Biscuitville, a Southern breakfast chain operating in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, won USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for best fast-food breakfast for the fourth consecutive year, outranking McDonald's and Chick-fil-A. The family-owned chain attributes its success to scratch-made biscuits prepared fresh every 15 minutes and a no-microwave kitchen policy that emphasizes fresh preparation over convenience.
Record-high diesel prices at $6 nationally and $5.90 in North Carolina are straining restaurants and local businesses through increased supply costs. Raleigh restaurant owners report rising product expenses forcing them to carefully manage inventory and customer pricing. Escalating U.S.-Iran tensions have pushed crude oil past $100 a barrel, with experts warning prices may remain elevated through the 2026 midterm elections.
North Carolina reached a nearly $600 million settlement with DuPont and Chemours over illegal PFAS chemical dumping in the Cape Fear River, the largest environmental damage payment in state history. The settlement will fund water system improvements across 11 counties over 15 years, addressing contamination affecting 3.5 million residents. Chemours has already implemented cleanup measures including treatment systems and a subsurface barrier wall.
Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva agreed to pay North Carolina $455 million to settle claims over PFAS contamination from chemical manufacturing and historical discharges. Payments will be distributed over 15 years, with Chemours covering 50% of costs. The settlement resolves lawsuits from the state and local governments over drinking water pollution linked to the Fayetteville Works plant and aqueous film-forming foam.