RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Charlie Gaddy, one of North Carolina’s most recognizable broadcasters and a longtime anchor on WRAL-TV, has died at age 93.
Before beginning his television career, Gaddy worked for a time at WPTF, the flagship station of the North Carolina News Network. In a 2024 interview marking WPTF’s 100th anniversary, he recalled the early days of local radio programming, including a show called Ask Your Neighbor.
“It was just something that somebody came up with as an idea, and they tried it to see how it would work,” Gaddy said. “And it worked beautifully. It was a very popular program and lasted a long time. But that’s how it started.”
Gaddy was born in Biscoe, North Carolina, attended Guilford College, and served in the U.S. Army. He became a household name across central North Carolina during his years anchoring WRAL’s evening newscasts, known for his calm demeanor and trusted presence.
One of the main reasons you listen to QDR is for the music, and we want to be sure we’re playing what you want to hear as often or as little as you want to hear it. You can help design the QDR playlist to give you the BEST listening experience, and you could win a $50 Visa Gift Card.
Click here to check out a list of newer Country songs and tell us which ones you like best. Your opinion will help us decide how often you hear these songs play on QDR.
By the way, you’ll be asked to enter a station code when you take the survey – use the code A36 and only that code. We appreciate you taking the time to give us your opinion.
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Shila from Second Chance Pet Adoptions!
Shila, a quiet middle-aged hound, is looking for a forever home, preferably with another dog and a fenced-in yard. She’s an independent gal who likes to chew on bones and play with toys, but at the end of the day, she also likes to snuggle up with her humans for the night. As a hound, she’s got a good sniffer on her, so she also enjoys long walks with lots of smells to be had; she’s honestly obsessed with being outside. Shila is both silly and awkward and she’ll keep you entertained for years to come. Her adoption fee has been reduced, as she will also need a hot wire fence, which Second Chance will help pay for and install for her adopter. You can learn more about Shila and set up a meeting with her by going over to www.SecondChanceNC.org and submitting an adoption application today!
Beatrice, a 5-year-old black and white pit mix. We rescued Beatrice from a county shelter after being absolutely dazzled by her pearly whites! She’s such a happy girl, whether she’s sitting quietly at your feet while you work from home or riding in the car on her way to a long hike. Beatrice has exactly one issue that’s kept her from being adopted, which is that she is 100% the boss when it comes to other animals, so she needs a home with no other pets and an owner who will keep her safely away from any other cats or dogs. With humans, though? Beatrice is just remarkable—silly, snuggly, and smiley. Visit Beatrice at Second Chance Pet Adoptions, or learn more about her and apply to adopt at www.SecondChanceNC.org. You can also catch her on Instagram—her username is @AdoptPrettyBeatrice!
Are you looking for that one special dog that will cuddle with your family or play a game of frisbee in the backyard? A dog that is house trained and has great manners in your home? Well, look no further! Libby is a volunteer favorite! When a volunteer took her home for a day, the volunteer’s entire household was very impressed and noticed that she has a playful and friendly demeanor, but she’s also pretty shy and quiet, too.
Libby already knows sit, come, stay, and down. She’ll do best as an only pet or in a home with no cats.
Libby has heartworms, but it’s treatable and not contagious. To help with the medical cost, a $750 sponsorship for treatment is provided by Friends of Wake County Animal Center ([email protected]). Friends of Wake County Animal Center can walk you through the process of treatment and help you find a vet.
Libby is ready to go home today – she is up to date on vaccinations, flea/tick, and heartworm prevention, is microchipped, and is already spayed. If you have dogs or cats, we recommend slow introductions over time. If you have children in your home, we recommend supervision between animals and children at all times.
Rabies Clinic | Saturday, April 2nd | 9AM-11AM | Wake County Animal Center
Get your furbabies their rabies vaccine for $5! First come, first serve basis. Cash Only. For more information, click here.
Merken is everything you could ever want in a cat! He’s a staff favorite at the SPCA. This 4-year-old guy is a huge snuggle bug who loves curling up on your lap or putting his paws up on you to ask for some attention. He likes to spend his days hanging out with people, lounging in cozy beds, or chirping all of his thoughts at you. He’s very tolerant of being picked up and handled, so he’d probably be great with children! Merken has FeLV, which is communicable to other cats, so he’d do best in a home where he can be the only cat (or live with other FeLV+ cats). But frankly, Merken is all the cat you’ll ever need! Merken is neutered, microchipped, and fully vaccinated. Plus — his adoption fee is waived! Learn more about adopting this handsome snuggle bug by going to spcawake.org or visiting the SPCA Wake Pet Adoption Center in Raleigh.
“Good looking, check; affectionate check; sweet, double check! I’m a darling and good boy who’s a bit stressed here at the shelter. I’m sure to settle well in my new home. I’m a bit unsure meeting new friends, please go slow with me. I’d love a home where I can gain confidence, have gentle affection, and lots of love! I’m so special that I’ve been crowned Pet of the Week! Won’t you come and see me today?”
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Rayo from Animal Protection Society of Durham!
“Good looking, check; affectionate check; sweet, double check! I’m a darling and good boy who’s a bit stressed here at the shelter. I’m sure to settle well in my new home. I’m a bit unsure meeting new friends, please go slow with me. I’d love a home where I can gain confidence, have gentle affection, and lots of love! I’m so special that I’ve been crowned Pet of the Week! Won’t you come and see me today?”
Rayo is a charmer and a sweetheart who is a little shy at the shelter. Come by and visit him to see if he’s the right fit for your family!
Heather tours the Animal Protection Society of Durham!
Walk for the Animals: May 28, 2022 from 10AM – 1PM
Animal Protection Society of Durham (APS) is excited to announce registration is open for the 2022 Walk for the Animals Event. An annual fundraiser, this year the Walk for the Animals is back in person on May 28th from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The community is encouraged to register, raise funds and join us for the fun 1.5-mile walk around Duke University’s East Campus. The purpose of this community effort is to raise money and awareness for the nearly 4,000 homeless and neglected pets throughout the Durham community that rely on APS’s care.
Participants can register as individuals or as a team – recruiting friends, family and coworkers to join. Registration is available online through our Walk webpage: www.apsofdurham.org/2022walk. The Walk for the Animals this year promises to be fun for all ages with entertainment, food, adoptable animals, a children’s fun zone and even pet contests for Best Kisser, Best Look-alike, Best Trick, Biggest and Smallest Dog, and Best Dressed. GFL Environmental and the Riefkohl Family are the 2022 Walk for the Animals Presenting Sponsors, along with Top Dog sponsors Broadway Veterinary Hospital and Verdesca Creative
APS of Durham 2117 E. Club Blvd. | Durham, NC | 27704
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Merken from SPCA of Wake County!
Merken is everything you could ever want in a cat! He’s a staff favorite at the SPCA. This 4-year-old guy is a huge snuggle bug who loves curling up on your lap or putting his paws up on you to ask for some attention. He likes to spend his days hanging out with people, lounging in cozy beds, or chirping all of his thoughts at you. He’s very tolerant of being picked up and handled, so he’d probably be great with children! Merken has FeLV, which is communicable to other cats, so he’d do best in a home where he can be the only cat (or live with other FeLV+ cats). But frankly, Merken is all the cat you’ll ever need! Merken is neutered, microchipped, and fully vaccinated. Plus — his adoption fee is waived! Learn more about adopting this handsome snuggle bug by going to spcawake.org or visiting the SPCA Wake Pet Adoption Center in Raleigh.
Join Heather on a tour of the SPCA of Wake County!
SPCA Wake is hosting a low-cost vaccine/microchip clinic on Saturday, March 26th. Rabies vaccines and microchips are just $5 each, and feline FVRCP and canine DAPP vaccines are FREE thanks to a grant from PetcoLove. There are no income or residence requirements — all are welcome! All you need to do to attend is pre-register to secure your spot. Visit spcawake.org for more information about participating in this clinic.
SPCA Wake offers low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for cats and dogs through its Saving Lives Spay/Neuter Clinic (right next door to the SPCA’s Pet Adoption Center in Raleigh). The purpose of this clinic is to make spay/neuter accessible for pet owners from all over by substantially reducing the cost. Other services are available at the time of spay/neuter such as microchips, heartworm testing for dogs, FIV/FeLV testing for cats, vaccines, and more. For more information or to schedule your pet’s spay/neuter appointment, visit spcawake.org/fix
SPCA of Wake County 200 Petfinder Lane | Raleigh, NC | 27603 (919) 772-2326 | spcawake.org
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Libby from Wake County Animal Center!
Are you looking for that one special dog that will cuddle with your family or play a game of frisbee in the backyard? A dog that is house trained and has great manners in your home? Well, look no further! Libby is a volunteer favorite! When a volunteer took her home for a day, the volunteer’s entire household was very impressed and noticed that she has a playful and friendly demeanor, but she’s also pretty shy and quiet, too.
Libby already knows sit, come, stay, and down. She’ll do best as an only pet or in a home with no cats.
Libby has heartworms, but it’s treatable and not contagious. To help with the medical cost, a $750 sponsorship for treatment is provided by Friends of Wake County Animal Center ([email protected]). Friends of Wake County Animal Center can walk you through the process of treatment and help you find a vet.
Libby is ready to go home today – she is up to date on vaccinations, flea/tick, and heartworm prevention, is microchipped, and is already spayed. If you have dogs or cats, we recommend slow introductions over time. If you have children in your home, we recommend supervision between animals and children at all times.
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Beatrice from Second Chance Pet Adoptions!
Today we’re looking for a special listener for a special dog: Beatrice, a 5-year-old black and white pit mix. We rescued Beatrice from a county shelter after being absolutely dazzled by her pearly whites! She’s such a happy girl, whether she’s sitting quietly at your feet while you work from home or riding in the car on her way to a long hike. Beatrice has exactly one issue that’s kept her from being adopted, which is that she is 100% the boss when it comes to other animals, so she needs a home with no other pets and an owner who will keep her safely away from any other cats or dogs. With humans, though? Beatrice is just remarkable—silly, snuggly, and smiley. Visit Beatrice at Second Chance Pet Adoptions, or learn more about her and apply to adopt at www.SecondChanceNC.org. You can also catch her on Instagram—her username is @AdoptPrettyBeatrice!
Yoga instructor Adriana Ortiz invites you to an afternoon of flow with your pup on Sunday, March 6, for a good cause! Adriana will be instructing a BYOD (Bring Your Own Dog) slow flow class from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for all levels. The class will be held at West Street Dog; space is limited.
Bring your dog to Unleashed and Second Chance volunteers will bathe your pup for you! Spare you knees, back, and bathroom by making a contribution to Second Chance (recommended $10 per dog) so more stray and abandoned cats and dogs can get their second chances to find love. Cash, check, and credit card are all accepted on-site; your dog can get a bath as a walk-in or you can make an appointment via our website.
Come out to PNC Arena see the Carolina Hurricanes and celebrate our canine friends (Second Chance will be on the concourse!). Join the Canes as they take on the Dallas Stars on March 24, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. A portion of each ticket purchased will be donated to Second Chance and to the SPCA of Wake County. Ticket prices have been reduced just for this special event, so get yours now HERE!
Featuring separate, timed 5K races for runners with dogs and runners without dogs, a 1.5-mile walking course for people with or without dogs, and adoptable dogs looking to visit with YOU! This event is now a hybrid event! Folks can participate from anywhere in the U.S.!
Prepare yourself for FUN! I’m a great and jolly guy ready to find the home and yard of my dreams! I’m a cheery guy who loves to have fun and play. I’m a bit jumpy and am high energy. I’d love a home where I can learn basic manners, play, and have plenty of activities to do. Let’s meet today!
APS of Durham 2117 E. Club Blvd. | Durham, NC | 27704
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Elicia from SPCA of Wake County!
This happy little wiggle-butt is 9-month-old Elicia! Elicia is 32 lbs. and may grow to be around 40-50 lbs. Elicia is a lovable, snuggly, and playful puppy that was rescued by SPCA Wake after being found abandoned. But she doesn’t let it get her down — she is just excited to be here and to meet and greet everyone she can! Elicia knows a few tricks like “sit” and “lie down”. She’s working on finishing up her housetraining so she can be a great inside dog for her new family. Luckily, she’s very food-motivated, so she’s an eager student to learn as much as she can! Since she’s still basically a puppy, Elicia would do best with a family who can spend plenty of time with her to play, practice training, and help her use her energy in positive ways. She should have a home without cats, though (they’re a little too interesting to her). For more information on adopting Elicia, please visit spcawake.org.
ADOPTION SPECIAL: For Valentine’s Day, SPCA Wake is offering 50% off adoption fees for all adult dogs! Find your pawfect match and forever valentine by adopting a shelter pet. For more information, click the link above to visit the SPCA’s website.
SPCA of Wake County 200 Petfinder Lane | Raleigh, NC | 27603 (919) 772-2326 | spcawake.org
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Katydid from Wake County Animal Center!
Awesome dog alert!! Katydid is a four-year-old American Staffy mix. She loves hugs and cuddles and is a volunteer favorite. Her previous owner had great things to say about her – she’s crate training, potty trained, and is an all-around good girl. She does currently weight roughly 95lbs and should weight about 50-55lbs at her ideal weight. Katydid will need a home that can help her lose the weight appropriately – not too fast and without a ton of strenuous exercise. Slowly and will shorter walks and exercises will be best. Right now, she can get fatigued quickly and could get grumpy with less respectful dogs and humans. She is already spayed, is up-to-date on vaccines, and ready to go home today.
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Nesquik from Second Chance Pet Adoptions!
Meet Nesquik, this adorable 6 month old boy is looking for his forever home. Nesquik is a social butterfly and loves to be around people. He is the life of the party. Like all kittens Nesquik loves to play. You will almost always find him chasing a toy around the room. Or wrestling with one of his roommates. He is also very cuddly and enjoys being held. He does need to go to a dog free home. He MUST have another cat in the home. If there are no other cats he MUST have a home with children to keep him busy. If you think this adorable little boy is a good fit for your family come meet him today!
Don’t miss Second Chance Pet Adoptions February Fundraisers:
Mookie’s New York DeliFundraiser: Mookie’s New York Deli is once again hosting a fundraiser for Second Chance in celebration of their namesake’s birthday! You (and your dog–they have a K9 menu!) can join the birthday pawty for their big Samoyed pup by ordering from Mookie’s NY Deli on February 8, when 10% of sales will be donated to the cats and dogs in our care.
Papa Murphy’s Fundraiser: Whether you’re feeling ravenous or romantic (or both), Papa Murphy’s has got you covered on February 9: using the code “DONATE,” place an order for take-and-bake pizza (make it a Heart Baker if ya want!), mention Second Chance Pet Adoptions when you pick up the pizza, and Papa Murphy’s will donate 33% of your order to the cats and dogs in our care!
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Chloe from SPCA of Wake County!
Nope that’s not a wolf — that’s a Chloe! This heart-meltingly sweet 3-year-old girl has been waiting for a home at SPCA Wake since June of 2021. She’s been patiently waiting to find her future family, and all the staff and volunteers at SPCA Wake has been rooting for her! Chloe has a heart condition that she will live with for the rest of her life, but with the help of daily medication and the right diet, she is maintaining well and can continue to live a happy, exciting life in her forever home. She’s looking for someone who’d be willing to take a special needs dog like her into their family and love her unconditionally. Chloe is very gentle and affectionate. She loves cuddling and leaning into your legs to give “dog hugs”. She knows “sit” and “lie down”. And the best thing in the world according to Chloe? Squeaky toys! Squeak a toy within a 50 foot radius of Chloe to watch her eyes light up and her bounces come out. For more information about Chloe please go to spcawake.org — or visit her in person and experience all her love first-hand at the SPCA of Wake County Pet Adoption Center in Raleigh!
Rocko is a low-key senior that came to the shelter recently as a stray. Like most seniors, he appreciates a good soft padded bed and naps. Despite his age, he still enjoys going out for (slow) walks and loves a good treat. He is extremely sweet and the look of love in his eyes will capture your heart in an instant.
Rocko is ready to go home today – he is up to date on vaccinations, flea/tick, and heartworm prevention, is microchipped, and is already neutered. If you have dogs or cats, we recommend slow introductions over time. If you have children in your home, we recommend supervision between animals and children at all times.
Meet Leo from Second Chance Pet Adoptions, our Fursday pet of the week!
Leo is an 11 year, 5-month-old calm kitty that is ready to give you the biggest hug! He loves his humans, and would be fine with other mellow cats, but would also thrive as the only kitty! He is currently on a prescription diet to keep his urinary tract healthy, and, even better news, his adoption fee has been sponsored! Leo came to Second Chance declawed in his front paws, and is ready to prepare many biscuits for his future humans!
Sweet and gentle is how the volunteers described Dora. She came to the Center as a stray so we don’t know her background. Dora does head butts for attention. She uses her litter tray so she is probably litter box trained. Dora is a small kitty with beautiful gray stripes on her legs and tail. Her left eye is cloudy due to an old injury. It doesn’t seem to bother her and seems to be improving. She is shy at first and will need a patient adopter. Dora should be an inside kitty. Dora needs a quiet home, possibly with a single person or couple.
Wake County Animal Center | 820 Beacon Lake Drive Raleigh NC 27610 | pets.wakegov.com
With eight years of practice in the fine art of friendship, Buffy is more than prepared to be your co-pilot in life! She prefers to fly solo in terms of other furry friends, but Buffy has plenty of personality to fill your heart alone. This gal loves to join her humans on adventures and walks but avoids spending too much time on the grass due to her allergies. She is currently on a prescription diet and medication regimens (in addition to allergy drops) due to some severe allergies she holds. With these medications, she is stable and comfortable! The staff would be happy to tell you more about her medical needs upon inquiry. Buffy needs a foster home or a forever home; if you are interested in learning more about her, please visit www.secondchancenc.org. Most of our dogs are housed in foster homes, but since Buffy is still in need of one, she currently resides at Second Chance Pet Adoptions, where you can stop by Monday through Friday between the hours of 11 AM and 5 PM and meet her!
“Hello there! I’m a sweet and friendly girl who loves gentle affection! I’m super happy to meet new people and also love to explore. I’m playful too, toss a ball or toy for me and see! I really enjoy gentle affection and might even crawl into your lap or lean into you for more. I’d benefit from plenty of playtime and basic manners. Visit me today!”
Missy has had her adoption fee waived so that she can find a wonderful home soon. Please come by to meet her today!
Don’t miss our famous annual Gala coming up! Tails at Twilight 2021 is a “beyond the ballroom” online celebration of APS, with a live and silent auction, a mixology session with Alley Twenty Six and more. For more information: https://event.gives/tails2021.
APS of Durham 2117 E. Club Blvd. | Durham, NC | 27704
Meet Jane! This sweet, smushy girl was found as a stray in Harnett County, and now she’s looking for a family of her very own. Jane is 2 years old and weighs about 50 lbs. Unfortunately she is battling heartworms, but she is receiving a full course of treatment through SPCA Wake. Jane is playful, cuddly, and up for anything! She loves meeting all kinds of people and has a very outgoing, curious personality. Jane is spayed, microchipped, and fully vaccinated. Interested adopters can get more information about Jane at spcawake.org
Did you know your holiday gifts could be helping save homeless pets? Shop SPCA Wake’s Holiday Gift Guide at spcawake.org/giftguide for symbolic sponsorships that support the SPCA’s life-saving programs in most urgent need of funding, such as the Hope for Heartworm Positive Dogs which contributes to heartworm treatments for dogs just like Jane!
SPCA of Wake County 200 Petfinder Lane | Raleigh, NC | 27603 (919) 772-2326 | spcawake.org
Hello there, thanks for stopping by to meet me. I’m Tyson and as you can see, I’m a handsome young man. I’ve been at the shelter for a while now and eager to find a family of my own. Being just over a year, I’m out of the puppy stages, but I do need regular exercise. I am an active boy and love to go on walks or romp in the doggy play yard. I have been in supervised playgroups with male and female dogs at the shelter and have done well. In fact they call me the unisex tester because they use me to try out the other dogs, males and females. I enjoy running around and being chased. I also love when the nice volunteers take me on long walks. It helps get my energy out. I would do best in a home with an active family that can keep me busy and give me several walks per day. A yard to run in would be a huge bonus for me. I am a happy boy and eager to please. Please visit me today and see how special I am. Big hugs, Tyson.
Mike and Amanda are heading on the road to a local Hardee’s near you for the Hometown Tour, and they want to help you with the bill! Win a $50 gift card to Hardee’s with Nearly Impossible Trivia! Try our NEW Homestyle Breakfast Burritos, with cheese, fluffy egg, crispy hash rounds, breakfast sausage, bacon, and sliced ham, served with a side of Texas Pete Hot Sauce. Listen to win with Mike and Amanda at 6:05 a.m., and Mad Dawg will hook you up in the afternoon at 5:05 p.m. Check out Hardee’s today!
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and FBI are struggling to contain the fallout and appease the demands of far-right conservative personalities and influential members of President Donald Trump’s base after the administration’s decision this week to withhold records from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
The move, which included the acknowledgment that one particular sought-after document never existed in the first place, sparked a contentious conversation between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino at the White House earlier this week that threatened to permanently shatter relations between the two officials and centered in part on a news story that described divisions between the FBI and the Justice Department.
The cascade of disappointment and disbelief arising from the refusal to disclose additional, much-hyped records from the Epstein investigation underscores the struggles of FBI and Justice Department leaders to resolve the conspiracy theories and amped-up expectations that they themselves had stoked with claims of a cover-up and hidden evidence. Infuriated by the failure of officials to unlock, as promised, the secrets of the so-called “deep state,” Trump supporters on the far right have grown restless and even demanded change at the top.
Tensions that simmered for months boiled over on Monday when the Justice Department and FBI issued a two-page statement saying that they had concluded that Epstein did not possess a “client list,” even though Bondi had intimated in February that such a document was sitting on her desk, and had decided against releasing any additional records from the investigation.
The department did disclose a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself in jail, but even that raised the eyebrows of conspiracy theorists because of a missing minute in the recording.
It was hardly the first time that Trump administration officials have failed to fulfill their pledge to deliver the evidence that supporters had come to expect.
In February, conservative influencers were invited to the White House and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified.” But the binders contained information that had largely already been in the public domain.
Afterward, Bondi said an FBI “source” informed her of the existence of thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents and ordered the bureau to provide the “full and complete Epstein files.” She later said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI.
But after a months-long review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department determined in the memo Monday that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims, and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”
The Trump administration had hoped that that statement would be the final word on the saga, with Trump chiding a reporter who asked Bondi about the Epstein case at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
But Bondi and Bongino had a tense exchange the following day at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
Part of the clash centered on a story from the news organization NewsNation that cited a “source close to the White House” as saying the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel refuting the premise, but not Bongino.
The news publication Axios was first to describe the conversation.
Blanche sought to stem the fallout Friday with a social media post in which he said he had worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the Epstein matter and the joint memo.
“All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s composition and release is patently false,” he wrote on X.
Also Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump, posted on X that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning” and had taken the day off to contemplate his future. Bongino is normally an active presence on social media but has been silent since Wednesday.
The FBI did not respond to a request seeking comment, and the White House sought in a statement to minimize any tensions.
“President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,” said spokesman Harrison Fields. “This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.”
___
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday toured the devastation from catastrophic flooding in Texas and lauded state and local officials, even amid mounting criticism that they may have failed to warn residents quickly enough that a deadly wall of water was coming their way.
Trump has repeatedly promised to do away with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of his larger pledges to dramatically shrink the size of government, and he’s fond of decrying officials in Democrat-run states hit by past natural disasters and tragedy.
President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter Friday, suggesting she is “evil,” after she asked a question about whether the warning alert system for the devastating floods worked as well as it could have. (AP Video)
But the president struck a far more somber and sympathetic tone while visiting America’s most populous Republican state — highlighting the heartbreak of what happened while effusively praising elected officials and first responders alike.
“The search for the missing continues. The people that are doing it are unbelievable,” Trump, seated with officials around a table with emblazoned with a black-and-white “Texas Strong” banner, said at a makeshift emergency operations center inside an expo hall in Kerrville.
He later added, “You couldn’t get better people, and they’re doing the job like I don’t think anybody else could, frankly.”
Since the July 4 disaster, which killed at least 129 people and left more than 170 missing, the president has been conspicuously silent on his past promises to shutter FEMA and return disaster response to the states. Instead, he’s focused on the once-in-a-lifetime nature of what occurred in central Texas’ Hill Country and its human toll.
“We just visited with incredible families. They’ve been devastated,” the president said of a closed-door meeting he and first lady Melania Trump had with the relatives of some of those killed or missing.
Honoring the victims
Trump’s shift in focus underscores how tragedy can complicate political calculations, even though he has made slashing the federal workforce a centerpiece of his administration’s opening months. He spent a lot of time Friday discussing the victims from Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 people were killed.
“They were there because they loved God. And, as we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God has welcomed those little beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven,” Trump said.
The first lady described meeting “beautiful young ladies” from the area who she said gave her a “special bracelet from the camp in honor of all the little girls that lost their lives.” She promised to return to support the camp in the future.
Trump approved Texas’ request to extend the major disaster declaration beyond Kerr County to eight additional counties, making them eligible for direct financial assistance to recover and rebuild.
“All across the country Americans’ hearts are shattered,” he said. “I had to be here as president.”
Despite saying that he didn’t want to talk politics, Trump couldn’t help himself. During the roundtable, he bragged briefly about his administration reducing the cost of eggs around the country and, in a response to a question about Democratic criticisms of the flood response, said, “All they want to do is criticize.”
“They’re getting just absolutely clobbered ’cause everyone sees what an incredible job the governor did,” Trump said of Democrats. “Everybody in this room, everybody at this table in particular.”
In praise of FEMA
He also still insisted “we’ve got some good people” running FEMA. That is nonetheless a far cry from his call mere weeks ago to begin “phasing out” FEMA.
At the White House, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, similarly dodged questions Friday about FEMA’s future. He said that the agency has billions of dollars in reserves “to continue to pay for necessary expenses.”
“We also want FEMA to be reformed,” Vought said. “The president is going to continue to be asking tough questions of all of us agencies, no different than any other opportunity to have better government.”
On the ground in devastated communities, meanwhile, some state and local officials have faced questions about how well they were prepared and how quickly they acted — including if warning systems might have given more people time to evacuate.
Asked about such concerns during his appearance at the operations center in Kerrville, Trump called a reporter “evil” and said he thought “everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances.”
“I admire you, and I consider you heroes,” Trump said of the officials around him.
He also praised a long list of Texas Republicans and had especially kind words for Rep. Chip Roy, who represents some of the hardest-hit areas. A staunch conservative, Roy initially opposed Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending package but ultimately supported it.
“He’s not easy, but he’s good,” Trump said of Roy. The congressman, for his part, bristled at questions about authorities’ flood response, calling the queries about inadequate flood warnings “ridiculous.”
Seeing the damage close-up
Prior to the roundtable, Air Force One landed in San Antonio and Trump deplaned in a suit while the first lady wore more casual clothing — though both wore ball caps against the heat. The Trumps then boarded a helicopter to Kerrville and saw the flooding aftermath from the air. They later walked close to the Guadalupe River to receive a briefing from officials near an overturned tractor trailer, numerous downed trees and other debris.
Roads in the center of town were shut down, and people lined the streets, some wearing Trump hats and T-shirts and waving American flags. Green ribbons recognizing the lives lost at Camp Mystic were tied around trees, poles and along bridges, and marquees featured slogans such as “Hill Country Strong” and “Thank you first responders.”
Harris Currie, a rancher from Utopia, Texas, near Kerrville, said the flood devastation can be fully understood only by seeing it firsthand.
“Pictures do not do it justice,” Currie said.
Community members grieve during a candlelight vigil to honor the lives lost in the flash floods that claimed more than 120 lives on July 11, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. More than 160 people are still missing after storms cells halted over the area, dumping nearly 15 inches of rain and causing a 22-foot rise along the Guadalupe River. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The remains of a neighborhood is seen on the banks of the Guadalupe River on July 06, 2025 in Center Point, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Search and rescue workers look through debris for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
Debris is piled up at the entrance to Camp Mystic on July 07, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
West Odessa Volunteer Firefighter Jed Wolske takes a smoke break while aiding in search and rescue efforts along the Guadalupe River, days after a flash flood swept through the area, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)
Laeighton Sterling (R) and Nicole Whelam observe flood waters from the banks of the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported. (Photo by Eric Vryn/Getty Images)
A Sheriff’s deputy pauses while combing through the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic after a flash flood swept through the area Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Asked what officials on the ground needed most urgently from federal sources, Kerr County Commissioner Jeff Holt, who also is a volunteer firefighter, stressed the need for repairs to nonworking phone towers and “maybe a little better early warning system.”
Trump himself has suggested that a major warning system should be established, though few details have been offered on what that might eventually entail.
Friday’s visit was far different from the other times the first couple visited natural disaster sites, during Trump’s first weekend back in the White House in January. They toured North Carolina to scope out damage from Hurricane Helene and saw the aftermath of wildfires in Los Angeles, and the president sharply criticized the administration of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, and officials from deep-blue California.
“The state of Texas, No. 1 they do it right and they’ve done it right for a long time,” Trump said. “And it’s a very special place to me.”
Stocks closed lower on Wall Street, pulling the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite below the records they set a day earlier. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gave back 0.6%. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%. Levi Strauss jumped 11% after the jeans maker easily beat Wall Street’s sales and profit targets and raised its full-year forecast, despite expecting higher costs from tariffs. European markets closed broadly lower, and Asian markets closed mixed. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbed to 4.42%.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
U.S. stocks are lower in afternoon trading Friday, pulling the market back from all-time highs, as the Trump administration escalates its tariff threats against Canada.
The S&P 500 was down 0.2% a day after setting a record high. The benchmark index is on pace to post its first weekly loss in three weeks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 243 points, or 0.6%, as of 3:26 p.m. Eastern time. The Dow is also on track for a weekly loss. The Nasdaq composite was down 0.1% after drifting between small gains and losses. The tech-heavy index climbed to an all-time high on Thursday.
Bond yields rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.43%, from 4.34% late Thursday.
President Donald Trump said in a letter Thursday that he will raise taxes on many imported goods from Canada to 35%, deepening the rift between the longtime North American allies. The letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is an aggressive increase to the top 25% tariff rates that Trump first imposed in March.
The move is the latest bid by the White House to use threats of higher tariffs on goods imported into the U.S. in hopes of securing new trade agreements with countries around the globe, even historically close trading partners like Canada.
The administration had initially set Wednesday as a deadline for countries to make deals with the U.S. or face heavy increases in tariffs. But with just two trade deals announced since April, one with the United Kingdom and one with Vietnam, the window for negotiations has been now been extended to Aug. 1.
Trump also floated this week that he would impose tariffs of as much as 200% on pharmaceutical drugs and place a 50% tariff on copper imports, matching the rates charged on steel and aluminum.
The initial rollout of Trump’s tariff policies in the spring roiled financial markets. But Wall Street has been relatively stable in recent weeks, with stocks steadily rising to record levels That suggests the market has mostly adjusted to the unpredictability of Trump’s rapidly shifting tariffs. Some market watchers, however, aren’t so sure.
The market’s response to Trump’s tariff escalation this week “has been surprisingly muted. Markets appear to believe that Trump will again back down,” Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics, wrote Friday. “We are not so sure.”
Trade policy aside, the market is now set to shift at least some of its focus on companies due to report quarterly earnings over the next few weeks.
On Friday, Levi Strauss jumped 11.3% after the jeans maker easily beat Wall Street’s sales and profit targets and raised its full-year forecast, despite expecting higher costs from tariffs.
PriceSmart climbed 6.5% a day after the warehouse club operator delivered solid third-quarter results and said it’s looking into expanding into Chile.
Earnings season shifts into high gear next week with JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup among the big banks due to report their results on Tuesday.
Shares in financial and health care sector companies were the biggest weights on the market Friday.
Visa fell 2.5% and Gilead Sciences dropped 3.5%.
Several airline stocks were down a day after encouraging quarterly results from Delta Air Lines set off a rally in the sector. Delta slipped 0.4%, United fell 4.5% and American gave up 5.2%.
Elsewhere in the market, shares of T-Mobile were little changed after the Justice Department announced Thursday that it would not prevent the company from closing on its proposed $4.4 billion acquisition of U.S. Cellular. That deal, announced more than a year ago, had come under antitrust scrutiny from the Justice Department under President Joe Biden’s administration.
U.S. Cellular shares rose 4%.
Shares in aviation company Red Cat Holdings jumped 23.7% after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued orders aimed at ramping up production and deployment of drones.
European stock indexes closed broadly lower following a mostly lower finish in Asian markets.
Meanwhile, bitcoin climbed to another all-time high Friday, briefly eclipsing $118,000 before easing back to around $117,893, according to Coindesk.
Bitcoin’s price jump came amid bullish momentum across risk assets and coincides with Nvidia’s surge to a $4 trillion valuation. It also comes days before the U.S. Congress’ Crypto Week on July 14, where lawmakers will debate a series of bills that could define the regulatory framework for the industry.
NEW YORK (AP) — Never say never! Justin Bieber surprised fans Friday by releasing “Swag,” his seventh studio album, hours after he teased it on billboards and social media posts.
It is his first album since 2021’s “Justice” and his first since becoming a father last year.
“Inspired by his devotion as a husband and father, this new era of music has fueled a deeper perspective and more reflective sound, resulting in some of his most personal music yet,” Def Jam Recordings said of the 21-track album.
Billboards depicting Bieber were found by fans Thursday in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Los Angeles. The singer also shared images of billboards on his official Instagram account along with a tracklist that included song names like “All I Can Take,” “Walking Away,” “Dadz Love” and “Forgiveness.”
Recommendations for an intimate new album
There’s a lot to love across the 21-tracks of the intimate “Swag.” Here are a few choice cuts.
1. “Daises” — The second track on the album may very well be its strongest; an exemplar in Bieber’s slow-burn brand of alternative R&B-pop, now anchored with lo-fi guitar. Here, his sweet voice is pronounced — exactly what his most dedicated fans want to hear.
2. “Devotion” ft. Dijon — Dijon is a rising R&B voice; some fans might be familiar with his 2021 debut album “Absolutely” or his contribution to Bon Iver’s“SABLE, fABLE” from earlier this year. He makes for a standout collaboration on “Swag,” a sweet song about deepening affection.
3. “Go Baby” – Bieber married the model Hailey Bieber (nee Baldwin) in 2018; she’s long been source material for his most loving tracks. “Go Baby” is a standout for that reason. “That’s my baby, she’s iconic,” he opens the track, “iPhone case, lip gloss on it,” referencing her Rhode skincare and beauty brand, which sold to Elf Beauty in a $1 billion deal.
4. “Walking Away” – Marriage isn’t easy; that’s clear on “Walking Away,” a slightly-more-uptempo track where Bieber makes his dedication evident. It’s the perfect song for dancing in the kitchen with your partner.
5. “All I Can Take” – The throwback opener “All I Can Take” has a vintage groove — echoes of Beiber’s early work, now matured to reflect his current adult reality. He sounds as sweet as ever in the pre-chorus, his declaration of “Ooh, baby, don’t it feel good? Baby, don’t it feel nice? / Ooh, baby, don’t it feel good? You don’t have to think twice.”
Bieber before “Swag”
Bieber, the two-time Grammy Award winning singer and Canadian pop idol who revolutionized teen pop and social media fame, is best known for his silky R&B pop lyric tenor, demonstrated on the diamond-selling “Baby,” “Sorry,” and “Stay” with the Kid Laroi. At the beginning of his career, and as a tween, Bieber began working with Usher and the influential music manager Scooter Braun.
In 2023, Bieber sold the rights to his music — all six of his albums, including hits like “Sorry” and “Baby” — to Hipgnosis, a U.K-based music investment company. The deal’s financial details were not disclosed, but Billboard Magazine reports that the sale was worth an estimated $200 million.
By NADIA LATHAN, SEAN MURPHY, and JOSHUA A. BICKEL Associated Press
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Shock has turned into grief across Texas where at least 120 people died from flash floods and more were missing as the search for victims moved methodically along endless miles of rivers and rubble Thursday.
Photos of those who have died along with a colorful array of flowers and candles now decorate a fence in Hill Country — a growing tribute that reflects the enormity of the disaster in the region.
Several hundred people gathered for a worship ceremony at a high school stadium in Texas on Wednesday evening to remember the at least 120 people who died in the catastrophic flash floods over the July Fourth holiday, as well the many still missing. (AP Video: Stephen Smith)
The victims include three friends who had gathered for the July Fourth weekend, 8-year-old sisters who were at summer camp and a 91-year-old grandmother known for her sharp wit.
More than 170 people have been reported missing, most in Kerr County, where nearly 100 victims have been recovered. The death toll remained at 120 Thursday, nearly a week since the floods first hit.
Authorities say they have carefully gone over the list of those unaccounted for, but those numbers are often tough to pin down in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
The unrelenting power of the floods forced families to make unnerving escapes with little time to spare in the middle of the night. One woman recounted how she and others, including a toddler, first climbed into an attic and then onto a roof where they heard screams and watched vehicles float past. Photos and videos captured their ordeal.
The aftermath
More than 2,000 local, state and federal workers were involved in the search for victims. Stifling heat and mounds of trees, hunks of lumber and trash made the task more difficult.
At a small shopping center damaged in the floods, people piled debris gathered from the rivers. Officials hope to eventually set aside personal items so residents find their possessions.
A disaster recovery center managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state of Texas and the Small Business Administration opened Thursday at the First Baptist Church in Kerrville, offering survivors a hub to register for federal assistance and other services. Only a few people passed through the quiet church gymnasium in the late afternoon.
“The word’s not out yet, the first few days are always slow,” said Laurie Fried, long term recovery specialist for The Salvation Army in Texas.
A row of brooms and buckets filled with cleaning supplies stood behind the nonprofit Community Council of South Central Texas’ table, where staff were distributing grocery store gift cards for income-qualified households and offering financial assistance for hotel stays and utility bills.
The cleaning kits were for those mucking out flooded homes, but the council’s community service coordinator, Nina Ruiz, said they had only passed out about seven of them that day. “A lot of the people don’t have homes to clean up,” she said.
On Wednesday, hundreds prayed, wept and held one another at a prayer service, among the first of many somber gatherings to come in the weeks ahead.
“Our communities were struck with tragedy literally in the darkness,” said Wyatt Wentrcek, a youth minister.
David Garza drove more than an hour to support his loved ones.
“I’m from here, and I was here in the ’78 flood and the ’87 flood,” Garza said. “I just wanted to be a part of this.”
Some at the service wore green ribbons for the girls from Camp Mystic, the century-old Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counselors died.
Parents of children who were at the many summer camps in Hill Country have credited the teenage counselors with ushering campers to safety and helping keep them calm during the chaos.
Calls for better flood preparation in the future
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called on state lawmakers to approve funding for new warning systems and emergency communications in flood prone areas when the Legislature meets later this month. Abbott also asked for financial relief for the response and recovery efforts.
“We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
Public officials in the area have come under repeated criticism amid questions about the timeline of what happened and why widespread warnings were not sounded and more preparations were not made.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha has said those questions will be answered after the victims are recovered.
Local leaders have talked for years about the need for a flood warning system, but concerns about costs and noise led to missed opportunities to put up sirens.
President Donald Trump has pledged to provide whatever relief Texas needs to recover and is planning to visit the state Friday.
Polls taken before the floods show Americans largely believe the federal government should play a major role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters, which are becoming a growing worry. On Tuesday, a deluge in New Mexico triggered flash floods that killed three people.
The devastation in Texas stretched from Hill Country all the way to just outside the state’s capital. At least 15 people died in the Austin area and adjacent counties.
Just north of Austin, floodwaters from the San Gabriel River swamped two RV parks in Georgetown.
Teri Hoffman watched the water lift up her camper with her two dogs inside.
“The camper just kind of goes over on its side and starts floating. And then all the other campers just started crashing into it,” she said.
Rescuers were able to save the dogs and she managed to dig out the last picture she has of her late mother. Everything else from the RV where she lived with her husband and children is gone, she said.
“I couldn’t look at it,” Hoffman said. “I had to walk away.”
___
Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Hallie Golden in Seattle; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; contributed to this report.
Wall Street added to its recent milestones Thursday as the market closed at an all-time high after Delta Air Lines kicked off earnings season with a solid outlook for the rest of 2025, spurring an airline stock rally.
The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, inching past the record it set last week after a better-than-expected June jobs report.
The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%, enough of a gain to notch a new high for the second day in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished 0.4% higher.
Delta surged 12%, bringing other airlines along with it, after beating Wall Street’s revenue and profit targets. The Atlanta airline also gave a more optimistic view for the remaining summer travel season than it had just a couple months ago.
The airline and other major U.S. carriers had pulled or slashed their forecasts in the spring, citing macroeconomic uncertainty amid President Donald Trump’s tariff rollouts, which have consumers feeling uneasy about spending on travel.
“Companies are becoming more confident in the range of outcomes for tariffs,” said Michael Antonelli, market strategist at Baird. “Companies are starting to understand what the playing field looks like a little bit better, even though we continue to have these kind of tariff announcements that get bounced back and forth.”
Delta’s encouraging report boosted the entire airline sector. United jumped 14.3%, American climbed 12.7%, JetBlue gained 7.8% and Southwest finished 8.1% higher.
The market has been steadying following a downbeat start to the week as the Trump administration renewed its push to use threats of higher tariffs on goods imported into the U.S. in hopes of securing new trade agreements with countries around the globe.
Wednesday had been initially set as a deadline by Trump for countries to make deals with the U.S. or face heavy increases in tariffs. But with just two trade deals announced since April, one with the United Kingdom and one with Vietnam, the window for negotiations has now been extended to Aug. 1. That’s given Wall Street a breather just in time for the start of corporate earnings season.
Wall Street analysts predict that companies in the S&P 500 will deliver 5% growth in second-quarter earnings, according to FactSet. That would mark the lowest rate since the fourth quarter of 2023.
Conagra Brands fell 4.4% Thursday after the maker of Slim Jim, Swiss Miss and other food products reported earnings and revenue that fell short of Wall Street’s estimates. The company also lowered its earnings outlook, saying it expects continued cost increases due to tariffs.
Helen of Troy, the company behind Hydro Flask water bottles and OXO kitchen tools, sank 22.7% after its latest quarterly results came in below Wall Street’s forecasts. The company said it would not be providing a fiscal year 2026 outlook, citing uncertainty over tariff policy and the economy.
Shares in AZZ rose 5.5% after the electrical equipment maker’s latest quarterly earnings topped analysts’ forecasts.
Earnings season shifts into high gear next week with JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup among the big banks due to report their results on Tuesday.
Beyond airlines, most of the sectors in the S&P 500 notched gains Thursday, led by banks and consumer-focused companies. JPMorgan and McDonald’s each rose 1.8%.
Technology and communication services stocks were the only laggards. Autodesk fell 6.9% and Netflix ended 2.9% lower.
Shares of WK Kellogg vaulted 30.6% after Italian candy maker Ferrero agreed to acquire the cereal company in a deal valued at roughly $3.1 billion. The transaction includes the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of WK Kellogg Co.’s portfolio of breakfast cereals across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
Shares in mining company Freeport-McMoRan rose 3.6% after Trump said a 50% tariff on copper imports would take effect on Aug. 1. The price of copper rose 1.9% to $5.59 per pound.
All told, the S&P 500 rose 17.20 points to 6,280.46. The Dow added 192.34 points to 44,650.64. The Nasdaq gained 19.33 points to 20,630.66.
Bond yields mostly rose, although the yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 4.34%.
European stock indexes closed mixed Thursday following an uneven finish in Asian markets.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.4%, weighed down by selling of exporters’ shares amid the yen’s appreciation, which cuts profits from exports, and dampened sentiment because of the lack of progress in the Japan-U.S. trade talks.
APEX, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s first standalone children’s hospital will be built in a bedroom community near the state capital, the project’s health systems announced Thursday, creating a campus estimated to bring 8,000 jobs to the area.
UNC Health and Duke Health announced in January an agreement to jointly build the proposed 500-bed pediatric hospital and linked facilities in the state’s Research Triangle region, which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.
At that time, the specific location wasn’t finalized. But leaders of the health systems said hwThursday that the “North Carolina Children’s” project will be constructed about 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) southwest of downtown Raleigh in the Wake County town of Apex. Apex has a population of 77,000, which is already surging in population thanks to the region’s strong technology economy.
More than 15 potential sites in several counties were considered, Duke Health CEO Dr. Craig Albanese said at an Apex news conference.20
The 230-acre (93.1-hectare) campus, located near a regional transportation interchange, will also include a children’s outpatient care center, over 100 behavioral health beds and a research and education center operated by Duke University and University of North Carolina medical schools.
The campus is poised to be integrated into a long-discussed mixed-use development location called Veridea that will include thousands of new homes, retail, dining, office and research space, as well as a new Wake Technical Community College campus.
“This campus will create a brighter, healthier future for generations of children and adolescents across North Carolina and the Southeast, and we’re thrilled to have Apex as our home and partner,” UNC Heatlh CEO Dr. Wesley Burks said in a news release.
A groundbreaking for the hospital campus is now expected in 2027, with construction anticipated to take six years. North Carolina Children’s Health also issued on Thursday a request for information from potential design and construction contractors for the project.
There are children’s hospitals already in North Carolina, including those operated by the University of North Carolina and Duke University health systems that are attached to their main campuses in the Triangle.
The Apex location “will ensure that the Triangle remains a hub and a destination for the best pediatric scientists, teachers and clinicians — convenient to both medical school campuses,” said Dr. Mary Klotman, dean of the Duke University medical school and a Duke Health executive.
The new children’s hospital agreed to acquire a portion of the Veridea land, which is owned by a business partnership between the North Carolina state retirement system and the land developers, according to the State Treasurer’s Office, which administers the system.
State Treasurer Brad Briner said at the news conference that the land sale is a win for everyone involved, including government retirees and the pension system, “making a modest profit and unlocking more value in the land that is adjacent.”
“Above all, it’s a win for the 11 million North Carolinians who deserve world-class pediatric care right here at home,” he added.
The health systems have said the hospital campus project could cost from $2 billion to $3 billion, with a massive private fundraising effort ahead.
The project has already received $320 million from state legislators. The next state budget, still being negotiated by House and Senate Republicans that ultimately would head to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s desk, also could contain more project funds.
Stein said in an interview Thursday that beyond the economic opportunity the project will spark, “I’m really excited about what the children’s hospital means for children of North Carolina who are sick and in need of the best, most sophisticated, advanced medical interventions to live long, healthy lives.”
Joe Coleman, a lanky right-hander who won 142 games in 15 major league seasons and was an All-Star in 1972 with Detroit, died Wednesday morning, his son said. He was 78.
Casey Coleman said his father died in his sleep in Jamestown, Tennessee.
The son and father of major leaguers, Coleman became the No. 3 pick in baseball’s inaugural amateur draft in 1965 when he was selected by the Washington Senators. His father, also named Joe — who pitched in the majors from 1942-55 — negotiated a club-record $75,000 signing bonus.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Coleman became the first player to reach the majors after being drafted when he debuted for the Senators on Sept. 28, 1965. He threw a four-hitter to beat the Kansas City Athletics 6-1.
After the 1970 season, Coleman was traded to Detroit in a deal that sent Denny McLain to Washington. He enjoyed his greatest individual success with the Tigers, going 88-73 with a 3.82 ERA from 1971-76.
In 1971, he went 20-9 with a 3.15 ERA after recovering from a skull fracture that hospitalized him for two weeks. He was an All-Star the following season and made his only postseason appearance, striking out a then-playoff-record 14 batters to shut out the Oakland Athletics in Game 3 of the five-game American League championship series. The Tigers lost the series 3-2 and Oakland went on to beat Cincinnati in the World Series.
Coleman’s strikeout record stood for 25 years. Baltimore’s Mike Mussina fanned 15 in the 1997 ALCS against Cleveland.
Coleman also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates. In his final season, he made 10 relief appearance for the 1979 Pirates, who went on to win the World Series.
For his career, he was 142-135 with a 3.70 ERA and 1,728 strikeouts in 484 appearances (340 starts).
After retiring as a player, Coleman worked as a pitching and bullpen coach for the California and Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners along with several minor-league clubs.
“He was a good man with a really good heart,” Casey Coleman said. “Everywhere I went in professional baseball, I met pitchers he coached. Many gave him credit for making it to the big leagues.”
Casey Coleman pitched in 58 major league games for the Cubs and Kansas City from 2010-14.
Born in Boston, Joe Coleman graduated from Natick High. He attended Ted Williams’ baseball camps, where he learned how to throw a curveball and slider.
In addition to Casey, Coleman is survived by his wife, Donna, daughter, Kristen, and three grandchildren.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Olympic wrestler and MMA star Ben Askren, who has been hospitalized in Wisconsin after a severe case of pneumonia, said in a post on social media Wednesday that he had undergone a double lung transplant and is in recovery.
Askren said during the Instagram video that he recalls very little of what happened over a monthlong stretch from late May through the first two days of July. His wife, Amy, had said in a series of social media posts that Askren was put on a ventilator in June and placed on the donor list for a lung transplant on June 24.
“No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened,” Askren said of most of the past six weeks. “I just read through my wife’s journal. It’s like a movie. It’s ridiculous. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds.”
Askren said he lost about 50 pounds during the 45-day stretch.
“The thing that was most impeccable to me was all the love I felt,” Askren said. “It was almost like I got to have my own funeral.”
The 40-year-old Askren was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but has lived primarily in Wisconsin, where he runs a youth wrestling academy. He won back-to-back NCAA titles at Missouri and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics for the U.S. before moving into MMA, where he fought for Bellator and ONE Championship before moving into the UFC.
Askren retired from MMA after a loss to Demian Maia in October 2019. He had a record of 19-2 with one no contest.
Askren made a brief return to combat sports in April 2021, when he fought social media star Jake Paul in a boxing match. Paul won by technical knockout in the first round of a fight that sold about 500,000 on pay-per-view.
