Brian Gordon

Why Wolfspeed’s stock rose 1,700% this week — and what really happened Was the newly non-bankrupt Durham semiconductor supplier suddenly the next meme stock? Not quite.

Say goodbye to Wolfspeed, and say hello to Wolfspeed.

Shares of the Durham, NC semiconductor supplier appeared to have ballooned 1,700% earlier this week, but the reality explains the new state of this newly non-bankrupt company.

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Carrboro, Duke Energy make first oral arguments in unprecedented climate lawsuit The Orange County town is believed to be the first U.S. municipality to sue its electricity provider over its climate change policy.

And for more on the arguments and history of the case:

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Can an NC town sue Duke Energy like it’s a tobacco company in 1998? Carrboro is trying to do what no local government has done before.

The town of Carrboro and Duke Energy met in a downtown Raleigh courtroom this week to debate whether the town can sue over Duke's approach to climate change:

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What could RTP look like in 2074? The Triangle is a few votes from finding out. More homes? Towers? Grocery stores? The center of the Research Triangle might never look the same.

Research Triangle Park is a few votes from its 50-year plan to remake the Triangle.

This week, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam said she supports an effort to bring housing and transportation to the park.
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Anduril doubled Triangle site as trendy defense firm readies AI fighter drone The fast-growing tech company may have bypassed North Carolina for a 4,000-job factory project, but Anduril has added to its local facility where it makes the unmanned aircraft, Fury.

Is the future of military drones being designed next to a Burt's Bees factory in Morrisville?
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What will NC being an AI leader mean for taxpayers? Gov. Stein creates new group A new AI Leadership Council will bring together public and private leaders to oversee artificial intelligence efforts in NC.

New:

NC Gov. Josh Stein just launched a new advisory council about AI. More about what that means for taxpayers, jobs, and an AI reg reform bill coming next #ncga session.

#ncpol

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Natron Energy, company behind $1.4 billion NC project, is going out of business The battery maker behind North Carolina’s largest economic project announced last year, will stop operating Wednesday.

Breaking: The sodium-ion battery startup Natron Energy will cease operating on Wednesday, Sept. 3. It was only last summer that Natron committed to build a $1.4 billion/1,000-worker manufacturing plant in North Carolina's Edgecombe County.
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Pondering AI job displacement at a South Durham Waffle House Ahead of National Waffle Day, The N&O intrepidly visits two area Waffle Houses to hear what customers think about the economy.

The weekly Open Source business newsletter from @skyoutbriout.bsky.social is always an entertaining read. Particularly this week as he reports from Waffle House ahead of National Waffle Day. (And I learned NC is behind only Georgia and Florida in the number of Waffle Houses.)

UNC, Duke doctors sound off on RFK Jr.’s claims about mRNA vaccines “I’m going to have to struggle not to use profane language,” one local researcher said.

Doctors at @uncchapelhill.bsky.social and @duke-university.bsky.social didn’t mince words this week about US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr’s decision to cancel millions in contracts and grants for vaccine research. @skyoutbriout.bsky.social has details.

When will Roy Cooper next wear a tie? No neckwear is no accident. North Carolina’s top Senate candidates kicked off their campaigns this week without neck ties. Plus, Duke stays quiet on Trump funding threat and inside Garner’s massive Amazon warehouse.

Fun story from @skyoutbriout.bsky.social on Cooper, Stein and the disappearing necktie. I wonder how quickly ties would disappear from the #ncga if leadership relaxes the dress code for sessions

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And with Amazon adding more warehouse robots, it seems likely some employees won't be able to keep up.

Workers talked about their rates, which are often measured in seconds. One manager, in an overheard "standup" huddle, praised the quality team for having a low number of defects.

At Amazon’s massive Triangle warehouse, metrics drive workers and robots alike How do customers get Amazon deliveries within days? We toured the RDU1 facility in Garner, North Carolina, to see.

This month, The News & Observer got an exclusive tour of Amazon's RDU1 fulfillment center in Garner. It is a massive warehouse, and what really stood out to me (especially as a journalist) was the prevalence of metrics at the facility.
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Trump administration threatens all Duke Health funding over alleged race policies Secretaries Robert Kennedy Jr. and Linda McMahon are asking the Durham university to create a “Merit and Civil Rights Committee.”

All of Duke Health's federal funding could be cut in Trump administration dispute over alleged race-based policies. The latest from @skyoutbriout.bsky.social.

It promised a $1.4 billion NC factory last year. Now, the company is low on cash Last August, the battery startup Natron Energy announced it would create more than 1,000 jobs at a massive new factory near Rocky Mount. Those plans have been interrupted.

The company behind NC’s biggest jobs headline of 2024 is in financial trouble.

Sodium-ion battery startup Natron Energy is low on cash and struggling to get investors (as many battery startups currently are).

What it means for its $1.4 billion NC project?

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Funds cut, research ended, jobs lost: How Trump 2.0 has altered NC’s Research Triangle President Donald Trump’s policies over the past six months have brought profound changes to the “research” part of the Research Triangle. What happened — and where does the region go from here?

Funds cut, research ended, jobs lost: How Trump 2.0 has altered North Carolina's Research Triangle. Trump NIH funding cuts have caused layoffs and stalled Triangle research. (Via @skyoutbriout.bsky.social) www.newsobserver.com/news/busines... #ncpol #nced

Trump administration makes NIH layoffs in RTP official after Supreme Court ruling In an email Monday, a few dozen National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences workers in Durham were told they would be out of jobs by the end of the day.

NIH layoffs in RTP were made official Monday following last week's Supreme Court ruling.

Impacted workers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences were notified via email Monday. It's the only NIH campus outside the D.C. area.

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Duke HIV scientist searches for money after Trump ends landmark vaccine program In an interview with The News & Observer, Dr. Barton Haynes talks future of HIV vaccine development after HHS canceled the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development.

Spoke with Duke University's Dr. Barton Haynes about the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, which HHS canceled in May.

Haynes now has 12 months to find $ to continue the 20-year project, which he said is close to piloting a prototype vaccine in humans.
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NC reclaims top state for business in CNBC’s annual ranking. Here’s why. Landing at No. 1 on the much-watched list gives the Tar Heel State bragging rights. It could also help North Carolina get more jobs.

North Carolina reclaims top state for business in CNBC’s annual ranking. It's the 3rd time in 4 years that the state has topped CNBC's list. Beyond bragging rights, the CNBC rankings can sway potential new employers. (Via @skyoutbriout.bsky.social) www.newsobserver.com/news/busines... #ncpol

EPA workers in RTP among those put on leave for criticizing Trump, Zeldin policies Some Triangle workers are barred from all agency duties after signing a letter dissenting Environmental Protection Agency policies under the Trump administration.

EPA union leaders say signing the letter was a protected act of free speech.

“The mildest dissent should not be met with fear and intimidation,” said Holly Wilson, head of the AFGE Local 3347. “Staff are within their rights to engage with management when they have concerns."

In a statement Monday, the EPA said it “has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the administration’s agenda as voted for by the great people of this country last November.”

EPA workers in RTP among those put on leave for criticizing Trump, Zeldin policies Some Triangle workers are barred from all agency duties after signing a letter dissenting Environmental Protection Agency policies under the Trump administration.

Last week, the EPA put 139 employees on leave "pending an investigation" for signing a letter criticizing agency administrator Lee Zeldin.

Among those on leave are at least six EPA staff members at the agency's large campus in Research Triangle Park.

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EPA workers in RTP among those put on leave for criticizing Trump, Zeldin policies Some Triangle workers are barred from all agency duties after signing a letter dissenting Environmental Protection Agency policies under the Trump administration.

The EPA union lambasted the agency action as a violation of free speech.

“The mildest dissent should not be met with fear and intimidation,” local AFGE president Holly Wilson said.
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EPA workers in RTP among those put on leave for criticizing Trump, Zeldin policies Some Triangle workers are barred from all agency duties after signing a letter dissenting Environmental Protection Agency policies under the Trump administration.

In a statement Monday, the EPA said it “has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the administration’s agenda as voted for by the great people of this country last November.”

The Durham semiconductor supplier Wolfspeed officially filed for bankrupcy today. The company looks to emerge from Chapter 11 by end of September after erasing 70% of its debt.

NC gives Fortune 500 company incentive to land 1,181-jobs project near Charlotte The manufacturing solutions firm Jabil says tax breaks are necessary as it chooses between competing sites in North Carolina and Florida

Just in: The Florida manufacturing firm Jabil will choose between sites in FL and Salisbury, NC for a new $264 million, 1,181-job AI/cloud hardware plant.

On Monday, NC awarded Jabil incentives worth up to $11.2 million (plus there's job training and local $$)
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Wolfspeed releases bankruptcy plan, which gives creditors control of NC chipmaker The struggling Durham semiconductor supplier details how it expects to emerge from Chapter 11.

How the Durham semiconductor supplier Wolfspeed went from an all-time high share price to Chapter 11 in less than four years.
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Wolfspeed releases bankruptcy plan, which gives creditors control of NC chipmaker The struggling Durham semiconductor supplier details how it expects to emerge from Chapter 11.

NC's Wolfspeed announced its bankruptcy plans this evening. The latest from @skyoutbriout.bsky.social on the company initially started by NC State students and known as lighting and LED maker Cree.

Which NC college did MrBeast actually briefly attend? And why it kind of matters East Carolina University or community college? Even lawyers for MrBeast’s company appear to have it wrong.

Which NC college did Greenville's MrBeast actually drop out of? Even his own lawyers don't have it correct.

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UNC, Duke researchers await NIH funding after judge halts Trump diversity cuts “We’re proceeding as if the grant is going to return,” one North Carolina university researcher said. “We’re also preparing for the reality where nothing will change.”

UNC, Duke researchers await NIH funding after judge halts Trump administration diversity cuts. Researchers could see their federal grants reinstated after a judge ruled they were illegally cut. (Via @skyoutbriout.bsky.social & Amber Hazzard)
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