Hurricanes Reach Stanley Cup Final

The Carolina Hurricanes routed the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Friday, closing out the Eastern Conference Final in five games to reach their first Stanley Cup Final in two decades.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Eric Robinson scored in a lopsided first period, and Carolina led 5-0 before Cole Caufield finally beat goalie Frederik Andersen late in the third.

The win made the Canes the first team to reach the Final with only one loss since 1983, snapping coach Rod Brind’Amour’s 1-12 record in the conference round.

Carolina now faces the Vegas Golden Knights, who swept the top-seeded Avalanche to punch their own ticket.

NC Sues VinFast Over Empty Factory

North Carolina has sued Vietnamese EV maker VinFast to reclaim a Chatham County megasite promised as a major manufacturing hub.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson filed the suit last week, citing VinFast’s failure to meet construction milestones and job targets. The company cleared the Moncure site in 2023 but never built the plant, contractually required to be operational by July 2026 with 1,750 workers by year’s end.

Jackson formally warned VinFast in January that it was in breach. The case may hinge on what counts as “vertical construction”, a legal distinction that could decide whether VinFast met its obligations.

Morrisville Teen Shines at Spelling Bee

A 13-year-old from Morrisville finished fourth in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, joining the final nine competitors at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington.

Kushi Gottimukkala, a seventh grader at Carnage G&T Magnet Middle School in Raleigh, was eliminated on the word “cara sposa,” an Italian phrase meaning “dear wife.” She spelled it “carra spoza.”

She had outspelled hundreds of competitors to reach the prime-time stage. The winner was Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California.

➤ Western NC: Buncombe County’s medical examiner warns that staffing shortages across North Carolina’s medical examiner system could delay death certificates, stall criminal investigations, and leave families without closure as vacancies go unfilled. (More)

➤ Mebane: The first North Carolina Buc-ee’s will officially break ground on June 10, the company confirmed. The massive travel center has been long-anticipated by NC residents. (More)

➤ Statewide: T-Mobile Fiber customers across North and South Carolina continued reporting service outages Friday, a day after the initial disruption. T-Mobile acknowledged the issue but had not provided a restoration timeline. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Gov. Josh Stein called a proposed constitutional amendment capping North Carolina’s income tax at 3.5% a “cynical shell game,” warning it would force higher taxes elsewhere or service cuts. Voters decide in November. (More)

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➤ Charlotte FC is in talks to sign French winger Allan Saint-Maximin. The 29-year-old former Newcastle United attacker is available on a free transfer once his contract expires on June 30. (More)

➤ NC State men’s basketball will play in the Baha Mar Bahamas Championship over Thanksgiving weekend, joining Wisconsin and Seton Hall. (More)

➤ A 23XI Racing employee was charged with felony assault at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend for allegedly hitting a 77-year-old man with a golf cart. NASCAR indefinitely suspended the employee; the team is co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NHL | MLB | Soccer | NCAASB | NCAAB | WNBA | Golf

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China’s 60% Grip on Lithium Is Breaking

A domestic lithium producer backed by General Motors just announced plans for its second U.S. facility. This Utah project will sit atop approximately 2.4 million tons of lithium. Now, investors can claim an early-stage stake. 

Here’s the bigger picture.

China controls 60% of the world’s lithium. But as demand for high-tech innovations like AI and EVs continues to grow, America needs its own reliable supply fast. The window to profit from what comes next is open.

America holds the world’s 5th-largest lithium reserves, and they’ve barely been touched. EnergyX is changing that with patented technology that recovers up to 3X more lithium than conventional methods.

In a world reliant on lithium for batteries, electric vehicles, and grid storage, a domestic lithium supply is critical. Invest in EnergyX today.

➤ Stephen Curry is opening three new uptown Charlotte restaurants alongside wife Ayesha and a Michelin-starred chef, offering day-to-night luxury dining. (More)

➤ Botiwalla by Chai Pani, the new Raleigh outpost from Asheville’s James Beard Award-winning Chai Pani Restaurant Group, opens June 2 at Raleigh Iron Works with India-inspired kebabs and more. (More)

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How many of the items on our Saturday meme’s list (shown above) can you check off?

1. All of them
2. Most of them
3. A few of them
4. None of them

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever picked fresh blueberries?

1. Yes: 54%
2. No: 28%
3. Not yet: 10%
4. Can’t remember: 8%  

What factors determined the site chosen for Hillsborough?

Show me the answer