Longtime WRAL anchor Charlie Gaddy dies at 93

Longtime WRAL anchor Charlie Gaddy dies at 93

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Charlie Gaddy, one of North Carolina’s most recognizable broadcasters and a longtime anchor on WRAL-TV, has died at age 93.

Before beginning his television career, Gaddy worked for a time at WPTF, the flagship station of the North Carolina News Network. In a 2024 interview marking WPTF’s 100th anniversary, he recalled the early days of local radio programming, including a show called Ask Your Neighbor.

“It was just something that somebody came up with as an idea, and they tried it to see how it would work,” Gaddy said. “And it worked beautifully. It was a very popular program and lasted a long time. But that’s how it started.”

Gaddy was born in Biscoe, North Carolina, attended Guilford College, and served in the U.S. Army. He became a household name across central North Carolina during his years anchoring WRAL’s evening newscasts, known for his calm demeanor and trusted presence.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are set for Hall of Fame induction

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are set for Hall of Fame induction

By MARK FRANK Associated Press

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki was always known for his meticulous preparation during his 19-year Major League Baseball career.

For his induction into the Hall of Fame? Not so much.

“Of course, I’m nervous and I probably should be preparing more, but this morning I actually went to the field, long tossed and kind of ran and did my workout, so I guess for me that was more important,” Suzuki said Saturday through an interpreter on the eve of his enshrinement.

Suzuki is the first Japanese player chosen for the Hall and fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection. He will be joined Sunday by CC Sabathia, a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and relief pitcher Billy Wagner. Dave Parker, who died a month before he was to be inducted, and Dick Allen will be honored posthumously. They were voted in by the classic era committee.

MLB has been profoundly impacted by Japan since Suzuki’s arrival in 2001. His induction coincided with the opening of an exhibit at the Hall on Thursday entitled Yakyu/Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game, which celebrates the ways Japanese and American baseball are interconnected. It honors not just Suzuki but also pitcher Hideo Nomoi and current two-way star Shohei Otani.

As interconnected as the two countries are, Suzuki does not want Japanese baseball to become a carbon copy of MLB.

“I don’t think Japan should copy what MLB does. I think Japanese baseball should be Japanese baseball and the way they do things, and MLB should be the way they are. I think they should be different and not the same,” he said.

Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%.

Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami.

He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256.

Suzuki visited the Hall seven times during his career, but this time is different.

“I had a purpose. I would come to the basement and look at some of the artifacts. This time around, though, I didn’t come to have one purpose to see something. I just wanted to experience Cooperstown, take it all in. That’s the difference this time around.

“This is the place where I’d come (during the season) and kind of cleanse myself and get a great feeling again,” he said.

For Sabathia, his induction represents a full-circle moment because his plaque will have him sporting a Yankees cap with the interlocking NY.

A native of Vallejo, California, Sabathia “thought I wanted to be close to home,” but after “pretending” the Yankees didn’t offer him a contract on the first day of free agency, his wife persuaded him to sign with the Bronx Bombers following an in-home meeting with general manager Brian Cashman.

“My wife was the one that said: ‘You’re trying to do all these different things, figure out all these contracts. You need to go where they want you. All you talk about is you want to win, be a winner and all these things. How can you not go to New York? That’s the one place they try to win every single year.’ When she put it that way, it was like I was born to be a Yankee,” Sabathia said.

“And I think for the longest time I tried to run away from that because my father would always tell me I was going to play for the Yankees. He passed away when I was 23, so he wasn’t there to tell me it was OK if I failed. I think I was scared to go there and fail. But it ended up being the best decision I ever made. I ran from that decision for a long time. I thought I wanted to play on the other coast, but I think I was born to play with the pinstripes.”

Suzuki and Sabathia were teammates for more than two seasons, which makes their induction extra special.

“It feels like we’re teammates. Obviously, Ichi and I were rookies together. I always say he stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001) so it’s great to be able to go in the HOF with him and Billy,” Sabathia said.

Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees.

While Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot, Wagner made it on his 10th and final try.

“Well, after seeing how a lot of guys like Lee Smith and Ted Simmons and (other) guys had to wait their turn to get to this point and go through the veterans committee, and how hard it is to get in here, you know, it’s well worth the wait,” Wagner said.

Wagner, a seven-time All-Star, became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever, after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Mariano Rivera. Wagner is the only left-hander.

Two others honored Saturday were longtime Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Tom Hamilton, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, and retired Washington Post sports writer and columnist Tom Boswell, who received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.

Parts of the Appalachian Trail are still damaged after Helene. Volunteers are fixing it by hand

Parts of the Appalachian Trail are still damaged after Helene. Volunteers are fixing it by hand

By ERIK VERDUZCO and MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press

UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (AP) — In a rugged patch of the Appalachian Trail in eastern Tennessee, volunteers size up a massive, gnarled tree lying on its side. Its tangled web of roots and dark brown soil, known as a root ball, is roughly the size of a large kiddie pool.

The collection of volunteers and staff from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and local organizations, doesn’t plan to move the tree. Instead, their job is filling the gaping holes left by it and many other downed trees along iconic East Coast trail.

Volunteers from across the country and Japan, meet at Cherry Gap along the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee to assist in a trail rebuilding project a year after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. (AP video: Erik Verduzco)

Almost a year since Hurricane Helene tore through the mountains of the Southeast, restoration is still ongoing. In places like the Appalachian Trail it’s powered primarily by volunteers, at a time when federal resources are strained and uncertain. That labor, made up of people spanning several generations and continents, aims to not only return the trail to its former glory but make it more resilient against future inclement weather.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Appalachian Trail,” said Jake Stowe, a program support specialist with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Stretching more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) miles from Georgia to Maine, the trail attracts more than 3 million people every year, according to the conservancy. Some committed hikers traverse its entire length to cross it off their bucket list. Others visit sporadically just to indulge in its scenic views.

Last September, Helene killed more than 200 people and wrecked entire towns. Many rural businesses have struggled due to the drop in tourism, Stowe said, such as in places seeing fewer trail hikers. Directly after the storm, more than 430 miles (690 kilometers) of the trail were closed, the conservancy said. That’s down to 5 miles (8 kilometers) today.

Hikers still have to take detours around two damaged sections of the trail, both in Tennessee, according to the conservancy.

One spot where a bridge collapsed requires a 3.6-mile (5.8-kilometer) walking detour. The other location is near the destroyed Cherry Gap Shelter, where an Associated Press journalist accompanied volunteers this week making the area passable again for visitors who currently have to take a 6-mile (10 kilometer) detour.

Fixing trails is hard work

Local groups typically take on day-to-day trail maintenance, such as hacking back plant overgrowth, Stowe said. Larger organizations like the Appalachian Trail Conservancy step in to assist with severe damage, although in Helene’s case, safety concerns delayed restoration.

“At the time, we weren’t really in the position to put people in the woods,” Stowe said. “It was such bad damage that it was just- you couldn’t safely do that.”

The area near Cherry Gap has already been “sawed out,” meaning downed trees that blocked the trail have been cut and moved out of the way. But root balls are still a major problem because of how labor-intensive it is to deal with them.

When a tree tips over, the root ball lifts a big chunk of earth with it. Filling that hole can sometimes take a week, said Matt Perrenod, a crew leader with the conservancy. The trail runs along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, and that rough terrain means crews must rely on hand tools like shovels, rakes and pruners to do the job, rather than heavy equipment.

The conservancy also has to consider more sustainable improvements to the trail, such as building steps or features like water bars, which are essentially little ditches that divert rainfall off the side of the trail.

It’s a slow process, Perrenod said, but a worthwhile venture to improve the experience of hikers.

“You don’t actually want to think about the thing you’re walking on very much. You just want to walk on it,” said Perrenod, who hiked the Appalachian Trail’s entirety about a decade ago. “Well, if we don’t do the work, you won’t be able to do that. You’ll spend all your time climbing over this tree and walking around that hole.”

Volunteers travel the world to help out

Partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service has long been a critical component of preserving the Appalachian Trail. Through contracts, Perrenod said the agencies fund equipment, gas and the wages of some Appalachian Trail Conservancy staff members like himself. The Forest Service also helps the group lug their gear up to the trail, he said.

That’s why Perrenod says it’s imperative the federal government does not slash those agencies’ budgets and workforces. Disrupting support for volunteers could be detrimental for the trail’s restoration, as volunteers provide “a lot of muscle” to complete the vast majority of its maintenance, he said.

In Helene’s aftermath, volunteerism across the region was “super high” because everyone wanted to help, Stowe said. This year, interest in volunteering has dipped, Stowe said, but he’s heard from people all over the country — and the world — who cited Helene as a major reason they wanted to come out and help.

Among the volunteers on the July maintenance trip were three visitors from Japan who work on long-distance trails back home. They were enthusiastic to learn about best practices for improving trail longevity and take those ideas back to Japan.

The trio was also motivated by their own experience with natural devastation. After Japan’s massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami, volunteer Kumi Aizawa said people from across the globe came to rebuild.

By restoring part of the Appalachian Trail, she’s returning the favor.

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Seminera reported from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Lumbee tribe of North Carolina sees politics snarl recognition by Washington

Lumbee tribe of North Carolina sees politics snarl recognition by Washington

By GRAHAM LEE BREWER Associated Press

Since the 1980s, the Lumbee Tribe has lobbied Congress to acknowledge it as a sovereign nation. There was renewed hope last year when both major party candidates in the presidential election promised to intervene on behalf of the Lumbee.

In his first week in office, President Donald Trump appeared to be making good on his endorsement. He issued an executive order directing the Interior Department to create a plan for federal recognition, a move Lumbee Chairman John Lowery called a “significant step forward.” But several months later, it remains unclear if Trump will take further action.

The plan was submitted to the White House in April, according to the Interior Department. However, a White House official told The Associated Press last week that the Lumbee will have to achieve its goal through legislation — which the Interior Department also confirmed.

“We anticipate the tribe will work with Congress on a path forward to be formally recognized,” Interior spokesperson Elizabeth Peace said in a statement.

Federal acknowledgement comes with a bevy of resources owed to tribal nations through treaty rights and acts of Congress, including health care through the Indian Health Service, access to certain federal grants, and the ability to create a land base such as reservations through the land-to-trust process.

Many of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. have been acknowledged through legislation. Dozens more have been recognized through the Office of Federal Acknowledgement, which determines if applicants have a documented history of political and social existence as a tribe.

Critics of the Lumbee Tribe, including several tribal nations, argue that it has not been able to prove its historic and genealogical claims and it should do so through the formal federal process. The tribe is recognized by the state of North Carolina.

“The gaps in the Lumbee’s claims are staggering,” said Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Michell Hicks. He said the Lumbee have yet to show who they descend from and that recognizing them through legislation would open the door for fraudulent groups to gain federal acknowledgement. “Congress wouldn’t be recognizing a tribe, it would be manufacturing one,” he said.

Lowery argues that the Lumbee can prove who they descend from but that the application and vetting process through the Office of Federal Acknowledgement is too long and arduous and could take decades complete. He has been working closely with U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina to pass a bill that would federally recognize the Lumbee Tribe.

“For anyone, from any tribe, to somehow think that a tribe that receives federal recognition via legislation is somehow circumventing the process,” Lowery said, “is being disingenuous.”

The Lumbee Tribe applied for recognition in 1987. But Arlinda Locklear, a Lumbee attorney who has worked on the issue for decades, said staff at the Office of Federal Acknowledgement offered conflicting opinions because a 1956 congressional act acknowledged the Lumbee exist but denied them access to federal resources. She said they asked the office to issue a formal opinion regarding the 1956 bill. “If we’re not eligible then tell us at the beginning so we can ask for it from Congress,” she said.

The Office of Federal Acknowledgement determined the Lumbee Tribe was ineligible for recognition, but that decision was reversed in 2016 by Interior’s Office of the Solicitor. Despite being allowed to reapply since 2016, both Locklear and Lowery said that process remains too lengthy and have opted instead to urge Congress to pass legislation.

That could prove difficult in the current climate, as Trump and Republicans lawmakers are slashing federal spending. In 2011, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that recognizing the Lumbee Tribe and providing the necessary federal resources would cost the U.S. more than $840 million in the first four years. A 2022 CBO estimate put that number at more than $360 million. This month, a Brookings Institution report found that the Trump administration’s directive to freeze federal grants could disrupt $24 billion that go to tribes.

Tillis, the author of the bill, has also been the subject of the Trump’s ire recently, after he voted against the president’s tax bill in June. Trump threatened to campaign against him, and Tillis said he would not seek reelection. His bill, the Lumbee Fairness Act, was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in January.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who chairs the committee, said she will work with Tillis on the bill.

David Wilkins, a Lumbee author and professor at the University of Richmond, has advocated for federal recognition for decades. But, he said the Lumbee face opposition across Indian Country, and he’s concerned that gaining it with Trump’s endorsement will add to that.

“The way he’s battering Indian Country with his cuts or with his layoffs,” Wilkins said. “If we do slip through because Trump convinces his Secretary of Interior to either expedite the acknowledgement process or get Congress to find a move on the Lumbee bill and get it through, I worry about how that’s going to be received in Indian Country.”

Education Department says it will release billions in remaining withheld grant money for schools

Education Department says it will release billions in remaining withheld grant money for schools

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is releasing billions of dollars in withheld grants for schools, the Education Department said Friday, ending weeks of uncertainty for educators around the country who rely on the money for English language instruction, adult literacy, and other programs.

President Donald Trump’s administration had suspended more than $6 billion in funding on July 1, as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House’s priorities.

The funding freeze had been challenged by several lawsuits as educators, Congress members from both parties and others called for the administration to release the money. Congress had appropriated the money in a bill signed this year by Trump.

Last week, the Education Department said it would release $1.3 billion of the money for after-school and summer programming. Without the money, school districts and nonprofits such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club of America had said they would have to close or scale back educational offerings this fall.

The Office of Management and Budget had completed its review of the programs and will begin sending the money to states next week, the Education Department said.

Republican senators pressed the Trump administration to release the money

A group of 10 Republican senators on July 16 sent a letter imploring the administration to allow the frozen education money to be sent to states, saying the withheld money supported programs and services that are critical to local communities.

“The programs are ones that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support,” U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Friday. She pointed to after-school and summer programs that allow parents to work while their children learn and classes that help adults gain new skills — contributing to local economies.

In withholding the funds, the Office of Management and Budget had said some of the programs supported a “ radical leftwing agenda. ”

“We share your concern,” the GOP senators had written. “However, we do not believe that is happening with these funds.”

School superintendents had warned they would have to eliminate academic services without the money. On Friday, AASA, an association of superintendents, thanked members of Congress for pressing to release the money.

Grants supported camps and other programs for working families

In Harford County, Maryland, some of the withheld federal money made up more than half the budget for the district’s annual summer camp for kids learning English. The money helps the district hire certified teachers to staff the camp, incorporating learning into children’s play for four weeks during the summer. The program helps kids keep their English and academic momentum over the summer.

The district serves roughly 1,100 students who are non-native English speakers. Many of them are born in the U.S. to parents who came to the area seeking job opportunities, often in the restaurants and warehouses that have popped up in the past decades in the region northeast of Baltimore. During the school year, the soon-to-be-released federal money pays for tutors for kids learning English.

On Thursday, more than 350 children filled the second floor of Bel Air High School for the second-to-last day of summer camp. Young learners crowded around an alphabet wheel, jostling with each other to push each letter button as they thought of foods starting with letters from A to Z.

Middle school students watched a robotics team demonstration, and a few sheepishly raised their hands when asked if they would be interested in joining. High school student volunteers, some of whom had been campers learning English themselves not many years ago, helped the youngest children with art projects.

The uncertainty around the funding was an unnecessary distraction for schools, said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wa.

“Instead of spending the last many weeks figuring out how to improve after-school options and get our kids’ reading and math scores up, because of President Trump, communities across the country have been forced to spend their time cutting back on tutoring options and sorting out how many teachers they will have to lay off,” Murray said.

The grants that were under review included $2 billion for teachers’ professional development and efforts to reduce class size; $1 billion for academic enrichment grants, often used for science and math education and accelerated learning; $890 million for students who are learning English; $376 million to educate the children of migrant workers; and $715 million to teach adults how to read.

It added up to millions of dollars for the nation’s largest school districts. Data available from the Census for three of the grant programs — teacher development, academic enrichment, and bilingual education — shows the Los Angeles Unified School District, for example, received $62 million in the 2022-23 school year. Philadelphia’s school district got $28 million, while Miami’s got over $24 million.

Smaller districts got more modest amounts, but they still would have represented sizable gaps in their budgets. For example, schools in Burlington, Vermont; Pine Bluff, Arkansas; and Norristown, Pennsylvania, each got more than $300 per student from the same three grant programs.

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Associated Press writer Sharon Lurye in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

In Epstein furor, Trump struggles to shake off a controversy his allies once stoked

In Epstein furor, Trump struggles to shake off a controversy his allies once stoked

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite the sun bearing down on him and the sweat beading across his face, President Donald Trump still lingered with reporters lined up outside the White House on Friday. He was leaving on a trip to Scotland, where he would visit his golf courses, and he wanted to talk about how his administration just finished “the best six months ever.”

But over and over, the journalists kept asking Trump about the Jeffrey Epstein case and whether he would pardon the disgraced financier’s imprisoned accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

President Donald Trump said Friday he hasn’t thought about pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump made the comments as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell at a Florida federal courthouse for a second day. (AP Video)

“People should really focus on how well the country is doing,” Trump insisted. He shut down another question by saying, “I don’t want to talk about that.”

It was another example of how the Epstein saga — and his administration’s disjointed approach to it — has shadowed Trump when he’s otherwise at the height of his influence. He’s enacted a vast legislative agenda, reached trade deals with key countries and tightened his grip across the federal government. Yet he’s struggled to stamp out the embers of a political crisis that could become a full-on conflagration.

Trump faces pressure from his own supporters

The Republican president’s supporters want the government to release secret files about Epstein, who authorities say killed himself in his New York jail cell six years ago while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. They believe him to be the nexus of a dark web of powerful people who abused underage girls. Administration officials who once stoked conspiracy theories now insist there’s nothing more to disclose, a stance that has stirred skepticism because of Trump’s former friendship with Epstein.

Trump has repeatedly denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago. For a president skilled at manipulating the media and controlling the Republican Party, it has been the most challenging test of his ability to shift the conversation in his second term.

Landing in Scotland offered no refuge for Trump. He faced another round of questions after stepping off Air Force One. “You’re making a big thing over something that’s not a big thing,” he said to one reporter. He told another, “I’m focused on making deals, not on conspiracy theories that you are.”

Republican strategist Kevin Madden called the controversy “a treadmill to nowhere.”

“How do you get off of it?” he said. “I genuinely don’t know the answer to that.”

Trump has demanded his supporters drop the matter and urged Republicans to block Democratic requests for documents on Capitol Hill. But he has also directed the Justice Department to divulge some additional information in hopes of satisfying his supporters.

A White House official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal strategy, said Trump is trying to stay focused on his agenda while also demonstrating some transparency. After facing countless scandals and investigations, the official said, Trump is on guard against the typical playbook of drip-drip disclosures that have plagued him in the past.

It’s clear Trump sees the Epstein case as a continuation of the “witch hunts” he’s faced over the years, starting with the investigation into Russian interference during his election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton nearly a decade ago. The sprawling inquiry led to convictions against some top advisers but did not substantiate allegations Trump conspired with Moscow.

Trump’s opponents, he wrote on social media Thursday, “have gone absolutely CRAZY, and are playing another Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax but, this time, under the guise of what we will call the Jeffrey Epstein SCAM.”

During the Russia investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors were a straightforward foil for Trump to rail against. Ty Cobb, the lawyer who served as the White House’s point person, said the president “never felt exposed” because “he thought he had a legitimate gripe.”

The situation is different this time now that the Justice Department has been stocked with loyalists. “The people that he has to get mad at are basically his people as opposed to his inquisitors and adversaries,” Cobb said.

It was Trump’s allies who excavated the Epstein debacle

In fact, Trump’s own officials are the most responsible for bringing the Epstein case back to the forefront.

FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, regularly stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein before assuming their current jobs, floating the idea the government had covered up incriminating and compelling information that needed to be brought to light. “Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are,” Patel said in a 2023 podcast.

Attorney General Pam Bondi played a key role, too. She intimated in a Fox News Channel interview in February that an Epstein “client list” was sitting on her desk for review — she would later say she was referring to the Epstein files more generally — and greeted far-right influencers with binders of records from the case that consisted largely of information in the public domain.

Tensions spiked earlier this month when the FBI and the Justice Department, in an unsigned two-page letter, said that no client list existed, that the evidence was clear Epstein had killed himself and that no additional records from the case would be released to the public. It was a seeming backtrack on the administration’s stated commitment to transparency. Amid a fierce backlash from Trump’s base and influential conservative personalities, Bongino and Bondi squabbled openly in a tense White House meeting.

Since then, the Trump administration has scrambled to appear transparent, including by seeking the unsealing of grand jury transcripts in the case — though it’s hardly clear that courts would grant that request or that those records include any eye-catching details anyway. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has taken the unusual step of interviewing the imprisoned Maxwell over the course of two days at a courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, where her lawyer said she would “always testify truthfully.”

All the while, Trump and his allies have resurfaced the Russia investigation as a rallying cry for a political base that has otherwise been frustrated by the Epstein saga.

Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who just weeks ago appeared on the outs with Trump over comments on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, seemed to return to the president’s good graces this week following the declassification and release of years-old documents she hoped would discredit long-settled conclusions about Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The developments allowed Trump to rehash longstanding grievances against President Barack Obama and his Democratic advisers. Trump’s talk of investigations into perceived adversaries from years ago let him, in effect, go back in time to deflect attention from a very current crisis.

“Whether it’s right or wrong,” Trump said, “it’s time to go after people.”

Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake signs 8-year, $45 million contract extension

Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake signs 8-year, $45 million contract extension

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake signed an eight-year, $45 million contract extension Thursday that will begin with the 2026-27 season.

The 21-year-old Blake, the son of former NHL forward Jason Blake, had 17 goals and 17 assists in 80 regular-season games last season and added three goals and three assists in 15 playoff games.

“Jackson had an outstanding rookie season, and we think he is just scratching the surface of the player he can be,” Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a team statement. “His tenaciousness on the puck and competitiveness match our team’s culture and we’re excited about his future with our club.”

The 5-foot-11 right wing was drafted by the Hurricanes in the fourth round in 2021. He played two seasons at the University of North Dakota.

How to watch two meteor showers peak together in late July

How to watch two meteor showers peak together in late July

By CHRISTINA LARSON AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s almost time for summer’s meteor shower duet.

The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid meteor showers peak at the same time — in the early morning of July 30.

Without too much interference from moonlight — the waxing moon will be only about a quarter full — the meteors should appear bright and clear in regions away from city lights.

With each shower expected to produce up to a dozen visible meteors per hour under dark skies, the doubleheader means the total number of meteors “do add up,” said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“Look for flashes of light in the night sky,” he said, adding that both are “very nice classic meteor showers.”

The Alpha Capricornids — produced by slower-moving meteors — may have tails that linger slightly longer in the sky, said Nick Moskovitz of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Viewing of each shower lasts through August 12.

What is a meteor shower?

As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids.

The source of the Delta Aquariids is debris from comet 96P/Machholz. The Alpha Capricornids stem from the comet 169P/NEAT.

When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up.

Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail — the end of a “shooting star.”

You don’t need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights.

How to view a meteor shower

The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky.

Competing sources of light — such as a bright moon or artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities.

And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren’t checking your phone.

When is the next meteor shower?

The next major meteor shower, the Perseids, peaks in mid August.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

American Conference deserves fair shot at College Football Playoff, commissioner says

American Conference deserves fair shot at College Football Playoff, commissioner says

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Commissioner Tim Pernetti wants to be sure the newly rebranded American Conference isn’t left out of the College Football Playoff conversation.

His solution for that — a playoff that includes a large number of at-large teams in a format preferred by the Southeastern Conference but not the Big Ten.

Pernetti said Friday he believes his conference has teams capable of competing in the 12-team playoff — which could get expanded to 16 — and winning the national championship.

“We believe in a format without anything being guaranteed to any conference,” Pernetti said at the conference’s media days at the Charlotte Convention Center. “The five highest-ranked conference champions (regardless of conference) should continue to receive an automatic bid plus a significant number of at-large opportunities, giving anyone the opportunity to earn a spot. Winning on the field, a true merit-based system.”

The current format calls for the top five conference champions to receive automatic bids, which presumably means the Power Four conferences all get one and then another goes to a Group of Five league such as the American. Last season, that automatic bid went to Boise State of the Mountain West.

The American had Army and Tulane hanging on the fringes of the playoff conversation last season but they needed lots of things to happen that didn’t.

The SEC and Big Ten will decide what format comes after this season. If they can’t agree, they have both said there’s a chance they could just leave things as they are with 12 teams.

The Big Ten has won the last two national championships.

If the playoff expands to 16 teams, it favors giving four automatic bids to the SEC and Big Ten and awarding the ACC and Big 12 two bids apiece with one more to the next highest-ranked conference champ. The SEC favors five conference champions and 11 at-large bids, which would presumably favor the top conferences most seasons.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark doubled down on his preference to stay with only five automatic qualifiers if the CFP expands from 12 to 16 teams as many expect after this season, instead of each of the four power conferences being guaranteed multiple bids.

Pernetti was adamant his conference have an opportunity to earn it on the field.

He said giving away predetermined playoff spots to larger conferences would not send the right message to players around the country.

“Line up and play the game. Let’s see where the chips fall at the end of the year,” Pernetti said. “Let’s not send a terrible message to student athletes that for some, their opportunity is not as important as others. They have the same goal. These guys sitting in this room, they want to play for the national championship just like every student-athlete in America.”

Pernetti cautioned that the Bowl Championship Series fell apart under the weight of “confusion, favoritism and protecting certain programs over others.”

“Have we learned nothing from history?” Pernetti said.

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Furry Friday: Meet Mr. 305!

Furry Friday: Meet Mr. 305!

Meet Mr. 305, the dog who came in hot and was ready to turn up the volume on doggie playtime! His first playgroup session? Let’s just say he started out on 100-full throttle, no chill. He was like the dog version of a guy who shows up to the party already dancing before the music even starts. But don’t worry, he quickly got a dose of reality from a wise female playmate who gave him some excellent corrections, and he calmed down and turned into a fun, friendly player who’s ready to have a good time. His perfect match? A playful, tolerant female who’s cool enough to help him learn the ropes of doggy play manners. If you’ve got a dog who can show this little guy how to dial it back and have fun in a more “chill” way, Mr. 305 is all in for a lifetime of playtime adventures. Just be prepared for a whole lot of fun once he’s on the right track!

This handsome young guy is not even 1.5 years old and still full of that irresistible puppy energy and curiosity. Mr. 305 is easy to collar and ready to go, pulling just a little on leash out of pure excitement. He walks calmly past other dogs without any reaction and is much more interested in sniffing, exploring, and having fun. He’s playful, loves a good game of fetch with a ball, and already knows how to sit and take treats gently (though he may need to cut back a little-he’s put on a few shelter pounds!).

Mr. 305 recently had a Spa Daze and was a perfect gentleman-he came back clean, fresh, and happy. He also did great in the car, though he needed a little help getting in. A burger bribe worked like a charm the second time-he’s treat motivated and eager to learn with a little patience and encouragement.

This playful pup would thrive with an active person or family-especially one with a fenced yard or someone who enjoys jogging, hiking, or tossing a ball around. He’s young, joyful, and ready to discover the world by your side.

Although he is heartworm positive, it is treatable and not contagious. Friends of Wake County Animal Center has provided a $1,000 sponsorship to help cover the cost of treatment.

If you’re interested in learning more about him, please reach out to our volunteer matchmakers at [email protected] with the subject line “Mr. 305 258023”.

He is up to date on vaccinations, flea/tick, and heartworm prevention, is microchipped, and will be neutered prior to going home. If you have dogs or cats, we recommend slow introductions over time. If you have children in your home, we recommend supervision between animals and children at all times.

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