Scammers Steal Billions, France Moves Nukes, First Date Dining Controversy

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1954, golfer Keith Fergus was born in Temple. After a career that included three PGA Tour wins and 40 top-10 finishes, he became the head coach of the golf team at his alma mater, the University of Houston.

If you haven't voted yet, the polls are open until 7 p.m. Tomorrow's edition will highlight the results of the state's biggest primary contests.

Waymo was already under the microscope for repeated incidents in which its self-driving vehicles ignored school bus stop signs. On Sunday morning, one of them blocked first responders trying to get to the site of a mass shooting in downtown Austin. Check out today's Around Texas section for details, and hit reply to share your thoughts.

Scam artists are stealing billions of dollars from Americans every year, and we want to ensure that Flyover readers are not prime targets! On today's The Flyover Podcast, host Ayla Brown walks through the most common schemes, plus the FBI's best advice for staying alert before your money is gone. Tune in here!

Big announcement: We're launching The California Flyover on April 1! We've had our eyes on The Golden State for a long time, and we're excited to add it to The Flyover family. Don't miss the first edition; click here to sign up!

Today's sponsor, Incogni, helps protect you from scam calls, phishing, and identity theft by removing your personal data from data brokers and continuously monitoring and deleting it as new threats emerge.

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.

Austin Shooting Sparks Political Debate

Savitha Shan, a 21-year-old student at UT Austin, and Texas Tech student Ryder Harrington, 19, have been identified as the two victims killed in Sunday morning's mass shooting at a downtown Austin bar.

UT Austin student Nathan Comeaux captured a video of police engaging the shooter, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal who was wearing a sweatshirt that said "Property of Allah."

In the hours after the shooting, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin) lamented "America's gun violence epidemic," and Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) urged Republicans to "find the courage to say no to the NRA," while Republicans called for stronger immigrant vetting.

Gov. Greg Abbott and State Rep. James Talarico, running as a Democrat for U.S. Senate, got into an online quarrel, with Abbott suggesting that Talarico's "immigration policies would make America less safe." Talarico said that "dangerous people should not be allowed to get guns."

In a response to a comment by Talarico, Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock urged politicians to stop using the tragedy to advance talking points. "Now is the time to focus on the victims and first responders impacted, not campaigns," he said.

Big Bend Border Wall Gets Pushback

Residents, activists, and politicians on both sides of the aisle are pushing back on plans to build a border wall in the Big Bend region, arguing it's not needed and would harm tourism and the environment.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem waived multiple federal regulations to expedite the construction of a border wall along the Rio Grande in much of Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. Previously, those areas were slated to get "smart wall" technology.

Local landowners have reported receiving calls from contractors to build staging areas for hundreds of workers on their properties, and their reaction was "almost completely 100% negative," according to a local reporter.

According to the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, "A wall is unnecessary in this rugged and challenging terrain" and would "destroy the wild and scenic beauty of this iconic national park and the surrounding area." Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland said, "We've got a God-made barrier."

Houston Airport Remodel Almost Done

A $1.46 billion project to revamp the international travel experience at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is nearly complete as Houston prepares to welcome thousands of soccer fans this summer for the World Cup.

Last week, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines moved their check-in operations from Terminal D to Terminal E, which offers a new self-service bag drop system and a 17-lane TSA screening area. IAH is only the second U.S. airport to introduce the Amadeus bag drop system.

Since the project began in 2019, Terminal D's West Pier has been expanded, and additional drop-off and pick-up lanes have improved traffic flow for international flights. The Terminal Redevelopment Program represents Houston's largest capital investment in the airport since it opened in 1969.

"This is about giving our passengers the world-class experience they deserve the moment they walk into the terminal," Houston Airports Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak said in a release.

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Unknown Number Calling? It's Not Random

The BBC caught scam-call workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking. One worker bragged about making $250k from victims. The disturbing truth? Scammers don't pick phone numbers at random. They buy your data from brokers.

Once your data is out there, it's not just calls. It's phishing, impersonation, and identity theft. That's why we recommend Incogni: They delete your info from the web, monitor and follow up automatically, and continue to erase data as new risks appear.

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➤ Austin: A self-driving Waymo vehicle temporarily blocked an ambulance responding to the mass shooting at a downtown bar on Sunday morning. In a video, a bystander can be heard shouting, "This is why we shouldn't have self-driving cars!" (Watch Video)

➤ Longview: Crews are removing the shredded remains of the hot air balloon that collided with a communication tower on Saturday. "It'll be an all‑day process," said contractor Nathan Wilson. "You can't rush these kinds of things." (More)

➤ Dallas: An on-duty police officer was injured Monday when the motorcycle he was riding was hit from behind. The suspect fled the scene, and the officer was transported to the hospital in stable condition. (More)

➤ Austin: Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion Monday clarifying that mental health practitioners are subject to the state's ban on gender transition procedures for minors. The opinion was issued in response to an inquiry from Darrel Spinks, executive director of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio: A 27-year-old man allegedly injured his girlfriend's parents with a car after an argument, fleeing the scene before authorities arrived Monday morning. The woman's mother sustained life-threatening injuries. (More)

➤ Georgetown: Attorneys representing the Sun City Community Association and 19 homeowners participated in a Friday hearing related to allegations that the association's deer culling practices are inhumane. (See Details)

➤ Pipe Creek: Rock Solid Trail Contracting, a Michigan company that specializes in trail construction, is engaged in its "most ambitious project ever" at the site of the anticipated 3,800-acre Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area, where it's building up to 30 miles of trails. (More)

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➤ The Houston Texans traded starting right tackle Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick, then traded fourth-round and seventh-round picks, along with offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, to the Detroit Lions for running back David Montgomery. (More)

➤ No. 11 TCU women's basketball beat No. 18 Baylor on Sunday to clinch their second consecutive Big 12 regular season title. TCU has now beaten Baylor in five straight games after losing to them in every single matchup since 1990. (More)

➤ Former Longhorns tennis player Peyton Stearns won the ATX Open tournament this weekend in Austin. (More)

➤ Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku had hip surgery to repair the labrum he tore five weeks ago. He is expected to be ready for walkthroughs in the spring and the June minicamp. (More)

➤ No. 1 Baylor acrobatics and tumbling team—winners of the last ten national championships—beat No. 2 Oregon this weekend in a hotly contested matchup between the sport's two most dominant teams. (More)

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➤ The Dallas-based Texas Stock Exchange is launching an ad campaign as it prepares to begin trading later this year. "Welcome to the real bull market," says the commercial, which features a Texas longhorn confronting Wall Street's iconic Charging Bull on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. (More)

➤ West Texas Intermediate jumped more than 7.4% to $72.01 a barrel in early trading yesterday following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend. Houston-based ExxonMobil and Chevron also saw significant gains. (More)

➤ Texas won the Governor's Cup award from Site Selection magazine for the 14th year in a row. Last year, the state attracted more than 1,400 business location and expansion projects totaling over $75 billion in capital investment and creating more than 42,000 new jobs. (More)

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➤ Austin was the most popular destination in Texas—and No. 6 in the country—for new millennial residents in 2024, according to a SmartAsset analysis that found 10.57% of the city's population were residents aged 25 to 44 who had moved there within the past year. (More)

➤ Researchers at SMU found that toddlers who watch more digital media tended to say fewer body-part words and more words associated with furniture and people. (More)

➤ College Station hosted a mountain bike race for roughly 500 students at Millican Reserve over the weekend. "I love these trails," said competitor Braden Taylor. (Watch Video)

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Should the federal government build a physical border wall in Big Bend National Park?

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Today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast with Ayla Brown has a few stories you won’t find in today’s emailed edition, only in the podcast episode, because not everything fits in an inbox.

In case you missed it: The Feel Good Flyover with Amy Hess is now published on Mondays! It’s your weekly dose of uplifting stories, inspiring moments, and reminders of the good happening all around us. Be sure to check out this week’s feel-good stories and start your week on a positive note.

Here's a sneak peek of what we're diving into in today's Podcast Extra section:

➤ Scammers steal billions of dollars from Americans each year — here’s how you can stay secure. (Hear Details)

➤ France will expand its nuclear arsenal and temporarily deploy nuclear assets among allied European countries. (Hear Episode)

➤ Why are so many Americans choosing fast food over fancy restaurants for a first date? (Listen Now)

Hit play and get the full scoop.

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Primary Guide, Duke vs. NC State, and the DootyCall App

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1865, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's Left Wing staged near Sneedsborough to cross the flooded Pee Dee River. High water delayed completion of a second pontoon bridge south of Rockingham, diverting the Left Wing's 20th Corps to Cheraw's pontoon bridge. All 29,850 men, wagons, artillery, and animals then moved through Richmond County en route to Fayetteville to link with the Right Wing.

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.

Primary Guide to Precincts, Registration, Results

North Carolina voters head to the polls today for the 2026 primary election to choose party nominees for key races in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state legislature, and various local contests.

Find your assigned polling place and confirm your precinct and voter registration status using the official North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) Voter Search tool. You can enter your information to confirm registration, see a sample ballot, and locate your polling place.

You can review the critical races being voted on in Flyover North Carolina's Sunday edition.

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Election results will begin posting as votes are counted. Follow updates on the NCSBE results portal for statewide and county-level primary outcomes.

NC Bases Tighten Security Amid Iran Operation

North Carolina's military installations, including Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Air Station New River, and U.S. Army Fort Bragg, are operating under heightened security measures amid escalating Middle East tensions following a U.S.-Israel joint military operation against Iran.

The enhancements, directed by U.S. Northern Command, include 100% ID checks at all entry gates, random vehicle inspections, and suspension of the Trusted Traveler Program until further notice.

Officials stated these steps safeguard service members, civilians, and families while maintaining operational readiness, with drivers advised to expect delays.

The measures follow recent U.S.-Israel strikes on Iranian military targets that prompted Iranian counterattacks resulting in U.S. service member casualties. Bases are following nationwide directives as the conflict continues.

BPC Plans Restraining Order Against NCDOT

The Black Political Caucus (BPC), joined by community members Shauna Bell, Douglas Jones, and Sean Langley, plans to file a temporary restraining order against the North Carolina Department of Transportation to halt a controversial I-77 South expansion project.

The legal action seeks to block the addition of elevated toll lanes along 11 miles of I-77 from Uptown Charlotte to the South Carolina border, a $3.2 billion initiative moving through the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

Opponents cite unresolved concerns over potential displacement in historically black neighborhoods like Wesley Heights and West End, environmental impacts, toll costs, and parallels to past highway projects that demolished black communities.

NCDOT has described the current design as minimally impactful, but delays could risk up to $700 million in regional funding.

Flying together with our sponsor

Unknown Number Calling? It's Not Random

The BBC caught scam-call workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking. One worker bragged about making $250,000 from victims. The disturbing truth? Scammers don't pick phone numbers at random. They buy your data from brokers.

Try Incogni here and get 55% off your subscription with code FLYOVER.

➤ Statewide: North Carolina's state pension system, which manages over $200 billion in assets, achieved a 13% return in 2025, driven by robust stock market gains in public equities. The system ranks in the 54th percentile among large U.S. public funds. (More)

➤ NC Schools: The Music Impact Coalition launched a new multi-state pilot initiative that includes North Carolina's K-12 public schools to test scalable models for access to high-quality music and arts education. The effort is backed by a $2 million grant and partnerships with 20 top foundations and organizations. (More)

➤ Catawba County: Sheriff Don Brown alleges that supporters of his re-election challenger, Brookford Police Chief Willie Armstrong, confronted and verbally attacked his wife at an early voting site, amid ongoing campaign tensions. (More)

➤ Raleigh: Fire heavily damaged the nonprofit Helping Hand Mission's office and storage facility on Sunday morning. No injuries occurred, and the CEO vowed that, despite significant supply losses, the organization's mission would continue. (Watch Report)

➤ Buncombe County: Attorney Robert P. Tucker II, 63, was sentenced to between 48 and 70 months in prison on Feb. 25 after being convicted of felony obtaining property by false pretenses and conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses in a real estate fraud scheme. (More)

➤ Greensboro: Center City Investors acquired the 6.65-acre former News & Record parcel to revitalize the city's urban core and expand development eastward, with plans potentially including a mixed-use hub, event venues, and green spaces. (More)

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➤ Men's Basketball AP Poll: Duke remained No. 1 in this week's rankings, while UNC moved up one spot to No. 17. (See Poll)

➤ No. 1 Duke men's basketball dominated rival NC State 93-64 last night, building on a 47-30 halftime lead behind strong play from Cameron Boozer. Duke improves to 28-2 overall and 16-1 in the ACC. (See Stats)

➤ No. 21 UNC women's basketball beat No. 12 Duke 74-69, blocking the Blue Devils' bid for their first outright ACC regular-season title since 2013. The Tar Heels have won 12 of their last 13 games going into the conference tournament. (More)

➤ Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Brooks reached 21 miles per hour on a treadmill recently, an encouraging sign as he continues rehabbing from a second ACL tear suffered during his 2024 rookie season. (More)

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➤ Zillow's latest 2026 home price forecast projects Jacksonville leading North Carolina with a 3.3% price increase over the next 12 months, followed by Burlington at 3.2%, and Greenville and Fayetteville at 3%. (See Map)

➤ A local developer is proposing to modernize Raleigh's 1952 J.S. Dorton Arena at the State Fairgrounds, preserving its iconic cable-supported roof and parabolic arches while adding upgrades to attract more concerts, sports, and corporate events. (More)

➤ Barnes & Noble will open its first Chapel Hill bookstore at University Place during the fourth quarter of 2026, occupying over 19,000 square feet and taking over the former Planet Fitness space. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ TIBO is the revolutionary titanium cutting board that keeps your family safe by eliminating harmful bacteria and microplastics while keeping knives razor-sharp. With dual surfaces, built-in sharpener, garlic grater, and easy cleanup, it's the last cutting board you'll ever need! (SHOP NOW)

Flying together with our sponsor

Delete your personal data

Spam starts with your personal data being sold. Data brokers are profiting from your home address, SSN, phone number, and other personal information that doesn't belong to them. Incogni scrubs your personal info from the web. It takes three minutes to set up, tackles 420+ data brokers and people-search sites, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee. Protect your data, your time, and your sanity. Get Incogni today and never look back.

Use code FLYOVER today for a 55% annual plan discount →

➤ Waxhaw honored World War II and Korean War veteran Maj. Charles "Charlie" Rose on his 100th birthday Saturday with a police escort, American flags, a proclamation, and a cake. (See Photo)

➤ An analysis of all 43 states' median household net worth reveals North Carolina's at $170,400. Approximately 59% of the state's households have a net worth of $100,000 or more, and 25.9% have a net worth of $500,000 or more. (See Data)

➤ A Charlotte man has created the DootyCall app to help track and rate the cleanliness of public restrooms across the city, with plans to launch it next month on Apple and Android devices. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Protect your eyes and drive comfortably with Glare Guard—the easy-on visor shade that instantly cuts harsh sun glare, reduces eye strain, and blocks up to 99.9% of harmful UV rays. Fits any car, installs in seconds, and makes every drive safer and clearer. Don't squint—get clarity on the road!