Report Ranks NC 48th on Medicaid

North Carolina ranks 48th out of 50 states for how it runs Medicaid in a report card released in September by the free-market Heartland Institute, ahead of only Rhode Island and California. 

The state scored 28 of 100 points on 16 measures. Kansas topped the list with 74. The national average was 45.5.

The report docked North Carolina for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, not acting on work requirements, limiting new hospitals and clinics through certificate-of-need laws, and winning few fraud convictions.

Medicaid covers about 3 million North Carolinians, roughly one in four residents. Expansion, approved in a bipartisan 2023 law, now covers about 740,000 adults and is the most heavily weighted item on the Heartland Institute’s scorecard.

Beginning Jan. 1, those expansion enrollees must work, study, or volunteer 80 hours a month to keep coverage under a 2025 federal law.

Isaias to Soak NC This Weekend

Tropical Storm Isaias will spread rain across North Carolina this weekend after an expected Gulf Coast landfall, with the heaviest totals in the mountains and near the coast.

Rain is expected to arrive Saturday and continue through Sunday. Forecasters project 2 to 3 inches in the mountains and along the coast, with locally higher amounts, and about an inch in the central Piedmont.

The mountain rain brings a localized flood risk to a region still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Meteorologists urge residents in flood-prone areas to stay alert.

Isaias, the ninth named storm of the Atlantic season, formed in the Gulf and is forecast to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before coming ashore late Friday or early Saturday, then weaken inland.

Turtle Deaths Halt Buxton Beach Project

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted a beach rebuilding project in Buxton at 95% completion after dredging exceeded the permit limit for accidental deaths of endangered sea turtles.

Dare County’s assistant manager, Dustin Peele, said the county’s permit allows eight endangered sea turtle deaths, and that once nine were reported, the project stopped.

Crews had placed about 1.9 million of the planned 2 million cubic yards of sand onto the shoreline beside the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse before work ended Oct. 3. The roughly 100,000 cubic yards left unplaced were meant for a less vulnerable northern stretch.

Buxton has lost several oceanfront homes to erosion in recent years. A late-September nor’easter damaged about 500 feet of N.C. 12, the island’s only highway, near Pea Island. County officials said Buxton’s new dune held through that storm.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein urged federal health officials in an Oct. 5 letter to keep existing Head Start standards for the preschool program serving low-income families, including staffing ratios, minimum program hours, and the current 15% cap on administrative costs. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: An analysis by the free-market John Locke Foundation found that former Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration directed about $100 million in Hurricane Matthew and Florence recovery funds to affordable-housing projects while some storm victims remained in temporary housing. (More)

➤ Mecklenburg County: Commissioners will await results from state auditor, SBI, and FBI probes into Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ financial irregularities rather than launch their own investigation into the district’s use of nearly $900 million in county funds. (More)

➤ Stanly County: Commissioners voted to drop a proposed Albemarle bypass and highway widening through Norwood from the long-range transportation plan after farmers and landowners objected to losing working farmland. The vote leaves the door open to future road projects. (More)

➤ Wake County: The family of a 13-year-old boy who died by suicide in 2022 is asking North Carolina’s highest court to revive their lawsuit against his charter school, Southern Wake Academy, after a trial court and the Court of Appeals ruled for the school. (More)

➤ Davidson: Dorothy “Dottie” McAulay Martin, North Carolina’s first lady from 1985 to 1993 and wife of former Gov. Jim Martin, died Sept. 28 in Davidson at age 89. She championed child welfare and started the state’s roadside wildflower program. (More)

Enjoy reading Flyover North Carolina? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes bumped 11-year veteran William Carrier up to its top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, due to forward Seth Jarvis’ shoulder surgery. Carrier is known more for physical, grinding play than scoring. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Hurricanes’ restricted free agent defenseman Alexander Nikishin is reportedly seeking a five-year, $45 million contract at $9 million annually while holding out and pursuing a trade. (More)

➤ Duke men’s basketball was unanimously selected to win the ACC in the USA TODAY Network preseason media poll, receiving all nine first-place votes ahead of Virginia, Louisville, Miami, and North Carolina. (More)

➤ North Carolina women’s basketball will appear on national television for 24 games during the 2026-27 season, including matchups against Oklahoma, South Carolina, LSU, and multiple ACC rivals. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NCAAF | WNBA | NHL | Soccer | NBA

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Feeling tired, unfocused, or not quite like yourself? Keeps offers 100% online, clinician-prescribed testosterone replacement therapy for eligible men. Start with comprehensive lab testing, meet virtually with a licensed clinician, and receive a personalized treatment plan if appropriate. Getting started costs $49, including blood work and your consultation.  (LEARN MORE)

➤ American Airlines plans to build its largest airport lounge—a 40,000-square-foot Admirals Club—at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, one of its busiest hubs. The new space is expected to open in 2028. (See Rendering)

➤ SAS Institute in Cary marked its 50th anniversary by launching the AI Think & Do Tank partnership with NC State University, a two-year pilot using AI and statistics to advance translational predictive biology and accelerate promising medical therapies. (More)

➤ NC Ag Leads, a program run by the NC Chamber, launched the Farmer Innovation Bridge, an effort to pair farmers with new agricultural technology and put their input at the center of development. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Upgrade your brushing routine with the Sonic Glow Toothbrush. Its soft silicone mouthpiece uses high-frequency vibrations for a 360-degree clean in just 30 seconds, while multiple power settings accommodate sensitive teeth and gums. A built-in blue light targets surface stains, and right now, Sonic Glow is 50% off.

Flying together with our sponsor

Deep Sea? Deep Space? Don’t Sweat

What do underwater drones and lunar equipment have in common? Both must operate without air or electrical outlets.

It’s why Infinity’s already secured $60M+ in past and current contracts from NASA, the US Navy, and more to supply that power.

Their fuel cells can keep these machines running in the toughest environments. And this isn’t theoretical. In March, an Infinity-powered underwater drone traveled 1,257 miles without surfacing, roughly the distance from Los Angeles to Dallas. That same design’s even logged 2,600+ hours for a NASA Moon Base power program.

Now, Infinity’s scaling from prototype to production. And through October 15, you can join them and unlock 5% in guaranteed bonus shares.

Maximize your stake as an early-stage Infinity investor before this offer’s gone.

This is a paid advertisement for Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, Inc. Regulation Crowdfunding offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.infinityfuel.com

➤ Charlotte-Mecklenburg police stopped two men “driving” a love seat mounted on electric scooters on South Tryon Street, then posted a photo of it online urging the public to prioritize roadway safety. (More)

➤ Evolutionary biologist Julia Van Etten’s chance discovery of two new Paulinella species in Nags Head brackish water offers rare insight into how complex life acquired photosynthesis, still unfolding in these microbes. (More)

➤ RAWTools South, an Asheville nonprofit, holds voluntary gun-surrender events across the Southeast, then has blacksmiths forge the dismantled firearms into garden tools and memorial pendants. (Watch Report)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Coffee vs Hot Cacao vs Green Tea:  Which of these hot drinks was proven in a study boost stem cells by 220% in 30 days?  Billionaires drop 6 figures on stem cell therapy, but this hot drink costs 50 cents a day and boosts anti-aging stem cells improving heart health, blood pressure, and longevity.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ One of the most popular glucose monitors failed an accuracy test against the gold standard. (Hear Which One)

➤ A new report breaks down which states Gen Z adults are leaving and where they’re landing instead. (Hear Details)

➤ Spain is mourning the 87-year-old woman whose eviction ignited nationwide protests and pushed the country toward early elections. (Listen Now)

Have you visited an exclusive airport lounge?

1. Multiple times
2. Once or twice
3. None yet
4. I don’t fly

Yesterday’s Results:

Which of these new North Carolina State Fair foods would you try?

1. None of the above: 43%
2. Blooming Deep Fried Caramel Apples: 21%
3. Cajun Fried Okra: 19%
4. Cheerwine Fried Corn Ribs: 8%
5. Tiramisu Pizza Cone: 4%
6. Sweet Potato S’mores Slop Bucket: 3%
7. Other: 2%

Why did the first English settlers choose Roanoke Island as their destination?

Show me the answer