Sabtu, 18 April 2026

Trump And Pope Trade Blows, Another Runway Incident , Trump Targets Commentators

Trump and Pope Leo clash over Iran war rhetoric, plus a close call on a U.S. runway and Trump blasts conservative media figures.

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Drought Woes Continue, Playoff Hockey Begins, and Doohickies

Two new wildfires ignited in Western North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest Saturday morning as the state's drought emergency deepens.
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The Roundup

Article Icon 1NC Drought Escalates: Wildfires, Disaster Zones

Two new wildfires ignited in Western North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest Friday morning as the state's drought emergency deepens.

The USDA has declared 82 North Carolina counties natural disaster areas — a designation that unlocks emergency farm loans. Thirty counties are now in extreme drought, a statewide open burning ban has been in force since March 28, and 554 wildfires have already burned more than 2,200 acres statewide.

Charlotte has imposed voluntary water restrictions, Raleigh mandatory ones, and dozens of smaller municipalities are following suit. The NC Department of Environmental Quality also expanded its extreme drought classification.

Article Icon 1World's Largest HVAC Training Center Opens

Trane Technologies opened a 45,000-square-foot Advanced Technology Training Center at its Davidson headquarters—billed as the world's largest HVAC training facility.

The facility can train up to 4,500 students and log more than 100,000 training hours per year, combining hands-on lab instruction with e-learning. The company invested more than $50 million in the project.

Gov. Josh Stein toured the facility on Thursday alongside business and clean-energy leaders, calling it evidence of North Carolina's growing manufacturing footprint in the clean energy economy.

Trane plans to hire more than 1,000 additional technicians over the next 18 months to meet surging demand for advanced climate systems.

Article Icon 1Yo-Yo Ma Visits Thomasville Library

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma made an unannounced stop at the Thomasville Public Library on Wednesday, taking a break during his North Carolina tour and surprising the unsuspecting staff.

In a Facebook post, city leaders said Ma discussed the “challenges and triumphs” of local library service and the vital role free community programming plays in small cities. He performed at Greensboro's Steven Tanger Center earlier in the week to a sold-out crowd.

The unplanned library visit became a minor viral moment—a world-class artist choosing to spend his downtime in a Davidson County library.

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The Flyover

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Around North Carolina

Statewide: State election officials voted 3-2 to approve rules redefining “potential non-citizen” voters, requiring record reviews, voter notification, documentation opportunities, and hearings before removal from registration rolls. (More

➤ Also statewide: Several North Carolina school districts are canceling classes on May 1 as teachers plan to march in Raleigh to demand more state funding for public education. (More

➤ Asheville: The Regional Airport on Friday opened a new baggage claim with two carousels, part of a $400 million expansion to boost capacity, modernize facilities, and accommodate rising passenger traffic. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The Carolina Panthers announced Atrium Health secured naming rights for the team’s new Uptown Charlotte training complex, set to open before 2027 training camp with expanded practice and player facilities. (More)

Raleigh: State lawmakers grilled DHHS officials at a Wednesday hearing over whether Medicaid fraud is going undetected amid a reported $300 million shortfall. (More)

Wake County: Towns that buy water from the City of Raleigh—Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell, and Zebulon—are facing secondary effects from Raleigh's mandatory drought restrictions. (More)


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North Carolina Sports

The top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes open their eighth straight playoff run today against Ottawa, hosting Game 1 after a franchise-best 113-point regular season. (More)

➤ Duke guard Cayden Boozer announced he will return for his sophomore season rather than enter the NBA Draft, having earned All-ACC Tournament Second Team honors as a freshman. (More)

Wake Forest basketball landed Kansas transfer Jamari McDowell in the transfer portal, adding a former four-star recruit who originally chose Kansas over the Demon Deacons out of high school. (More)

App State baseball opens a three-game Sun Belt series at James Madison this weekend, looking to extend a strong run of conference play. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NBA | MLB | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Golf

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Et Cetera

Asheville's Downtown After 5 free outdoor concert series returned on Friday with Stomp & Holler Night at Pack Square Park, kicking off another summer of local and touring acts. (More)

Crooked Hammock Brewery will open on April 20 near Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, bringing a backyard-style venue with yard games, craft beer, and cookout fare to its fourth location. (More)

➤ The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce named Hunter Walsh president and CEO, with board chair Melissa Harrison citing his vision for strengthening the coastal business community. (More)

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North Carolina Meme Of The Week
The Poll

What’s your word of choice for something you don’t know the name of?

  1. Doohickey
  2. Watchamacallit
  3. Thingamajig
  4. Other (reply to tell us)


Yesterdays Results:

Should DNA testing be done on historical artifacts?

  1. Absolutely: 35%
  2. Depends: 28%
  3. Not sure: 22% 
  4. No way: 15%
North Carolina Trivia

What’s required for donating a historical object to North Carolina Historic Sites?

Show me the answer

Flyover North Carolina

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Iran Opens Strait, Missing Scientists Mystery, and Attacking the Bride

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz "completely open" to commercial shipping on Friday as President Trump said a deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran was "very close," sending oil prices tumbling 12% and U.S. stocks soaring.                
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The Flyover Podcast

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

President Trump and Pope Leo XIV have been exchanging blows over the war in Iran. Here's exactly what's been said. (Hear More)

Another close call at a U.S. airport, this time on a runway in Louisville, Kentucky.  (Listen Now)

➤ President Trump called Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones "nut jobs," all in one post. (Podcast Available)

  

Politics

 The Supreme Court ruled 8-0 Friday to move Chevron's Louisiana coastal-damage lawsuit from state to federal court, overruling a lower court and putting a $745 million state judgment against the oil company in question. (More)

The Senate approved a 10-day extension of the government’s FISA warrantless spy powers on Friday after House Republicans' efforts to pass a longer renewal collapsed overnight, pushing the surveillance program's expiration to April 30. (More)

President Trump plans to nominate former Navy SEAL Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA again, a year after Hamilton was ousted for telling Congress the agency shouldn't be eliminated. (More)

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons will resign May 31, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced Thursday, ending the tenure of a key figure in President Trump's deportation agenda. (More)

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Sports

The San Diego Padres are being sold for $3.9 billion, an MLB record, to Clearlake Capital co-founder Josรฉ E. Feliciano. The previous sale record was $2.4 billion for the New York Mets in 2020. (More)

 The Houston Texans signed edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. to a three-year, $150 million extension on Friday, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. (More)

➤ Villanova and Notre Dame will open the college basketball season with games in Rome this November, a trip inspired by Wildcats alum Pope Leo XIV and the schools’ shared Catholic heritage. (More)

Golfer Max Homa said players who break clubs look "very, very spoiled," when asked about Sergio Garcia angrily slamming the clubhead off his driver during the Masters. (See Video)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NBA | MLB | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Golf

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Finance

Trend Line Daily Market Report  04/17/2026

NASDAQ
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
24,468.48
1.52%
SPX
S&P 500
7,126.06
1.20%
DJI
Dow Jones Industrial Average
49,447.43
1.79%
BTC
Bitcoin
$77,465.75
3.08%
GOLD
Per Ounce
$4,849.40
1.34%
SILVER
Per Ounce
$80.94
2.97%
OIL
West Texas Intermediate Crude
$84.00
-11.29%
Bitcoin, gold, silver, and oil are traded 24 hours a day.

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The Rotator
Saturday Rewind
Today's Rotator section is brought to you by:

The Flyover

➤ EU officials will soon launch an age-verification app requiring ID uploads to limit children’s social media access, as member states weigh stricter age limits and enforcement measures across platforms. (More)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to resign on Friday after reports said UK officials appointed Peter Mandelson as a U.S. ambassador despite failed security checks and ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. (More)

Neukgu, a 2-year-old wolf who escaped from a South Korean zoo, was captured near an expressway on Friday after a nine-day search that drew national attention and inspired a meme coin. (See Neukgu)

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Et Cetera

➤ Researchers found terminally ill patients often report vivid end-of-life dreams of reunions with loved ones, bright lights, and symbolic journeys, offering emotional comfort and insight into coping with death. (More)

➤ A UK bride's sister-in-law was found guilty this week after she splashed the bride with black paint moments before her wedding. The bride cleaned up, changed dresses, and married two hours later despite the attack. (See Bride)

➤ Over 100 humanoid robots will race a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday, as teams test endurance, autonomy, and reliability under real-world conditions. (See Robots)

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Meme Of The Week

Poll Position

Do you remember your dreams?

  1. Vividly, every time
  2. Bits and pieces
  3. Only the weird ones
  4. Nope, nothing
 

Yesterday's Results:

Would you watch a movie starring an AI-generated version of your favorite actor?

  1. No: 47%
  2. Depends: 36%
  3. Yes: 17%

Quote BoxDaily Quote

Quote

"This is too coincidental, and so we have to be investigating this. We need to have our nation’s top investigators, the FBI, and every agency looking into this matter.”

Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) on the mysterious deaths or disappearances of 11 top U.S. scientists and researchers

TriviaToday's Trivia

What name is often associated with the horse Paul Revere borrowed for his midnight ride?

Show me the answer

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