WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1953, rock, blues, and R&B artist Alicia Bridges was born in Charlotte. Bridges, who grew up in Lawndale, was best known for her 1978 disco hit I Love the Nightlife, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned gold certification.

Today’s Et Cetera section is all-American! Meet a Concord resident who volunteers to properly dispose of worn and tattered American flags, then check out a list of North Carolina’s best barbecue joints. Reply to share if your favorite made the list, or was excluded.

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Cooper’s Lead Narrows over Whatley

A new Public Policy Polling survey puts Democrat Roy Cooper ahead of Republican Michael Whatley by four points, 48% to 44%, in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race—tighter than the same pollster’s 47-40 Cooper edge in March. View the results here.

Cooper, a former two-term governor and attorney general, has centered his campaign on the cost of living. “For so many North Carolina families, there's just too much month at the end of the money,” he said on a recent tour stop.

Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chairman, has leaned on public safety and touts an endorsement from the state Police Benevolent Association.

The race, considered pivotal to Republicans keeping the majority in the chamber, is expected to set spending records between $500 million and $1 billion.

Board Questions Voucher, DEI Provisions

North Carolina’s State Board of Education met on July 9 to scrutinize key provisions in the newly signed state budget and recent legislation.

Members questioned how savings from the Opportunity Scholarship Program—estimated at $35.7 million—would be reinvested into public schools, raising concerns that funds were being used to supplant rather than supplement existing responsibilities.

The debate centered on allocations for worker bonuses, literacy training, and a math curriculum project through the UNC Collaboratory. Board Vice Chair Alan Duncan expressed skepticism about whether the mechanism truly benefits public schools as intended under prior law.

Separately, the Department of Public Instruction is preparing guidance on the new law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in K-12 schools, following legislative overrides of Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes. School districts are required to certify their compliance by Sept. 1.

Comey Calls Case Selective Prosecution

Former FBI Director James Comey will argue that federal charges against him in North Carolina should be dismissed due to selective and vindictive prosecution.

His lawyers filed a motion Monday seeking permission to submit a single brief addressing both issues ahead of a July 28 deadline. The federal government did not object.

Comey faces two counts for allegedly threatening President Trump via a 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged as “86 47.” Prosecutors interpret the numbers as a coded threat, while Comey has said he viewed it as a harmless political message and deleted the post. Arraignment is set for Sept. 30 in New Bern, with trial scheduled for Oct. 21.

The case stems from Comey’s beach walk photo in Emerald Isle. His high-profile defense team, including former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, plans additional constitutional motions.

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➤ Statewide: A new state audit found 534 of North Carolina’s 688 pre-regulatory inactive landfills, or 78%, go unmonitored for hazards, with about 84% sitting within 1,000 feet of homes, schools, or drinking-water wells. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: The State Fire Marshal’s office reported on Monday that fireworks sparked 27 fires across North Carolina over the Fourth of July, killing three people, including a 7-year-old, and causing more than $4.3 million in damage. (More)

➤ Raleigh: A party bus crashed into a car, a utility pole, and a century-old home in historic Oakwood early Saturday. Driver Gary Fidell Kearse, 58, was charged with a DWI. His license had been revoked after an earlier impaired-driving charge. (See Photo)

➤ Bertie County: Two weeks after 88 inmates overpowered guards at the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail, commission chairwoman Vivian Saunders said more staff wouldn’t have changed the outcome, pointing to statewide struggles to hire and keep detention officers. (More)

➤ Durham: Duke University Health System hospitals have joined two lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, arguing federal officials miscalculated Medicare payments for hospitals that serve many low-income patients and underpaid them. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Carowinds closed Fury 325, its record-setting giga coaster, for maintenance on July 13 with no reopening date announced. The park said crews are working to reopen the attraction, which was named the world’s best steel coaster for a ninth straight year in 2025. (More)

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➤ The Carolina Panthers will hold one of the NFL’s earliest training camps, with rookies reporting July 21 and veterans July 22 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. It’s expected that fans will be able to attend open practices this year after renovations kept them away in 2025. (More)

➤ UNC football will open fall camp on July 30 as the Tar Heels, under second-year coach Bill Belichick, seek to rebound from a 4-8 season with a revamped roster featuring key transfers and freshman talent. (More)

➤ UNC second baseman Gavin Gallaher will return to Chapel Hill for his senior season after going undrafted in the 2026 MLB Draft. Gallaher was ranked in the top 250 by the MLB and will now be the highest-ranked four-year player to return next season. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | WNBA

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➤ Durham County commissioners weighed a $15 million incentive package for AbbVie, which plans to break ground this year on a new campus tied to a roughly $1.4 billion investment. Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of 2028. (More)

➤ Duke Energy reached a partial rate settlement with North Carolina consumer advocates that would raise a typical Duke Energy Carolinas bill about $9.39 a month in 2027 and $5.52 in 2028, an 11.6% increase, down from the 18% the company first sought. (More)

➤ A new Publix will open on Aug. 12 at 70 Vance Hill Drive in Mills River. A hiring event will be held July 17-19 at the Clarion Inn to fill 140 jobs at the store. (More)

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➤ David Jones of Concord collects worn and tattered American flags from drop boxes across Cabarrus County every two weeks and gives them a dignified sendoff, burning them in a barrel with a prayer rather than letting them end up in the trash. (More)

➤ Tasting Table ranked 13 of the state’s best barbecue joints, spanning the eastern whole-hog tradition and its vinegar-and-pepper sauce and the Lexington-style shoulder with a vinegar-and-tomato dip. Honorees include Skylight Inn in Ayden, B’s Barbecue in Greenville, and Jon G’s in Peachland. (See List)

➤ Cooley Farm in Scotland County breeds jackstocks—big, sharp-eyed donkeys whose American lineage traces to George Washington. Fewer than 3,000 of the rare breed remain worldwide, with around 50 of them at Cooley Farm. (See Photos)

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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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Hearing specialists say once hearing fades, it's gone for good, making a few simple habits the only way to protect it. (See Habits)

➤ Newly released records show a former special counsel's team accessed texts from dozens of lawmakers in both parties, drawing constitutional accusations. (Hear Episode)

➤ A state just cleared the way for seniors in assisted living to raise a glass together, no liquor license required. (Listen Now)