Category Archives: WPTF News

North Carolina’s high court says elections board shift can continue while appeals carry on

North Carolina’s high court says elections board shift can continue while appeals carry on

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Supreme Court has confirmed it was OK for a new law that shifted the power to appoint State Board of Elections members away from the Democratic governor to start being enforced earlier this month. The court’s Republican majority declined or dismissed requests Friday that Gov. Josh Stein made three weeks ago to block for now the enforcement of the Republican law shifting authority to State Auditor Dave Boliek while Stein seeks to overturn it. But the court didn’t immediately act, so Boliek made his appointments May 1. The old Democratic-majority board now has a Republican majority. Appeals over the law’s constitutionality can continue.… Continue Reading

Kyle Larson to start on front row at Coca-Cola 600 alongside pole sitter Chase Briscoe

Kyle Larson to start on front row at Coca-Cola 600 alongside pole sitter Chase Briscoe

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Chase Briscoe won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 and will start on the front row for NASCAR’s longest and most grueling race alongside Kyle Larson. Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, turned a lap of 182.852 mph on the 1 1/2-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway to edge out Larson, who plans to arrive at the track about an hour before the race Sunday night after completing the Indianapolis 500. William Byron starts third, followed by Chris Buescher and AJ Allmendinger. Rounding out the top 10 will be John Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, Alex Bowman and defending race champion Christopher Bell.… Continue Reading

Panthers score 5 in the 3rd period, roll past Hurricanes 6-2 and move a win away from Cup final

Panthers score 5 in the 3rd period, roll past Hurricanes 6-2 and move a win away from Cup final

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Niko Mikkola and Aleksander Barkov each scored twice, and the Florida Panthers scored five goals in a nine-minute span of the third period to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 on Saturday night and move one win from a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Jesper Boqvist — playing for the injured Sam Reinhart — scored the go-ahead goal early in the third for Florida, which now leads the Eastern Conference finals 3-0. Brad Marchand also scored for the Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots. Logan Stankoven and Seth Jarvis scored for Carolina, which has now dropped 15 consecutive East finals games… Continue Reading

Federal judge blocks Trump administration decision to bar foreign student enrollment at Harvard

Federal judge blocks Trump administration decision to bar foreign student enrollment at Harvard

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has blocked a Trump administration decision to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students. The temporary restraining order stops the government from pulling Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows the school to sponsor international students as they obtain visas to study in the U.S. Harvard filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts earlier Friday.… Continue Reading

Bennett, Verhaeghe help Panthers roll past Hurricanes 5-0, take 2-0 lead in Eastern final

Bennett, Verhaeghe help Panthers roll past Hurricanes 5-0, take 2-0 lead in Eastern final

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sam Bennett scored one of his two goals in Florida’s three-goal first period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves and the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final. Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk also scored in another tone-setting opening 20 minutes for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, while Carter Verhaeghe had three assists. Bennett scored a second time by skating in to clean up an attempt at the right post in the final minute of the second period to make it 4-0, ending a long shift in Carolina’s end prolonged by Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns being stuck on the ice after breaking his stick. Aleksander Barkov scored midway through the third as punctuation.… Continue Reading

Court papers say suspect in embassy killings declared, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza’

Court papers say suspect in embassy killings declared, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza’

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man charged with fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington as they were leaving an event at a Jewish museum told police after his arrest, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.” That’s according to court documents released Thursday charging 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez with the Wednesday night attack. The documents say the shooting was captured on surveillance video outside the museum. Authorities say the footage showed Rodriguez firing at the victims several times after they fell to the ground. Rodriguez faces charges of murder of foreign officials and other crimes, and additional charges are likely.… Continue Reading

North Carolina House advances more Hurricane Helene aid in $465M package

North Carolina House advances more Hurricane Helene aid in $465M package

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina House has advanced another Hurricane Helene funding package to address pressing needs in the mountains eight months after the storm. The chamber approved a $465 million spending plan unanimously on Thursday. It’s about half what Democratic Gov. Josh Stein requested from the Republican-controlled General Assembly earlier this week. Republican lawmakers had been working on their package before Stein’s pitch. The General Assembly already has provided $1.6 billion in Helene recovery funding. But the needs are many times greater, and federal funds have been slow in reaching western North Carolina. The bill now heading to the Senate includes a business grant program.… Continue Reading

Judge blocks Trump’s order to dismantle the Education Department and fire employees

Judge blocks Trump’s order to dismantle the Education Department and fire employees

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Education Department and ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted a preliminary injunction Thursday stopping the Trump administration from carrying out two plans announced in March that sought to work toward Trump’s goal to dismantle the department. It marks a setback to one of the Republican president’s campaign promises. The ruling came in two consolidated lawsuits that said Trump’s plan amounted to an illegal closure of the Education Department.… Continue Reading

House Republicans pass Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and program cuts after all-night session

House Republicans pass Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and program cuts after all-night session

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package. Speaker Mike Johnson defied the skeptics within his ranks and muscled President Donald Trump’s priority bill to approval Thursday. Last-minute concessions and a stern warning from Trump appeared to win over the hold outs to salvage what he calls the “big, beautiful bill.” The outcome caps an intense time on Capitol Hill, with days of private negotiations and public committee hearings. Democrats, without the votes to stop Trump’s package, tried to stall it. The Congressional Budget Office says the tax provisions would add $3.8 trillion to federal deficits.… Continue Reading

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