Jumat, 18 September 2026

Duke Foreign Funding Probe, WTA Relocation, and Butterball Settlement

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1947, Bill France Sr. and four other racing entrepreneurs incorporated the Hillsboro Speedway in Orange County, aiming to bring auto racing to central North Carolina. The track, later known as Occoneechee Speedway, opened in June 1948 with a NASCAR race that drew about 20,000 fans.

Speaking of professional sports, another one is relocating its headquarters to Charlotte. Learn more in Top Stories.

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Feds Investigate Duke Foreign Funding

The U.S. Departments of Education and State opened an investigation into Duke University’s foreign funding, targeting its ties to China through Duke Kunshan University.

Under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, universities must disclose foreign gifts and contracts worth $250,000 or more. Federal officials say Duke filed late, incomplete disclosures and wrongly labeled certain Chinese government partners as “non-governmental.”

Duke Kunshan, launched in 2013, is a joint venture with China’s Wuhan University, which the government says a Chinese defense-science agency oversees. Investigators gave Duke 30 days to hand over tax records, contracts, and research agreements dating to 2020.

Duke said it is reviewing the request. A university spokesperson said, “Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission.”

NC Court Backs Auditor on Elections Appointment

A divided North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 Wednesday that lawmakers could keep the power to appoint the State Board of Elections with Republican Auditor Dave Boliek rather than Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.

The decision reverses a three-judge trial panel that found the 2024 law, part of Senate Bill 382, unconstitutional. Boliek has run appointments since May 2025, when the state board and all 100 county boards flipped from 3-2 Democratic to 3-2 Republican majorities.

Writing for the majority, Judge April Wood, a Republican, said moving the duties from the governor to the auditor was not “a plain and clear violation of the separation of powers.” Judge John Arrowood, a Democrat, dissented, writing that enforcing election law is a core power of the governor.

Stein says he will appeal to the state Supreme Court.

WTA Moves Headquarters, Finals to Charlotte

The Women’s Tennis Association is relocating its global headquarters to Charlotte and will hold its season-ending WTA Finals at the Spectrum Center, the Charlotte Hornets’ arena, from 2027 through 2029.

Gov. Josh Stein joined WTA and city leaders at the arena Wednesday for the announcement, brokered by the Charlotte Sports Foundation as the tour’s lead local partner. The WTA is leaving St. Petersburg, Florida, its home for decades.

The Finals will bring the tour’s top eight singles players and doubles teams to Uptown each November, plus a year-round corporate presence and new jobs. The move marks Charlotte’s fifth headquarters or hub relocation of 2026.

This year’s Finals are Nov. 8-15 in Indian Wells, California.

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➤ Statewide: Former Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley 49% to 34% in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, according to a new Carolina Journal poll, as Republican support for Whatley slips and the number of undecided voters rises. (More)

➤ Western NC: North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality awarded the remaining $3.4 million from a $10 million Hurricane Helene dam safety fund to three high-hazard dams: Turner Shoals in Polk County, Beech Lake near Hendersonville, and Ashe Lake northeast of Boone. (More)

➤ Columbus County: Authorities arrested William Robert Smith Jr., 48, Wednesday evening, hours after he allegedly shot and wounded a sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop and triggered a multi-agency manhunt. Smith faces charges including attempted first-degree murder. (More)

➤ Wilmington: NCDOT is seeking more public input on two options to replace the aging Cape Fear Memorial Bridge over the Cape Fear River in Wilmington. Residents can submit comments through Oct. 15. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The city approved a $125,000 contract for software that flags early patterns in police behavior, part of a push to boost accountability and residents’ trust in the department. (More)

➤ Mecklenburg County: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools held a job fair to recruit school bus drivers as the district works to fill a critical shortage across its routes. (More)

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➤ The NCAA effectively banned former North Carolina A&T assistant men’s basketball coach Patrick Herron from college athletics for four years after finding that he bet on professional and college sports and helped a bookmaker distribute betting sheets. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes signed captain Jordan Staal to a one-year extension through the 2027-28 season worth up to $10 million. The 38-year-old center won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during Carolina’s Stanley Cup championship. (More)

➤ The Charlotte Knights are asking the city and county for a combined $27 million to help fund $40 million in upgrades to Truist Field. (More)

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➤ Butterball will pay $230,000 and adopt new accommodation procedures to settle a federal complaint alleging it fired a longtime worker at its Mount Olive plant after counting her cancer-treatment absences against her attendance record. (More)

➤ Bossong Hosiery, an Asheboro compression sock maker, shut down last week just short of its 100th anniversary after a creditor declined to extend funding, causing 122 Randolph County workers to lose their jobs. (More)

➤ Carvana will add Inspection and Reconditioning Center capabilities to its ADESA Charlotte site, creating about 100 new jobs, expanding vehicle selection, and creating faster delivery speeds. (More)

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➤ Duke researchers found a way to cut the training time for brain-computer speech devices used by ALS patients from more than 20 hours to as little as 5 minutes by pooling data across patients. (More)

➤ Raleigh will host the Carolina Culture Food Fest Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon to 6 p.m. in Moore Square to celebrate North and South Carolina food traditions, music, and local vendors. (More)

➤ Speaking of food, North Carolina ranks 21st in the nation for grocery prices, at 100.8 on an index where 100 is the U.S. average. Hawaii tops the list with a ranking of 36.3% above average. (See Map)

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