainbow, known as a glory, as shown in the photos. (See Photos)

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Have you ever seen a Brocken spectre?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not sure
4. A what?

Yesterday’s Results:

When do you stop wearing summer clothes in North Carolina?

1. October: 21%
2. November: 20%
3. I wear them year-round: 17%
4. September: 15%
5. December: 14%
6. I avoid summer clothes: 13%

Which North Carolina public high school is renowned for its math curriculum?

Show me the answer