Monday, September 21, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1780, Col. William R. Davie and 150 cavalrymen stormed a band of Tories at James Wauchope’s plantation near Monroe at sunrise, routing them without losing a single Patriot.

New Medicaid work requirements take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Find out what they are in Top Stories.

The cost of living is the quiet force behind almost every financial decision you make, and lately it's been an uphill battle. Why does your paycheck buy less than it used to? Why is home buying suddenly out of reach for you or your loved ones? And who exactly decides what the cost of living is in the first place? In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we take a deeper look at the number everyone quotes and how it will continue to affect your budget. (Tune in here)

Today’s sponsor is LMNT. We’ve talked about LMNT before, usually by telling you how much our team likes it. But that might not be the most useful thing we could tell you. So today, we’re taking a different approach and publishing what may be the saltiest advertisement in Flyover history.

Medicaid Work Requirements Coming in 2027

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, most North Carolina adults aged 19 to 64 will have to work, study, or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to keep their Medicaid coverage.

Enrollees can also satisfy the rule by earning at least $580 a month before taxes, roughly 80 hours at the federal minimum wage. Those who don’t meet it or don’t qualify for an exemption could lose benefits.

Exemptions cover a long list, including parents of children under 14, pregnant women, people with disabilities, veterans rated fully disabled, and enrollees in substance-abuse treatment.

The changes flow from H.R. 1, the federal budget law President Trump signed in July 2025. Democrats in about half the states have sued over the work rules.

North Carolina expanded Medicaid in 2023, and nearly 735,000 residents have enrolled since then. Six-month renewals and shorter retroactive coverage also take effect in 2027.

NC Ends Teen Driving Eligibility Certificate

North Carolina teens seeking a first-time Level 1 Limited Learner Permit will no longer need a Driving Eligibility Certificate starting Oct. 1, 2026. The change, approved by the General Assembly, eliminates the longstanding school form that verified enrollment and academic progress for drivers under 18.

Applicants must still complete an approved driver education course and present the official Driver Education Certificate at the Division of Motor Vehicles.

The update applies only to initial permit applications and simplifies the process for high school and home-school students.

Families with teen drivers should note that the streamlined requirements take effect alongside other DMV updates. Officials advise checking NCDMV resources for full details before applying.

Petition Presses UNC on COVID Records

A UNC-Chapel Hill alum and an author have launched a website, CarolinaFlu.org, pressing the university to open an independent investigation into its coronavirus research and the origins of COVID-19.

George Howard, a UNC graduate and former U.S. Senate staffer, and author James Haslam are circulating an open letter to Chancellor Lee Roberts, asking him to appoint an independent panel with no UNC ties and to release withheld records.

The dispute centers on the coronavirus work of UNC professor Ralph Baric. The university has released more than 130,000 pages to the group U.S. Right to Know but withheld about 5,200, most shielded by a state research exemption.

In January, the state Court of Appeals ruled the records were protected, and in June the state Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal. Baric has denied that his research was gain-of-function work or tied to the creation of COVID-19.

Flying together with our sponsor

Fair Warning: Your First Sip May Surprise You

LMNT is salty. Each packet contains 1,000 mg of sodium, 200 mg of potassium, and 60 mg of magnesium, with zero sugar.

That first sip may catch you off guard, especially if you’re used to brightly colored sports drinks that taste more like liquid candy. But the salt isn’t something LMNT is trying to hide. It’s the entire point.

LMNT was created for people who want a meaningful amount of electrolytes without loading their water with sugar, artificial coloring, or a long list of unnecessary ingredients.

We reach for it before workouts, after sweating, while traveling, and on days when another glass of plain water just doesn’t sound appealing.

See why LMNT tastes different from the electrolyte drinks you grew up with. Order LMNT today and get a free sample pack with your purchase.

➤ Statewide: Senate Leader Phil Berger created a new committee to study property-tax limits, seven weeks before a Nov. 3 constitutional amendment that would require caps on how fast local property taxes can rise. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced North Carolina’s roughly $9.5 million share of a $694 million multistate settlement with Credit Acceptance Corporation over what he called predatory auto lending. (More)

➤ Apex: Pfc. Ethan Brewer, 20, of Apex, died Sept. 14 when a HMMWV ambulance rolled over during training at Fort Hood, Texas. Brewer, an Army medic who graduated from Apex High School last year, was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. (More)

➤ Greensboro: State and local officials are investigating Piedmont Memorial Park cemetery over possible regulatory violations after families reported mismarked and misplaced graves. Owner National Vault Services has until Sept. 30 to answer a cease-and-desist letter. (More)

➤ Holden Beach: Vandals tore apart the season’s last sea turtle nest overnight Friday, pulling stakes, ripping off a metal predator cage, and yanking out side panels buried 15 inches deep. Volunteers with the Turtle Watch Program recovered the eggs and re-secured the nest. (More)

➤ Kill Devil Hills: First Flight High School canceled the rest of its varsity football season, citing too few healthy players to field a team safely. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will allow players to finish the year on junior varsity. (More)

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➤ Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was brilliant yesterday, passing for 287 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-3 Panthers win over the Atlanta Falcons. (More)

➤ NC State football head coach Dave Doeren clarified in an interview that quarterback CJ Bailey was supposed to kneel rather than take a hit on the final play of Saturday’s meltdown loss to Vanderbilt. (More)

➤ Wake Forest men’s soccer pulled off a dramatic victory over conference rival UVA over the weekend, scoring a penalty kick with just 14 seconds remaining to seal a victory. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Why landscape contractors, retirees, and first-time homeowners are walking past every rubber and expandable hose at the hardware store and putting one of these on the spigot instead. Garden Maestro's Elite Garden Hose is built from steel! The same 304 grade steel used in industrial piping. Won't kink, won't tear, won't quit. Learn More

Flyover Focus takes a deeper look at the topics that matter. Click the link to watch this week’s full episode.

➤ Your grocery bill, your mortgage, and your retirement check all move with the cost of living. So what's actually behind that number? (Tune in here)

In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we get into how the cost of living is measured, why the official figure doesn't always match what you see at the register, and whether the yearly raise to Social Security checks actually keeps anyone afloat. We also look at who's feeling the squeeze hardest, and whether there's any relief in sight. (Watch Now)

In case you missed it, last week on Flyover Focus, we broke down artificial intelligence, tune in here.

➤ McClatchy, which owns North Carolina’s two largest newspapers, The Charlotte Observer and Raleigh’s The News & Observer, laid off more than 90 unionized journalists across 17 publications, about 30% of its unionized staff. The Charlotte Observer lost both of its investigative reporters. (More)

➤ Attorney General Jeff Jackson asked the state Utilities Commission to create a separate rate class for data centers and other large power users, arguing residential customers shouldn’t cover the cost of infrastructure built to serve them. (More)

➤ Allspring Global Investments, a Charlotte-based asset manager spun off from Wells Fargo, is exploring a sale that could value it at as much as $4 billion. Private equity firms GTCR and Reverence Capital bought Allspring for $2.1 billion in 2021. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Home Safety Alert: It Kills While Families Sleep. Protect yours with Vital Carbon Detector. It tracks carbon monoxide, natural gas, and propane in a single device. Learn More

Flying together with our sponsor

We’ve Been Endorsing LMNT the Wrong Way

Instead of simply telling you we like LMNT, here’s the better endorsement: we actually use it. Packets end up in our gym bags, desks, cars, and suitcases. Everyone has a favorite flavor, and the best ones have a habit of disappearing first.

It has become one of those simple products we keep around because we regularly reach for it. Fair warning, though: once ordinary water starts tasting boring, don’t blame us.

Order LMNT today and get a free sample pack with your purchase. It’s an easy way to try more flavors and find your favorite.

➤ Palmer Goforth, a 12-year-old Charlotte blood cancer survivor who took up drawing during treatment, designed the beach-themed paint scheme on NASCAR driver William Byron's No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet. (See Photos)

➤ Four days before kickoff, the crew at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium transforms Brooks Field into a game-day canvas, leaning on a paint-dispensing robot nicknamed “Sergei” and technology that simulates cleat pressure to keep the bermudagrass in top shape. (See Photos)

➤ Sunny skies drew crowds to Hatteras Village on Sept. 19 for the 2026 Day at the Docks, celebrating the working waterfront with music, seafood, competitions, a youth fishing tournament, and the Blessing of the Fleet. (See Photos)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Why Do Bruises Suddenly Show Up After 50? You don't remember bumping into anything—yet another bruise appears. While many people chalk it up to aging or medication, easy bruising may be a clue worth paying attention to. It's one of 7 commonly overlooked warning signs that can become more noticeable with age. See all 7 warning signs—and what they could be telling you.