Friday, June 5, 2026

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1862, Union forces under Lt. Col. F.A. Osborne conducted a reconnaissance from Washington, North Carolina. They clashed with Confederates at Tranter’s Creek bridge, used artillery to kill Col. George Singletary, and forced a Confederate retreat.

Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is in the books. What did you think of it? Reply to share your thoughts.

Today’s sponsor, BOXABL, is working to tackle America’s housing affordability crisis with factory-built, foldable homes designed for faster production, easier shipping, and scalable deployment. Later today you’ll receive a message from them detailing the opportunity they offer.

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.

NC Opts into Trump School Choice Program

North Carolina’s General Assembly completed an override of Gov. Josh Stein’s veto on Wednesday and formally opted into President Trump’s federal school choice tax credit program, making North Carolina the 31st state to adopt the policy.

House Bill 87, the Educational Choice for Children Act, gives tax breaks to donors who fund private school scholarships, which families can use for private tuition or homeschooling.

Republicans said the policy expands opportunity and aligns North Carolina with a national movement, with Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Guilford/Rockingham, stating that the program “gives parents another opportunity to obtain an education that best fits their child’s needs.”

Stein said he had vetoed the bill because he wanted to wait until the federal government issued governing rules for the program.

House Passes Involuntary Commitment Bill

The North Carolina House passed House Bill 1104 on Wednesday, seeking to overhaul the state’s involuntary commitment system, which lawmakers say has become a revolving door for people with mental illness cycling through courts, jails, and hospitals without getting needed help.

The bill would require the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to give law enforcement access to the state’s behavioral health bed registry, known as BH SCAN—a real-time database of available psychiatric beds.

Critics argue the bill proposes few immediate solutions and doesn’t address the underlying shortage of psychiatric beds driving the crisis. The bill now heads to the Senate.

WNC Lands 4,400-Acre Conservation Win

Two conservation organizations have permanently protected more than 4,400 acres in the mountains of Western North Carolina, keeping the land from development and preserving wildlife corridors along the Snowbird, Unicoi, and Cheoah mountain ranges.

A section of the Appalachian Trail spanning Cherokee, Swain, and Graham counties is also among the protected areas.

The Open Space Institute and Mainspring Conservation Trust worked together to complete the acquisition. The protected acreage will eventually be open for outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat—including forests that shelter black bear, wild turkey, and migratory songbirds—once transferred to state and federal ownership.

Meanwhile, in Central North Carolina, Alamance County has acquired 763 acres along the Haw River to develop approximately 8 miles of hiking trails and 10 to 15 miles of mountain biking trails, with volunteers already at work.

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BOXABL Is Betting on Factory-Built Housing

Boxabl’s goal is ambitious: build homes more like automobiles using factory automation and standardized production.

The company says a single automated factory could eventually produce thousands of homes annually while using significantly less labor than traditional homebuilding methods.

Its foldable Casita homes are designed to ship efficiently and unfold on-site in about one hour. BOXABL also says it is developing stackable housing systems for multifamily and larger residential projects.

BOXABL has announced plans for a proposed SPAC merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), with the combined company expected to under the anticipated ticker symbol $BXBL following closing.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Learn more about the proposed transaction here.

➤ Statewide: The NC House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act, requiring large data centers to fund their own energy infrastructure and fast-tracking nuclear power development. The bill now heads to the Senate. (More)

➤ NC Highways: Lawmakers are advancing a bill to make permanent a State Bureau of Investigation pilot program that uses automated license plate readers on state highways. Supporters call it a crime-fighting tool, while civil liberties advocates warn it enables surveillance. (More)

➤ NC Military Bases: Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order last week to strengthen the state’s military communities by improving coordination and information-sharing with military members and their families. (More)

➤ Southeast NC: Denis Bouchard, a 70-year-old Canadian who illegally voted in nine American elections across New Hanover and Pender counties, will serve two months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on voter registration forms. (More)

➤ UNC-Chapel Hill: The university is directing internal “bridge funds” to maintain research projects that include studies on transgender HIV care and racial disparities in breast reconstruction. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Mecklenburg County has ended its lease with the Carolina Raptor Center in Latta Nature Preserve after the center, which invested $1 million and signed a 20-year deal in 2016, requested to sever it. (More)

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➤ Seth Jarvis scored a power-play goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. The series is now tied 1-1. (See Highlight)

➤ UNC baseball opens a best-of-three super regional series against USC today in Chapel Hill. (See Schedule)

➤ Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is set to stand trial June 15 in a civil case alleging he ran over and broke an 11-year-old fan’s foot outside Spectrum Center in 2023. The family is seeking $3.75 million. (More)

➤ Cary native Jordyn Adams is returning to play college football, eight years after passing up on a UNC commitment to sign with the MLB out of high school. He’ll suit up for SMU next season at age 26. (More)

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➤ Take the guesswork out of monitoring your blood pressure at home with the Vital Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor. Designed for convenience and ease of use, it provides fast readings from your wrist, making it simple to track your numbers, stay informed, and support your health routine from the comfort of home. (LEARN MORE)

➤ D.R. Horton, America’s largest homebuilder, spent roughly $10.8 million purchasing land across Buncombe County in 2025 and 2026, according to county records—indicating confidence in the Asheville market’s post-Helene recovery and long-term growth. (More)

➤ American Airlines is temporarily suspending two Charlotte routes—to Ontario and Sacramento—in August and September due to soaring jet fuel prices triggered by the ongoing war in Iran. (More)

➤ Asheville Regional Airport is accepting applications from Western North Carolina artists for two large-scale permanent commissions in its new terminal expansion. Submissions are due by June 22. (More)

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BOXABL’s Growth Story Is Drawing Investor Attention

This company has raised more than $235M from investors as it works toward its goal of transforming the housing industry with factory-built homes.

The company’s foldable housing system is designed to reduce shipping costs and speed up installation. Its flagship Casita unfolds on-site in less than one hour.

The company has announced a proposed merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), which could result in BOXABL trading publicly on Nasdaq under the ticker $BXBL.

Shareholder meetings related to the proposed transaction are expected on June 9, 2026.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Find important information related to the proposed merger here.

BOXABL and FGMC have extended their merger deadline to June 30, 2026, pending shareholder approvals, see SEC Exhibit 99 for further details https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1816937

➤ James Beard Award-winning chef Ricky Moore, owner of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, has been selected as one of four chefs to represent the country at America’s 250th Anniversary celebration. (More)

➤ The North Carolina Arboretum is hosting Bonsai in the Blue Ridge through June 7—a limited-time American Bonsai Society exhibition featuring dozens of intricate displays during the group’s national convention. (More)

➤ ArtsvilleUSA launched Open // Air, a virtual outdoor art exhibition spotlighting Western North Carolina artists’ work and celebrating the region’s creative recovery and cultural resilience since Hurricane Helene. (More)

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➤ Upgrade your oral care routine with DentaBlast, the hydrosonic tooth cleaner designed to help remove debris from hard-to-reach areas between teeth and along the gumline. Easy to use and gentle on gums, it delivers a refreshing clean that leaves your mouth feeling healthier and fresher. (LEARN MORE)