🐾 Happy Sunday! The Panthers are home today. They play the Broncos at 1pm.

• ⚽️ And the Charlotte Independence hosts Forward Madison in the USL League One semifinals at American Legion Memorial Stadium at 7pm.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 65 and a low of 42.

Today’s newsletter is 631 words — a 2.5-minute read.

Outgoing U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) says he will pursue the utilization of an airport authority independent of local government if anyone "steps out of line and challenges or threatens the independence of that airport."

Why it matters: Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the region's biggest economic assets, and a defining vote awaits Charlotte City Council as they weigh a new Airline Use and Lease Agreement with CLT's signatory airlines.

Driving the news: Charlotte City Council is expected to vote tomorrow on the AULA.

What they're saying: "I've already made it clear that I would go to the Department of Transportation, I would go to the administration, I'd go wherever I have to to get the DOT to do exactly what we can do now," Tillis said on the R&D in the NC podcast, hosted by former city council members Tariq Bokhari and Larken Egleston.

• Tillis says his action would be a "fail safe" and something he doesn't want to do, but he would if he deems it necessary.
• "I have seen city councils destroy airports and have to recover from them," Tillis says.

What else they're saying

If you're on the hunt for a new job, here are 7 to get you started.

• Middle School (5th & 6th Grade) Spanish Teacher at Charlotte Preparatory School
• Account Lead at Mode
• Talent Acquisition Specialist at Little
• Lower School Academic Technologist at Charlotte Country Day School
• Director of Educational Technology and Innovation at Charlotte Country Day School
• Sales Executive at Coles of London
• Business Operations Executive at Coles of London

Want more opportunities? Check out all openings on our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

When it comes to pet-friendly rentals, Charlotte is top dog.

Why it matters: From parks and the rail trail to dog-friendly bars and cat cafes, Charlotte has plenty of places to take — and find — four-legged friends. And the city's rental market reflects that pet-loving culture.

Driving the news: Charlotte ranks No. 1 among the nation's 50 largest metros for pet-friendly rentals, according to a new Zillow report.

• 91.6% of Charlotte rental listings on Zillow allow pets, compared to 77.3% nationwide.
• That's up from 75% in 2024, when Charlotte ranked fourth in a separate Zillow and BARK analysis.

By the numbers: Nationwide, 59% of renter households have at least one pet, compared to 37% with children, per the report.

• Plus, 65% of renters say pet-friendliness is essential when choosing a rental.

Zoom out: Austin trails Charlotte by just 0.1 percentage points, followed by Denver, Dallas and Nashville. Raleigh also lands in the top 10 at No. 6.

• On the flip side, Providence, Rhode Island and New York City have the fewest pet-friendly rentals among major metros.

Between the lines: While Charlotte has plenty of pet-friendly housing, many animals are still waiting for homes.

Read the full report and how to support local shelter animals

Marketing Manager, Paid Social 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: Lead paid social media strategies and campaigns to drive brand awareness, customer engagement and business growth through performance optimization.
• Must-have: Experience in paid social media advertising, digital marketing and campaign management, with strong analytical and strategic planning skills.

Interested? Apply here.

🌭 Gleezy, the Charlotte-born modern hot dog brand, has a new product at Harris Teeter: Brisket Buddies.

🏫 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is paying its acting superintendent, Melissa Balknight, more than $29,000 a month, newly released records reveal. (WSOC)

🔋 Duke Energy is attributing a slowdown in new data center customers to its large-load tariff plans, a specialized rate schedule and set of rules for high-energy customers designed to protect smaller customers from cost increases driven by larger customers. (CBJ 🔒)

🤔 Club West didn't go to longtime employee Brad Bergman after all. The brewery unexpectedly sold on Sept. 30 to Kevin Hadall, an out-of-state entrepreneur. (Observer)

🍣 Another conveyor-belt sushi restaurant is coming to Charlotte. Chicago-based Uzumaki Revolving Sushi is targeting a spring opening in south Charlotte at Arboretum Park. (CBJ 🔒)

🌭 Alex might pick up some Brisket Buddies and make pigs in a blanket for the Panthers game.

🐋 McKenzie wants to see "Whalefall" this week.

✈️ Ashley is preparing for tomorrow's city council meeting.

🍣 Alexis is craving sushi from Prime Fish.

😋 Melissa, who edited this newsletter, is still eating candy corn.