FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 2018, snow advanced from west to east across North Carolina behind a strong cold front that produced 8-10 inches of snow in Manteo, Kill Devil Hills, and other nearby towns.

Today, we're celebrating the impending release of a Chapel Hill man who was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Learn more in Top Stories.

We're sponsored today by Frontieras, offering an investment opportunity in an untapped energy potential.

Chapel Hill Hostage to be Released by Hamas

Chapel Hill resident Keith Siegel is alive and expected to be one of 33 hostages released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire agreement made Wednesday.

Siegel and his wife Aviva were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, during a Hamas-led attack that killed more than 1,000 people.

Aviva was released after 51 days of being held hostage. She and other hostage families released a statement expressing their gratefulness: "We have been waiting for 467 days while our family members endured life-threatening injuries, abuse, torture, and sexual violence."

North Carolina U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis also issued a statement on Siegel's reported release, commending "the Biden Administration and Trump Transition working together to get this deal done."

NC House Reps Help Pass Women's Sports Protection Act

All Republican U.S. representatives from North Carolina voted in favor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, which passed in a 218-206-1 vote Tuesday.

The act requires school sports to recognize a student's sex based solely on his or her biological sex at birth.

Democrat Rep. Don Davis, NC-01, was the only member of the U.S. House to vote "present," while Texas Democrats Henry Cuellar and Vincente Gonzalez bucked Democratic leadership to vote in favor of the legislation.

North Carolina's remaining three Democrats, who are all women—Alma Adams, NC-12; Valerie Foushee, NC-4; and Deborah Ross, NC-2—voted against the legislation. View a list of all North Carolina U.S. Representatives here.

Duke Researchers Develop HIV Vaccine Candidate

Duke University Human Vaccine Institute scientists have developed a vaccine candidate that could help the immune system produce antibodies needed for fighting HIV.

Dr. Mihai Azoitei and his team created an immunogen that provokes a response in mice that guides immune cells to develop into "broadly neutralizing antibodies" and starts the maturation of these antibodies at high enough levels to be a viable component of an HIV vaccine.

The milestone represents what Azoitei calls a "promising step" in a years-long process for developing additional vaccine doses that will elicit similar protective antibodies for other key regions of HIV.

Do you have any friends or family who would like to receive Flyover North Carolina? Feel free to refer us to them!

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$2.1T in Untapped Energy Potential – Invest Before They Change the Share Price

After centuries of burning coal, most people still haven't caught onto its true value in the markets. Frontieras North America did... and their breakthrough patented technology has unlocked at least 8 new and profitable ways to use coal, for a combined $2.1T market opportunity.

The best part? Their technology is unleashing what people are calling a "Rockefeller Moment" in the energy space—and you still have the chance to become an early investor.

It's similar to when John D. Rockefeller commercialized oil refining technology, but for coal.

Their tech is simple: rather than burning coal and wasting trillions of dollars in resources locked within it, their process extracts those resources for use the global commodities markets:

Diesel - $935B market
Jet fuel - $391B market
Naphtha - $249B market
Hydrogen - $242B market
Fertilizer - $212B market
Metallurgical coal - $147B market
And more…

Coal is the most abundant energy resource in the world… and like Rockefeller's oil refining technology, Frontieras' patented technology is set to completely redefine the way the world uses coal. Their technology is patented across 85% of the world's coal markets. If they capture just 2% of the market, they have a roadmap to achieve a $1T valuation.

They'll be building their first $850m facility in West Virginia soon, followed by more facilities across North America.

Become an early shareholder while you still can – don't miss your chance to invest in the "Rockefeller Moment" in the energy space, before Frontieras' share price changes on January 20th.

➤ Statewide: N.C. Board of Elections data shows a net gain of 10,912 Republican registrations among the Gen Z group, ages 18-25, and a 39,056 decline in Democrat registrations for that age group between 2020 and 2024. (More)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Josh Stein issued an executive order instructing state agencies to refuse to cooperate with efforts to restrict access to birth control or to offer help with investigating doctors who provide legal abortions. (More)

➤ Triad: Retired businessman Andy Nilsson has filed paperwork to establish a campaign challenging U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis in the 2026 mid-term senatorial elections. (More)

➤ Durham: Tune Therapeutics, an epigenome-editing company that originated at Duke University, has raised over $175 million to finance advancements of a potential treatment for hepatitis B and other diseases. (More)

➤ Raleigh: The SPCA of Wake County broke ground on a new $21.7 million building that will double the number of animals that can be spayed and neutered. (More)

➤ Apex: A town councilman and software engineer created a website that enables North Carolinians to find out if their November 2024 ballot is among 60,000 being challenged by State Supreme Court Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin. (Check Your Name)

➤ JR Motorsports has entered Justin Allgaier, the reigning Xfinity Series champ, in the Daytona 500 next month. Allgaier will drive a Chevy sponsored by 10-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton. (More)

➤ UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell will reportedly enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, leaving Bill Belichick without an experienced and healthy quarterback for his first season as head coach. (More)

➤ The Carolina Hurricanes host the Las Vegas Golden Knights in a non-conference matchup tonight at 7 p.m. The betting markets give the Canes a slight edge. (See Details)

Want to stay up-to-date on everything related to name, image, and likeness in college sports? NIL Wire is just the place for you. Sign up here with one click!

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➤ Raleigh is No. 1 in The Milken Institute's newly released 2025 Best-Performing Cities rankings for the first time in more than a decade, while Charlotte dropped from 10 to 24. (See Map)

➤ The Charlotte City Council's November 2024 trip to Munich, Germany for the Carolina Panthers game against the New York Giants cost taxpayers nearly $65,000. (See Details)

➤ Approximately 28,000 North Carolina jobs were supported by U.S. exports to China in 2022, according to a new map published in 2024 by the US-China Business Council. (See Map)

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Make Coal Great Again

Coal's true potential has never been fully realized—until now. Frontieras' breakthrough technology transforms coal into valuable byproducts like hydrogen, diesel, jet fuel, and more, tapping into a $2.1T market opportunity. If Frontieras captures just 2% of the global coal market, they could achieve a $1T valuation. Already validated by a successful operation in Texas, Frontieras is set to open a new plant in West Virginia, and you can invest while they do it. Invest in Frontieras before they change their share price on January 20.

This is a paid advertisement for Frontieras Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.frontieras.com/.

➤ An NC State valedictorian graduated in just one year at age 19 thanks to North Carolina's Career & College Promise program, which allows high school students to enroll in college classes. (More)

➤ A 70-yard-wide bulldozed section of Fort Fisher, known as "America's largest sand castle," is being rebuilt and will be showcased on Jan. 18 during the fort's 160th anniversary of its fall to Union troops. (See Photo)

➤ The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is sending an otter family to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheville. Parents Leia and Quincy, the aquarium's first Asian small-clawed otters, will be joined by four of their six pups. (See Photo)

Flying together with our sponsor

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