SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1832, Confederate Brig. Gen. George Doherty Johnston was born in Hillsborough. He settled in Alabama and commanded the 25th Alabama Infantry. After the war, he taught at a military school and served as a state senator.

President Trump is putting up to $1,000 into a new government-backed investment account for every American child under 18. With a fast-approaching deadline and plenty of parents in the dark, The Flyover Podcast breaks down exactly who qualifies, how to sign up, and what every family needs to do before time runs out. Plus, see how grandparents can get involved in helping build their grandchildren's future. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, EnergyX, is positioning itself to meet the exploding lithium demand driven by AI data centers and battery storage with major new U.S. lithium projects that are aimed at powering the next generation of technology infrastructure.

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.

Hurricanes Reach Stanley Cup Final

The Carolina Hurricanes routed the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Friday, closing out the Eastern Conference Final in five games to reach their first Stanley Cup Final in two decades.

Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Eric Robinson scored in a lopsided first period, and Carolina led 5-0 before Cole Caufield finally beat goalie Frederik Andersen late in the third.

The win made the Canes the first team to reach the Final with only one loss since 1983, snapping coach Rod Brind'Amour's 1-12 record in the conference round.

Carolina now faces the Vegas Golden Knights, who swept the top-seeded Avalanche to punch their own ticket.

NC Sues VinFast Over Empty Factory

North Carolina has sued Vietnamese EV maker VinFast to reclaim a Chatham County megasite promised as a major manufacturing hub.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson filed the suit last week, citing VinFast's failure to meet construction milestones and job targets. The company cleared the Moncure site in 2023 but never built the plant, contractually required to be operational by July 2026 with 1,750 workers by year's end.

Jackson formally warned VinFast in January that it was in breach. The case may hinge on what counts as "vertical construction", a legal distinction that could decide whether VinFast met its obligations.

Morrisville Teen Shines at Spelling Bee

A 13-year-old from Morrisville finished fourth in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, joining the final nine competitors at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington.

Kushi Gottimukkala, a seventh grader at Carnage G&T Magnet Middle School in Raleigh, was eliminated on the word "cara sposa," an Italian phrase meaning "dear wife." She spelled it "carra spoza."

She had outspelled hundreds of competitors to reach the prime-time stage. The winner was Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Flying together with our sponsor

The Hidden Cost of ChatGPT: A Lithium Crisis

That ChatGPT answer you just got? It ran on electricity. A lot of it.

OpenAI's data centers consume more power than some small countries, and every one of them runs rows of lithium-ion battery backup systems to keep servers alive if the grid hiccups.

The world isn't producing enough lithium to keep up. And one company is making major moves to fill the gap.

EnergyX just announced its plans for a second lithium project in the United States, sitting on approximately 2.4 million tons of lithium in Utah. They’re projecting $600M+ in annual revenue, at full scale. Right now, retail investors can claim an early-stage stake.

Here's why the timing matters.

Demand is projected to hit 5.5 million tons by 2040. And that was before the AI buildout got priced in. McKinsey now projects battery demand growing 30% annually through 2030. The supply gap is widening and not going away.

EnergyX is positioned at the center of it. Don't miss your chance to invest.

➤ Raleigh: House Bill 1232, which would classify abortion as first-degree murder and authorize deadly force to prevent one, passed its first reading in the NC House. Rep. Keith Kidwell introduced the bill. (More)

➤ Western NC: Buncombe County's medical examiner warns that staffing shortages across North Carolina's medical examiner system could delay death certificates, stall criminal investigations, and leave families without closure as vacancies go unfilled. (More)

➤ Mebane: The first North Carolina Buc-ee's will officially break ground on June 10, the company confirmed. The massive travel center has been long-anticipated by NC residents. (More)

➤ Statewide: T-Mobile Fiber customers across North and South Carolina continued reporting service outages Friday, a day after the initial disruption. T-Mobile acknowledged the issue but had not provided a restoration timeline. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Gov. Josh Stein called a proposed constitutional amendment capping North Carolina's income tax at 3.5% a "cynical shell game," warning it would force higher taxes elsewhere or service cuts. Voters decide in November. (More)

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➤ Former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier faces new federal bribery charges, with prosecutors now alleging he agreed to a $100,000 bribe to leave a 2023 game early so gamblers could cash out on his player prop bets. (More)

➤ Charlotte FC is in talks to sign French winger Allan Saint-Maximin. The 29-year-old former Newcastle United attacker is available on a free transfer once his contract expires on June 30. (More)

➤ NC State men's basketball will play in the Baha Mar Bahamas Championship over Thanksgiving weekend, joining Wisconsin and Seton Hall. (More)

➤ A 23XI Racing employee was charged with felony assault at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend for allegedly hitting a 77-year-old man with a golf cart. NASCAR indefinitely suspended the employee; the team is co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. (More)

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China's 60% Grip on Lithium Is Breaking

A domestic lithium producer backed by General Motors just announced plans for its second U.S. facility. This Utah project will sit atop approximately 2.4 million tons of lithium. Now, investors can claim an early-stage stake.

Here's the bigger picture.

China controls 60% of the world's lithium. But as demand for high-tech innovations like AI and EVs continues to grow, America needs its own reliable supply fast. The window to profit from what comes next is open.

America holds the world's 5th-largest lithium reserves, and they've barely been touched. EnergyX is changing that with patented technology that recovers up to 3X more lithium than conventional methods.

In a world reliant on lithium for batteries, electric vehicles, and grid storage, a domestic lithium supply is critical. Invest in EnergyX today.

➤ Nearly 500 law enforcement officers carried the Flame of Hope through downtown Raleigh on Friday, delivering the torch that will light the cauldron at the Special Olympics North Carolina Summer Games. (More)

➤ Stephen Curry is opening three new uptown Charlotte restaurants alongside wife Ayesha and a Michelin-starred chef, offering day-to-night luxury dining. (More)

➤ Botiwalla by Chai Pani, the new Raleigh outpost from Asheville's James Beard Award-winning Chai Pani Restaurant Group, opens June 2 at Raleigh Iron Works with India-inspired kebabs and more. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Elon Musk’s latest venture is making headlines nationwide after reportedly receiving White House clearance and expanding across all 50 states. Some analysts believe this new currency initiative could surpass the impact of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI combined. Discover why investors are calling it one of the biggest opportunities of the decade — before the rollout gains even more momentum.

How many of the items on our Saturday meme’s list (shown above) can you check off?

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever picked fresh blueberries?

Yes: 54%
No: 28%
Not yet: 10%
Can’t remember: 8%

What factors determined the site chosen for Hillsborough?

Show me the answer

Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged Flyover to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. Flyover has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. Flyover and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX. This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar results. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Market shortfall are forward‑looking estimates and are subject to substantial uncertainty. Investments in private placements, and start-up investments in particular, are long-term, illiquid, speculative and involve a high degree of risk and those investors who cannot afford to lose their entire investment should not invest in start-ups.

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