AGP Executive Report

Gas Prices: The national average for regular gasoline fell for a third straight week, dropping to about $4.12 per gallon as crude prices stayed under $100. State Aviation: South Carolina’s aeronautics agency won approval to replace its second aging state plane, with plans that could include a third. Foster Care Savings: First Lady Melania Trump launched “Fostering the Future Accounts,” aiming to give foster youth access to $1,000 seed contributions via state child-welfare agencies. Food & Health Policy: A new report says synthetic dyes remain in nearly 1 in 5 U.S. packaged foods, with the FDA’s voluntary phase-out facing pushback as major companies haven’t all committed. Local Business/Community: Columbia Theological Seminary announced a restructuring affecting 18 employees, while United Way of Greenville County highlighted its education, housing and family support investments. Retail Expansion: Access Garage Doors rebranded as Access Garage Door & More, expanding offerings into storage, screens and enclosures. Housing/Real Estate Signals: A national analysis finds vacation-home purchases have dropped sharply since 2021, pointing to tighter affordability and shifting consumer priorities. SC Business Spotlight: Shoe Carnival is changing its corporate name to Shoe Station Group and updating its Nasdaq ticker.

SC Economy & Industry Clusters: SC Competes’ CEO Susie Shannon updates how the state is building growth through targeted industry clusters. Deep-Sea Mining Regulation: Experts warn the U.S. lacks modern, fit-for-purpose rules for nascent deep-sea mining as lease sales loom. Tech & Jobs: Charleston’s Horse Spot, an equestrian-event software startup, is expanding and adding 11 jobs after raising $850,000. Local Business & Permits: A Columbia Korean BBQ space may reopen as KPOT after a permit for interior renovation. Courts & Business Risk: A judge will decide whether Weldon Boyd’s lawsuit against an attorney in a wrongful-death case can continue. Education Budget: Dorchester School District Two approved its 2027 budget, including a teacher pay boost, without a millage increase. Agribusiness Grants: SC’s Agribusiness Center awarded $215,000 to 12 businesses via its Advanced Entrepreneurship program. Housing Stress: A new report finds foreclosure pressure in the South is rising sharply, driven largely by escrow shocks. Public Health & Consumer Safety: A pet food recall expanded over possible thiamine deficiency risk, with distribution including South Carolina. Weather: Dangerous heat is expected Thursday with feels-like near 100°.

Healthcare Costs & Policy: Trump administration warned two CSRA hospitals—Piedmont McDuffie (Thomson) and Regional Medical Center (Orangeburg/Calhoun)—to post pricing or face penalties up to $2M annually, underscoring how transparency rules are tightening. Infrastructure Recovery: York County secured $3.3M from FEMA for North Burris Road bridge repairs after Hurricane Helene, with $9M total approved across 21 South Carolina mitigation and restoration projects. Retail Restructuring: West Marine filed Chapter 11 and plans to close 59 stores across 23 states, including South Carolina, as it seeks long-term stability. Food & Consumer Safety: New research finds synthetic dyes still show up in nearly 1 in 5 U.S. packaged foods, with a voluntary FDA phase-out by end of 2026 facing uneven industry follow-through. State Politics & Business Climate: South Carolina’s GOP governor primary heads to a June 23 runoff between Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson, while Democrats’ Jermaine Johnson won the nomination—setting up a high-stakes policy fight with major economic implications. Energy & Prices: GasBuddy reported Georgetown County’s lowest premium gas at $4.75/gallon for the week ending May 30, reflecting continued volatility tied to global oil risk.

Gubernatorial Runoff: South Carolina’s GOP governor primary is headed to a June 23 runoff between Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson after neither won a majority; President Donald Trump’s endorsement helped Evette top the field, while Rep. Nancy Mace finished fifth. State Politics: Sen. Lindsey Graham won his GOP Senate primary outright and will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November. Child Well-Being: A new KIDS COUNT report says child well-being declined nationally from 2019 to 2024, with nearly three in five states worse than pre-pandemic levels. Liquor Liability Pressure: South Carolina bar and restaurant owners are struggling with rising liquor liability costs and harder-to-find coverage. Housing Development: In Irmo, a plan for about 300 apartments near I-26 is moving forward despite resident concerns. Local Business & Jobs: McNeilus delivered 13 refuse and recycling vehicles to Meridian Waste for a new Richland County contract startup, supported by a new Midlands-area service facility. Food & Tourism: North Charleston’s King BBQ earned national attention on Food Network’s “Top 10.” Aviation & Trade: Saudi startup Riyadh Air took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston. Education Tax Incentive: The IRS says 27 states, including South Carolina, opted into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program.

Housing Stress Signals: Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures are rising, a worrying affordability red flag for households and lenders. Aviation & Supply Chain: Boeing boosted May deliveries to 60 planes (51 737 Max, 6 787 Dreamliners) after addressing a prior Max wiring issue that shifted some deliveries. Energy & Costs: Gas prices stayed volatile as global oil and Strait of Hormuz shipping risk feed into U.S. fuel costs; South Carolina’s reported premium prices averaged about $4.87 in the latest week. Local Business & Growth: Huntington Bank opened its first Kernersville, N.C., branch, expanding its Carolinas footprint; Publix also continued Southeast store openings. Solar Manufacturing: Qcells began making silicon solar cells at its Cartersville, Ga., plant, aiming for full 3.5-GW cell-line production by Q3 2026. Health & Risk: FDA expanded a recall of GO Raw pet foods linked to dangerously low thiamine levels. Sports & Community: A Savannah volleyball tournament generated about $3.38M in local economic impact.

Greenville Life Sciences: Palmetto InnovaSphere is teaming with Main Street Labs to build a downtown biotech support pipeline, adding shared lab infrastructure, tenant onboarding, and programming to cut startup costs and strengthen the local life sciences cluster. Murdaugh Retrial Oversight: The S.C. Supreme Court appointed Lexington County Judge Debra McCaslin to oversee proceedings tied to a potential Alex Murdaugh retrial after the high court reversed the 2021 murder convictions; venue and timing remain unsettled. SC Primaries Watch: South Carolina voters head to the polls Tuesday in governor and Senate primaries, with Republicans leaning hard on Trump loyalty—especially in the governor race where Pamela Evette seeks to convert the endorsement into an outright win and avoid a runoff. Energy & Industry: U.S. Steel pledged up to $2.5 billion for upgrades at Mon Valley Works, projecting job preservation and major economic impact—an example of how heavy industry investment is being framed for state and local returns. Local Business Openings: Mount Pleasant’s Goldbug is expanding with a second store on Ben Sawyer Blvd, while Sabores Latin American Food opened in North Charleston on Rivers Avenue. Antitrust: Nevada AG Aaron Ford joined a coalition opposing a Meta ruling in the FTC monopolization case, arguing the decision undermines competition.

Alex Murdaugh Retrial Overhaul: South Carolina’s Supreme Court has assigned retired Circuit Judge Debra R. McCaslin to oversee any future retrial and related proceedings after the high court overturned Murdaugh’s 2023 murder convictions, setting up a major next legal phase while he continues serving a federal financial-crimes sentence. Workforce & Training: Greenville County Schools and Greenville Tech are expanding welding education to tackle a national shortage, adding advanced facilities and more pathways for students. Digital Assets: South Carolina enacted a digital asset regulatory framework that protects self-custody rights and exempts certain mining/node and software activities from money-transmitter licensing, while preserving AG authority over fraud. Food Assistance Restrictions: New SNAP limits are rolling out in multiple states, including South Carolina, restricting purchases of items like soda, energy drinks, candy, and certain prepared desserts. Energy Costs Watch: GasBuddy reports show localized price dips and one-station “cheapest” listings across several counties, reflecting ongoing volatility tied to global oil and refinery conditions. Local Business Openings: New food and retail moves include a Greenville-area welding pipeline boost, plus fresh openings like Chex Grill & Wings in Columbia and PopUp Bagels’ first Charleston location. Primary Election Pressure: With South Carolina’s June 9 primaries underway, voters are signaling cost concerns and crowded fields could trigger runoffs.

Upstate jobs & tax policy: A South Carolina Daily Gazette report highlights a new magnet factory coming to the Upstate alongside summer layoffs, plus state changes affecting landfill-methane-to-energy projects and new taxes on vapes. AI & water stress: A Guardian analysis finds most planned U.S. AI datacenters are slated for drought-hit areas, raising fresh concerns as the industry expands while much of the country remains dry. SC politics, GOP primary stakes: Coverage zeroes in on the June 9 governor primary, where Rep. Nancy Mace’s shifting Trump messaging contrasts with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s endorsement, and election-watch reporting frames several races as “who survives the field” contests. Child welfare gap by county: The KIDS COUNT Data Book shows South Carolina’s child welfare ranking improved to 38th, but warns progress depends on counties with big differences in poverty, health care, and schools. Nursing home ratings: CMS data snapshots show Spartanburg’s Valley Falls Tearrace at a 3-star overall rating and Greenville’s Patewood Post Acute at 4 stars, underscoring how ownership and staffing can translate into care outcomes. Nonprofit donor transparency: New SC amendments to the Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act aim to make filings easier and tighten donor disclosures on who benefits from contributions. Gas prices watch: Multiple county-level GasBuddy updates show regular and diesel prices hovering around the high-$3s to mid-$5s, with the lowest reported regular in Pickens at $3.54 and diesel in Pickens at $4.59 for the week ending May 30.

Urgent-Care Expansion: HCA Healthcare is buying about a dozen MedCare urgent-care clinics across South Carolina, rebranding them to HCA CareNow and adding sites in the Charleston-to-Grand Strand growth corridor plus locations in Columbia and Spartanburg. Energy Costs (Local Gas): GasBuddy reports show bargain pockets for drivers: Horry County midgrade hit $3.99 (week ending May 30) and Newberry County regular hit $3.79, while diesel lows included $4.59 in Pickens County and $4.71 in Greenwood County. Fraud Crackdown: The FBI put a $150,000 reward on Herbert Leon Kimble, accused of a $1.2B Medicare fraud scheme tied to durable medical equipment and orthopedic braces. Weather Watch: Rain chances return Monday for the Upstate and parts of the Southeast, with storms and possible flash flooding Tuesday. Education Data Tool: Furman’s Riley Institute launched a new South Carolina Education Data Tool to make school performance and subgroup trends easier to explore. Aviation/Defense: Shaw-based Air Force Viper Demonstration Team drew crowds at Fairchild AFB’s SkyFest 2026, highlighting U.S. service overseas.

Healthcare Expansion: HCA Healthcare is ramping up South Carolina urgent care by buying about a dozen MedCare clinics, including eight along the Charleston-to-Grand Strand corridor, with all sites rebranded to HCA CareNow. Nursing Home Watch: CMS data show Spartanburg’s Summit Hills Skilled Nursing earned a 4-star Q1 2026 rating, while York County’s Willow Brooke Court at Park Pointe Village hit 5 stars—both with no fines or penalties reported. Politics & Endorsements: Rep. Nancy Mace says Trump’s endorsement of Pamela Evette didn’t deliver a real “bump” with grassroots conservatives, arguing any gain was small and could fade in a runoff. Media Leadership: The Post and Courier is changing its opinion leadership, with Rick Nelson retiring as editorial page editor and Cindi Ross Scoppe taking over June 22. Local Economy Signals: PridefestGreenville drew vendors and entertainment at Hampton Station, highlighting ongoing community-business activity in the Upstate. Energy Costs: GasBuddy reports show South Carolina’s weekly prices easing in spots, with some counties posting notably low regular or diesel rates for the week ending May 30.

Defense & Environment: A coalition of 21 states, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and major industry groups backed the U.S. Air Force in a Supreme Court-linked fight over the Tarague Beach detonation range in Guam, arguing a potential “major victory” for an environmental lawsuit could ripple into permitting battles nationwide. LGBTQ Community & Local Business: PridefestGreenville returned for its sixth year at Hampton Station, drawing 40 vendors and local businesses alongside drag performances and a silent disco. Energy Costs (SC gas): GasBuddy data show South Carolina gasoline averaging about $4.04/g for the week ending May 30, with diesel averaging $5.12/g; several counties reported single lowest-price stations, including Hampton regular at $3.99/g and Greenville diesel at $4.49/g. AI & Risk Debate: New reporting highlights renewed concerns that increasingly capable AI could outpace human control, feeding broader worries about misinformation and autonomous warfare. Politics & Voting: The U.S. Senate rejected the SAVE America Act, a blow to Trump’s push for stricter voting documentation and registration rules.

Banking Leadership: Bank of America named Chip McLeod president of Upstate South Carolina, succeeding Stacy Brandon, as the bank targets market-share growth and deeper client and community ties. Energy & Courts: A pipeline company filed 88 petitions seeking survey access from landowners in Hampton and Colleton counties for a natural-gas line tied to a new Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper power plant, drawing strong opposition over property and environmental impacts. Aerospace Supply Chain: Boeing’s North Charleston 787 ramp is running into supply-chain pinch points, including engine delivery delays and passenger-seat certification backlogs, as the company pushes toward higher monthly production. Immigration Enforcement & Business: Federal and state authorities detained 48 workers at an Abbeville metal casting business and arrested two top managers in a fake-ID hiring probe, while additional people face state charges. Local Economy & Growth: Fairfield County posted South Carolina’s top job growth rate, up 5.9% from Sept. 2024 to Sept. 2025, citing industrial expansion and workforce efforts. Healthcare Quality Watch: CMS data highlighted sharp nursing-home performance swings across the state, from five-star facilities in Lexington and Spartanburg to one-star and two-star operators in multiple counties. Infrastructure: SCDOT’s Highway 17 widening in Myrtle Beach is nearing completion, with the project aiming to finish by year-end 2026.

Job Growth Watch: Fairfield County posted South Carolina’s top job growth rate, up 5.9% from Sept. 2024 to Sept. 2025, as local leaders point to industrial expansion and infrastructure upgrades. Economic Development: County officials approved an economic incentive package that could support a $756 million capital project and create nine jobs, with the company’s identity kept confidential. Public Safety & Health Funding: Charleston County advanced a bid for a $1.17 million federal opioid grant to expand Narcan access, improve overdose data tracking, and potentially let EMS start medication-assisted treatment on scene. Hurricane Readiness: Gov. Henry McMaster and state leaders ran hurricane tabletop scenarios, urging businesses and residents to have plans as 2026 season approaches. Legal/Consumer Enforcement: AG Alan Wilson said his office will prosecute a boutique owner accused of scamming more than 50 customers statewide. Local Business: Culver’s is set to open its first Columbia-area location on Clemson Road, while Greer Diner owners say an arsonist has been arrested after a fire damaged the restaurant. Energy & Costs: Gas prices stayed volatile in late May, with multiple counties reporting notable weekly lows for regular, midgrade, premium and diesel. National Policy Impact: The U.S. Senate rejected the SAVE America Act, a blow to Trump-backed voting restrictions.

Greenville Real Estate: A Charleston-style home at 105 Hidden Hills Drive in Greenville’s Chanticleer area hit the market at $1.4 million, touting 10-foot ceilings, refinished hardwoods, and a gated-courtyard setup, after going contingent in just 11 days. Charleston Mobility Tech: A new “TheBridge” app in beta aims to cut drawbridge delays by alerting drivers in real time when key Charleston and Beaufort bridges open and close. Power Grid Tension in Aiken: Residents are again seeking help from Aiken County Council over a planned power transmission line, revisiting a dispute that dates back to earlier route discussions. School Safety Upgrade: Dorchester School District Two is installing 15 bullet-resistant “Safe Haven” classroom doors this summer for special education settings. Manufacturing & Jobs: Red Metals secured $10 million in seed funding toward a planned $70 million copper refining facility in Charleston County, targeting domestic copper rod production and reshoring. Immigration Enforcement: South Carolina’s “Operation Ghost Story” led to ICE detaining 48 workers and indicting six people tied to fraudulent identity documents at an Abbeville manufacturing site. Social Security Watch: A new analysis warns Social Security’s trust fund could trigger an automatic 24% benefit cut in 2032, averaging about $500 less per month for retirees. Nursing Home Ownership/Quality (CMS): Multiple South Carolina facilities saw CMS ratings ranging from 1-star to 5-star in Q1 2026, with ownership details reported for sites across Greenville, Anderson, Aiken, Lexington, Orangeburg, Greenwood, Horry, and York.

Immigration Crackdown in Abbeville: South Carolina AG Alan Wilson says 48 workers were detained by ICE at Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting, with six people indicted on forgery, identity fraud and conspiracy charges tied to fraudulent IDs. SC Politics—GOP Primary: U.S. Rep. William Timmons faces challengers David Atchley and Robert E. Lee in the June 9 Republican primary, as early voting ramps up. Energy Watch: GasBuddy reports the lowest diesel in Clarendon County hit $4.64 for the week ending May 30, while Orangeburg’s regular gas dipped to $3.89. Local Business & Growth: A vehicle unveiling marks a milestone for Bryan County’s Kia/Hyundai manufacturing campus in Georgia, underscoring the region’s auto investment momentum. Finance & Banking: Security Federal Corporation announced CEO and CFO retirements effective July 10, with leadership promotions planned. Retail Expansion: Sprouts Farmers Market is expanding in Florida, adding more stores after recent openings. Aviation/Industry: Boeing delivered Riyadh Air’s first two 787-9 Dreamliners from its Charleston facility, despite prior delays. Consumer/Policy: A proposed open-container district in Summerville is drawing debate over downtown nightlife and enforcement.

Rare Earth Investment: USA Rare Earth says it has secured access to up to $1.6 billion in CHIPS Act funding, backing its push to build a domestic rare-earth magnet supply chain, including a major South Carolina plant. Bridge Financing: Walker & Dunlop arranged more than $223 million in bridge financing for five multifamily communities across the Southeast, including assets in North Carolina and South Carolina. Primary Politics & Pocketbook Pressure: South Carolina’s early voting surge is being driven by economic anxiety, with Greenville voters citing the economy, taxes and the federal budget deficit; meanwhile, Upstate congressional primaries are heating up around affordability and healthcare. Agriculture Commissioner Race: Hugh Weathers’ exit from the GOP primary sets up a high-stakes race for agriculture commissioner as farmers warn fertilizer and diesel costs are squeezing margins. Child Hunger Relief: Harvest Hope Food Bank is launching free summer meal distributions statewide to cover the gap when school lunches end. Nursing Home Watch: CMS data highlights wide performance swings across South Carolina for-profit nursing homes, from top five-star facilities to low-rated centers facing fines and penalties. Local Regulation: Greer officials are considering tighter rules for tobacco and vape shops after concerns about zoning loopholes and clustering near schools and parks.