Friday, September 26, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1958, a different Hurricane Helene raked the North Carolina coast. It brought wind gusts up to 135 mph in Wilmington and caused $11 million in damage. It destroyed homes, piers, and crops, but early warnings and evacuations prevented direct fatalities.

The House has passed a bill that curbs limits on displaying official government flags on private property, and we’re watching two storms brewing in the Atlantic that could interact, with an unknown impact on our coast. Learn more below in Top Stories.

Have you given The Flyover Podcast a listen yet? The hosts, Ayla Brown and Amy Hess, keep you up to date with fact-based national news in just 15 minutes—without the bias of legacy media outlets. Click here to listen.

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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 House Passes Regulatory Reform Act

North Carolina’s House passed the Regulatory Reform Act of 2025 on Tuesday with a 72-37 vote, following the Senate’s approval of the bill on Monday.

It addresses disputes like Greenville’s lawsuit against Camping World over a 3,200-square-foot American flag, which officials said exceeded city code.

The act also requires occupational licensing boards to verify applicants’ Social Security numbers and share them with the Social Security Administration.

State-managed projects in Buncombe, Orange, Watauga, and Wake counties—if managed by the State Construction Office, UNC, or a UNC System school, or the Legislative Services Commission—are now exempt from local zoning, but must consult localities on water, sewer, stormwater, traffic, parking, buffering, and landscaping.

Massive FUJIFILM Life Science Facility Opens

FUJIFILM Biotechnologies opened a large-scale manufacturing facility in Holly Springs on Wednesday, marking what the company says is the largest cell culture biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing facility in North America.

Backed by a $2 billion investment from Johnson & Johnson and a separate $1.2 billion commitment from FUJIFILM, the plant features large-scale bioreactor systems for drug production and is expected to employ 1,400 people by 2031, boosting Wake County’s biotech hub status.

Located within Holly Springs Business Park, the facility will produce medicines for pharmaceutical partners.

FUJIFILM also announced Monday it would donate a $100,000 bioreactor controller to NC State’s Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center to enhance hands-on biopharma training and support workforce development.

2 Atlantic Storms Could Interact, Impact Coast

As Hurricane Gabrielle spins harmlessly in the open Atlantic, meteorologists say Tropical Storm Humberto, currently east-northeast of the Leeward Islands, could strengthen into a Category 2 or 3 hurricane, potentially affecting Bermuda early next week.

While Humberto is not expected to hit the U.S. mainland, it could interact with another system, Invest 94L, possibly triggering the Fujiwhara effect—a rare phenomenon where storms rotate around each other. If this happens, one storm could absorb the other, or the storms could spin off in different directions.

Invest 94L has an 80% chance of becoming Tropical Storm Imelda within a week. Development is possible near the Bahamas.

Forecast models suggest a possible threat to the Southeast U.S. coast, with dangerous rip currents expected along parts of the North Carolina shoreline, including Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, later this week.

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➤ Statewide: The House passed SB 403 Tuesday, fully funding the $792 million Medicaid rebase, but the Senate may not act before the Oct. 1 deadline, risking 3-10% cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates. (More)

➤ Western NC: Officials urged state lawmakers to press FEMA for faster reimbursements and clearer guidance post-Hurricane Helene, with only 10.6% of $60 billion in estimated damages covered so far. (More)

➤ Rocky Mount: The city declared a financial crisis after a budget review revealed it spent millions more than it brought in for over two years. To recover, officials plan $30 million in cuts, layoffs, project freezes, and higher utility bills. (More)

➤ Morrisville: After years of planning, Morrisville officials broke ground on its downtown 25-acre Town Center project. The first phase includes a four-story apartment building, retail space, and a public park with room for live music. (More)

➤ Dare County: Skydive OBX set an unofficial world record—pending verification—by completing 108 tandem skydives in under 16 hours to raise funds for the Outer Banks Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Room In The Inn. (See Photos)

➤ UNC-Wilmington: The university has postponed all freedom of expression events and temporarily banned painting on campus spirit rocks after students painted over a Charlie Kirk tribute, citing safety and security concerns. (More)

➤ Asheville: The city unveiled a $4.75 million plan to rebuild the Malvern Hills Park pool, which closed in 2024. The smaller design, funded by voter-approved bonds, includes upgraded utilities, new equipment, fencing, accessible parking, and a renovated bathhouse. (More)

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➤ NC State men’s soccer was ranked as the No. 1 team in the country this week for the first time in school history. Their 7-0-1 record is the program’s best start to a season since 1985. (More)

➤ East Carolina football hosted Army last night in Greenville for an AAC matchup under the lights. (See Score)

➤ ECU and ECSU will each receive over $3.1 million as a result of North Carolina’s gambling law that distributes 20% of sports betting revenues to the UNC System. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NCAAF | NHL | MLB | Soccer

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➤ Raleigh led the U.S. in home closings in August, up 11% year over year, according to RE/MAX. Competitive offers on luxury homes and relocations are driving sales, despite national declines, with median prices at $468,000. (More)

➤ WakeMed is warning that UnitedHealthcare patients may lose coverage if no contract agreement is reached by Nov. 15. Negotiations have stalled, with WakeMed accusing UnitedHealthcare of denying reimbursements and prioritizing profits over patient care. (More)

➤ A North Carolina judge heard arguments Thursday on whether Duke Energy can be held liable for Carrboro’s climate-related costs, as the town accuses the utility company of deceptive practices. Duke argued that federal law preempts the claims. (More)

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➤ Trained black labs Goose and Kita are helping the North Carolina Department of Agriculture sniff out invasive spotted lanternflies, which are threatening vineyards, crops, and gardens across the state. (More)

➤ A roundup of North Carolina’s 11 best museums features Raleigh’s North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Charlotte’s Mint Museum, Littleton’s Cryptozoology & Paranormal Museum, and the Asheville Pinball Museum. (See List)

➤ A new review of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad highlights round-trip journeys through North Carolina’s fall foliage with options like the Nantahala Gorge Excursion, Polar Express during the holidays, and the Freedom Train for the Fourth of July. (More)

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