NC State Lands Role in $151B SHIELD Contract

NC State has secured a position on the Missile Defense Agency’s Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) contract, which has a potential ceiling of $151 billion.

Announced by the Department of War on Dec. 18, the multiple-award contract supports the rapid development of layered missile defense innovations. These efforts use artificial intelligence, digital engineering, and agile processes, with work potentially extending through 2035.

To amplify these capabilities, NC State is planning a defense and security institute to be headed by Dr. Stephen Lee, who previously served as a senior scientist at the Army Research Office in Research Triangle Park.

As the only North Carolina university with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level 2, NC State anchors the state’s role in national defense research. It leads the UNC System in Department of War-funded projects, with annual expenditures reaching $49 million—a 45% increase since 2019.

NC Board of Ed Seeks Voucher Funding Cuts

The North Carolina State Board of Education is asking state lawmakers to halt new funding for private school vouchers under the Opportunity Scholarship Program starting in the 2026-27 school year and redirect those funds to other priorities, including across-the-board salary raises for teachers, administrators, and support staff.

In recommendations approved Feb. 5, the Democrat-controlled board seeks to raise North Carolina’s average teacher salary—currently $58,292—to the highest level in the Southeast and restore master’s degree pay supplements.

The entire request totals more than $1 billion, but Treasurer Brad Briner noted that the General Assembly is projecting only about a $100 million increase in the overall state budget.

The vote reflects partisan divides, with Republican members opposing the voucher moratorium, arguing it limits parental choice. The Republican-led General Assembly, which expanded the program significantly in recent years, is unlikely to adopt the proposal.

Walker Given Global Religious Freedom Role

President Trump has appointed former North Carolina Rep. Mark Walker as principal adviser for global religious freedom at the U.S. Department of State. The appointment was announced Jan. 8.

A former pastor who represented the 6th District from 2015 to 2021, Walker withdrew from consideration for the Senate-confirmed ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom position to accept the advisory role. He will promote religious liberty worldwide and combat religious persecution, working with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“I’m thrilled and deeply honored,” Walker said in a post on X, adding that advancing religious freedom has been a cornerstone of his life’s work.

The position supports the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom amid rising global challenges.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Western NC: A North Carolina district attorney has transferred long-delayed criminal cases to a special prosecutor. The cases involve members of Word of Faith Fellowship who are accused of kidnapping and assaulting former member Matthew Fenner in 2013. (More)

➤ I-77: NCDOT is advancing a $3.2 billion plan to double-deck I-77 in central Charlotte by adding elevated express toll lanes atop the existing highway between I-277’s northern and southern arms, drawing concern from nearby neighborhoods over impacts. (More)

➤ Charlotte: A mural honoring Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on the city’s light rail in August, has been completed by Russian artist SAV 45 on the exterior wall of Mr. C’s on West Morehead Street as part of a nationwide tribute effort. (More)

➤ Asheville: USA Today gave Readers’ Choice nominations to the River Arts District for Best Art District, the city for Best Beer City, The Whale for Best Beer Bar, and Burial Beer Co. Forestry Camp for Best Brewery Tour. (More)

➤ Guilford and Jackson Counties: A federal judge denied an injunction to require early voting sites at UNC-Greensboro, NC A&T State University, and Western Carolina University ahead of the March 3 primary, citing lack of standing, risk of voter confusion, and low likelihood of winning the case. (More)

➤ Duke University Health System received an $11.45 million award to bolster early-career physician-scientists. At the same time, the university shuttered three research centers—including behavioral scientist Dan Ariely’s Center for Advanced Hindsight—as part of a strategic realignment amid federal funding shortfalls. (More and More)

Enjoy reading Flyover North Carolina? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️

➤ Men’s Basketball AP Poll: No. 4 Duke didn’t drop at all in this week’s rankings despite losing to North Carolina. The Tar Heels, however, jumped up three spots to No. 11. (See Poll)

➤ UNC was fined $50,000 for storming the court following their late-game basketball victory against Duke this weekend. (More)

➤ Former players from NC State’s “Cardiac Pack” national championship basketball team are urging the state Supreme Court to reopen a lawsuit alleging the NCAA used the team’s names, images, and likenesses for promotional purposes. The court is scheduled to hear the case in April. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: Olympics | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAASB | Soccer

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Are you ready for Christ’s second coming? Unearth important historical and Biblical facts about the island of Patmos and three of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation by watching The 7 Churches of Revelation: Times of Fire. This critically acclaimed documentary is brought to you for free by RevelationMedia.

➤ Durham-based Wolfspeed’s stock sank 9.65% after the chipmaker reported a much steeper-than-expected adjusted quarterly loss of $6.11 per share. (More)

➤ Ingles Markets provided an update that the Swannanoa, Spruce Pine, and Morganton stores—which have remained closed more than 16 months after Hurricane Helene’s September 2024 damage—will reopen in 2026 and 2027. (More)

➤ The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is asking the state Supreme Court to block an appeals court ruling that revived a developer’s lawsuit over delays in a Brunswick County stormwater permit. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Medical bills from the past six months? HealthLock reviews them for billing errors, denied claims, and overcharges—then fights to get your money back. Members have recovered over $243 million. Start your 7-day free trial, then just $19.99/month covers your whole family. You keep 100% of savings, no hidden fees. Cancel anytime. Take back control today.

Flying together with our sponsor

Scammers don’t guess—they look you up

Most scams don’t start with malware; they start with public data. Addresses, phone numbers, and relatives are often obtained from data brokers and people search sites. That’s why scam calls can sound calm, specific, and legitimate.

Incogni helps reduce this exposure by removing personal data from these sources and monitoring for re-listing. When less of your information is easy to find, impersonation gets much harder.

Limit what scammers can find—save 55% with code FLYOVER.

➤ First Lady Melania Trump met with Chapel Hill native Keith Siegel and his wife Aviva, former Hamas hostages, in the White House Blue Room last week to discuss their recovery and new mission supporting humanitarian efforts in Kenya. (More)

➤ Hundreds gathered in Raleigh on Saturday for the 22nd annual 5-mile Krispy Kreme Challenge, which benefits UNC Children’s Hospital and requires runners to stop at a Krispy Kreme shop to eat 12 original glazed donuts before racing back to the starting point within one hour. (More)

➤ Hundreds of Survivor fans lined up at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh on Saturday to search for a hidden immunity idol, with one participant set to win a golden ticket to the show’s season 50 finale in Los Angeles. (See Photos)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ This once-weekly injection is helping people finally lose the weight. If food cravings and slow metabolism are holding you back, doctors are now prescribing GLP-1 medications that help regulate appetite and support sustainable weight loss. LifeMD makes it simple: online consult, insurance check, and medication delivered to your door. Real medicine. Real doctors. Real results. Find out if it’s right for you. Take the free quiz.

Should the State Board of Education halt new voucher funding?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

Did you stay up for the entire Super Bowl game last night?

1. Yes: 28%
2. I didn’t watch it: 28%
3. No: 26%
4. I tried: 18%

What mammal inspired one of the early logos for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences?

Show me the answer