ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The PGA Tour is returning to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for the first time in 86 years, announcing Monday a FedEx Cup Fall event starting next September to be sponsored by the Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville.
The Biltmore Championship in Asheville is scheduled for Sept. 17-20, 2026, the second new fall event the tour has announced in the last month. It will be held at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a Jack Nicklaus signature design.
North Carolina already has the Truist Championship in Charlotte (May) and Wyndham Championship in Greensboro (August).
The PGA Tour was last in Asheville in 1942, a four-year run of a tournament called Land of the Sky Open. Ben Hogan won his first individual tour title in 1940, the start of winning three in a row at Asheville.
It was held a week before the Masters from 1940 through 1942. Now it will be the third week in September at a time most players are simply trying to retain their PGA Tour cards.
The LPGA Tour played in Asheville from 1957 through 1960.
The announcement of the four-year deal with Asheville adds to a growing Fall 2026 schedule. The Good Good Championship in Austin, Texas, will be Nov. 12-15. Other Fall Series events for 2026 include stops in Utah, Japan, Mexico, Bermuda and the southeast Georgia coast.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
The justices, without comment, turned away an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the high court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
Davis had been trying to get the court to overturn a lower-court order for her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple denied a marriage license.
Her lawyers repeatedly invoked the words of Justice Clarence Thomas, who alone among the nine justices has called for erasing the same-sex marriage ruling.
Thomas was among four dissenting justices in 2015. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito are the other dissenters who are on the court today.
Roberts has been silent on the subject since he wrote a dissenting opinion in the case. Alito has continued to criticize the decision, but he said recently he was not advocating that it be overturned.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was not on the court in 2015, has said that there are times when the court should correct mistakes and overturn decisions, as it did in the 2022 case that ended a constitutional right to abortion.
But Barrett has suggested recently that same-sex marriage might be in a different category than abortion because people have relied on the decision when they married and had children.
Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson praised the justices’ decision not to intervene. “The Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences,” Robinson said in a statement.
Davis drew national attention to eastern Kentucky’s Rowan County when she turned away same-sex couples, saying her faith prevented her from complying with the high court ruling. She defied court orders to issue the licenses until a federal judge jailed her for contempt of court in September 2015.
She was released after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. The Kentucky legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses.
This recipe is cozy, unique and can last for multiple meals! It’s super flavorful and you can customize the protein and spices to your preferences.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (or ground beef/turkey)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup marinara sauce (optional, for richer flavor)
8–10 lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the cheese topping
¾ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or basil
Optional garnishes
Extra mozzarella or Parmesan
Fresh basil or parsley
Drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
1. Cook the protein In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage (or protein of choice) and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon. Drain excess fat if needed.
2.Add onion, tomato paste and spices Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes, then cook for 1 more minute. Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to deepen flavor.
3. Add thickeners Pour in crushed tomatoes, broth, and marinara (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
4. Add the noodles Add the broken lasagna noodles and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and herbs.
5. Serve it hot Spoon into bowls and top with the cheese mixture, and enjoy this hearty and cozy soup.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — No. 25 North Carolina senior guard Seth Trimble is out indefinitely after suffering a broken left forearm during a workout on Sunday.
The school said a timetable for Trimble’s return will be determined following surgery this week.
“So sad for Seth,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said in a statement. “He’s such a great kid and teammate and has worked so hard for his senior year. He loves being a Tar Heel and we love him. The good news is he will be back at some point this year, and I know he will continue to be a great leader for us until he can get back in the lineup.”
Trimble entered the season as a team leader on a roster with 11 new players and had a huge immediate impact in the Tar Heels’ 87-74 win over No. 19 Kansas on Friday.
The 6-foot-3, fourth-year player rebounded from a quiet first half to score 13 of his 17 points in the second as North Carolina rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit. Trimble also played a crucial role defensively, helping to slow Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson in the second half.
Trimble averaged 11.7 points per game last season, an increase of more than six points from 2023-24.
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is voting on the first steps to end the 40-day government shutdown Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who wanted to continue the fight.
The group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — said they would vote to reopen if the Senate passed three annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January. Senate Majority Leader John Thune endorsed the deal Sunday night and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it.
Watch live as senators work through a weekend session, seeking to end the government shutdown that has now lasted 40 days. (AP Video)
“The time to act is now,” Thune said.
The deal would also include a future vote on the health care subsidies, which would not have a guaranteed outcome, and a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers that have happened since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. The full text of the deal has not yet been released.
“We must not delay any longer,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins said in a Senate floor speech, adding that she is “relieved” that the shutdown appeared headed toward an end.
Republicans need five Democratic votes to reopen the government. In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to millions of federal workers, also said he would support the agreement.
After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support it.
“America is in the midst of a Republican-made health care crisis,” Schumer said on the floor just ahead of the expected votes. He said Americans would “suffer immensely” and that the crisis would only get worse.
“Democrats have sounded the alarm,” Schumer said, and “will not give up the fight.”
Final passage of the legislation could take several days if Democrats object and draw out the process. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said that giving up the fight was a “horrific mistake.”
Republicans have been working with the group of moderates as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay. But many Democrats have warned their colleagues against giving in, arguing that they can’t end the fight without an agreement to extend the health subsidies.
Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”
A bipartisan agreement
Democrats have now voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they have demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans have refused to negotiate on the health care subsidies while the government is closed, but they have been supportive of the proposal from moderate Democrats as it emerged over the last several days.
The agreement would fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things — and extend funding for everything else until the end of January. It would take up Republicans on their longstanding offer to hold a future vote on the health care subsidies, with that vote occurring by the middle of December, the people said.
The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburses states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January, the people said, and guarantee all federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.
“I have long said that to earn my vote, we need to be on a path toward fixing Republicans’ health care mess and to protect the federal workforce,” Kaine said.
Alongside the funding fix, Republicans released final legislative text of three full-year spending bills Sunday. That legislation keeps a ban on pay raises for lawmakers but boosts their security by $203.5 million in response to increased threats. There’s also a provision championed by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to prevent the sale of some hemp-based products.
Democratic pushback expected
Republicans only need five votes from Democrats to reopen the government, so a handful of senators could end the shutdown with only the promise of a later vote on health care. Around 10 to 12 Democrats have been involved in the talks, and the three people familiar with the agreement said they had enough votes to join with Republicans and pass the deal.
Many of their Democratic colleagues are saying the emerging deal is not enough.
“I really wanted to get something on health care,” said Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. “I’m going to hear about it right now, but it doesn’t look like it has something concrete.”
House Democrats were also chiming in against it. Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn’t reduce health care costs is a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.
“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.”
Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that “if people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you.”
Even if the Senate were to move forward with funding legislation, getting to a final vote could take several days if Democrats who oppose the deal object and draw out the process. The first vote, which could come as soon as Sunday evening, would be to proceed to consideration of the legislation.
Republicans preview health care debate
There is no guarantee that the Affordable Care Act subsidies would be extended if Republicans agree to a future vote on health care. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to a health vote.
Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.
Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.
“THE WORST HEALTHCARE FOR THE HIGHEST PRICE,” Trump said of the Affordable Care Act in a post Sunday.
Shutdown effects worsen
Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown were compounding. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.
Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be “reduced to a trickle” if the government doesn’t reopen.
At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were caught up in legal battles related to the shutdown. More than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” as Trump’s administration is demanding states “undo” benefits paid out under judges’ orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings.
And in Washington, home to millions of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it is providing 8 million more meals than it had prepared to this budget year — a nearly 20% increase.
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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tyler Shough threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Carolina Panthers 17-7 on Sunday to snap a four-game skid.
Shough — a rookie who began the season as the Saints’ backup QB — connected on a 62-yard scoring strike to Chris Olave and a 30-yard TD pass to Juwan Johnson to earn his first win as a starter. Alvin Kamara ran for 83 yards for the Saints (2-8).
Olave finished with five catches for 104 yards as the Saints outgained the Panthers 388 yards to 175.
Bryce Young was limited to 124 yards passing and turned the ball over twice as his four-game win streak as a starter ended. Rico Dowdle had 53 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries for Carolina (5-5).
Dowdle got the Panthers on the board with a 5-yard TD run on the opening possession, and it looked like it might be Carolina’s day. Dowdle, who was fined last week for his “two pumps” touchdown celebration, lined up like he was going to do it again — but this time didn’t make any pelvic thrusts.
But the Panthers regressed from there, with their next five first-half possessions resulting in 36 net yards and four punts.
The Saints took advantage. Olave beat Carolina’s best cover cornerback, Jaycee Horn, for a long TD to give New Orleans a 10-7 lead at halftime.
Carolina’s 83 yards in the first half were its fewest this season, and not much improved in the second half.
The Panthers appeared to catch a break in the third quarter after the Saints blocked a field-goal try by Ryan Fitzgerald, but had one of their linemen touch the live ball. Carolina recovered and got a new set of downs.
But just a few plays later, Young fumbled a handoff to wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. and the Saints got the ball back.
Carolina had another shot after Nic Scourton sacked Shough on fourth down, but Young followed with an underthrown pass down the right sideline that was picked off by Alontae Taylor.
This time, the Saints took advantage, with Shough finding a wide-open Johnson down the left sideline for a 30-yard touchdown to make it a two-possession game.
Injuries
Panthers: TE Michell Evans (ankle) left in the first half and linebacker Trevin Wallace (shoulder) exited in the second half.
Up Next
Saints: Have a bye next week before hosting Atlanta on Nov. 23.
The ceremony held Saturday at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater was a mix of tributes, speeches and performances by acts like Soundgarden, Salt-N-Pepa and Big Boi of Outkast, along with numerous A-list musical guests.
Here’s a look at this year’s Rock Hall class, a few of their defining songs and who inducted them.
Outkast
American rap duo that began in the 1990s. Key songs: “Hey Ya,” “Ms. Jackson” and “Roses.”
Inducted by Donald Glover. Medley performance included Big Boi, Janelle Monáe, JID, Doja Cat, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown
Bad Company
English rock band formed in the 1970s. Key songs: “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Can’t Get Enough,” “Bad Company.”
Inducted by Mick Fleetwood. Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke was joined by Nancy Wilson of Heart and Joe Perry of Aerosmith on guitars and Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson on vocals.
Cyndi Lauper
American singer and songwriter whose solo career began in the early 1980s. Key songs: “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” “True Colors.”
Inducted by Chappell Roan. Lauper performed a medley of her hits, including duets with Avril Lavigne, Raye and Salt-N-Pepa.
Soundgarden
American rock band formed in 1984. Key songs: “Black Hole Sun,” “Fell on Black Days,” and “Outshined.”
Inducted by Jim Carrey. Surviving Soundgarden members performed with Taylor Momsen and Brandi Carlile, who took the place of late vocalist Chris Cornell. Cornell’s daughter, Toni, also performed with Nancy Wilson.
Salt-N-Pepa
American rap group formed in the 1980s. Key songs: “Push It,” “Let’s Talk About Sex” and “Shoop.”
Inducted by Missy Elliott, the group performed a medley of their hits with a special appearance from En Vogue.
Chubby Checker
American singer who began releasing records in the 1950s. Key songs: “The Twist,” “Limbo Rock,” “Let’s Twist Again.”
Inducted via video tribute. Checker accepted remotely via a video feed.
Joe Cocker
English singer who began releasing records in the 1960s and died in 2014. Key songs: “You Are So Beautiful,” “Up Where We Belong,” “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Inducted by Bryan Adams. Medley performance by Teddy Swims, Tedeschi Trucks Band, along with Adams, Lauper, Chris Robinson and Nathaniel Rateliff who took the stage for a rendition of “With A Little Help from My Friends.”
The White Stripes
American rock band that began in the 1990s. Key songs: “Seven Nation Army,” “We’re Going to Be Friends,” “Doorbell.”
Inducted by Iggy Pop. Tribute performance by Olivia Rodrigo, Feist and Twenty One Pilots.
Warren Zevon
American singer-songwriter who began releasing solo records in the early 1970s and died in 2003. Key songs: “Lawyers, Guns and Money,” “Werewolves of London,” “Keep Me in Your Heart.”
Inducted by David Letterman. Honored with performance by the Killers.
Carole Kaye
American session musician who played on scores of hits starting in the 1950s, primarily on bass. Key songs: The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were.”
Inducted via video tribute.
Thom Bell
American music producer and songwriter starting in the 1960s who died in 2022. Key songs: the Delfonics’ “La-La (Means I Love You),” the Spinners’ “The Rubberband Man,” the Stylistics’ “You Make Me Feel Brand New.”
Inducted via video tribute.
Nicky Hopkins
English session musician who played keyboards on dozens of hits starting in the 1960s and died in 1994. Key songs: the Beatles’ “Revolution,” the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil,” Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful.”
Inducted via video tribute.
Lenny Waronker
American music producer and executive starting in the 1970s. Key songs from artists he produced or signed: Rickie Lee Jones’ “Chuck E’s in Love,” Prince’s “Purple Rain,” R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.”
“We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying from Miami to see family in the Dominican Republic. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”
Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and spread far beyond air travel if cancellations keep growing and reach into Thanksgiving week.
Already there are concerns about the squeeze on tourism destinations and holiday shipping.
Here’s what to know about the flight reductions:
How many flights have been canceled?
Cancellations jumped Saturday — typically a slow travel day — to more than 1,500, following just over 1,000 the previous day, according to the tracking website FlightAware. By the evening U.S. airlines already had canceled another 1,000-plus for Sunday.
Airports in Atlanta and Chicago, as well as Charlotte, North Carolina, and Newark, New Jersey, saw numerous disruptions throughout the day. Ongoing staffing shortages in radar centers and control towers added to the cancellations and delays at several East Coast airports, including those around New York City.
Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and those numbers represented just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide. But they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.
The FAA said the reductions impacting all commercial airlines started at 4% of flights at 40 targeted airports and will be bumped up again Tuesday before hitting 10% on Friday.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week that even more cuts might be needed if the shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job.
Why are the flights being canceled?
Controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month during the shutdown, leading many to call in sick and compound previously existing staffing shortages.
Most are working mandatory overtime six days a week during without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.
On Saturday the union said it had delivered 1,600 handwritten letters from members to Congress calling for the shutdown to end.
How are passengers being affected?
Most were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights have not been interrupted.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about which flights will be canceled next.
And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.
“Travel is stressful enough. Then you put these disruptions in place, and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.
Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people simply canceled flights altogether.
Diana Alvear of Bridgewater, New Jersey, scratched her family’s trip next weekend to see in-laws in California because of concerns about flying when controllers are working long hours and understaffed.
She also was nervous about being stranded, which would be “a huge debacle” for work. United Airlines gave her credit for the airfare, but the family is still out nearly $700 for the deposit on an Airbnb.
“This has been costly to us, and it’s a huge disappointment for us and our family,” Alvear said. “It’s really weighing on our hearts that we had to do this.”
What could be the impacts beyond air travel?
First there is the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of U.S. air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft.
Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.
Further losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues, from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.
“This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to travel,” Raiff said. “It’s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes. There’s a cascading effect that results from this thing.”
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Associated Press journalists Cody Jackson in Miami, Paul Wiseman in Washington, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Anne D’Innocenzio in New York contributed.
