THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1865, following Fort Anderson's fall, Union gunboats under Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter advanced up the Cape Fear River and supported a ground assault that eventually forced Confederate evacuation.

Women's flag football is expanding across North Carolina. Learn more in Top Stories and let us know if you think it should be NCAA-sanctioned by answering today's Poll.

Tune into today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, where Ayla Brown breaks down a new ranking of the best and worst states to retire in. Wondering where North Carolina falls on the list? We've got that, plus the key takeaways you won't want to miss. Watch here.

Today's sponsor, Incogni, helps protect your Social Security number and other sensitive personal information by removing it from data brokers and people-search sites, reducing your risk of scams, identity theft, and unwanted exposure online.

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.

Report Warns of Energy Rate Hikes

A new report from the North Carolina Energy Policy Task Force warns of rising electricity rates as demand surges across the state, highlighting rapid growth from population in-migration, new businesses, advanced manufacturing, and data centers.

Duke Energy has requested a 15% rate hike over the next two years to cover infrastructure costs and support reliability amid this boom.

The report cites Duke Energy's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan forecast, projecting that demand could rise between 16%-60% by 2040, with data centers expected to drive much of the load growth. Gov. Josh Stein stated last week that one data farm could match the energy usage of a city the size of Charlotte.

The projections have sparked debate over whether large users should face special tariffs or higher fees to avoid burdening residential customers.

NC Joins Motion to Release FEMA Funds

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined a coalition of nearly two dozen Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday in filing a motion to enforce a federal court order compelling FEMA to reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.

BRIC funds pre-disaster mitigation projects, such as strengthening water, sewer, and flood protection. FEMA canceled it last April, but U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Massachusetts ruled in December that the termination was unlawful and ordered FEMA to reverse the termination.

Despite the December order, FEMA has not restarted the program, funded pending grants, or accepted new applications. At issue is over $200 million in funding for approved projects in North Carolina.

Women's Flag Football Expands Across NC

Conference Carolinas is pioneering the expansion of women's flag football by becoming the first NCAA Division I or II conference to sponsor the sport as a varsity offering.

The conference kicked off its inaugural season with 11 institutions slated to compete: Barton College, Chowan University, Emmanuel University, Erskine College, Ferrum College, King University, Lees-McRae College, Mars Hill University, University of Mount Olive, Mount St. Mary's University, and Wingate University.

The first conference games will take place on Feb. 28 at Emmanuel University, and the championship is scheduled for April 17-19 at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

Flag football is currently recognized in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program and has been added as a sport for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

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➤ Statewide: Duke Energy customers will receive no refunds after the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday that the Utilities Commission erred in 2024 by allowing recovery of 2022 unrecovered fuel costs. (More)

➤ Statewide: North Carolina saw a 22% drop in Affordable Care Act enrollment for 2026, with only 761,457 sign-ups compared to the prior year—the largest decline nationwide—due to expired enhanced subsidies and rising premiums. (More)

➤ Western NC: The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality awarded $7.3 million for eight projects to repair high-hazard dams damaged by Hurricane Helene, using part of a $10 million fund, and opened a second application round through June 19 for the remaining $2.7 million. (More)

➤ Hertford County: Residents voiced opposition at a commissioners' meeting on Monday to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement potentially reopening the closed Rivers Correctional Facility in Winton as an immigration detention center. (More)

➤ Charlotte: Former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier Kiara Padgett, 31, was sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by six months of home detention for stealing checks valued at over $8.5 million between August 2021 and November 2022. (More)

➤ Currituck County: The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday about whether the county can use occupancy tax revenue for public safety and general services, after a 2024 Appeals Court ruling found the spending violated a 2004 law limiting funds to tourism promotion. (More)

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➤ UNC men's basketball landed a commitment from five-star guard Dylan Mingo, the No. 8 recruit in the class of 2026. (More)

➤ No. 22 Wake Forest baseball beat High Point 7-6 in their home opener, securing head coach Tom Walter's 500th win with the program. (More)

➤ Women's Basketball AP Poll: Duke rose two spots to No. 9 this week, while UNC dropped one spot to No. 22. (See Full Poll)

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➤ The Siemens Foundation is investing $9.25 million in North Carolina to launch Careers Electric, a nonprofit aimed at training 25,000 people over the next decade through the community college system to meet energy workforce demands. (More)

➤ Construction is underway on the Omni Hotel in downtown Raleigh, which will anchor the Raleigh Convention Center expansion project and feature amenities like Bob's Steak & Chop House and a coffee shop. Completion is expected by the end of 2028. (See Renderings)

➤ Attorneys in the North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association's six-year-old lawsuit against COVID-19 bar shutdowns are seeking court permission to drop as many as 27 plaintiffs due to unsuccessful contact efforts since 2024. (More)

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➤ Duke's Cameron Crazies set a Guinness World Record for the largest knockout basketball game with 711 participants in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, surpassing the Dallas Mavericks' 2015 mark of 701. (More)

➤ NC State researchers have developed ultra-stretchable materials using solvent-free laser ablation, enabling the materials to repel nearly all liquids even when stretched up to five times their original length and enduring over 5,000 stretch cycles. (More)

➤ The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office captured a runaway pig named Penelope after she wandered into a home seeking snacks. They ended a short standoff with a pack of crackers and "questionable negotiations." Penelope was later reunited with her owner. (See Photos)

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