Good morning Wilmington!

If you couldn't make it downtown Saturday, here's the next best thing: a photo essay from the Hurricanes' championship celebration. An estimated 180,000 fans lined the parade route through downtown Raleigh before packing into City Plaza for the rally — easily one of the biggest crowds the city has seen for a sports celebration.

In today’s Port City Pulse:

• Thousands of NC customers push back on Duke's proposed rate hike

• Stein Signs Six Bills Into Law

Duke Energy wants 18% more of your money — here's what it looks like on your bill

WHQR Duke Energy has proposed raising NC home electricity rates 18% over two years — adding $25–30/month for average customers. The utility cites data center growth and grid upgrades. Consumer advocates point out Duke reported $4.9B in profit in 2025, flew 78,000 miles on corporate jets for board meetings, and bought two new Gulfstream aircraft. The NC Utilities Commission held its final public hearing this week; a decision is expected by August.

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Stein Signs Six Bills Into Law, Including Nation's First Litigation Investment Ban

Carolina Journal Gov. Josh Stein signed six bills into law Monday, headlined by House Bill 315, which makes North Carolina the first state in the nation to ban third-party litigation investment — outside investors funding lawsuits in exchange for a cut of the payout. The bill passed the House 112-0 and the Senate 45-1, and the NC Chamber says it will stop hedge funds and foreign-backed financiers from turning the state's courts into an investment vehicle. Stein also signed Senate Bill 401, the NC Farm Act of 2026, extending conservation tax credits through 2031 and updating the state's agricultural water strategy; Senate Bill 695, which incentivizes developer partnerships with local governments to grow housing supply; and three more bills covering worker safety, physical therapy practice rules, and how local governments can spend room-occupancy tax revenue.

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News Roundup

Local News

The NC Department of Labor fined an amusement company $37,500 after a Carolina Beach boardwalk ride's lap restraint came loose and injured a rider. Investigators found no mechanical defect — video showed the operator skipped checking restraints before starting the “Surf's Up” ride, and the company never reported the June 10 incident as required by law. WECT

What you should know

A federal lawsuit challenging the NC State Health Plan's exclusion of transgender care coverage has been dismissed. Kadel v. Folwell had been on hold pending a similar 4th Circuit case from West Virginia that upheld a Medicaid exclusion, and both sides agreed to drop the suit with prejudice this week. Carolina Journal

Eleven North Carolina hospitals — including Southport's J. Arthur Dosher Memorial in Brunswick County — are on a federal list of facilities warned for failing to meet pricing transparency rules. Hospitals nationwide face fines up to $2 million a year if they don't publish real prices for 300 common services. Carolina Journal

What might surprise you

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's “American flag blue” repaint has spiraled into algae blooms, peeling paint, vandalism arrests, and a dead duckling now circulating online. Trump blames vandals with box cutters and fertilizer; the original $1.5 million contract has ballooned toward $15 million. The Hill

National news

SpaceX shares closed nearly 1% higher Tuesday, snapping a three-day skid that had wiped out almost a quarter of the stock's value since its blockbuster June 12 IPO. The company disclosed $100.8 billion in cash on hand and a new multibillion-dollar AI computing deal as it tries to steady investor sentiment. CNBC

World news

A US F-15 pilot shot down over Iran in April told intelligence officials he saw enemy drones moving in a coordinated “jellyfish” formation, an account that has set off an unresolved debate inside US intelligence. If accurate, it would point to a networked-drone capability for Iran that officials hadn't previously assessed, possibly aided by China or Russia, as the US and Tehran begin 60 days of ceasefire talks. CNN