Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Reaches 307 Cases

North Carolina has recorded 307 cases of the intestinal parasite cyclosporiasis since May 1, with 13 people hospitalized.

Wake County accounts for more than 180 of the confirmed cases and four hospitalizations, and WakeMed says it has seen a 200% to 300% jump in patients reporting gastrointestinal symptoms.

Investigators haven’t pinned down a common source. Health officials stress that cyclospora is foodborne, not passed person to person, and urge thorough washing of fresh produce.

The CDC is investigating a multistate outbreak, and while past outbreaks have been tied to lettuce and bagged salads, officials haven’t confirmed that link here. Taco Bell has voluntarily removed select ingredients from some locations as a precaution amid the nationwide surge.

NC Eases Teacher Licensing Barriers

North Carolina lawmakers have approved sweeping changes to teacher licensure requirements as part of the new state budget, aiming to address persistent staffing shortages in public schools.

The reforms eliminate Praxis Core testing and minimum SAT/ACT scores for admission to teacher preparation programs, remove the first-year licensing exam for beginning teachers, and provide alternative pathways for limited-license holders demonstrating strong student growth.

Out-of-state and international educators will also face fewer hurdles for reciprocity.

Additionally, elementary (K-6) licenses now extend to grades 7-8, offering districts more staffing flexibility. Officials hope these measures will boost recruitment and retention amid ongoing educator shortages.

Elite NC Schools Skip Voucher Money

North Carolina’s most expensive private schools take little or no money from the state’s Opportunity Scholarship voucher program, a Carolina Journal review of state disbursement data found.

Schools such as Ravenscroft, Cary Academy, and Charlotte Latin School—which charge more than $34,000 per student per year—received nothing. The largest shares went to lower-cost, mostly religious schools with a median tuition of around $7,900.

At least one school, Ravenscroft, deliberately skips the program, citing state rules that could dictate its policies and compromise its independence as a private institution.

The voucher program has become one of the state’s biggest education investments. Lawmakers removed income limits in 2023, opening the program to all families when it took effect for the 2024-25 school year, and it now costs more than $500 million a year.

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➤ Statewide: Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined 22 other state attorneys general in suing federal health agencies over a new Medicaid work-requirement rule, arguing it narrows protections for medically frail patients and could put tens of thousands of North Carolinians at risk of losing coverage during treatment. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, now a U.S. Senate candidate, distanced himself from a 2021 court-ordered settlement that released about 3,500 prisoners, saying he opposed the releases. His administration had approved the settlement to avoid trial. (More)

➤ NC Prisons: A state program called NC Jobs Exploration in Transition, which helps incarcerated men and women line up jobs before their release, has expanded to 22 prison facilities. (More)

➤ Wilson County: Two more people were arrested in connection with a shooting outside the courthouse on Monday that wounded three, including a sheriff’s deputy and a police officer. (More)

➤ Outer Banks: A nearly 13-foot male alligator was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Highway 64 near Buffalo City Road, with NCDOT removing the carcass from the roadway. (More)

➤ Raleigh: NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium will host back-to-back concerts this month—Guns N’ Roses on July 23 and Noah Kahan on July 25—with the university coordinating traffic and security for capacity crowds. (More)

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➤ All 17 ACC football programs gathered for the start of the league’s preseason media days yesterday at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown. NC State took part on opening day, while UNC, Duke, and Wake Forest will close out the event tomorrow. (See Schedule)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their championship banner Sept. 29 before the defending Stanley Cup champions host Florida in their 2026-27 season opener. (More)

➤ NASCAR Cup Series drivers praised the return of points-paying racing to historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, citing the track’s throwback atmosphere and rich racing heritage. (More)

➤ Hough High School of Cornelius is North Carolina’s lone representative in the preseason MaxPreps high school football Top 25, opening at No. 21 after a 14-0 season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | WNBA

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➤ UNC Charlotte will lead the Carolinas Grid Engine, a potential $160 million National Science Foundation-funded initiative to modernize the nation’s electric grid through research, technology development, commercialization, and workforce training across both Carolinas. (More)

➤ Chemours settled out of court with 2,658 residents near its Fayetteville plant who blamed PFAS “forever chemicals” for contaminating their wells, just as a bellwether trial was set to open in federal court in Raleigh. Terms weren’t disclosed. (More)

➤ Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company acquired Charlotte real estate firm Spectrum Cos. in a deal expanding its services from North Carolina to Florida. Terms weren’t disclosed. Spectrum’s 43 employees will move to the SouthPark headquarters. (More)

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This Metal’s Price Went Up 170%

No, not gold. Lithium. Prices more than doubled from last June to this one, spurring a modern-day “white gold” rush driven by AI, energy, and more. 

With demand growing 5X by 2040, a major opportunity’s emerging. No wonder 50,000+ people have  invested in EnergyX.

Their patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods, in days instead of months. That combination of technological prowess and market demand earned an investment from General Motors.

In the past 24 months, EnergyX has raised ~$100M from retail investors, formed a first-of-its-kind lithium agreement with the U.S. Army, and oil supermajor Eni just signed an agreement to invest up to $225M.

Now they’re preparing to unlock ~15M+ tons of lithium. Invest in EnergyX before midnight PT.

➤ North Carolina residents spent an average of $8,744 per person on health care in 2024, ranking 39th nationally and well below the U.S. average of $9,717. (See Map)

➤ NC State students are helping Duke’s Root Causes group build an app called SoFreh that streamlines food-bank deliveries to families in need, aiming to make deliveries more efficient through smarter routing. (More)

➤ A roundup of the country’s best tubing spots features six North Carolina lazy rivers, including Deep Creek near Bryson City, the Cape Fear River, and the French Broad River. (See List)

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➤ “Impossible” Bone Density Improvements Linked to Overlooked Protein. Doctors are doing double-takes at recent DEXA scans showing unprecedented bone density improvements in women over 60 after adding this protein in their diet. The stunning results have doctors questioning if their equipment is malfunctioning—but the explanation lies in a revolutionary protein compound that provides what calcium supplements alone cannot. (Learn More)

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Potentially groundbreaking Alzheimer’s research focused on a new protein in the brain, and the results are turning heads. (Hear Details)

➤ Smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota is engulfing the Midwest and Northeast, exposing millions to hazardous air. (Hear Episode)

➤ California’s high-speed rail project is seeking hundreds of millions in fresh federal funding after Washington clawed back $4 billion. (Listen Now)

Have you ever gone tubing?

1. Yes (reply to tell us where)
2. No
3. Not yet

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you been to Carowinds?

1. Yes: 51%
2. No: 40%
3. Not yet: 9%

Which North Carolina river is one of the world’s oldest?

Show me the answer