Triangle/Local
Teeing off for a cause: NCFC raises over $45k at 20th annual golf tournament to support youth soccer
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – The North Carolina Football Club (NCFC) announced the group’s annual golf tournament generated more than $45,000 to expand opportunities for youth soccer. NCFC spokesperson Katherine Eberhardt says the tournament offered people a chance to showcase their swing while also supporting the…
North Carolina budget plan advances as Senate Republicans double down on tax cuts
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Senate Republicans have advanced a two-year budget for the ninth-largest state that spends less than what the new Democratic governor requested and doubles down on already enacted income tax cuts. Mostly along party…
Raj Mehta Day of Good returns for 5th year, encouraging kindness across NC
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – April 15 may be known as Tax Day, but for many in the Triangle and beyond-it has become a day dedicated to kindness, connection and community. The Raj Mehta Day of Good is held annually on April 15 in memory of…
“Sober Operative Act” aims to cut drunk driving with tougher laws and lower BAC limits
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – A bill in the legislature seeks to crack down on drunk driving — in an effort to make driving safer. At a Legislative Building press conference, Ellen Pitt with the Western North Carolina regional DWI task force explained one key part…
Proposed bill could remove thousands of books from NC public schools
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – What is your child reading? Lawmakers in Raleigh are rolling out a bill that could affect what your student reads. At a Legislative Building press conference this week, State Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Moore, Randolph) says the bill is about protecting children…
State/Regional
Unsettled North Carolina election could be determined by which ballots are subject to court orders
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Supreme Court decided last week that ballots from two categories should have been left out of the tally of an unresolved November election for a seat on the court because state laws otherwise makes the…
North Carolina advances bill on book bans in public schools
By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — After fiery debate, a North Carolina bill advanced through the state House on Wednesday that gives parents a bigger say in which books are allowed — or banned — from the state’s public and charter schools.…
NC health officials relaunch ‘Fight the Bite’ campaign as tick and mosquito season begins
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – With spring in full swing and summer right around the corner, state health officials are reminding North Carolinians to be cautious about ticks and mosquitos. In 2024 alone, the state has already reported more than 900 cases of illnesses tied to…
North Carolina judges weigh GOP law shifting election board control away from Democratic governor
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina trial judges heard arguments Monday from attorneys for Republican legislative leaders who insist their latest method to attempt to wrest control of the State Board of Elections from a Democratic governor is lawful…
NC Attorney General settles with major landlord over AI-powered rent fixing
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced a settlement with a major landlord accused of illegally fixing rent prices using cutting edge technology. Landlords were using RealPage, a property management software provider known for AI-powered solutions and services that has allegedly…
World/National
Judge pauses Trump administration’s plans for mass layoffs at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire nearly everyone at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was paused on Friday by a federal judge, who said she was “deeply concerned” about the plan. The decision leaves in limbo…
Trump administration takes aim at Harvard’s international students and tax-exempt status
By ANNIE MA, JOCELYN GECKER and COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has escalated its ongoing battle with Harvard, threatening to block the university from enrolling international students as the president called for withdrawing Harvard’s tax-exempt status. The moves raise the stakes of the…
Tatooine-like planet outside the solar system may orbit two failed stars, scientists say
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A new Tatooine-like planet outside the solar system may orbit two failed stars, scientists reported Wednesday. Located about 120 light years away, the exoplanet appears to take an unusual path around two brown dwarfs, whipping around at a…
US judge presses Trump administration on its refusal to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday that she will order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials to determine if they complied with her orders to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was…
Autism rates in US rise again to 1 in 31 kids, CDC says
By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer ATLANTA (AP) — An estimated 1 in 31 U.S. children have autism, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday, marking another jump in a long string of increases. The CDC’s data was from 14 states and Puerto Rico in 2022. The…
Entertainment
Go inside the factory where Peeps are made
By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Love them or hate them, those marshmallow Peeps that come in blindingly bright colors and an array of flavors are inescapable around the Easter holiday. Millions are made daily in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Just Born…
Wink Martindale, the genial game show host and an early TV interviewer of Elvis Presley, dies at 91
By BETH HARRIS Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wink Martindale, the genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough” who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley, has died. He was 91. Martindale died Tuesday at…
Millions tune in for 24-hour live coverage of Sweden’s epic moose migration
By STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press Before Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” began airing Tuesday, Ulla Malmgren stocked up on coffee and prepared meals so she doesn’t miss a moment of the 20-day, 24-hour event. “Sleep? Forget it. I don’t sleep,” she said.…
Blue Origin launches an all-female celebrity crew with Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launched his fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space Monday with an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Gayle King. It was the latest wave in space tourism, where more of the rich and famous than ever before — or lucky and well-connected — can…
So your home’s not social-media perfect? How to get over ‘house shame’ and invite people in
By LEANNE ITALIE AP Lifestyles Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Robbie Randolph is a real estate agent and interior designer for the rich, yet even he’s not immune from the anxiety of “house shame.” That’s the judged, bullied, defeated feeling you can get when Pinterest-perfect…
Sports
South Alabama QB Gio Lopez announces plan to transfer to North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez is transferring to North Carolina. Lopez announced his decision on social media Thursday night to join Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels, who wrapped up spring practices last weekend. Lopez proved to be a dual-threat option in…
Duke freshman Kon Knueppel to take the 1-and-done route to the NBA draft
By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer Duke’s Kon Knueppel is heading to the NBA after one college season. The 6-foot-7, 217-pound wing announced his decision Wednesday after a season that included him being named MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament while helping the Blue Devils reach…
Rory McIlroy wins Masters playoff to complete the career Grand Slam
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The closer Rory McIlroy came to fulfilling his lifetime dream — winning the Masters — the more it kept slipping away. Sunday at Augusta National felt like his last 11 years in the majors, blunders…
John Andrzejek won a national title with Florida to start the week. Now he’s Campbell’s head coach
By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer BUIES CREEK, N.C. (AP) — John Andrzejek is finally done with juggling coaching duties. Andrzejek spent nearly three weeks fitting in work as the newly named head coach at Campbell between his duties as an assistant at Florida. Now, less…
Hearing begins for $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, could lock in seismic changes for college sports
By EDDIE PELLS and JANIE McCAULEY Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge opened the final hearing for a landmark $2.8 billion settlement that will impact every corner of college athletics by saying she will not be granting formal approval on Monday. U.S. District Judge…