Axios Charlotte

November 01, 2026
π€― Whoa, it's November.
βοΈ Today's weather: Mostly cloudy, with a high of 69 and a low of 52.
π Happy birthday to our member Suzy Winters!
Todayβs newsletter is 749 words β a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: π Business owner cashes in on anti-MAGA moment
Have you seen the Oct. 29 clip? The one where a guy compared a Trump rally to the 1978 Jonestown massacre while he was live on Fox News.
- "Wait, the Jonestown massacre?" Fox correspondent Lucas Tomlinson asked.
- "There's nothing like seeing a cult right up front, man," the interviewee responded.
- "Maybe this is not a Trump supporter," the reporter said before turning to another attendee.
- But not before the man got a plug in: "MadPark Designs," he said, pointing to his hat.
Why it matters: MadPark Designs is a Charlotte screen printer launched in 2018 that prints for local businesses, musicians and organizations, and creates some of its own graphics. And that guy in the video β Tom Hoyle β is the co-owner and a local.
- As of Friday afternoon, the clip of him at the Rock Hill Trump rally on Oct. 29 had 5.3 million views on Mother Jones' Instagram and 206K views on TMZ's TikTok. It's also been posted on countless other pages, and was continuing to rack up views as of Friday afternoon.
The latest: MadPark is now selling T-shirts for $28 with his now-viral quote and a skeleton graphic.
- "I think some people are going to dress up as Tom for Halloween," he told Axios.

Backstory: Hoyle said he planned to cause a commotion by yelling out as Trump was speaking, as protesters have done at other North Carolina campaign events.
- But before Trump got on stage, the Fox News reporter asked Hoyle for an interview. He later told Axios it was "divine intervention" and said he freestyled the cult comparison.
- Hoyle said the Secret Service came over and asked him to leave after the Fox interview. He wasn't even out of Rock Hill before his phone started lighting up with texts and calls from people viewing the clip, he added.
What's next: He said he's tossing ideas around for another shirt, but doesn't want to get ahead of himself.
Fresh openings from our Job Board
If you're on the hunt for a new job, here are 5 to get you started.
- Community Manager at Uptown 550 at Northwood Ravin
- Program Director at First Presbyterian Church
- Finance Manager at Anne Neilson Fine Art & Anne Neilson Home
- Assistant Vice Chancellor for HR Operations/Deputy CHRO at University of North Carolina - Charlotte
- Part-Time Standardized Patient at National Board of Examiners in Optometry
Want more opportunities? Check out all openings on our Job Board.
Hiring? Post a job.
2. β‘οΈ Biz lightning round: Hornets' mysterious building buy
A Charlotte Hornetsβ business entity recently purchased two vintage office buildings at 301 S. Brevard St., just a few blocks from Spectrum Center, for $20.5 million. Their plans for the properties are unclear. (CBJ π)
Davidson County nearly rejected a request for two new ABC stores due to religious objections: "It says woe be unto him that put alcohol to his neighbor's lips," commissioner Tripp Kester said. "I'm just not going to be in a position to facilitate more of it being available." (WFAE)
Northwood Ravin demolished the old Scaleybark Library in lower South End for its 300-apartment development, which will include roughly 21,400 square feet of retail space. (CBJ π)
Bojangles Coliseum will now pour Pepsi, not Coca-Cola, after striking a new agreement with the competitor. (CBJ π)
Editor's note: This has been corrected to remove an erroneous reference to Coca-Cola's headquarters (which is in Atlanta).
π₯ Hot Job
Merchandise Assortment Planner at Lowe's Companies Inc.
- Company overview: Lowe's grew from one small-town hardware store in North Carolina to one of the largest home improvement retailers in the world. Then and now, they're committed to helping customers solve problems and fulfill dreams for the home.
- In this role: Analyze sales trends, customer demand and product performance to help develop merchandise assortments that drive sales and meet customer needs.
- Must-have: 3 years experience in merchandising, assortment planning, inventory management or retail analytics.
Interested? Apply here.
3. π¬ Local entrepreneur's "candy with benefits"
You've likely heard about the supplements creatine and collagen peptides in the wellness world. Now, a Charlotte entrepreneur is turning both into candy.
Driving the news: Charlotte founder Emily Berman has launched Gushie, a women's functional candy brand of creatine and collagen peptide gummies.
- The gummies, which come in flavors like sour watermelon, lush lemon berry and juicy citrus, are made without artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or sugar alcohols.
Why it matters: Creatine, which has been shown to support muscle strength and exercise performance, is gaining attention for potential benefits beyond the gym, including brain health, Axios has reported.
- Collagen peptides are marketed for skin elasticity and joint health, though research on their benefits is more limited.
π McKenzie's thought bubble: I took Gushie's sour watermelon creatine gummies this past summer β I loved them. And if you're like me and a fiend for watermelon Sour Patch Kids, you probably would too.
- I've taken creatine for years, but this was a fun alternative to my boring ritual of adding unflavored powder to a glass of water each morning.
By the numbers: Both the creatine and collagen peptide gummies flavors are $26.99 for a 60-count bag, or 15 servings.
What they're saying: Berman, who is a mother of two, says she wanted to create a product that makes wellness feel joyful rather instead of restrictive.
- "I wanted food to be fun again," she says.
Go deeper:Β Longevity's new muscle: Creatine
π Good luck to everyone running the New York City Marathon today, including our friend Andy Weber!
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