FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1956, American diplomat William Burns was born at Fort Bragg. He was confirmed as a career ambassador in 2008 under President George W. Bush. Burns later served as deputy secretary of state under President Obama and was appointed CIA director by President Biden.

Today's edition is filled with animal news—from red wolves and wild horses to sea turtles and bears—including a man dressed up like a bear! Also, French bulldog owners, pay particular attention to a story about the breed in Around North Carolina.

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Judges Strike Down Redistricting Challenges

A three-judge panel overseeing two federal redistricting lawsuits struck down challenges to 22 legislative and congressional districts on Tuesday, rejecting claims that North Carolina’s election maps include too many or too few voters in some of those districts.

The judges—appointed by Republican presidents—agreed with Republican lawmakers that the NAACP and Common Cause failed to show they represented the two plaintiffs in the disputed districts and issued a court order granting the dismissal of portions of the lawsuits.

The panel will allow the plaintiffs to challenge 20 other congressional and legislative districts, with a trial scheduled for June in Winston-Salem.

NC Reports Most Flu Deaths Since 2009

Over 500 flu-related deaths have been reported in North Carolina for the 2024-25 season, marking the highest number since 2009. Last flu season, 319 flu deaths were recorded.

Dr. David Weber of UNC School of Medicine blames the higher number on “more flu cases, somewhat reduced coverage, and a vaccine that might not be quite as effective this year.”

Testing by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on the H3N2 strain, which made up just over half of the influenza A viruses the agency scrutinized, resulted in 50.9% of the samples being “well-recognized” by the antibodies, far below last year’s percentage.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data shows that flu-related hospitalizations peaked in early February and have fallen each week since, which the CDC reports as normal.

Cloning Could Help Boost Red Wolf Population

Texas-based Colossal Biosciences wants to use cloning technology to boost North Carolina’s endangered red wolf population.

The company announced earlier this week it had successfully revived the dire wolf—which went extinct more than 12,500 years ago—by using ancient DNA and gene editing technology to implant edited embryos into surrogate dog mothers.

The company also announced it had successfully cloned four red wolf-coyote hybrids and believes that by removing the coyote DNA, it can develop cloning technology to assist in the recovery of the red wolf population.

Currently, only 15 to 17 red wolves roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina as a nonessential experimental population, and around 241 are maintained in 45 captive breeding facilities throughout the United States.

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➤ Statewide: Triangle Math and Science Academy (TMSA), a public charter school system, has secured $94 million in bonds that will be used to renovate and expand its campuses and refinance existing debt. (More)

➤ Charlotte: A wave of French bulldog thefts has emerged across the city, likely due to their high market value, which ranges between $3,000 and $5,000. (More)

➤ Surf City: The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is adding four tanks, a therapy pool, and new water filtration systems as part of a $160,000 expansion. (More)

➤ Greensboro: A 35-year-old woman faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding Medicaid out of over $6 million and using the funds for personal expenses. (More)

➤ Nags Head: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration halted bluefin tuna fishing at Jennette's Pier, citing federal permit requirements after anglers began hooking the deepwater species from the pier and nearby kayaks. (More)

➤ Wilmington: Netflix announced that The Waterfront, a show filmed in Wilmington and based on a true story about a fishing empire set in coastal North Carolina, will premiere on June 19. (See Photos)

➤ Charlotte Hornets rookie guard Nick Smith Jr. put together the best game of his career on Wednesday night, scoring 28 points with 10 assists in a 126-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors. (More)

➤ Carolina Hurricanes playoff tickets have officially gone on sale. The team will face the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, beginning on April 19. (More)

➤ President Trump hosted North Carolina-based Team Penske, including NASCAR drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, at the White House on Wednesday. (More)

➤ Yesterday's results: Masters | MLB | NBA | NHL | NCAABB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials predict a 4.6% drop in spring break passengers this year due to several schools' spring breaks aligning with Easter. (More)

➤ A $36 million redevelopment transformed a former textile mill in Bessemer City into the Lofts at Osage Mill, which contains 139 apartments. (More)

➤ Veteran restaurateur Jeff Van Dyke and his son, Connor, are partnering with Chef Bruce Moffet to open a seafood restaurant and raw bar called Half Shell in Charlotte's South End district by the end of the year. (More)

➤ In Raleigh, the owners of Carolina Ale House are replacing their Glenwood South bar with an interactive sports entertainment experience called Smash Ping Pong Bar. (See Details)

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➤ A North Carolina man in a grizzly bear costume repeatedly attempted to scare an actual bear out of his yard and succeeded—sort of. The real bear ran to the fence after spotting the costumed bear, paused to watch the "bear," and then leisurely vacated the property. (Watch Video)

➤ Lawmakers invited Riptide, a rescued Corolla Banker horse, and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund to the State Capitol to raise awareness about preserving the endangered breed. (See Photo)

➤ The Swag, an all-inclusive resort near Waynesville, features amenities such as outdoor stone showers, a three-treatment spa, and a private entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park—complete with hiking sticks. (More and See Photos)

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