Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1957, just three years after Brown v. Board of Education, Levern Hamlin became the first black student to attend a public university in Western North Carolina when she enrolled in a summer graduate session at Western Carolina College, now Western Carolina University.

Meanwhile, if you live on the other end of the state in Emerald Isle and are still wondering why you lost power on June 7, we’ve got a crispy answer for you in Et Cetera.

We’re sponsored today by GoldCo. Get your free 2025 retirement savings protection kit from them today.

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.

Trump Celebrates Army’s Birthday at Fort Bragg

President Trump visited Fort Bragg Tuesday afternoon to launch the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Trump honored past and present service members and observed a readiness demonstration.

He thanked North Carolina Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis for their support, criticized the prior renaming of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty, and condemned immigration protests in Los Angeles.

The event also featured patriotic musical performances, a flyover, a Golden Knights parachute jump, and family-friendly displays. Local law enforcement agencies worked with Fort Bragg and the Secret Service to secure the event, a precursor to a military parade in Washington, D.C., on June 14 that will feature 130 vehicles and more than 7,000 soldiers.

Opportunity Scholarships Saved State $10M

North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship program saved the state over $10 million during the 2023-24 school year, according to a June 4 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction report.

The report states that 5,955 students switched from public to private schools using state-funded vouchers, which cost the state $34.3 million, compared to $44.4 million in projected public school funding—a net savings of roughly $10.1 million.

The program enables families with students in kindergarten through 12th grade to apply for scholarships ranging from $3,458 to $7,686 per student, based on family household income. Funding also depends on private school tuition and full-year enrollment.

The report notes that timing issues complicate the calculation of the Opportunity Scholarship’s impact, as the year a student receives it matches the year a public school loses funding.

Hearing Set in Patrol Commander Dispute

A three-judge Superior Court panel will hear arguments on June 16 regarding Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s challenge to a 2024 law that prevents him from appointing a new State Highway Patrol commander.

Stein’s lawyers argue in their filing that Senate Bill 382, which locks in current Commander Freddy Johnson for a new five-year term and bars his removal, violates the state constitution by stripping the governor of control over a Cabinet-level agency.

Republican state legislative leaders defend the law, stating that “acts of the legislature are ‘presume[d]’ to be constitutional, since the legislature has ‘plenary power’ and serves as ‘the agent of the people for enacting laws.’”

Then-Gov. Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, appointed Johnson to lead the patrol in April 2021. Johnson’s lawyers defend SB382 as constitutional, arguing it ensures leadership stability during the Patrol’s transition to a newly independent department.

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The Treasury Fired a Warning Shot

If you’re retired or plan to retire, circle August 1st on your calendar with a fat red marker.

This is when the trouble begins. As soon as August 1st, 2025, we may watch the destruction of retired America:

Delayed Social Security checks
Pension checks frozen or reduced
Diversified retirement accounts dropping 50%

This is serious, and you WILL be affected, one way or another.

This isn’t about the president.

This is about economic sabotage.

That’s why thousands of Americans like you are fighting for everything they worked for. But they’re not doing it alone. Many of them are applying for an IRS-sanctioned provision to help protect and preserve their retirement from a fiscal crisis like this.

This provision was greenlit decades ago, used as a “what if” protection plan by Americans with $50-100k or more in savings. And it served them well, through the Financial Crises of 2000, 2008, and 2020. But it’s not a matter of “what if” anymore—it’s a matter of WHEN. And right now, you can get a no-cost guide that walks you through exactly how this helps protect your savings. If you’re looking for a sign, then this is it. Don’t wait. Click below.

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➤ Statewide: North Carolina auto insurance rates will rise by an average of 5% starting Oct. 1 under a settlement with the North Carolina Rate Bureau, which initially sought a 22.6% increase. Motorcycle liability rates will decrease by 16.3%. (More)

➤ Catawba County: Four suspects charged in the June 1 Catawba County mass shooting—Izaiah Mitchell, Toland Huff Jr., Ke’Andre Mack, and Zachary Bates—now face 11 counts each of attempted first-degree murder, with each charge carrying a potential 40-year sentence. (More)

➤ Raleigh’s City Council approved a $1.78 billion budget for 2026 that includes pay raises for workers without increasing property taxes. (See Details)

➤ Duke University released a draft of 10 principles that emphasize inclusivity while ensuring compliance with federal mandates under President Trump’s executive orders directing federally funded institutions to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. (More)

➤ Wilmington: The U.S. Coast Guard issued a height determination for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement, allowing either a 135-foot fixed bridge with 400-foot horizontal clearance or a 65-foot drawbridge. (See Details)

➤ Dare County unanimously passed a resolution opposing federal plans to reopen offshore drilling, citing risks to tourism, fishing, and the environment. (More)

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➤ Duke will face Texas in the first-ever Dick Vitale Invitational, an ESPN-backed event on Nov. 4 in Charlotte honoring the legendary college hoops announcer. (More)

➤ Sports betting revenue climbed to $65.2 million in North Carolina this May, nearly 40% higher than April, despite a slight dip in total wagers. (More)

➤ UNC soccer helped lift the U.S. Women to a 3-0 victory in The Soccer Tournament at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Monday night, with all three goals scored by former or current Tar Heels. (More)

Yesterday’s results: MLB | WNBA | Soccer

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➤ Charlotte-based IperionX secured a Department of Defense contract allowing up to $99 million in titanium part purchases, supporting scaled production at its Virginia facility. (More)

➤ The New Hanover County Airport Authority approved $78 million for Wilmington International Airport’s road, curb, and parking garage project and a $94 million budget for fiscal year 2026. (More)

➤ Wake Forest University’s W-FIRM showcased 40 new technologies, including virtual reality and 3D printing. The initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, has provided $3 million in venture capital funding to startups and created jobs in the regenerative medicine tech sector. (More)

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August 1st: Will The Checks Stop?

August  2025—possibly as soon as the 1st—we may be facing:

Delayed Social Security checks
Pension checks frozen or reduced
Diversified retirement accounts dropping 50%

All because of the wild incompetence of the government swamp creatures who dropped us into this godforsaken mess.

So what can you do to stop it?

Thousands of Americans are using a little-known IRS-approved loophole to help protect their retirement. Get the guide now, before another “crisis” puts you against the wall.

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➤ Goats on the Go is partnering with the City of Raleigh’s Parks Department to clear invasive plants at Dix Park using 32 goats that happily graze steep terrain where machines fall short. (Watch Report)

➤ A squirrel caused a power outage for 5,000 customers in Emerald Isle on Saturday by breaching substation squirrel guards. Power was restored within 90 minutes, but utility officials said the outage left the squirrel a bit “crispy.” (More)

➤ After Hurricane Helene wiped out 60% of Western North Carolina’s honeybee population, dozens of volunteers are rebuilding lost honeybee hives in a small Statesville warehouse and delivering them to local beekeepers. (More)

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