Thursday, May 28, 2026

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1845, John Reed died. Reed was the owner of the site of America’s first documented gold discovery, now known as Reed Gold Mine. His son, Conrad, had discovered a 17-pound nugget in 1799 on their North Carolina farm in Little Meadow Creek that was later identified as gold, launching the nation’s first gold rush and North Carolina’s mining industry.

North Carolina voters may have fewer early voting days this November. Learn more in Top Stories.

Could a one-time treatment replace a lifetime of daily cholesterol pills? Researchers have uncovered a treatment with results so promising that cardiologists are calling it a potential game-changer for heart health. On The Flyover Podcast, Ayla Brown unpacks the findings and reveals which big pharma giant is already behind it. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, Incogni, helps protect you from scams and identity threats by removing your personal information from hundreds of data broker sites before scammers can get their hands on it.

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.

Republicans Eye Fewer Early Voting Days

State Republicans are advancing bills that would reduce North Carolina’s early voting period from 17 days to as few as 10 and eliminate a statewide Sunday voting day for all 100 counties.

Senate Bill 1084 would move the start of early voting from three Thursdays before Election Day to two, cutting a full week from the schedule and removing a Sunday voting day. House Bill 66 would shorten the period from 17 days to 13, also removing a Sunday voting day.

A Catawba-YouGov survey from August 2024 found strong bipartisan support for 17 days of early voting, with 75% Democrats, 64% Republicans, and 68% independents saying it was “about right.”

The debate over Sunday voting is expected to become one of the most contentious parts of the proposal since it has historically drawn higher participation from certain communities.

NC Had Nation’s Steepest ACA Drop

North Carolina recorded the steepest Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment decline in the country in 2026, with 214,000 fewer sign-ups compared to the year before.

That 22% drop brought total ACA enrollment to 761,457, according to HealthInsurance.org. Analysts attribute the decline largely to the expiration of enhanced federal premium subsidies that had made plans more affordable for many households.

With subsidies gone, premium prices rose, pushing many healthier enrollees out of the market and raising concern about a “death spiral”—as healthier people exit, the remaining customer pool skews sicker and premiums climb further.

The losses mean North Carolina’s uninsured rate—which had fallen significantly—is now projected to rebound, potentially causing higher premiums.

NC Insurance Tycoon Gets 12 Years

North Carolina billionaire Greg Lindberg was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in federal prison for masterminding a $2 billion insurance fraud scheme and bribing the state’s top insurance regulator.

Lindberg siphoned $2 billion in policyholder reserves through his Durham-based empire—consisting of Eli Global LLC and Global Bankers Insurance Group—spending the proceeds on private jets, mansions, and a 200-foot yacht. He pleaded guilty to fraud after being convicted of bribery.

The bribery case centered on Lindberg’s attempts to buy favorable regulatory treatment from North Carolina’s insurance commissioner, who cooperated with federal investigators. Tuesday’s Charlotte sentencing consolidated both cases into a single 12-year term.

Given the time Lindberg has already served behind bars, he could be free by 2034.

A Note from Flyover North Carolina

We’re asking for your support. Here’s why it matters.

Flyover North Carolina will always be free. Producing it isn’t.

Two questions before you scroll past:

Do you rely on us for news without the spin?

Is fact-first journalism worth fighting for?

If yes, this one’s for you.

“Trust in the news media is at an all-time low. Americans deserve better. We’re trying to be that better.”

We live in a moment when the institutions once trusted to deliver the news have lost the public’s faith, and for good reason. Corporate media has an agenda. Legacy outlets have a bias. Trust in the press has fallen to historic lows, lower even than trust in Congress. That’s not an accident.

Flyover North Carolina was built to be different. No agenda. No spin. Just the news, clearly written, fairly covered, and delivered every morning to 190,000 readers across the state.

We’re not funded by billionaires. We’re not backed by a corporation with an angle. We’re supported by readers, and that’s exactly how we want it.

Will you chip in to help support Flyover North Carolina?

Even $10 sends us a powerful message: you believe in what we’re building, and you’re willing to support us. Giving more, $50 or $100, helps us grow our footprint, launch new editions, and deliver more of the fact-first journalism America is hungry for.

Give $10
Give $25
Give $50
Give $100

— Flyover North Carolina

Flying together with our sponsor

They can’t scam you if they can’t find you.

Your personal info powers every scam. Whether it’s fake IRS calls, phishing texts, or insurance scams, they usually start by buying your data from shady broker sites.

Incogni makes you invisible to these scammers by deleting your personal data wherever it’s exposed online. Their service covers 420+ data broker sites and routinely removes your information as soon as it’s exposed.

Alternatively, you can get their Unlimited plan to send links straight to their team and have your data removed from additional websites not covered in their automated removals.

Less exposure, less risk, more peace of mind.

Remove your personal data now—get 55% off with code FLYOVER.

➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order banning state employees from using nonpublic government information to bet on prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. (More)

➤ NC Schools: North Carolina had one of the biggest drops in teachers’ union membership nationally, a new report finds. Researchers say they’re not entirely sure why. (More)

➤ Western NC: Thousands of families awaiting Hurricane Helene home repairs face a $500 million federal funding gap that could leave them without assistance. (More)

➤ Henderson/Buncombe Counties: A 12-foot sinkhole and multiple road closures followed Monday’s storm, which dumped nearly 7 inches of rain near Asheville Regional Airport over seven days. (More)

➤ Asheville: A patient under an involuntary commitment order died inside Mission Hospital’s emergency psychiatric unit on May 21. The incident adds to a growing accountability record at the HCA-owned hospital. (More)

➤ Greensboro: The city is expanding hours for a pilot that sends mental health clinicians—not police—to certain 911 calls. Officials say the program has reduced unnecessary emergency transports since launching. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes defeated Montreal 4-0 in Game 4 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals last night to take a 3-1 lead in the series. (More)

➤ Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream was named to the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster this week. They’ll host Senegal on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. (More)

➤ NC State basketball player Matt Able withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft this week, then promptly transferred to play for UNC next season. (More)

➤ Duke women’s golf lost 3-2 to No. 2 Southern California in the NCAA quarterfinals on Tuesday in California. (More)

➤ Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young went viral on Tuesday for chewing out his receivers after a series of drops during organized team activities—a rare flash of intensity from the typically soft-spoken starter. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NHL | MLB | Soccer | WNBA

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Summer grilling and outdoor adventures can turn dangerous fast if a fire breaks out. The Cobra Fire Blanket helps you quickly smother grease, grill, and campfire flames in seconds—without the mess of traditional extinguishers. Compact, easy to use, and designed for emergencies, it’s a smart safety essential for every backyard cookout and camping trip. (LEARN MORE)

➤ BorgWarner is expanding its Hendersonville plant with a $100 million investment, adding 140,000 square feet to its facility and 378 jobs to manufacture sustainable mobility components. (More)

➤ JetZero will break ground on June 15 on its $4.7 billion futuristic jet manufacturing campus at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, creating up to 14,500 jobs over the next decade. (More)

➤ UNC Health has offered $5 billion to acquire or merge with WakeMed, including $2.5 billion directly for the Raleigh hospital system, in a bid to block Atrium Health’s competing $2 billion proposal. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ A little-known AI company is quietly positioning itself ahead of what could become the biggest tech IPO of 2026: Anthropic. Backed by surging institutional interest and exploding demand for advanced AI, one overlooked stock may offer investors a rare chance to gain exposure before Wall Street catches on and the opportunity disappears. (LEARN MORE)

Flying together with our sponsor

Remove the target on your back.

Scammers don’t need to hack you — they just buy your info.

Your name, phone number, and address are currently on dozens of public websites, making you an easy target for phishing, fake calls, and financial fraud.

Incogni automatically scrubs your personal data from those sites so scammers can’t find you. Or get their Unlimited plan and send their privacy experts links to websites that aren’t covered by their automatic removals.

No data, no scam.

Protect yourself today—get 55% off with code FLYOVER.

➤ Kill Devil Grill won top honors at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau’s National Soft-Shell Week competition, which drew 41 restaurants celebrating the coast’s seasonal blue crab tradition. (More)

➤ Today is National Hamburger Day, with restaurants across North Carolina offering free burgers, buy-one-get-one-free deals, and deep discounts at chains including Burger King, Shake Shack, Whataburger, and Smashburger. (See Deals)

➤ A 9-foot alligator spent Memorial Day roaming through a Southport neighborhood before police captured and relocated it. Neighbors dubbed it an “eastern Carolina yard dog” hunting for a barbecue. (See Photos)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Indigenous tribe drinks 5 cups of Cocoa daily: Has clean arteries, normal blood pressure & blood sugar. Fascinating story about a native tribe from Panama that drinks up to 5 cups of cocoa a day and has 9x lower rates of cardiovascular problems and great longevity. Read about the Kuna tribe’s incredible longevity secrets here.