SpaceX Bet Delivers $1B for UNC

The University of North Carolina’s investment arm sold more than $1 billion in SpaceX shares just before the rocket company’s June IPO and still holds more than $1 billion more.

The timing looks sharp. SpaceX priced its record-breaking June 12 offering at $135 a share, but the stock has since slipped, trading between roughly $114.92 and $126.

The payoff traces to a modest bet—a few million dollars routed through Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund about 15 years ago. UNC Management Co., which oversaw nearly $15 billion as of March, now ranks among the country’s best-performing university funds this year, with a gain topping 30%.

The windfall spreads across the system, shared with other UNC campuses, UNC Press, and Winston-Salem State University. Duke University’s endowment also holds an early SpaceX stake.

Miss NC Says Title Stripped Due to Faith, Views

Brittany Boltinhouse of Duplin County, a 27-year-old Latter-day Saint and Trump supporter, believes her faith and conservative views drove the decision to strip her of her Miss North Carolina USA title on Aug. 5, just weeks after she won it.

“As of today, I believe I was stripped of my title because of my political stance and my belief system as a conservative Christian woman,” she told the Carolina Journal.

A spokesperson for the pageant’s organizers, A Blaize Productions, cited “a thorough review of recently surfaced information,” and CEO Thom Brodeur said the conduct spanned an extended period, not a single moment.

First runner-up Myla Hadley, formerly Miss Charlotte, will now represent the state at the Aug. 27 Miss USA pageant in Miami.

JoCo Softball Little League World Series Champs

Johnston County Little League from Clayton captured the 2026 Little League Softball World Series championship with a 2-0 victory over Daviess County Little League of Owensboro, Kentucky, on Sunday in Greenville.

Pitcher Anna-Lynn Clark dominated for the hosts, while timely hitting and strong defense secured the win. The victory marks North Carolina’s fourth overall title and the first for the young Johnston County program, which only launched its softball team in 2023.

Florida earlier claimed third place with a 5-4 win over New Jersey.

The championship capped a week of intense play at Stallings Stadium, crowning a new champion after Pennsylvania’s 2025 winners did not return. Watch the highlights here.

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➤ Statewide: House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, is urging state officials to halt a new State Health Plan provider-tier system, arguing it would raise costs for rural members and steer patients toward a few favored health systems at the expense of community hospitals. (More)

➤ Morganton: Jamar Propst and Tosha Lewis, both 36, are charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Raheim and Carla Murray over a $75,000 inheritance. Investigators say the two took the couple’s money, moved into their home, and dumped the bodies at a Burke County park. (More)

➤ Boone: Appalachian State University’s band director, John Stanley Ross, resigned after a university investigation found a sustained pattern of sexual misconduct. (See Details)

➤ Cornelius: Town leaders have reversed their opposition to the I-77 South toll-lanes project, joining other local officials in backing it as the Charlotte City Council faces a decision deadline. (More)

➤ Chatham County: Enbridge Gas, North America’s largest natural gas utility company, wants to build a 28-mile natural gas pipeline from Siler City to Moncure, a plan drawing pushback from landowners along the route. (More)

➤ Western NC: A minor 1.8-magnitude earthquake struck Transylvania County in Western North Carolina near Rosman late Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with a shallow depth of about 1.4 miles. (More)

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➤ Carolina Panthers quarterback Haynes King, who ran in the game-winning touchdown in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game, is now considered week-to-week after suffering a hamstring injury. (More)

➤ Duke men’s basketball has announced its complete 2026-27 non-conference schedule, including two appearances at Madison Square Garden. (More)

➤ PGA Tour meteorologist Stewart Williams, a longtime North Carolina native, forecasts weather at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro to protect players and fans while guiding officials on course setup decisions. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Golf | NASCAR | WNBA | Little League Softball World Series | Tennis | Soccer

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➤ Civic Federal Credit Union, which serves employees of North Carolina city and county governments, posted a $47.2 million first-half loss, with assets shrinking to $3.07 billion and membership falling by 19,500 in its first year as an independent credit union. (More)

➤ The Lumbee Tribe’s for-profit arm said an outside review found no wrongdoing in its December purchase of a 241-acre Robeson County tract for $6.8 million—more than double what the seller, a Wyoming LLC, had paid days earlier. (More)

➤ Rocky Mount-based Golden LEAF approved a $10 million program to fund entrepreneurship efforts across six rural North Carolina regions, administered by NC IDEA, to support 1,800 early-stage companies and create or retain 2,000 jobs. (More)

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➤ North Carolina ranked No. 44 for on-time mail delivery, scoring 78.2 against a target of 87. Virginia finished last. (More)

➤ Lorelei Schmidt, a 17-year-old Broughton High School student from Raleigh, swam the 21-mile English Channel in 12 hours and 32 minutes, joining a small group of people to complete the crossing. (Watch Video)

➤ Remote-controlled U Safe buoys, which reach distressed swimmers at up to 12 mph and can carry two adults to shore, are being deployed on North Carolina beaches, with the Southport Fire Department among the first responders adopting them to complement lifeguards. (See Photo)

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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:

➤ A boat carrying 14 people capsized off Liberty Island late Saturday night, killing a mother and her 5-month-old daughter. (Hear Story)

➤ Two tiny states out-drink everywhere else in America, and it’s not who you’d guess. The real reason has less to do with thirst than with taxes. (Hear Which States)

➤ Couples are ditching the classic first-dance wedding songs for something else. (Hear What)

Do you consider yourself a good swimmer?

1. Yes, excellent
2. Just average
3. Below average
4. Not a swimmer

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever been to Mount Airy?

1. Yes: 61%
2. No: 25%
3. Not yet: 14%

Which UNC swimming legend was selected as one of the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association’s 100 Greatest Swimmers & Divers of the past century?

Show me the answer