FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1921, Billy Taylor was born in Greenville. He was a renowned jazz pianist, composer, educator, and broadcaster who performed with legends like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He also founded Jazzmobile, hosted radio/TV programs, and composed the civil rights anthem I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.

UNC-Chapel Hill is one of two schools chosen by the Department of War to host a new fellowship for senior military officers. Learn more in Top Stories.

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UNC-CH Chosen for Officer Fellowship

The Department of War has selected UNC-Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech to host a new fellowship for senior military officers.

The two schools are the first approved for the Senior Service College Fellowship, a 10-month program that serves as an alternative to the traditional war colleges. More partners will be named later.

They're also the first universities chosen since Secretary of War Pete Hegseth cut ties with several elite schools in February, part of what he called an effort to refocus military education away from social justice activism.

Chancellor Lee Roberts said UNC was “deeply honored” to take part, noting the campus trained nearly 20,000 Navy cadets during World War II. Critics of Hegseth’s overhaul have warned it politicizes officer education.

State Auditor Faults Public Safety Agency

State Auditor Dave Boliek found $97.3 million in accounting errors at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

The office identified 34 accounting adjustments, 14 of them material, and said the department lacked adequate internal controls for accurate financial reporting.

The review covered fiscal year 2025, when the agency reported $2 billion in revenue and $2.8 billion in expenses across its prisons, juvenile justice, and emergency management functions.

Boliek said that accurate statements are essential for managers to make informed decisions. Public Safety Secretary Jeffrey Smythe responded that the department is building new procedures and checklists to strengthen year-end reporting.

Two Fallen NC Soldiers Come Home

President Trump attended the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in the Middle East, including two soldiers tied to Fort Bragg.

The remains were returned to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday. Trump met privately with the families and called the ritual “one of the hardest things to do as a president.”

Sgt. Michael Swinton, 30, who lived in Spring Lake, and 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, 25, were both assigned out of Fort Bragg. Each will posthumously receive the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The two soldiers from North Carolina were among four killed in Iranian attacks in Jordan and Iraq. It was the third such transfer Trump has attended since the war with Iran began in February. Eighteen service members have died.

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➤ Statewide: The State Bureau of Investigation has widened its probe of Greater Carolina, the nonprofit tied to alleged illegal gifts to lawmakers, with new warrants examining roughly $80,000 in spending, from Topgolf outings to an Emerald Isle rental. (More)

➤ Central NC: Rounds of heavy rain and storms have driven a flood threat across the region, with flash flooding possible through Friday morning. Forecasters warn of localized road flooding and power outages as the slow-moving front lingers. (More)

➤ Brunswick County: About 34,000 deceased residents remain on North Carolina’s voter rolls, roughly 1,800 of them in Brunswick County, even as a third-party group mails registration forms addressed to the dead. The State Board of Elections is withholding the names while it checks for any fraudulent votes. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board expects to wrap its independent investigation of Superintendent Crystal Hill within the next few weeks. Hill was placed on temporary leave in June over oversight concerns. The board wants an update before classes resume Aug. 25. (More)

➤ Cary: A state investigation found former Town Manager Sean Stegall ran up questionable spending on travel, meals, hotels, and employee credit cards. Cary has since launched reforms and a financial transparency dashboard in response to the auditor’s findings. (More)

➤ Rowan County: ICE has issued a detainer for Javiel Pena Sola, 42, who is charged with three counts of felony hit-and-run in a July 18 crash near Salisbury that killed three people. Police say more charges are possible. (More)

➤ Wake County opened its first DNA laboratory, part of a new Bureau of Forensic Services that will allow investigators to analyze evidence locally instead of shipping it to the state crime lab. Officials say the lab will speed testing for cases across North Carolina. (More)

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➤ Panthers owner David Tepper is investing an additional $500 million into the Bank of America Stadium renovation, bringing the total project cost to $1.3 billion. The upgrades are designed to help Charlotte attract the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, and 2031 Women's World Cup, with completion targeted for 2030. (More)

➤ Last year’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club generated $192 million in economic benefit for the Charlotte region, according to a new study. Direct spending during tournament week totaled $116 million. (More)

➤ Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream, who also captains the U.S. Men’s National Team, was named to the starting lineup for the MLS All-Star Game at Bank of America Stadium next Wednesday. Teammates Pep Biel and Ashley Westwood were also selected. (More)

➤ The Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2027 this week, headlined by UNCW basketball’s all-time scoring leader Brett Blizzard. Bruce Cavenaugh, Johnnie Forte, Donnell Holmes, and Michelle Jarman round out the five-member class. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Golf

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➤ Truist Financial has hired former Bank of America executive Shimna Sameer to lead its Truist Wealth unit starting in October, succeeding Brian Dowhower as the bank seeks to accelerate growth in wealth management. (More)

➤ The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act aims to ease North Carolina’s housing shortage by rewarding local governments that build more, expanding first-time buyer aid, and barring large investors who own 350-plus homes from buying more. It passed the Senate 85-5. (More)

➤ Duke Energy received the first of four advanced gas turbines at its Person County Energy Complex, a milestone in the utility's plan to generate electricity more efficiently. (More)

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➤ An emu was spotted Tuesday evening near Big Woods Road in Pittsboro, according to the Chatham County NC Lost, Found Adoptable Pets’ Facebook page. (See Photo)

➤ North Carolina gained 46,900 people through net international migration in 2025, ranking sixth among U.S. states and capturing 3.7% of the national total amid a historic slowdown. (See Map)

➤ Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville landed a $500,000 endowment from the Cumberland Community Foundation to expand education programs that reach 3,500 to 7,000 children a year across 10 counties. (More)

➤ UNC-Chapel Hill researchers are training AI to transcribe decades of handwritten fish records from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ 1.5 million-specimen collection, turning them into searchable data that could speed ecosystem and food-system research worldwide. (More)

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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:

➤ Medicare covers a lot, but a new estimate shows retirees still face a soaring healthcare bill that keeps climbing every year. (Hear Details)

➤ Homicide numbers in major American cities are approaching territory the nation has not seen in more than a century. (Hear Episode)

➤ Ford reportedly fired a nine-year assembly worker accused of stealing snacks he insists he paid for. (Listen Now)