Saturday, February 7, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1946, singer-songwriter Sammy Johns was born in Charlotte. Johns is best known for his 1975 hit Chevy Van, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard pop charts, sold millions of copies, and inspired the film The Van. His country-rock songwriting also produced songs later covered by Conway Twitty and Waylon Jennings.

UNC hosts No. 4 Duke in a primetime Tobacco Road Rivalry showdown tonight as the Tar Heels aim to end a three-game skid. See today’s Sports section for more details.

This week, The Flyover team is in Colorado, meeting in person to plan how to make The Flyover even better in 2026. As a result, today’s edition will be intentionally abbreviated, and we’ll be back to normal on Sunday.

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Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Republican Candidate Disqualified

The State Board of Elections voted 3-1 that Republican Senate candidate Margot Dupre is disqualified from the March 3 primary election. Dupre had been one of seven Republicans looking to replace retiring Senator Thom Tillis.

The board ruled that Dupre failed to provide a proper residential address for voter registration after listing a UPS store in Charlotte. Dupre, who has toured the state in a camper van, has a Florida driver’s license and vehicles registered in Florida. Records show she last voted in Florida in April 2025.

Dupre’s name will remain on the ballot because they’ve already been printed. Any votes for her won’t count unless the board decision is overruled. Dupre plans to appeal the decision.

Survivor 50 Scavenger Hunt in North Carolina

The first North Carolina clue in CBS’ nationwide Survivor 50 scavenger hunt dropped Friday, kicking off the state’s challenge for a chance to attend the live season finale.

The show, which is celebrating its milestone 50th season, is hiding 50 immunity idols around the country. Each state has its own unique challenges, such as exploring caves in Kentucky. The winners of the scavenger hunt will be entered to win a chance to attend the show’s finale in Los Angeles.

Show host Jeff Probst challenged fans to join in the show’s final season. “America has watched players outwit, outplay and outlast for decades—now it’s your turn. The hunt is on. Time to dig deep!”

Fans can sign up to receive alerts when clues drop here.

TBD

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➤ Statewide: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported flu-related deaths reached 236, nearly double last year’s pace, after the state recorded 542 deaths during the entire previous flu season. (More)

➤ Raleigh: The FBI, working with state and local law enforcement, is seeking potential victims and witnesses tied to former Raleigh police officer Tremale Cogdell after his arrest on sexual assault charges. (More)

➤ UNC-Chapel Hill: A federal judge lifted UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus bans on three anti-Israel protesters arrested in 2024 while dismissing parts of their lawsuit and allowing remaining claims to proceed. (More)

➤ High Point: Police arrested Ricky Cox, 61, on a second-degree murder charge in the 2002 killing of Betty Moore after new information led detectives to reopen and solve the cold case. (More)

➤ Boone: A malfunctioning lithium-ion battery in an electric skateboard caused an explosion and fire at an apartment complex, injuring one person and causing an estimated $100,000 in damage, officials said. (More)

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➤ No. 14 North Carolina men’s basketball hosts No. 4 Duke tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Chapel Hill for the first Tobacco Road Rivalry game of the season. (More)

➤ The Associated Press named Carolina Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan offensive rookie of the year after he finished with 1,014 receiving yards on 70 catches and seven touchdowns. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Luke Kuechly became the sixth Carolina Panthers Hall of Famer, earning induction in his second year of eligibility after a dominant seven-season career highlighted by multiple All-Pro honors. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes will send five players to the 2026 Winter Olympics after center Seth Jarvis received a late invitation to join Team Canada as an injury replacement. (More)

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