Category Archives: WPTF News

Cassie testimony against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ends after she spent days describing abuse

Cassie testimony against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ends after she spent days describing abuse

NEW YORK (AP) — R&B singer Cassie has finished testifying at her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial. She spent four emotional days on the witness stand during which she was questioned about the deepest, most disturbing secrets of her sex life and described being beaten and raped by a man she once loved. When Judge Arun Subramanian told her she could leave Friday, Cassie glanced once toward the jury but never looked in Combs’ direction as she walked out of the courtroom for the final time. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and other charges. He denies allegations that he exploited his status as a music executive and businessman to force women into group sex.… Continue Reading

Svechnikov breaks late tie as the Hurricanes beat the Capitals to reach Eastern Conference final

Svechnikov breaks late tie as the Hurricanes beat the Capitals to reach Eastern Conference final

WASHINGTON (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov scored the go-ahead goal with just under two minutes left and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 in Game 5 on Thursday night, winning the second-round series and advancing to the Eastern Conference final for a second time in three years. Captain Jordan Staal got his first goal of the playoffs, and Frederik Andersen stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced, including several on Alex Ovechkin. After a give and go with defenseman Sean Walker, Svechnikov’s shot got through Logan Thompson from a bad angle with 1:59 remaining, and that was the difference in a game that was back and forth. Seth Jarvis sealed it with an empty-net goal with 26.1 seconds remaining.… Continue Reading

PGA has strong field and big surprise: Jhonattan Vegas leads at 64 as stars fail to shine

PGA has strong field and big surprise: Jhonattan Vegas leads at 64 as stars fail to shine

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The PGA Championship has the strongest field of the majors. It was just hard to find them at Quail Hollow. Jhonattan Vegas birdied five of his last six holes for a 64. That gives the Venezuelan a two-shot lead over PGA Tour rookie Ryan Gerard and Cam Davis of Australia. Masters champion Rory McIlroy shot 74. Scottie Scheffler had a 69 and Xander Schauffele a 72. For the first time in at least 30 years, no one from the top 10 in the world was in the top 10 on the leaderboard after one round of a major.… Continue Reading

More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code

More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code

More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas at 75 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday, protesting the coffee giant’s new dress code. Starbucks announced last month that it was setting new limits on what baristas can wear under their green aprons. Starting Monday, employees were required to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms. Starbucks said the new dress code will make its green aprons stand out. But Starbucks Workers United, the union that represents workers at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said the dress code should be subject to bargaining.… Continue Reading

Cassie testifies that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs raped her and threatened to release sex videos

Cassie testifies that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs raped her and threatened to release sex videos

NEW YORK (AP) — The R&B singer Cassie has testified that her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs’ raped her in 2018 and kept control over her life by threatening to release recordings of her with male sex workers during encounters he arranged. Cassie testified for a second day at Combs’ sex trafficking trial. Combs is accused of exploiting his status as a powerful music executive to coerce women including Cassie into drugged-up sexual encounters he watched. He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers say all sexual acts were consensual. The 55-year-old Combs faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.… Continue Reading

US overdose deaths fell 27% last year, the largest one-year decline ever seen

US overdose deaths fell 27% last year, the largest one-year decline ever seen

There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded. An estimated 80,000 people died from an overdose 2024. That’s down 27% from the 110,000 in 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released the data Wednesday. The CDC has been collecting comparable data for 45 years. The previous largest one-year drop was 4% in 2018. Experts say several things could be driving the decline. They include increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment and shifts in how people use drugs.… Continue Reading

Hurricanes and Stars ride stellar special teams to the verge of the conference finals

Hurricanes and Stars ride stellar special teams to the verge of the conference finals

The Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars are each one win away from winning their second-round series and moving on to the conference finals. Carolina is up 3-1 on Washington and Dallas up 3-1 on Winnipeg and have gotten to this point thanks to some of the best special teams play in the NHL playoffs. They have the top two power plays and penalty kills among the teams that made it past the first round. Scoring with the man advantage and preventing goals on the kill is a big reason they’re on the verge of eliminating the Capitals and Jets.… Continue Reading

What the EPA’s partial rollback of the ‘forever chemical’ drinking water rule means

What the EPA’s partial rollback of the ‘forever chemical’ drinking water rule means

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will roll back limits on several types of what are known as forever chemicals in drinking water. The agency, however, will keep limits on the two most common types, called PFOA and PFOS, although it will offer a two-year deadline extension for utilities to comply. PFAS are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and are incredibly useful in household products, but that resilience also makes them hazardous.… Continue Reading

House works into the night as Republicans push ahead on Trump’s big bill

House works into the night as Republicans push ahead on Trump’s big bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tax breaks tallying more than $5 trillion. But also sizable reductions in Medicaid health care, food stamps for older Americans and green energy strategies to fight climate change. Those all faced sharp debate as House lawmakers pushed through marathon public hearings overnight into Wednesday on President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Republicans are working on Trump’s signature legislative package over mounting opposition from Democrats, advocacy groups and even some wary Republicans themselves. The first hearing was disrupted by protesters shouting against health care cuts. House Speaker Mike Johnson hopes to send the Senate the bill by Memorial Day.… Continue Reading

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