Sabtu, 13 Juni 2026

South Georgia Wildfires Contained, New Trader Joe's, and Frannie the Giraffe

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1955, Leah Ward Sears, who served as chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court from 2005 to 2009, was born in Heidelberg, Germany.

An iconic Olympic structure in Atlanta will be heading to a new home within the city. Learn more in Top Stories.

The Pentagon just dropped its third batch of UFO files, and this time, we’re not just going to report what was in the folder, but instead move to the real question: Is there intelligent life out there? We’ll give you the strongest arguments on both sides, and then reveal what your fellow Americans actually believe. Tune in to The Flyover Podcast as Amy breaks down where the debate stands on intelligent life beyond earth. Tune in here!

Today's sponsor, EnergyX, is helping meet surging lithium demand from AI, EVs, and battery technology with patented extraction tech, major industry backing, and an early-stage investment opportunity before its July 16 deadline.

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.

South Georgia Wildfires 100% Contained

The Georgia Forestry Commission says the Pineland Road and Highway 82 wildfires in South Georgia are now fully contained.

The two wildfires, which destroyed a record number of homes, burned more than 50,000 acres combined and cost Georgia over $35 million in containment and response efforts.

A disaster relief program is offering housing-related financial assistance to residents of 91 designated counties who were affected by the wildfires, with applications due by midnight July 15.

With the containment of the wildfires, forestry officials are warning residents to remain alert as 30 wildfires across the state burned more than 281 acres between June 3 and June 10.

Atlanta’s Olympic Cauldron To Be Moved

Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic Cauldron is set to be relocated from its current site in Summerhill to Centennial Olympic Park.

Georgia State University is partnering with Olympic leaders Billy Payne and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young to move the structure.

The move will only rehome the cauldron, while the 120-foot flame tower and the Olympic rings bridge will remain in place and eventually be enhanced.

No timeline for the relocation has been announced.

Student Awarded Over $17 Million in Scholarships

Patrick Pruitt, a recent graduate from Woodland High School in Henry County, has been accepted to 264 colleges and offered more than $17 million in scholarships, an amount officials believe could be a national record.

Even though Pruitt’s 1200 SAT score made him qualified for free tuition at any public college or university in the state, he decided to attend Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he received a scholarship package worth about $260,000.

Pruitt applied to 270 colleges and universities; he was rejected from only six.

“He’s very self-driven, self-motivated, resilient,” said Pruitt’s mother, Alicia Brantley. “After all this is said and done, he can see the fruits of his labor, and that’s a beautiful experience to witness.”

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AI's 80,000-Ton Battery Problem

As AI infrastructure explodes, so does lithium demand. Google's AI data centers currently use 100M+ lithium-ion cells for reliable, always-on power.

The problem? Big Tech’s race to build massive new data center capacity has Morgan Stanley forecasting an 80k-ton lithium shortage this year.

Few companies are better positioned to benefit than EnergyX. Their patented tech produces up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods at speeds 500X faster than evaporation ponds.

Beyond the tech, they have rights to ~150,000 acres of lithium-rich land across North and South America, and they’ve just announced plans for their second lithium production plant in America. Now, they hold rights to up to 13M tons of lithium across North and South America.

Industry leaders like General Motors and POSCO have already invested. Join them as an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before the 7/16 deadline.

➤ Tybee Island: The island has recorded 27 sea turtle nests this season as of Wednesday, already surpassing last year's total of 19. (More)

➤ Baldwin County: The school district broke ground on a new Oak Hill Middle School athletic complex earlier this week that will include upgraded fields, facilities, seating, and parking, with completion expected this fall. (More)

➤ Johns Creek: The city’s first Trader Joe’s opened on Thursday at Medley Boulevard. Over 30 new employees were hired at the 9,240-square-foot location. (More)

➤ Lavonia: Downtown is set to receive $500,000 for streetscape enhancements, including intersection realignments, extended sidewalks, and upgraded crosswalks. (More)

➤ Crisp County: Nine people were displaced due to a late-night house fire on US Highway 280 East; no injuries were reported, and the cause is being investigated. (More)

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➤ Georgia baseball opens College World Series play tonight against Texas in Omaha. The Bulldogs are making their first trip to the CWS since 2008 and bring a lineup led by Golden Spikes Award finalist Daniel Jackson, who’s hitting .396 with 31 home runs and 26 stolen bases. (More)

➤ Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said this week the city is "ready to welcome the world" ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which brings its first match to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday. The city plans to deploy its entire police force for the monthlong event. (More)

➤ The Falcons acquired offensive tackle Wanya Morris from the Kansas City Chiefs for a swap of late-round 2027 draft picks. Morris, a 2023 third-round pick, adds tackle depth after the retirement of starter Kaleb McGary. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | NCAA World Series | WNBA | Golf

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Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor

Energy giants like Exxon have been buying land in America’s lithium hotspot. Now they’ve got a new neighbor.

EnergyX acquired the rights to 35k gross acres of lithium-rich land right next door. It’s not just the acres turning heads, either. Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than usual methods.

Now they’re preparing to drill and unlock America’s next major lithium supply. General Motors and 50k+ everyday people already invested. Invest in EnergyX before their July 16 investment deadline.

➤ Atlanta is the cheapest U.S. host city for attending a 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage match, with an estimated average cost of $1,642 per fan, according to an analysis by LendingTree. (More)

➤ The Georgia Safari Conservation Park in Madison has welcomed Frannie, an 18-month-old, 1,000-pound reticulated giraffe from the Global Wildlife Center in Louisiana. (More)

➤ A 25-foot century plant blooming for the first time in over two decades is drawing crowds to a Savannah woman's rose garden. (More)

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Yesterday's Results:

Have you ever ridden in a private jet?

1. No: 66%
2. Yes: 34%

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Drought Escalates, I-77 Cost Clawback, and Tinker Bell Dies

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1940, the USS North Carolina was launched at the New York Navy Yard. Christened by Isabel Hoey, daughter of North Carolina Gov. Clyde Hoey, the powerful new battleship slid into the East River, symbolizing America’s naval strength on the eve of World War II.

One North Carolina State employee has turned his office into a Carolina Hurricanes shrine in anticipation of a potential Stanley Cup championship. Learn more in Et Cetera.

The Pentagon just dropped its third batch of UFO files, and this time, we’re not just going to report what was in the folder, but instead move to the real question: Is there intelligent life out there? We’ll give you the strongest arguments on both sides, and then reveal what your fellow Americans actually believe. Tune in to our podcast as Amy breaks down where the debate stands on intelligent life beyond earth. Tune in here!

Durham Drought Escalates to Stage 2

Durham is escalating to mandatory Stage 2 water restrictions starting Monday as the Triangle reaches exceptional drought, the highest category on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

"It's still the driest year on record," meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said. "We've had 16 days in a row with no measurable rain at Raleigh-Durham International Airport."

Under Stage 2 rules effective Monday, spray irrigation and in-ground sprinklers are prohibited; hand watering and drip systems remain allowed. Car washing with city water is banned except at commercial car washes, and pressure-washing hard surfaces is also off-limits.

Exceptional drought now covers parts of the Triangle, including Durham, Orange and Granville counties, and while summer storms have arrived, officials say short rain events aren’t providing the sustained relief needed.

Charlotte May Be on Hook for I-77 Costs

A North Carolina state senator is circulating draft legislation that could force Charlotte and other Mecklenburg municipalities to repay the state for costs already incurred on the canceled I-77 toll project.

Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell) is behind the draft, which would hold local governments accountable for the state’s sunk costs on the controversial managed-lanes project.

Years of opposition from commuters and local leaders eventually led to the state canceling the project, though costs already spent remain disputed. Sawyer’s legislation would require Charlotte and its Mecklenburg neighbors to absorb those costs—likely running into the millions.

Charlotte officials voted in May to rescind support for the project, a decision that eventually led to the planned toll road's demise.

Order to Avoid Blackouts During Heat Wave

The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order to help avoid blackouts on Friday in North Carolina as temperatures rose over 100 degrees in parts of the state, and a heat advisory was issued.

Federal officials said that Duke Energy warned that its system “may not have sufficient generation available to meet this unusually high demand and [Duke Energy] may be forced to curtail load in order to maintain security and reliability of the grid.”

The emergency order impacts Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress, which is the coverage area of the former Progress Energy for the Raleigh area.

The heat wave was being felt across North Carolina. In Winston-Salem, public pools were closed Friday because of the extreme temperatures, while Mecklenburg County Emergency Medical Services responded to five heat-related calls on Thursday.

AI's 80,000-Ton Battery Problem

As AI infrastructure explodes, so does lithium demand. Google's AI data centers currently use 100M+ lithium-ion cells for reliable, always-on power.

The problem? Big Tech’s race to build massive new data center capacity has Morgan Stanley forecasting an 80k-ton lithium shortage this year.

Few companies are better positioned to benefit than EnergyX. Their patented tech produces up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods at speeds 500X faster than evaporation ponds.

Industry leaders like General Motors and POSCO have already invested. Join them as an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before the 7/16 deadline.

➤ Manteo: Dare County commissioners unanimously adopted a $145.6 million fiscal year 2026-27 budget with no property tax increase, also approving beach nourishment project financing and a five-year, $108 million capital improvements plan. (More)

➤ Granville: In a reversal that affects one of the state's most competitive legislative races, State Rep. Bryan Cohn, D-Granville, says he will seek reelection after all. (More)

➤ Jacksonville: Marines at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corp. Air Station New River are running destructive weather exercises as the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins, with Marine Corps Installations East overseeing preparedness drills across both bases. (More)

➤ Statewide: Amazon and Corning announced a multibillion-dollar partnership to expand Corning’s North Carolina fiber optics manufacturing facilities, creating roughly 1,000 advanced-manufacturing jobs and hundreds of construction positions statewide. (More)

➤ Asheville: The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation’s Special Response Team arrested two men who escaped from the Vance County Detention Center after a multi-agency investigation traced them to an Asheville home. (More)

➤ Kannapolis: The former Stanley Black & Decker Inc. building in Kannapolis has inked a new lease, filling the large industrial vacancy left after the manufacturing giant exited the facility. (More)

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➤ The Panthers signed wide receiver Jalen Coker to a three-year, $35 million extension, locking up the former undrafted free agent through 2029. Coker had a breakout playoff performance last season with nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in Carolina's wild-card loss to the Rams. (More)

➤ Duke's Cameron Boozer landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 2026 NBA Draft Preview issue this week. The AP National Player of the Year is projected as a top-three pick. (More)

➤ NC State landed a commitment from three-star offensive lineman Jacob Burns. The 6-7, 295-pound recruit chose the Wolfpack over Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and South Carolina. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings have held preliminary trade talks around center Domantas Sabonis, though a deal is not imminent as the two sides haggle over draft compensation. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | NCAA World Series | WNBA | Golf

Flying together with our sponsor

Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor

Energy giants like Exxon have been buying land in America’s lithium hotspot. Now they’ve got a new neighbor.

EnergyX acquired the rights to 35k gross acres of lithium-rich land right next door. It’s not just the acres turning heads, either. Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than usual methods.

➤ A century-old estate in Asheville modeled after George Mason's Gunston Hall has hit the market for $9.8 million. (See Photos)

➤ A North Carolina State Wolfpack employee proved his hockey loyalty runs just as deep, turning his office into a full-on Carolina Hurricanes shrine, complete with jerseys and memorabilia. (See Video)

➤ Margaret Kerry, the Wilmington actress who served as the live-action model for Disney's Tinker Bell in 1953, has died at 97. (More)

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