Thursday, September 25, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1939, Jesse “Sweet Joe” Russell was born in Henderson. Russell was a tenor vocalist who rose to fame as a founding member of The Persuasions, an a cappella group.

Vice President JD Vance visited the Charlotte area Wednesday. Get the recap in Top Stories.

Also, find out which barbecue joints made the South’s top 50 list in Et Cetera, then hit reply to let us know if you’ve been to one or more of them.

If you’ve been frustrated by nail fungus that just won’t go away, here’s the simple at-home solution from today’s sponsor, Pronail Complex. Thousands are using it to finally restore clear, healthy nails and smooth skin.

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.

VP Vance Talks Taxes, Public Safety in Concord

Vice President JD Vance landed in Greensboro Wednesday before headlining a Republican National Committee fundraiser in Lexington, where he was expected to raise over $2 million. He then visited Richard Childress Racing in Welcome before heading to Concord, where he spoke about tax cuts and public safety.

Vance focused on the Aug. 22 fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska by Decarlos Brown on Charlotte’s light rail and called for urgent action to “take back our streets.”

He blamed former Gov. Roy Cooper for soft-on-crime policies, arguing that Cooper’s leadership failed to keep violent criminals like Brown behind bars. Vance also highlighted recent legislative moves to reinstate the death penalty and tighten restrictions on individuals with criminal histories.

The visit marked Vance’s first trip to North Carolina as vice president.

NC House Passes Political Terrorism Bill

In a 105-6 vote on Tuesday, the North Carolina House passed the Political Terrorism Prevention Act (SB 13) in response to the assassination of conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk.

SB 13 aims to protect free speech by imposing strict penalties for politically motivated violence, including sentence enhancements and a “Charlie Kirk” clause, making politically motivated murder an aggravating factor for the death penalty.

The legislation requires indictments to allege political motivation, allows victim impact statements, and mandates district attorneys to notify the state attorney general in such cases.

Offenders would become ineligible for parole, early release, or sentence reduction. Politically motivated felonies would also be elevated by one class level. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Biltmore to Debut Luminere Experience

Biltmore will debut an outdoor evening experience on select evenings from March 26 through Oct. 18 called Luminere, constructed in collaboration with experiential design studio Klip Collective as a “dreamscape of color, motion, sound, and storytelling.”

The experience begins at dusk and includes mountain views, artisan picnics, and beverages. According to Biltmore’s website, “Biltmore House becomes a canvas that illuminates its remarkable story,” while the estate’s gardens “dance before you with breathtaking artistry.”

Tickets for the event go on sale Nov. 12. As part of a one-month promotion, Biltmore is offering free Luminere vouchers—one with each qualifying fall or Christmas ticket, and two with each new annual pass.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley released his first digital ad targeting his opponent, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, accusing “Hurricane Roy” of failing to show up for hurricane recovery efforts during his time as governor. (Watch Ad)

➤ NC Farms: A Louisiana court’s August ruling nullifying a 2023 Biden administration H-2A visa rule change may end North Carolina farmers’ lawsuit over increased wage rates, as the U.S. Justice Department argues the case is now moot. (More)

➤ Union County: The local NAACP accused Monroe Mayor Robert Burns of weaponizing his social media accounts to target an executive committee member of the county’s Democratic Party, after Burns publicly accused the man of celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death in a viral post. (More)

➤ Iredell County: A Capuchin monkey that escaped Zootastic Park on Sept. 17 was hit by a car and returned to its owner on Sept. 23, with its condition currently unknown. (More)

➤ Morrisville: Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority invited public input Tuesday on Pacific Elm Properties’ plan to transform 136 acres near Lake Crabtree into a recreation destination featuring restaurants, a man-made water source, ziplines, and an ice-skating rink. (More)

➤ High Point: A 13-year-old boy is in custody at the Guilford County Juvenile Detention Center facing multiple felonies after he was caught with an unloaded 9-millimeter firearm at Ferndale Middle School. The gun was never displayed, and no threats were made. (More)

➤ Granville County: Jo Anne Lancaster and Luis Angel Resendiz, accused of abusing and sexually assaulting three children, were arrested in Louisiana while fleeing to Mexico. They are being held without bond and await extradition to North Carolina. (More)

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➤ Three UNC football players have left the program in the past week, with the latest departure confirmed Tuesday. All saw limited playing time over the first four games and are expected to retain a year of eligibility. (More)

➤ The North Carolina Senate approved $35 million for public infrastructure improvements tied to an 80-acre redevelopment project around Raleigh’s Lenovo Center. (More)

➤ Wake Forest soccer dropped from No. 1 to No. 13 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll. They’re 1-1-2 in their last four games, including a tough loss to then-unranked Virginia. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NHL | MLB | Soccer

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➤Sinclair ABC affiliates in Asheville (WLOS), Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem (WXLV-TV), and Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville/Washington (WCTI-TV) continued to air news programming instead of Jimmy Kimmel Live! as of Tuesday night, following the show’s reinstatement on ABC after last week’s controversy. (More)

➤ Southern Living ranked six North Carolina barbecue joints among the South’s top 50, including Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden at No. 6, Lexington Barbecue in Lexington at No. 10, Grady’s Bar-B-Q in Dudley at No. 14, Stamey’s Barbecue in Greensboro at No. 24, Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh at No. 29, and Prime Barbecue in Knightdale at No. 30. (See List)

➤ North Carolina companies accrued $3.2 billion in corporate penalties from 2020 through 2024, ranking 19th among U.S. states, with fines concentrated in the financial services sector. (More)

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➤ 10 Weird Little Hacks Costco Shoppers Should Know. Love shopping at Costco? Then you already know how satisfying it feels to save. But even savvy shoppers miss out on some lesser-known tricks. We’ve rounded up clever money hacks to help you save even more—without clipping a single coupon. (LEARN MORE)

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➤ Lindsay Zanno from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences co-authored a study describing Zavacephale rinpoche, the oldest and most complete dome-headed dinosaur fossil, recently discovered by paleontologists in Mongolia. (More)

➤ The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher will release Percy and Capri, two loggerhead sea turtles that didn’t make the initial journey to the ocean, into their habitat on Sept. 24, replacing Maris and Atlas. Public viewing is included with admission. (See Photos)

➤ A new 2025 ranking of the best and worst U.S. cities for women based on economic, social well-being, health, and safety metrics includes Raleigh at No. 4, Durham at No. 9, Charlotte at No. 16, Winston-Salem at No. 93, Greensboro at No. 94, and Fayetteville at No. 135. (See Rankings)

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