Category Archives: WPTF News

No deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine after Trump rolls out red carpet for Putin

No deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine after Trump rolls out red carpet for Putin

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have started their Alaska summit with a warm handshake. They greeted each other like old friends before heading into discussions that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington. Friday’s summit gives Trump a chance to prove he is a master dealmaker and global peacemaker. For Putin, it’s an opportunity to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders weren’t invited. The meeting could have far-reaching implications, with foreign governments watching closely.… Continue Reading

Duke Energy seeks to merge Carolina utilities, projecting more than $1B in customer savings

Duke Energy seeks to merge Carolina utilities, projecting more than $1B in customer savings

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Duke Energy Corp. has requested approval to merge its electric utility subsidiaries in North and South Carolina. The company says this move could save customers over $1 billion over a decade. The Charlotte-based utility asked federal and state regulators on Thursday for permission to combine Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. The merger aims to streamline operations and spread infrastructure expenses. Duke Energy says the change would simplify rate structures and reduce the need for resources. The subsidiaries combined produce electricity for 4.7 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. Duke Energy wants the change made effective Jan. 1, 2027.… Continue Reading

Bondi names DEA head as DC’s ’emergency police commissioner,’ but capital leaders push back

Bondi names DEA head as DC’s ’emergency police commissioner,’ but capital leaders push back

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi has named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as Washington’s “emergency police commissioner,” saying she is granting him the powers of the police chief amid President Donald Trump’s takeover. Bondi said in an directive issued Thursday evening that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume “powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police.” But the capital’s attorney general responded that Bondi’s order was “unlawful” and said local officers must continue to follow Police Chief Pamela Smith’s orders. Mayor Muriel Bowser says “there is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official.”… Continue Reading

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud reunite at joint practice, reflect on NFL journeys

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud reunite at joint practice, reflect on NFL journeys

HOUSTON (AP) — Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud have been linked since being drafted first and second in the 2023 NFL draft. The two California natives became friends in middle school, competing in football and basketball. On Thursday, they reunited when Stroud’s Houston Texans hosted Young’s Carolina Panthers for a joint practice. Both quarterbacks focused on drills but took time to catch up afterward. Young expressed pride in Stroud’s success, while Stroud praised Young’s consistency. Despite Stroud’s playoff success, he remains irked by a 2023 loss to Young’s Panthers and hopes for a rematch.… Continue Reading

Androids dance, rock, shimmy and sway at opening of World Humanoid Robot Games

Androids dance, rock, shimmy and sway at opening of World Humanoid Robot Games

Humanoid robots have showcased their talents at the opening ceremony of the first World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The event began on Thursday evening. It features robots dancing, performing martial arts and playing musical instruments. The competition starts on Friday with more than 500 robots from 16 countries including the U.S., Germany, and Japan. They will compete in sports like soccer, running and boxing. The games highlight China’s efforts to develop humanoid robots powered by artificial intelligence. The event runs for three days and concludes on Sunday. Tickets range from 180 to 580 yuan or $25 to $80.… Continue Reading

Most US stocks fall after a disappointing inflation update, but Big Tech keeps Wall Street steady

Most US stocks fall after a disappointing inflation update, but Big Tech keeps Wall Street steady

NEW YORK (AP) — Most stocks are falling on Wall Street following a disappointing update on inflation. But gains for Amazon and other influential Big Tech companies are helping to mask the losses on Thursday, and the S&P 500 rose 0.1% even though three out of every four stocks within the index fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 79 points, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2% to its own record. The hotter-than-expected inflation report forced traders to second guess the widespread consensus that the Federal Reserve will deliver relief next month by cutting interest rates. Treasury yields rose.… Continue Reading

A way-too early guess at who will make the College Football Playoff this season

A way-too early guess at who will make the College Football Playoff this season

Now in its second year with an expanded bracket, 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff to close out the 2025-26 season. Five of those slots will go to conference champions. The rest — at-large bids to be handed out by the 13-person committee. The AP looks at those that should be making plans for the playoffs. They include Georgia, Texas, defending champion Ohio State and, yes, Alabama after barely missing the field last season.… Continue Reading

DeSantis announces plans for second immigration detention facility dubbed ‘Deportation Depot’

DeSantis announces plans for second immigration detention facility dubbed ‘Deportation Depot’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility at a state prison in north Florida, as a federal judge decides the fate of the state’s holding center for immigrants at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” DeSantis announced Thursday that the new facility is to be built at the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 43 miles (69 kilometers) west of Jacksonville, and is expected to house 1,300 immigration detention beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000, state officials said.… Continue Reading

Wall Street ticks higher after a rally wrapped around the world

Wall Street ticks higher after a rally wrapped around the world

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting around their record levels after a rally spurred by hopes for lower U.S. interest rates wrapped around the world. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% Wednesday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 325 points, while the Nasdaq composite was flat after setting a record the day before. Treasury yields eased, as expectations reached a virtual consensus that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rates for the first time this year at its next meeting in September. Stocks leaped by more than 1% in several Asian markets, while European indexes rose more modestly.… Continue Reading

Trump names Strait, Stallone and KISS for Kennedy Center Honors and says he’ll host the awards show

Trump names Strait, Stallone and KISS for Kennedy Center Honors and says he’ll host the awards show

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced country music start George Strait and “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone among the first batch of Kennedy Center Honors nominees in his new role as chairman. The remaining three recipients are singer Gloria Gaynor, the rock band KISS and actor-singer Michael Crawford, The Republican president also announced on Wednesday that he’ll host the awards program. The glamorous event is usually taped in December and broadcast later in the month by CBS. Trump avoided the Kennedy Center Honors during his first term due to protests from artists but is embracing his new role as the center’s chairman.… Continue Reading

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