Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1780, Patriot militia, including the “Overmountain Men” from the Carolina and Virginia backcountry, overwhelmed a British-led Loyalist force at the Battle of Kings Mountain just across the South Carolina line and turned the tide of the Revolution in the South.

The 2026 North Carolina Fair food menu has been released and features over 80 new items. Learn more in Top Stories, then take our Poll to let us know which one you’d try. Do you have a favorite fair food? Hit reply to share it.

Neck pain is one of the most common aches afflicting people, and in many cases, doctors can't pinpoint a single cause. It could be your posture, your pillow, or something else entirely. But physical therapists say there's a fix that works better than rest or painkillers, and it takes just a few minutes a day. So what's really behind your neck pain, and which five exercises can help you strengthen your way out of it? Amy has the full story on today's episode of The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here!

Today's edition is brought to you by Cacao Bliss. Try their delicious, heart-healthy hot cocoa superfood drink.

Elections Board to Contact Flagged Voters

The North Carolina State Board of Elections will mail letters this week to 1,599 registered voters flagged as potential noncitizens by a federal database, giving them a chance to verify their citizenship or ask to be removed.

The flags came from the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system earlier this year. Elections officials say the 1,599 registrations are an extremely small share of the state’s roughly 7.8 million registered voters.

The outreach follows a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Sept. 25 that cleared states to use the revised SAVE database ahead of the November election.

The League of Women Voters, which sued to block the expanded system, argues the database is error-prone and could endanger eligible voters. State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes has said no voter will be removed automatically and that each flagged registrant will get due process. Officials say voters who receive a letter can still cast a ballot.

Televangelist Jim Bakker Dies at 86

Jim Bakker, the televangelist who built a Christian broadcasting empire from Charlotte before fraud convictions and a sex scandal brought it down, died Monday at age 86.

Bakker and his then-wife, Tammy Faye, launched the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club in 1974, growing it into a television ministry and the sprawling Heritage USA studio and theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

The empire collapsed in 1987, and in 1989 Bakker was convicted of fraud and conspiracy for bilking followers who had bought lifetime lodging “partnerships.” He served roughly five years in prison.

In recent years, Bakker hosted The Jim Bakker Show from Missouri and sold survivalist goods, drawing a lawsuit over claims that a silver product could treat COVID-19.

Amazon Opens Its Largest NC Center

Amazon’s largest North Carolina fulfillment center is now open near Wilmington, bringing about 1,100 jobs and advanced robotics to the Cape Fear region. The 650,000-square-foot facility, spanning more than 11 football fields on the New Hanover-Pender County line, is the company’s first in southeastern North Carolina.

Officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, though operations began ramping up in August. AI-powered robots move, sort, pack, and create boxes, which Amazon says makes the site 25% to 30% more efficient than its previous-generation centers. They also say this has created 30% more skilled technical jobs.

Leaders selected Wilmington to serve the growing area faster, closing a gap between facilities in Savannah and Raleigh.

A neighboring delivery station in Pender Commerce Park opened in mid-August. Together, the two buildings represent more than $350 million invested in the Cape Fear region. Seasonal hiring begins later this month.

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Costa Rica's Blue Zone Breakfast

Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy…

But according to Stanford researchers, there's one delicious “dessert” food that Costa Ricans in the famous “blue zone” there eat each morning that:

✅ Keeps them lean even into their 70s, 80s, and 90s
✅ Slows blood sugar spikes and maintains healthy insulin sensitivity
✅ Keeps their blood pressure at normal, healthy levels
✅ Keeps their hearts and arteries strong and clean well into old age, with a striking lack of heart disease in their population
✅ Even helps them have seven times more centenarians than Japanese people

So what's the No. 1 dessert food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100? (See Report)

P.S. Here's the surprising part. While Costa Ricans are living longer with this morning ritual, Americans trying it are losing seven pounds in a couple of weeks as a side effect.

➤ Statewide: Forecasters are tracking a tropical system that could threaten the Gulf Coast and push rain into the Carolinas by this weekend. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed they are investigating a matter related to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, though officials have not said what the probe involves. (More)

➤ Cary: NCDOT is taking public comment through Oct. 27 on an $84 million plan to lower Northeast Maynard Road beneath a new railroad bridge near East Chatham Street, eliminating a busy at-grade crossing but displacing about a dozen businesses. (More)

➤ Wake County: Officials are urging residents to safely dispose of lithium-ion batteries ahead of a new state law, effective Dec. 1, that will ban them from landfills. (More)

➤ Bald Head Island: Invasive yellow wasps forced the closure of the north end of the Bald Head Woods Reserve Trail after multiple people were stung. Officials call the nest a public safety threat and plan to destroy it. (More)

➤ Blue Ridge Parkway: Newly reopened sections make it possible for drivers to travel uninterrupted from milepost 63.7 in Virginia to Little Switzerland in North Carolina. Repairs continue on the final stretch to Mount Mitchell. (More)

➤ Asheboro: The North Carolina Zoo set a March 2027 opening for its long-delayed Asia Continent, its first new region since 1994, where visitors will walk beneath tigers crossing on an overhead bridge. (Watch Video)

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➤ Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White will miss the entire preseason with a left calf strain suffered in training camp, and his status for the Oct. 21 opener at Brooklyn is uncertain. The Goldsboro native and former Tar Heel was set to start after Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball to Minnesota. (More)

➤ No. 4 Wake Forest women’s soccer defeated NC State 3-1 on Sunday at Spry Stadium, with Sierra Sythe’s penalty kick providing the winner as the Demon Deacons extended their home unbeaten streak to 23 games. (More)

➤ Week 8 of high school football kicks off across North Carolina on Friday with a full slate of games. (See Schedule and Rankings)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | NBA | Soccer

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➤ Could Your Cooking Oil Affect Your Metabolic Health? Not all cooking oils are created equal, especially when supporting healthy blood sugar. If olive oil is already in your pantry, there are three simple rules worth knowing when choosing the right one. Watch this free video to discover the three olive oil rules.

➤ UNC Health broke ground Tuesday on a 48-acre campus between Cary and Research Triangle Park, with a six-story medical office building and parking deck due by 2029 and a 144-bed community hospital by 2032. (See Rendering)

➤ A judge entered a default judgment against defunct North Carolina wedding photography company Holly Christina Photography on Monday, with the state seeking nearly $600,000 in restitution and $1.1 million in civil penalties. (More)

➤ The board for state-funded nonprofit NCInnovation approved its fiscal 2026 audit 7-3, over objections from member Art Pope, who argued it booked some grant expenses in fiscal 2024 before a required review, overstating research spending. (More)

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➤ Get a deeper clean at home with SonoShine. This rechargeable teeth-cleaning device uses high-frequency vibrations and five adjustable settings to target stubborn plaque, tartar, and surface stains between teeth and along the gumline. SonoShine is easy to use, USB rechargeable, and currently available for up to 50% off.

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Memory Loss, Low Libido, Weak Bones

Not magnesium, and not calcium. A new study says memory loss and cognitive decline may be the result of a different mineral deficiency, one that can also cause stubborn weight gain, low energy, mood swings, a low libido, bleeding gums, and weaker bones.

An estimated 90% of adults over 60 may now be at risk. Soils have become depleted, and common medications such as blood pressure drugs, along with microplastics, strip it from the body.

There are seven warning signs that you might be running low. (See Warning Signs)

➤ PepsiCo recalled more than 122,000 cases of 28-ounce Gatorade Lemon Lime and Orange (including Zero versions) in 37 states, including North Carolina, for undeclared Yellow No. 5 and/or No. 6 dyes, the FDA says. (More)

➤ The North Carolina State Fair unveiled more than 80 new foods for 2026, including birria egg rolls, deep-fried Hawaiian bacon s’mores bites, pickle cheesecake, and a tiramisu pizza cone. (See List)

➤ The Stanley Cup, won by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2026, visited UNC Health Cancer Care in Raleigh on Monday, allowing patients, families, and staff to see the trophy and meet broadcaster Mike Maniscalco. (More)

➤ North Carolina’s retiring U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis appeared on The View to air his frustrations with Washington and promote his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents. (Watch)

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➤ The Wrinkle ‘Eraser’ That Has Women Going Makeup Free. Beverly Hills beauty expert Dr. John Layke is sharing a simple, 60-second beauty trick designed to help you look and feel younger. He created a short instructional video explaining exactly how to try the technique yourself at home. Watch Dr. Layke’s presentation here.