Elections Board to Contact Flagged Voters

The North Carolina State Board of Elections will mail letters this week to 1,599 registered voters flagged as potential noncitizens by a federal database, giving them a chance to verify their citizenship or ask to be removed.

The flags came from the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system earlier this year. Elections officials say the 1,599 registrations are an extremely small share of the state’s roughly 7.8 million registered voters.

The outreach follows a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Sept. 25 that cleared states to use the revised SAVE database ahead of the November election.

The League of Women Voters, which sued to block the expanded system, argues the database is error-prone and could endanger eligible voters. State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes has said no voter will be removed automatically and that each flagged registrant will get due process. Officials say voters who receive a letter can still cast a ballot.

Televangelist Jim Bakker Dies at 86

Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a Christian broadcasting empire from Charlotte before fraud convictions and a sex scandal brought it down, died Monday at age 86.

Bakker and his then-wife, Tammy Faye, launched the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club in 1974, growing it into a television ministry and the sprawling Heritage USA studio and theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

The empire collapsed in 1987, and in 1989 Bakker was convicted of fraud and conspiracy for bilking followers who had bought lifetime lodging “partnerships.” He served roughly five years in prison.

In recent years, Bakker hosted The Jim Bakker Show from Missouri and sold survivalist goods, drawing a lawsuit over claims that a silver product could treat COVID-19.

Amazon Opens Its Largest NC Center

Amazon’s largest North Carolina fulfillment center is now open near Wilmington, bringing about 1,100 jobs and advanced robotics to the Cape Fear region. The 650,000-square-foot facility, spanning more than 11 football fields on the New Hanover-Pender County line, is the company’s first in southeastern North Carolina.

Officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, though operations began ramping up in August. AI-powered robots move, sort, pack, and create boxes, which Amazon says makes the site 25% to 30% more efficient than its previous-generation centers. They also say this has created 30% more skilled technical jobs.

Leaders selected Wilmington to serve the growing area faster, closing a gap between facilities in Savannah and Raleigh. 

A neighboring delivery station in Pender Commerce Park opened in mid-August. Together, the two buildings represent more than $350 million invested in the Cape Fear region. Seasonal hiring begins later this month.

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➤ Statewide: Forecasters are tracking a tropical system that could threaten the Gulf Coast and push rain into the Carolinas by this weekend. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed they are investigating a matter related to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, though officials have not said what the probe involves. (More)

➤ Cary: NCDOT is taking public comment through Oct. 27 on an $84 million plan to lower Northeast Maynard Road beneath a new railroad bridge near East Chatham Street, eliminating a busy at-grade crossing but displacing about a dozen businesses. (More)

➤ Wake County: Officials are urging residents to safely dispose of lithium-ion batteries ahead of a new state law, effective Dec. 1, that will ban them from landfills. (More)

➤ Bald Head Island: Invasive yellow wasps forced the closure of the north end of the Bald Head Woods Reserve Trail after multiple people were stung. Officials call the nest a public safety threat and plan to destroy it. (More)

➤ Blue Ridge Parkway: Newly reopened sections make it possible for drivers to travel uninterrupted from milepost 63.7 in Virginia to Little Switzerland in North Carolina. Repairs continue on the final stretch to Mount Mitchell. (More)

➤ Asheboro: The North Carolina Zoo set a March 2027 opening for its long-delayed Asia Continent, its first new region since 1994, where visitors will walk beneath tigers crossing on an overhead bridge. (Watch Video)

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➤ Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White will miss the entire preseason with a left calf strain suffered in training camp, and his status for the Oct. 21 opener at Brooklyn is uncertain. The Goldsboro native and former Tar Heel was set to start after Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball to Minnesota. (More)

➤ No. 4 Wake Forest women’s soccer defeated NC State 3-1 on Sunday at Spry Stadium, with Sierra Sythe’s penalty kick providing the winner as the Demon Deacons extended their home unbeaten streak to 23 games. (More)

➤ Week 8 of high school football kicks off across North Carolina on Friday with a full slate of games. (See Schedule and Rankings)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | NBA | Soccer 

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➤ UNC Health broke ground Tuesday on a 48-acre campus between Cary and Research Triangle Park, with a six-story medical office building and parking deck due by 2029 and a 144-bed community hospital by 2032. (See Rendering)

➤ A judge entered a default judgment against defunct North Carolina wedding photography company Holly Christina Photography on Monday, with the state seeking nearly $600,000 in restitution and $1.1 million in civil penalties. (More)

➤ The board for state-funded nonprofit NCInnovation approved its fiscal 2026 audit 7-3, over objections from member Art Pope, who argued it booked some grant expenses in fiscal 2024 before a required review, overstating research spending. (More)

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Memory Loss, Low Libido, Weak Bones

Not magnesium, and not calcium. A new study says memory loss and cognitive decline may be the result of a different mineral deficiency, one that can also cause stubborn weight gain, low energy, mood swings, a low libido, bleeding gums, and weaker bones.

An estimated 90% of adults over 60 may now be at risk. Soils have become depleted, and common medications such as blood pressure drugs, along with microplastics, strip it from the body.

There are seven warning signs that you might be running low. (See Warning Signs)

➤ PepsiCo recalled more than 122,000 cases of 28-ounce Gatorade Lemon Lime and Orange (including Zero versions) in 37 states, including North Carolina, for undeclared Yellow No. 5 and/or No. 6 dyes, the FDA says. (More)

➤ The North Carolina State Fair unveiled more than 80 new foods for 2026, including birria egg rolls, deep-fried Hawaiian bacon s’mores bites, pickle cheesecake, and a tiramisu pizza cone. (See List)

➤ The Stanley Cup, won by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2026, visited UNC Health Cancer Care in Raleigh on Monday, allowing patients, families, and staff to see the trophy and meet broadcaster Mike Maniscalco. (More)

➤ North Carolina’s retiring U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis appeared on The View to air his frustrations with Washington and promote his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents. (Watch)

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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. 

➤ Stubborn neck pain often lacks a clear cause, but physical therapists say five simple exercises can bring real relief. (See Exercises)

➤ Apple News has been accused of suppressing months of coverage about the DNC’s mounting debt ahead of the midterms. (Hear Details)

➤ Some everyday habits are damaging your hearing in ways audiologists say you won’t notice until it’s permanent. (Listen Now)

Which of these new North Carolina State Fair foods would you try?

1. Blooming Deep Fried Caramel Apples
2. Cajun Fried Okra
3. Cheerwine Fried Corn Ribs
4. Sweet Potato S’mores Slop Bucket
5. Tiramisu Pizza Cone
6. Other
7. None of the above

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your go-to order at a seafood restaurant?

1. Shrimp: 37%
2. Fish: 25%
3. Scallops: 10%
4. Oysters: 9%
5. Not a seafood fan: 7%
6. Crab: 5%
7. Other: 4%
8. Lobster: 3%

The North Carolina Zoo is recognized as the world’s largest what?

Show me the answer