Trump Campaigns for Whatley in Gastonia

President Trump campaigned Wednesday for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, speaking at Gastonia Municipal Airport around 7 p.m. 

Whatley, a Blowing Rock native and former Republican National Committee chairman, is challenging Democrat and former Gov. Roy Cooper for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. 

Trump urged supporters to turn out Nov. 3 and asked them to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” He warned that a Cooper win would hand the Senate to Democrats and criticized the two-term governor’s record on crime, calling North Carolina’s cities dangerous under Democrats’ leadership. 

Whatley spoke briefly about his decision to work for Trump’s first campaign, stating that 11 years later, “I am still with that guy.”

Security was tight, with road closures and checkpoints around the airport. Supporters lined up early despite the heat.

State Links Amoeba Death to Durham Water

State health officials say a water feature at a Durham mental health center was the most likely source of the rare brain-eating amoeba that killed a North Carolina teenager last month.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the teen, who was from central North Carolina, likely splashed contaminated water on his or her face at the site. The teen died Aug. 31.

Durham County closed the water feature Aug. 28 for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing, and it remained shut this week. Officials said the organism, Naegleria fowleri, lives in warm freshwater and infects people when it enters through the nose.

Infections are extremely rare, but nearly always fatal once symptoms begin. Federal officials recorded 167 cases nationwide from 1962 through 2024.

Inaugural Biltmore Championship Tees Off

PGA Tour action resumes today with the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Arden, which is less than 20 minutes south of downtown Asheville.

The event, the first Tour stop in the area since 1942, runs Sept. 17-20 during the FedExCup Fall Series, with players battling for 2027 status.

Rookies Jackson Koivun and Ben James headline the field as top betting favorites after Justin Thomas’ late withdrawal. Coverage of Round 1 begins today on the Golf Channel at 3 p.m., featuring notable pairings and early tee times from both the first and 10th tees. Brendan Valdes returns in the final group after battling cancer. 

Tickets remain available for fans seeking an Asheville-inspired experience, with free youth admission and military discounts enhancing the debut tournament’s appeal. View the schedule here.

Your AC Quits. Now You’re Facing a $6,000 Bill.

It always seems to happen at the worst possible time. Your AC quits during the hottest week of the year. Your refrigerator suddenly stops cooling—with a week’s worth of groceries inside.

Then comes the repair or replacement bill.

Replacing a central AC system now costs homeowners around $6,000 on average—and depending on the home and system, it can climb above $12,000. Even replacing a refrigerator costs around $1,500 on average.

Homeowners insurance typically isn’t designed to cover appliances and systems that fail from normal wear and tear. That’s where Choice Home Warranty can help. Depending on your plan, coverage may include major systems and appliances such as air conditioning, heating, refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, and dryers.

Choice has covered more than 2.9 million homes and serviced more than 9.8 million claims.

See what a Choice Home Warranty plan could cover in your home.

➤ Statewide: Former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, predicted that his U.S. Senate race against Republican Michael Whatley will be decided by 3% or less, even as recent polls show the former governor leading by 5 to 13 points. (More)

➤ Wake County: The school board voted 6-1 Tuesday to let students leave campus for up to one hour a week for religious instruction, complying with a new state law. Students need a parent’s written permission to take part. (More)

➤ New Bern: Former FBI Director James Comey asked a federal judge on Monday to push his arraignment from Sept. 30 to January 2027 and his trial from Oct. 21 to February 2027, citing time needed for pretrial motions for a case stemming from a 2025 post prosecutors say threatened President Trump. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Two more top Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders will retire on Jan. 1—Chief Operations Officer Tim Ivey and human resources chief Tangela Williams—marking the fourth and fifth high-level departures in a month, following an investigation into Superintendent Crystal Hill. (More)

➤ Durham: The city is advancing a $55 million emergency operations center and backup 911 call center to replace a building constructed during the 1940s. County officials call the aging facility inadequate for modern emergency response. (More)

➤ Coastal NC: Gov. Josh Stein and Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley visited Wilmington on Tuesday to reaffirm support for North Carolina’s film industry, as debate continues over the state’s film incentive program. (More)

➤ Ocracoke: A packed community meeting urged lawmakers to preserve longtime resident priority boarding on the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry as new tolls begin in 2027, calling the system essential for medical care, work, and daily island life. (More)

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➤ The UNC Board of Governors is considering limits on how much public money and student fees can go toward college athletics across the state’s 15 programs. Subsidies currently cover about 36% of total athletic spending statewide. (More)

➤ Charlotte 49ers football confirmed that starting running back Chance Williams is no longer with the team. Head coach Tim Albin declined to say why, adding only that the backfield will operate by committee going forward. (More)

➤ Duke women’s soccer forward Katie Shea Collins was named TopDrawerSoccer’s national player of the week after recording a goal and two assists in the No. 3 Blue Devils’ 5-0 win over No. 1 Stanford. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer

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➤ Matthews-based Harris Teeter plans to invest $253 million over three years to renovate existing stores and build three new locations across the Charlotte region, with upgrades to store layouts, fresh-food sections, and pickup areas. (More)

➤ Costco resubmitted plans to build its first Western North Carolina warehouse at Enka in West Asheville seven months after withdrawing an earlier application. It goes to city planners on Oct. 7. (More)

➤ Duke University Hospital in Durham ranks No. 1 in North Carolina according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings. It also ranks nationally in eight adult and nine pediatric specialties. (See Rankings)

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Could You Absorb a $6,000 Home Repair?

That’s approximately what a central AC replacement costs on average today. Depending on your system, the final bill could climb above $12,000. A new refrigerator averages around $1,500—and that’s before replacing the food that spoiled when it stopped cooling.

A home warranty can help you prepare before something breaks. Depending on the plan, Choice Home Warranty may cover major appliances and home systems that fail from normal wear and tear.

Don’t wait until the AC stops blowing cold air to think about the cost.

Check your available plans and see what coverage could cost.

➤ Duke Health surgeons became the first in the U.S. to implant a new remote-controlled artificial urinary sphincter, an alternative to manual-pump devices that promises more personalized control for patients with urinary incontinence. (More)

➤ Wildlife experts from the National Park Service and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission held a Hatteras Island workshop addressing coyote adaptability, self-regulating populations, limited removals to protect seabirds and turtles, and resident prevention tips. (More)

➤ A 2026 Best Coffee Cities ranking includes Raleigh at No. 35 and Charlotte at No. 45, while Greensboro was recognized as having the nation’s second-lowest average coffee pack price. (See Rankings)

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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. 

➤ Can you catch up on sleep, and how many hours does it take? (Listen Now)

➤ Democrats refuse to advance a sweeping crypto bill until new limits are placed on presidential profits from digital assets. (Hear Episode)

➤ House lawmakers held billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress, escalating their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s network. (Hear Details)

Have you shopped at Costco?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not yet
4. Not in my area

Yesterday’s Results:

How do you feel about riding roller coasters?

1. Hard pass: 50%
2. I’ll ride, but nothing extreme: 26%
3. The bigger, the better: 24%

What are the top coffee roasters in North Carolina?

Show me the answer