SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1924, pitcher and manager Clyde Edward King was born in Goldsboro—a Tar Heel who pitched for two pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers teams and later managed three major league clubs.

A Greensboro veteran is honoring fellow veterans for the 10th straight year. Learn how in Et Cetera.

A new report just exposed the five biggest financial fears haunting American retirees, and the findings are sounding alarms across the country. On The Flyover Podcast, Amy Hess reveals what those fears are, why so many Americans are being blindsided, and the critical steps families can take right now to set themselves up for success. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, Lemonade Pet Insurance, helps pet owners manage rising vet costs with affordable plans starting around $10/month and flexible coverage designed to protect both your pet’s health and your budget.

Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

NC Sues VinFast Over Chatham Megasite

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson filed suit Thursday against Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast to reclaim a roughly 1,800-acre Chatham County site where the company pledged to build a $4 billion electric vehicle and battery factory.

The lawsuit, filed in Wake County Superior Court on behalf of the Department of Commerce, alleges VinFast breached its 2022 agreements. The company was to begin vertical construction by January 2024 and open the Moncure facility by July 2026.

VinFast has met neither target. The state also claims the automaker won’t employ 1,750 people at the site by year’s end, a requirement built into the original development deal.

North Carolina is seeking to buy back the land and recoup roughly $80 million it gave VinFast. “Today's action is about protecting taxpayers and getting the Chatham County mega-site back on the market to support future good-paying manufacturing jobs,” Gov. Josh Stein said.

Stein Launches Four-Year Growth Plan

Gov. Josh Stein and the N.C. Department of Commerce unveiled the “First in Opportunity” plan Wednesday, a four-year roadmap for economic growth and workforce development across the Tar Heel State.

The strategy centers on four priorities: modernizing infrastructure and strengthening resilience, accelerating economic competitiveness and innovation, expanding access to housing, child care, and health care, and building a future-ready workforce—a framework the Department of Commerce described as a comprehensive statewide blueprint for North Carolina’s next phase of growth.

Rural competitiveness is explicitly named a core focus, recognizing economic gaps between major metro areas and communities in eastern North Carolina, the mountains, and the Sandhills.

The four-year timeline means the plan spans well beyond Stein’s current term, requiring buy-in across state agencies.

1.2M+ North Carolinians to Travel This Weekend

More than 1.2 million North Carolinians are expected to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest on record, according to AAA.

Gas is averaging $4.23 a gallon statewide but AAA says the spike is mostly chilling last-minute planners, not the masses.

Coastal hotels confirm it: Outer Banks and Atlantic Beach properties have been fully booked for months, with guests locked in well before prices climbed.

Flying isn't as easy an alternative as it once was at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Spirit Airlines' collapse earlier this month removed the airport's budget option, leaving travelers with fewer fare choices heading into summer.

To help out, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United were offering $200 one-way flights for a limited time for passengers who had Spirit confirmation numbers and proof of purchase.

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➤ Charlotte: Charlotte Water is defending its proposal to nearly double its daily transfer allowance from the Catawba River, as opponents throughout the basin question the accuracy of the environmental study backing the plan. (Details)

➤ Maggie Valley: The town secured $5 million in grant funding to replace a damaged 12-inch sewer line, a win after FEMA denied its reimbursement claim for flood damage during the Hurricane Helene recovery period. (More)

➤ Buxton: Cape Hatteras National Seashore reopened more than a mile of Old Lighthouse Beach yesterday after months of closure for environmental testing and cleanup of a former military site near the south end of Buxton. (More)

➤ Moore County: Southern Middle School in Aberdeen went into lockdown yesterday after an unfounded shooter report; a teen was also arrested after being found with a gun at a Garner school. No injuries were reported in either incident. (More)

➤ Benson: The town's manager resigned yesterday and a second official gave two weeks' notice as Benson works through a financial crisis, days after a video of the manager's outburst at a staff meeting went viral. (Details)

➤ Lexington: Businesses hit by a devastating Main Street fire earlier this week are drawing an outpouring of community support, with residents and local organizations stepping up to help owners and employees affected by the blaze. (See Video)

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➤ NC State baseball coach Elliott Avent announced his retirement after 30 seasons, leaving as the winningest coach in program history. He logged over 1,300 career wins and three College World Series appearances during his tenure. (More)

➤ Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin took the blame for Carolina's Game 1 loss to the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals, saying he "handed them the game" in an uncharacteristic defensive meltdown. Game 2 is tonight in Raleigh. (More)

➤ Duke softball plays Game 2 against No. 5 Arkansas this afternoon in the Fayetteville Super Regional. The game will broadcast at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. (How to Watch)

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➤ Greensboro veteran Skip Nix will stand at attention for the 10th consecutive Memorial Day this weekend, honoring fallen service members. He plans to end the tradition next year when he turns 70. (See Video)

➤ A Buncombe County resident came face to face with a black bear inside her Black Mountain home a few weeks ago. (See Video)

➤ “Spaghetti” is the state’s most commonly misspelled word, per a new analysis of Google search data. Nationally, “bougie” topped the list with more than 134,000 searches. (More)

➤ Asheville tourism leaders are projecting more than $2 million in local economic impact as the city hosts the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships and Big South Conference Baseball Championship, aiding post-Helene recovery. (Details)

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