Triangle/Local
Record-breaking holiday travel expected in NC this Fourth of July
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Carolina roads and runways are about to get crowded–motor club AAA says a record-breaking 2.3 million North Carolinians are expected to travel this Fourth of July, which is around 80,000 more than last year. Tiffany Wright of the AAA Carolinas in…
One more sizzling hot day for the eastern US before temperatures plunge 30 degrees
By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A record-smashing heat wave broiled the U.S. East for another day Wednesday, even as thermometers were forecast to soon plunge by as many as 30 degrees in the same areas. The day’s heat wasn’t expected…
Early-season heat dome brings highest temperatures in years to parts of Eastern US
By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — An intense and nearly historic weather pattern is cooking much of America under a dangerous heat dome this week with triple-digit temperatures in places that haven’t been so hot in more than a decade. The heat wave…
Mt. Olive Pickle to open new downtown store with a taste of history and southern charm
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Mt. Olive Pickle is bringing more than just its famous pickles to downtown Mount Olive—it’s serving up nearly 100 years of history, flavor and community pride. The company is set to open the Mt. Olive Pickle Parlor, a brand-new store and…
Analysts warn baby boomers’ retirement pushes social security toward crisis
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Just a few decades ago, baby boomers were the financial engine powering the U.S. Social Security system. Now, as that generation retires in waves, the very program they sustained is running on fumes. CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger says the…
State/Regional
States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court allowed states to cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood in a ruling handed down Thursday amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the country’s biggest abortion provider. The 6-3 opinion comes in a case that…
North Carolina judges issue mixed ruling on governor’s appointment powers
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina trial judges issued a mixed ruling Tuesday for Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and Republican legislative leaders in Stein’s litigation over recent law changes that eroded the governor’s powers to appoint members to state boards and…
Pilot killed in small plane crash in North Carolina raised a wheel to avoid a turtle, NTSB says
MOCKSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report. The pilot of…
North Carolina Green Party retains official status despite failing vote thresholds
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Green Party will remain an official party in North Carolina, able to field candidates statewide through the 2028 elections, even though their 2024 nominees for governor and president failed to get the votes required by state law. The Republican-led State…
North Carolina Gov. Stein vetoes his first bills. They are on concealed carry and immigration
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed his first bills on Friday, blocking for now Republican legislation that would let adults carry concealed handguns without a permit and make state agencies and local sheriffs more active in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Stein,…
World/National
US stocks climb to the brink of a record
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is rising toward the brink of another record. The S&P 500 was 0.7% higher in afternoon trading and just 0.2% below its all-time high, which was set in February. The Dow…
College graduates face toughest job market in more than a decade as hiring slows
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — While completing a master’s degree in data analysis, Palwasha Zahid moved from Dallas to a town near Silicon Valley. The location made it easy to visit the campuses of tech stalwarts such as Google, Apple, and Nvidia. Zahid,…
US stocks hang near their record as Wall Street takes a breath following two big days
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks hung near their all-time high on Wednesday as financial markets caught a breath following two big days bolstered by hopes that the Israel-Iran war will not disrupt the global flow of crude oil. The S&P…
Temperature in New York City reaches 100 degrees as eastern US swelters under extreme heat wave
By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Extensive triple digit heat, broken temperature records and oppressive humidity piled up into a steaming mess as the heat dome crushing the Eastern half of the nation sizzled to what should be its worst Tuesday. New York City’s…
Trump announces a ceasefire in Iran-Israel war; Iran to halt its fire if Israel stops its strikes
By DAVID RISING, JON GAMBRELL and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire,” but its status remained unclear as attacks continued Tuesday. Trump’s announcement came…
Entertainment
More refunds are being sent to Fortnite players ‘tricked’ into unwanted purchases. How you can apply
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is sending out the latest round of refunds to consumers it says were “tricked” into purchases they didn’t want from Fortnite maker Epic Games — and eligible players who haven’t been compensated yet still have time to…
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs confirms he won’t testify and praises the trial judge for an ‘excellent job’
By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs told the judge at his sex trafficking trial that he’s doing an “excellent job” as he confirmed Tuesday that he won’t testify. Combs made the comment to U.S. District Judge Arun…
The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The largest digital camera ever built released its first shots of the universe Monday — including colorful nebulas, stars and galaxies. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, was built to take a deeper look…
Mick Ralphs, founding member of Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, dies at 81
By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer Mick Ralphs, a guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, has died. A statement posted to Bad Company’s official website Monday announced Ralphs’ death at age 81. Ralphs had a…
Who will have the 2025 song of the summer? We offer some predictions
By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — What makes a great song of the summer? Is it an up-tempo pop banger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words “summer,” “sunshine,” or another synonym — “California” — in the title?…
Sports
Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is the new Maine man in Dallas. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Wednesday night, hoping they have found their next franchise superstar less…
Judge orders NASCAR teams to turn over financial data to stock car series, limits details
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a dozen NASCAR teams to provide 11 years of financial data to the stock car series as part of an ongoing legal fight but sharply limited what they…
Cooper Flagg is the prize player as the Mavericks hold the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg lived up to every expectation during one season at Duke and has the potential for NBA superstardom. That’s why Mavericks fans can’t wait to get him to Dallas. The Mavericks are expected to take…
NASCAR teams fear ‘catastrophic’ impact of disclosing financial records during court fight
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Attorneys for 12 of NASCAR’s 15 race teams argued in federal court Tuesday that disclosing their financial records to the stock car series would be “catastrophic” to competitive balance and warned that making such…
‘Craziest’ reversal of fortune puts Mavs on path to Flagg after all the Doncic drama
By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts wasn’t thinking even for a second about Cooper Flagg when he started a staff meeting before the draft lottery by saying the club was entering the most important offseason in franchise…