Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 2016, actor Josh Brolin wed model Kathryn Boyd in Cashiers. The wedding was attended by family and close friends, including Barbra Streisand and Josh’s father, James Brolin.

A jury convicts Trump’s attempted assassin in Florida, and North Carolina secures a record $1.15 billion for Helene road repairs. Both in Top Stories.

Did you know that the team that makes Flyover North Carolina also produces a national publication called The Flyover? Click here to subscribe and stay up to date with the latest national headlines—without the bias of legacy media outlets.

From flipping fries at White Castle to winning backing from NVIDIA and Amazon, today’s sponsor, Miso Robotics, is proving that kitchen automation isn’t just the future—it’s a trillion-dollar opportunity you can invest in today.

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.

NC gets record $1.15B for Helene Road Repairs

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday awarded North Carolina $1.15 billion for Hurricane Helene recovery, the largest emergency relief grant in the program’s history.

The funding brings total federal aid for storm-damaged roads and bridges to nearly $2 billion. Officials say expedited projects include the rebuilding of I-40 in western North Carolina.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the package fulfills a promise to speed recovery and “get America building again.” Federal officials will tour the I-40 repair progress this week.

NC Man Guilty in Trump Assassination Plot

Ryan Routh, 59, a Greensboro native, was found guilty on all counts of attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a round of golf in Florida last year.

Prosecutors said Routh built a “sniper’s nest” near the sixth green at Trump International Golf Club, tracked Trump’s movements, and used burner phones to buy a rifle.

Evidence showed he scouted the course for weeks and searched online for flights to Mexico.

Jurors deliberated for less than three hours after testimony from 38 witnesses. After the verdict, Routh tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen before being restrained. Sentencing is set for Dec. 18.

UNC Lawsuit Cites Closed Meetings, Belichick

Former UNC Provost Chris Clemens filed suit Monday against the university and its Board of Trustees, alleging systematic violations of North Carolina’s open meetings and public records laws.

The lawsuit claims trustees repeatedly entered closed session to debate policy issues, from the value of tenure to conference realignment, without proper notice or public access. Clemens also accuses board members of using encrypted apps with auto-delete functions to avoid records retention.

One example is the board’s December 2024 closed-door approval of football coach Bill Belichick’s hiring. The complaint argues the move was improperly shielded from the public while other matters, like faculty tenure, were delayed during debate over the cost and role of tenure.

Flying together with our sponsor

From a Caltech Garage to a $1 Trillion Market

In 2016, some innovative Caltech robotics students set out to transform fast food. That first garage-built prototype became the foundation of Miso Robotics.

Since then, Miso’s robots have worked 200K+ hours in live kitchens for brands like White Castle, frying 4M+ baskets of fries, chicken, and more. That traction convinced NVIDIA, Uber AI, and Amazon to help refine Miso’s AI and robots. As restaurants grapple with 144% employee turnover rates and $20/hour minimum wages, that’s a major edge.

No wonder Miso’s first fully commercial robot, Flippy Fry Station, sold out of initial units in one week.

Now, Miso is leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale U.S.-based production nationwide across a $4b annual revenue opportunity.

And you can get up to 8% bonus stock and share in Miso’s growth as an early-stage investor.

➤ NC Coast: Hurricane Gabrielle, a Category 4 storm, caused dangerous rip currents Tuesday, prompting warnings for New Hanover and Pender counties. Two tropical systems behind Gabrielle are being monitored. (More)

➤ Statewide: On Monday the NC Senate passed “Iryna’s Law” (HB 307), tightening pretrial release rules, requiring mental health checks, and reviving death penalty procedures after the Charlotte light-rail killing. (More)

➤ Asheville: An Asheville man and his friend were killed by a lightning strike while elk hunting near the Colorado–New Mexico border, the Conejos County coroner confirmed. (More)

➤ Chapel Hill: The Orange Water and Sewer Authority is repainting and refurbishing the Carolina Blue water tower on UNC’s campus, with work expected to wrap up in the next two weeks. (More)

➤ Durham/Orange counties: Parts of Duke Forest will close until December for its annual deer herd reduction program aimed at protecting habitat from overgrazing. (More)

➤ Archdale: A Norfolk Southern train derailed Monday near Glenola Industrial Drive, sending six cars off the tracks but causing no injuries. (More)

➤ Waxhaw: Pine Oak Road is closed for roundabout construction as of Sept. 17, with the work expected to last about two months. Detours are in place, but local access is being maintained. (More)

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

➤ Former Appalachian State head football coach Shawn Clark died this week after suffering a medical emergency earlier this month. Clark went 40-24 as the Mountaineers’ head coach and led the program to three bowl wins. (More)

➤ Duke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson was chosen to coach the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. (More)

➤ The Charlotte-based ACC approved a shift to a “nine-plus-one” football schedule beginning in 2026, aligning with the rest of the Power Four. Most teams will play nine league games and one additional Power Four opponent. (More)

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

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Elevate your adventures with the Rift Falcon: a sleek, foldable‐propeller drone that captures crisp HD and 360° footage, dodges obstacles with smart sensors, and delivers extended flight time—all while folding down for effortless portability. Ships soon—save up to 56% with code DRONE25!

➤ Two startups in North Carolina’s RIoT network—a tech-focused economic development group—won federal grants aimed at helping new technologies cross the “valley of death” from discovery to market. (See Startups)

➤ Solar firm Blue Ridge Power will lay off 517 workers in Asheville and Fayetteville by Nov. 18 as parent company Pine Gate Renewables shuts down the operation. (More)

➤ Greensboro ranked eighth nationwide for apartment construction growth, with a 77% year-over-year increase as the city advances its “Road to 10,000” housing initiative. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The #1 Washing Machine Hack I Wish I Knew Sooner. Your washing machine is probably gross… and it might be ruining your clothes. X-All Washing Machine Cleaner uses powerful AquaClean Max tablets to blast away mold, mildew, soap scum, and that “wet dog” funk hiding inside your washer, no scrubbing or harsh chemicals required. (LEARN MORE)

Flying together with our sponsor

“One of the Largest Industries Ever”

That’s what NVIDIA’s CEO said about robotics. And the numbers back it up. In Q4 2024, the sector raised nearly as much capital as in all of 2023.

So it’s a big deal that NVIDIA, Uber AI and Amazon helped Miso Robotics perfect Flippy, its new fully commercial kitchen robot. No wonder initial units sold out in one week.

Miso already has 200K+ hours for brands like White Castle under its belt. With the $1T fast-food industry facing 144% employee turnover rates, Flippy provides 24/7 labor and can boost profits by up to 3X.

Now, Miso’s leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale US-based production nationwide across a $4b annual revenue opportunity.

Share in Miso’s growth as an early-stage shareholder today and get up to 8% bonus stock while supplies last.

This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.misorobotics.com

➤ Duke fell to No. 7 in the latest U.S. News rankings, tying with Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, and the University of Pennsylvania. Its nursing program ranked No. 1 nationwide. (More)

➤ Thousands packed Raleigh’s BugFest at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, where krill took the spotlight and Café Insecta served insect-based dishes. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Film Festival opened Tuesday at The Carolina Theatre with Roofman, a true crime drama filmed in the city and starring Channing Tatum. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ These Brilliant Gadgets Are Taking the Internet by Storm. This collection of must-have gadgets delivers clever, useful tech that DOES something… no fluff, no gimmicks. Whether it’s solving everyday annoyances, upgrading your home setup, or just adding comfort, each product was picked for being “useful and cool.” Most are under $60, ship fast, and are backed by a guarantee. (LEARN MORE)