Triangle/Local
Suspects in separate Charlotte, North Carolina, train stabbings face federal counts
By ERIK VERDUZCO and GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The man accused of killing a Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train in North Carolina’s largest city appeared in court on a federal count Thursday, hours before the government announced a similar charge against…
Meet the real holiday cacti and learn the easy way to keep them thriving
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener There is one thing we don’t have a lot of in my house and that’s houseplants. I have absolutely no reason why. I have had a pothos and a snake plant on my desk at work for many years.…
Honduran man is held without bond in North Carolina train stabbing that drew comments from Trump
By ERIK VERDUZCO and ALLEN G. BREED Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina judge on Monday ordered a Honduran man to be held without bond in a non-fatal stabbing on a Charlotte commuter train that drew comments from President Donald Trump pointing out the…
Man wounded in 2nd stabbing attack on Charlotte commuter train since August
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina have charged a 33-year-old man with critically injuring another person in a stabbing on a Charlotte commuter train, just a few months after a Ukrainian refugee riding one of the city’s trains was killed in an unrelated knife attack.…
Tending God’s earth: a journey of faith through gardening
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener I have always believed that God is in everything. There can be nothing on Earth to which this idea applies more than a garden. Don’t forget — one of God’s first creations was the Garden of Eden. George Bernard…
State/Regional
FEMA to send Georgia more than $300 million in Hurricane Helene relief after accusations of delays
ATLANTA (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday announced it would send $350 million in funding to localities and electric cooperatives for relief efforts following Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby. The announcement comes two months after Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of…
North Carolina Gov. Stein cancels Medicaid rate cuts amid legal and legislative battles
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein is canceling Medicaid reimbursement rate reductions he initiated over two months ago, preserving in the short term access to care for vulnerable patients while a political fight with Republican legislators…
A student dies during stabbing at North Carolina high school
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A stabbing at a central North Carolina high school Tuesday left one student dead and another injured, authorities said. Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough said officers at North Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem sought assistance shortly after 11 a.m. “We responded…
Lumbee Tribe poised to gain federal recognition through Defense bill
By GRAHAM LEE BREWER Associated Press After decades of political maneuvering through Congress and government agencies, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina may finally achieve federal recognition through the National Defense Authorization Act the House plans to vote on this week. If the legislation passes, the Senate…
Raccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floor
ASHLAND, Va. (AP) — The masked burglar broke into the closed Virginia liquor store early on Saturday and hit the bottom shelf, where the scotch and whisky were stored. The bandit was something of a nocturnal menace: bottles were smashed, a ceiling tile collapsed and…
World/National
Trump sued by preservationists seeking reviews and congressional approval for ballroom project
By BILL BARROW Associated Press President Donald Trump was sued on Friday by preservationists asking a federal court to halt his White House ballroom project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded group,…
New York is the 8th state found to have improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants
By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer New York is the eighth state found to routinely issue commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants that are valid long after they are no longer legally authorized to be in the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday, and…
Tumbling tech stocks drag Wall Street to its worst day in 3 weeks
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — More drops for superstar artificial-intelligence stocks knocked Wall Street off its record heights on Friday. The S&P 500 fell 1.1% from its all-time high for its worst day in three weeks. The weakness for tech stocks yanked the Nasdaq…
Rare fresco of Jesus as the ‘Good Shepherd’ uncovered in Turkish town visited by the pope
By MEHMET GUZEL and ANDREW WILKS Associated Press IZNIK, Turkey (AP) — Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered one of the most important finds from Anatolia’s early Christian era: a fresco of a Roman-looking Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.” The painting was discovered in August in…
After Airbus issue, DOT says airlines don’t have to cover passenger expenses amid aircraft recalls
By RIO YAMAT AP Airlines and Travel Writer The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued new guidance telling airlines they do not have to cover passenger expenses, such as meals or hotel stays, when flight cancellations or long delays are caused by aircraft recalls. The guidance, released…
Entertainment
Trump awards medals to the Kennedy Center honorees in an Oval Office ceremony
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday presented the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees with their medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, hailing the slate of artists he was deeply involved in choosing as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever…
Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. studio and streaming business for $72 billion
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and MATT OTT AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix has struck a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, the legacy Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and “Friends,” to buy its studio and streaming business for $72 billion. The acquisition would bring…
CBS News hosting prime-time ‘town hall’ with Erika Kirk, widow of activist Charlie Kirk
NEW YORK (AP) — Turning Point USA leader Erika Kirk will speak about the aftermath of her husband Charlie’s killing in a prime-time “town hall” event televised by CBS News on Dec. 13, the network said on Thursday. The event will be moderated by Bari Weiss, the…
Melania Trump reveals White House holiday decorations and her theme, ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump on Monday unveiled the holiday decorations for her family’s first Christmas back at the White House and her theme is “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” The decor also nods to next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of…
‘Zootopia 2’ roars to record-setting global box office with $556M opening
By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer “Zootopia 2” had a roaring and record-setting opening at the box office. The animated animal city sequel from the Walt Disney Company brought in $96 million in North America over the weekend, earned $156 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame,…
Sports
Caleb Wilson leads No. 14 North Carolina over USC Upstate, 80-62
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Caleb Wilson had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 14 North Carolina to an 80-62 win against USC Upstate on Saturday. Wilson shot 6 of 7 from the floor and didn’t miss a field-goal attempt until there was less than…
UNC’s offensive and special-teams coordinators won’t return for next season
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer won’t return next season. The school announced Friday it had “parted ways” with the two assistants to Bill Belichick, coming after the school’s 4-8 season. “We want to…
Hurricanes top Capitals 3-2 in SO in a matchup of the top teams in the Eastern Conference standings
By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Bussi stopped all three shots in a shootout to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern…
NASCAR settles federal antitrust case, gives all teams the permanent charters they wanted
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan and NASCAR chairman Jim France stood side-by-side on the steps of a federal courthouse as if they were old friends following a stunning settlement Thursday of a bruising antitrust case in which the Basketball…
Hurricanes scored 3 goals in the third period to beat the Blue Jackets 4-1
By BOB SUTTON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Eric Robinson ended a 10-game stretch without a goal by breaking a third-period tie and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Tuesday night. Seth Jarvis, Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook had Carolina’s other…