Durham · Chapel Hill · Raleigh · July 24, 2026

Duke Energy's Discount Isn't a Deal, the Pentagon Picks UNC, and the Bulls Are Back Tuesday

⚡ Quick Hits

⚡AG Jeff Jackson says Duke Energy's reduced 9.5% ask is still too high.
🎓 The Pentagon just named UNC-Chapel Hill a new research partner, replacing Ivy League schools it cut loose.
🐂 The Durham Bulls host Gwinnett Tuesday, and Pilobolus wraps its Duke run this weekend.

First Up

The rain finally showed up, and depending who you ask, that's either relief or a headache. Thursday's downpours briefly shut I-40 and I-85 at the split in Hillsborough, and a flood watch lingers south of the Triangle into the weekend. After weeks of drought talk, most neighbors we've heard from are just glad to see it falling.

📰 Around the Triangle

Durham's own are dropping a new record: Sylvan Esso announced their fifth studio album, "Ow ∞," due September 11, and released its second single this week. (Chapelboro)
The Pentagon picks a new research partner: The Department of Defense named UNC-Chapel Hill a new partner after cutting ties with several Ivy League schools. (The Assembly)
Chapel Hill rewrites its rulebook: The town kicked off an update to its Land Use Management Ordinance, the rules shaping what gets built where, for the first time since 2003. (Chapelboro)
Cary hits pause on affordable housing: The town council tabled a vote that would've let the Raleigh Housing Authority buy the 340-unit Amberwood at Lochmere and keep it affordable for 30 years. (WRAL)
Ticks are having a moment: NC's tick population is surging this summer. Check yourself after any time in tall grass or the woods. (Raleigh Magazine)

📅 Plan Your Week

🎶 Friday, July 24 (Today)

Live Music at ATC: American Tobacco Campus, Durham. Free Friday-night sets from local jazz, bluegrass, and rock acts all summer. (Details)
North Durham Friday Evening Farmers' Market: North Durham. A weekly evening market for produce and crafts, a lower-key alternative to the Saturday rush. 👨‍👩‍👧 (Details)

🎉 Saturday, July 25

Durham Farmers' Market: Durham Central Park, Saturday morning. Local growers and crafters, everything on the table made or grown by the person selling it. 👨‍👩‍👧 (Details)
Pilobolus Children's Matinee: Page Auditorium at Duke. American Dance Festival's family-friendly hour of acrobatic dance. 👨‍👩‍👧 (Details)
DCW: Forbidden Live Pro Wrestling: The Fruit, Durham. Dominant Championship Wrestling makes its Durham debut. (Details)
Sunset Paddle at Lake Raleigh: Lake Raleigh, Raleigh. Rent a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard from Frog Hollow Outdoors and catch the evening light on the water. (Details)

🎧 Sunday, July 26

Durham Underground Market: Durham Central Park. Monthly market and concert series, 40-plus vendors, food trucks, a rotating live band. 👨‍👩‍👧 (Details)
SHARK WEEK Hoo Ha Ha: DSSOLVR, Durham. A week of Shark Week screenings, themed cocktails, and a photo booth wraps up today. (Details)
Sunday Set with DJ Gemynii: The Durham Hotel rooftop, 5 to 10 p.m. $2 oysters and build-your-own spritzes to close out the weekend. (Details)

🎲 Monday, July 27

Dancefulness for the Soul: Durham Arts Council. A mindfulness-meets-free-dance class to ease back into the week. (Details)
Magic: The Gathering Cube Night: DSSOLVR, Durham, 6:30 p.m. Free-to-play Vintage Cube draft, every fourth Monday. (Details)

🐂 Tuesday, July 28

Durham Bulls vs. Gwinnett: Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Minor league baseball on a summer Tuesday night. (Details)
Trivia Night @ DSSOLVR: DSSOLVR, Durham, 7 p.m. Free to play, dog friendly, prizes for the top three teams. (Details)

🍴 Openings & Closings

A new coffee shop for Smoky Hollow: Madeleine Raleigh, a coffee and bread bakery from the Iris Coffee Lab team, is moving into the old Tucker Street Diner spot. (ABC11)

💬 Heard Around Town

Durham's Oakwood Park homeless encampment closed after everyone living there accepted housing, a rare good-news update neighbors are cheering. (Thread)
Duke Energy's rate fight isn't settled. AG Jeff Jackson says the utility's revised ask, roughly half its original hike, is still too rich, and there's no deal yet. (Thread)
Crazy Alan's Emporium in Chapel Hill got a full-throated shoutout this week: art supplies, stickers, and a store dog named Nessie included. (Thread)
Raleigh neighbors are raising questions about the city's private AI license-plate system, which reportedly scans a million plates a month with little public oversight. (Thread)

🏡 Triangle Pulse

Raleigh earned its "City of Oaks" nickname the easy way: early city planners laid out streets around the oak trees already growing there instead of clearing them first. Nearly two centuries later, the canopy's still the reason downtown feels shadier than you'd expect. (WRAL)

Before You Go

A Chapel Hill pigeon named Percy has been missing since July 18, and neighbors are still keeping watch between MLK Boulevard and Weaver Dairy Road. Keep an eye out. (Thread) Over in Raleigh, Dix Park's sunflowers are past peak but still drawing crowds for one last look before they droop for the season. (Thread)

🧠 Brain break: today's Daily Fury is live. Five questions, the same five for everyone. Defend the Triangle's honor.

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