Category Archives: WPTF News

Wall Street tumbles after Trump escalates his trade war; S&P 500 sinks 1.2%, and Dow drops 500

Wall Street tumbles after Trump escalates his trade war; S&P 500 sinks 1.2%, and Dow drops 500

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s sell-off is accelerating after President Donald Trump upped the stakes in his trade war. Not even a double-shot of good news on the U.S. economy could stop the bleeding, and the S&P 500 fell 1.2% Thursday. The index is threatening to close more than 10% below its record, which would be its first such drop since 2023. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 507 points, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.6%. Trump’s escalating trade war is raising worries about the economy’s strength, though reports came in better than expected during the morning on both inflation and joblessness in the United States.… Continue Reading

Duke’s Cooper Flagg exits ACC quarterfinals with ankle injury, but returns to bench without a boot

Duke’s Cooper Flagg exits ACC quarterfinals with ankle injury, but returns to bench without a boot

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Duke star Cooper Flagg left his team’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinal game with a left ankle injury and had to be helped to the locker room. Flagg later returned to the Duke bench without a boot on his foot and walking under his own power, but is doubtful to return. The top-ranked Blue Devils were trailing 26-17 late in the first half when Flagg went up for a rebound and crashed to the floor. He hobbled back to the bench in clear distress. He was later shown in a wheelchair in the bowels of the Spectrum Center.… Continue Reading

Putin agrees in principle with proposal for Ukraine ceasefire and says more discussions are needed

Putin agrees in principle with proposal for Ukraine ceasefire and says more discussions are needed

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agrees in principle with a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. But he emphasized that the terms are yet to be worked out and noted that any truce should pave the way to lasting peace. Putin spoke Thursday at a news conference in Moscow. He said more discussions are needed with the U.S., including President Donald Trump. In Washington, Trump offered guarded optimism about Putin’s statement and reiterated that he stood ready to speak with him. The Russian leader made the remarks just hours after the arrival of Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow for talks.… Continue Reading

Trump threatens retaliatory 200% tariff on European wine after EU proposes American whiskey tax

Trump threatens retaliatory 200% tariff on European wine after EU proposes American whiskey tax

WASHINGTON (AP) — American retailers say President Donald Trump’s threatened 200% tariff on European wine would harm consumers. Holly Seidewand owns First Fill Spirits in New York state and says a tariff war hurts importers, distributors and retailers but “consumers will bear the brunt of it.” Ronnie Sanders is CEO of Vine Street Imports in New Jersey and says customers aren’t prepared to pay two or three times more for their favorite wine. Trump on Thursday called the EU among “the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities.” Because of the Republican president’s threat, a previously untariffed $15 bottle of Italian Prosecco could cost $45. The European Commission says Europe wants to “negotiate to avoid tariffs.”… Continue Reading

North Carolina’s new governor seeks more Helene aid, help for families in legislative address

North Carolina’s new governor seeks more Helene aid, help for families in legislative address

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein told lawmakers during his first State of the State address that he wants a Hurricane Helene aid bill on his desk and seeks to help make living expenses affordable across the state. Stein delivered the biennial speech to a joint General Assembly session Wednesday night. He also emphasized finding areas where he and Republicans who control the legislature can agree and work together. The House and Senate are trying to negotiate competing bills to provide additional Helene relief. Stein said he will sign the bill that comes to his desk, saying the money was needed “yesterday.”… Continue Reading

Jae’Lyn Withers buries 7 3-pointers and North Carolina rolls past Notre Dame 76-56 in ACC Tournament

Jae’Lyn Withers buries 7 3-pointers and North Carolina rolls past Notre Dame 76-56 in ACC Tournament

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jae’Lyn Withers scored 21 points — all on 3-pointers — and Ven-Allen Lubin had 17 points and 10 rebounds in North Carolina’s 76-56 rout of Notre Dame on the second day of the ACC Tournament. North Carolina made nine of 17 3-pointers in the first half, highlighted by Withers, who made five of six. His first three 3-pointers, all in row, helped the Tar Heels build a 17-5 lead in the opening five minutes. Later, he made two more in a 12-0 run that gave the Tar Heels a 37-17 lead. North Carolina led 43-29 at halftime. The Tar Heels extended their lead to 58-38 early in the second half. The largest lead was 24 points on two occasions. North Carolina will play Wake Forest on Thursday.… Continue Reading

Tens of billions in Hurricane Helene aid to start by March 21

Tens of billions in Hurricane Helene aid to start by March 21

ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has pledged to start paying out tens of billions in aid to victims of Hurricane Helene later this month. But delays are already making it hard this year for some farmers to plant crops. Congress set a deadline of March 21 to hand out the money when it passed a $100 billion disaster relief package. The September 2024 storm cut a swath from Florida into North Carolina, causing more than $10 billion in estimated damages to farmers. A Georgia farmer says farmers need aid to repay 2024 debts so they can borrow anew to plant crops this spring.… Continue Reading

March Madness selection panel will have to juggle thanks to SEC overload in bracket

March Madness selection panel will have to juggle thanks to SEC overload in bracket

The NCAA selection committee will have some juggling to do before the bracket comes out Sunday to keep March Madness from looking like an extension of the Southeastern Conference’s regular season. With the league in line to place between 12 and 14 teams in the tournament, some long-held guidelines drawn to help set the matchups will have to give way. Conference rivals could face each other as early as the second round or the Sweet 16. The SEC has been led by Auburn, with Alabama, Tennessee and Florida close behind. The newly expanded conference, along with the Big Ten and Big 12, will gobble up nearly half of this year’s 68 spots in the tournament.… Continue Reading

US inflation cooled last month, though trade war threatens to lift prices

US inflation cooled last month, though trade war threatens to lift prices

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum kicked in Wednesday that could send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest in nearly four years. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.… Continue Reading

Schools use AI to monitor kids, hoping to prevent violence. Our investigation found security risks

Schools use AI to monitor kids, hoping to prevent violence. Our investigation found security risks

Schools are turning to AI-powered surveillance technology to monitor students on school-issued devices like laptops and tablets. The goal is to keep children safe, especially amid a mental health crisis and the threat of school shootings. Machine-learning algorithms flag suspected problems like bullying, self-harm or suicide and then alert school officials. But these tools raise serious questions about privacy and security. When The Seattle Times and The Associated Press partnered to investigate school surveillance, reporters inadvertently received access to almost 3,500 unredacted student documents through a records request. The documents were stored without a password or firewall, and anyone with the link could read them.… Continue Reading

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