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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Clemson returns most experienced team in football in search of 3rd national title in 10 years

Clemson returns most experienced team in football in search of 3rd national title in 10 years

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Clemson Tigers have all of the pieces in place to win another national championship.

Now it’s just a matter of executing.

The Tigers return the most experienced team in college football, and will be heavy favorites to win their ninth Atlantic Coast Conference championship in the past 11 years. They return eight starters on both sides of the ball with a combined 309 starts. ESPN’s Bill Connelly has Clemson’s return production rate at 80%, the highest in Division I football.

That includes a Heisman Trophy hopeful at quarterback in Cade Klubnik, who is 19-9 as Clemson’s starter and is coming off a season in which he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with only six interceptions. The Tigers are particularly stacked at wide receiver with any of six players capable of starting for most teams around the country.

Combine that with a certain future College Football Hall of Fame head coach in Dabo Swinney and you have a recipe for success.

But Swinney said that while having so much returning experience is “awesome,” it comes with a cautionary tale.

“Experience, as they say, doesn’t come at a discount,” said Swinney, who led Clemson to national titles in 2016 and 2018.

What the 55-year-old head coach means is there are no shortcuts to success — and nothing is guaranteed.

“The guys have put the work in,” Swinney said. “We’ve been around a lot of good teams, and this team has the ingredients to be a really good team, but we’ve got to go do the work. We can’t talk about it or predict our way into it.”

The Tigers will be tested right off the bat, opening the season at home against Southeastern Conference power LSU.

A year ago, Clemson lost to Georgia 34-3 in Week 1, leading some to question whether the Tigers would embark on a fast, downward spiral. Instead, the Tigers bounced back with six straight wins and went on to beat SMU 34-31 in the ACC championship game at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, earning a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

“We’ve got a bunch of great young men,” Swinney said. “Our quarterback, especially, that’s had to manage success well, and he’s had to manage some failure well, too. He’s grown into a great leader of our team.”

Clemson’s experience speaks to its retention rate.

In an age where players are transferring from school to school on an almost daily basis, Clemson has been able to keep the vast majority of its players in Death Valley.

Swinney attributes much of that to a program at the school called the P.A.W. Journey, where players are taught everything from how to tie a tie and write a resume, to financial literacy and the means of secure internships across the world.

“These guys can leave any time they want,” Swinney said. “They have to choose, first of all, to come, and then they have to stay. I just think that says a lot about kind of how we put it together on the front end in recruiting guys that really align with our purpose, guys that really value education and want structure and family and accountability.”

Klubnik is a perfect example.

He could have left Clemson at any point during his 3 1/2-year career when times got tough, but chose to stay and was rewarded last year with being named MVP of last year’s ACC championship game. The Tigers lost 38-24 to Texas in the first round of the playoffs, but Swinney said his players have used that as motivation.

“Certainly last year and getting a chance to maybe get a little glimpse at the top of the mountain, that’s certainly given them a little fuel as they’ve gotten back to work since January,” Swinney said.

No one wants it more than Klubnik.

He feels the Tigers have the talent and experience to win it all.

“We’ve been a young team, I feel like, every year I’ve been here,” Klubnik said. “We’re a veteran team and very experienced, got a lot of guys that have played a lot of ball. That’s really exciting, but we’ve got to go do it. We’ve got to go do it and take advantage of every opportunity we get.”

It appeared not long ago that Clemson’s success might taper off after the NCAA relaxed rules about players transferring from school to school.

But the Tigers, despite not being big players in the transfer portal, have remained consistent. This past season they joined Alabama, Florida State and Oklahoma as the only teams in college football history to win at least nine games in 14 straight seasons.

It’s a streak Swinney hopes to maintain.

“That’s really for us what it’s always been about, just being incredibly consistent. We’re not perfect, but we’re incredibly consistent. That’s because we’re purpose driven and we’re relationship driven. I think our program reflects that purpose in everything, in every aspect.”

Trump’s USDA to scatter half its Washington staff to field offices. Critics see a ploy to cut jobs

Trump’s USDA to scatter half its Washington staff to field offices. Critics see a ploy to cut jobs

By JOHN O’CONNOR and SARAH RAZA Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture will move thousands of employees out of the nation’s capital in a reorganization the agency says will put them closer to customers while saving money, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday.

Around 2,600 workers — more than half the Washington, D.C. workforce — will be moved to five hubs stretching from North Carolina to Utah, Rollins said. The union representing federal workers immediately criticized the plan as a ploy to cut federal jobs, pointing out that some 95% of the department’s employees already work outside Washington.

The move is part of President Donald Trump’s effort to make the federal government slimmer and more efficient, which received a Supreme Court boost this month.

“American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support,” Rollins said in a statement.

The goal is to re-size the department so that costs don’t outstrip available finances, as well as eliminate layers of management and consolidate redundant functions, the statement said. The department expects the plan to take several months.

The five hubs are in Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Fort Collins, Colorado; Indianapolis and Salt Lake City.

Although it’s important to be closer to farmers and ranchers, Chad Hart, a professor of agricultural economics at Iowa State University, said taking those employees out of Washington risks losing an important connection to Congress.

“You want that balance” to ensure effective farm policy, Hart said.

Much of the government savings could come from employees who choose not to relocate, Hart said. He added that the agricultural community is concerned about a “bumpy transition” reminiscent of similar action during Trump’s first term, when it took relocated Agriculture offices months to get up and running again.

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the labor union representing federal workers, had a sharper critique. He said about 85% of all federal employees already work outside the capital, but insisted Washington “is the center of our nation’s government for a reason.”

Workers at headquarters help coordinate between senior leaders and field offices, Kelley said, and they ensure the agency has a “seat at the table” when lawmakers and the White House make decisions that affect farmers nationwide.

“I’m concerned this reorganization is just the latest attempt to eliminate USDA workers and minimize their critical work,” the union leader said.

The Agriculture Department reported that its headcount grew by 8% over the past four years, with salaries increasing by 14.5%. The statement from Rollins said the 4,600 employees in and around Washington are “underutilized and redundant” and housed in underused buildings with billions of dollars in deferred maintenance.

In the Washington region, the department will vacate three buildings and examine the best use of three others. One building set to be abandoned has $1.3 billion in needed but delayed maintenance and has room for 6,000 employees while only housing 1,900.

Wages will fall too, Rollins promised. The capital region is among the nation’s costliest to live, and department employees there are paid a surcharge of 34% to keep ahead of the cost of living. The surcharges range from 17.1% in Salt Lake City to 30.5% in Fort Collins.

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Raza reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley plans to run for Senate in North Carolina, with Trump’s backing

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley plans to run for Senate in North Carolina, with Trump’s backing

By JILL COLVIN Associated Press

Michael Whatley, chairman of the national Republican Party, plans to run for an open Senate seat in North Carolina in 2026 with the blessing of President Donald Trump after Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara, passed on the seat.

Democrats see the race as their top chance to flip a seat in the midterm elections as they try to regain control of the Senate. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis recently made a surprise announcement that he would not run for a third term after clashing with Trump.

Whatley’s decision was confirmed by two people familiar with his thinking. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly before an official announcement and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Trump asked Whatley, who leads the Republican National Committee, to run, according to one of the people. Politico first reported news of Whatley’s plans.

Whatley is considered by national Republicans to be a strong contender in the closely watched race, thanks partly to the large fundraising network he has cultivated as chair of the Republican National Committee and his perceived loyalty to the president. Whatley is a well-known name in the state, having previously served as chairman of the state GOP, and he has no voting record that could be used against him by Democrats.

It was not immediately clear when Trump might weigh in publicly for his preferred candidate or when Whatley would formally launch his campaign.

Lara Trump, who grew up in North Carolina and now hosts a Fox News Channel show, likely would have been the immediate front-runner for the nomination, and the president said she was his top choice. She had long stressed her ties to the critical swing state and had served as co-chair of the RNC during last year’s presidential election. Having a Trump on the ballot would have been a boon for the party, which has struggled to turn out voters in off-year elections.

But Lara Trump, who now lives in Florida with her young family, would have had to establish residency and register to vote in North Carolina by mid-September to qualify for the March primary, according to state law.

She announced in a social media post Thursday that she had decided against it.

“After much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time,” she wrote. “While I am not running in this election, my passion for Making America Great Again burns brightly, and I look forward to the future, wherever that leads.”

She had previously declined to run for Senate in North Carolina in 2022 and in 2024 took herself out of the running to fill the term of former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio after he became secretary of state.

The race is expected to be contentious in a state Donald Trump carried by 3.2 percentage points in 2024.

Democrats have been encouraging former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper, who is seen as a formidable candidate by both parties, to run. A Cooper adviser, Morgan Jackson, would not confirm on Wednesday that Cooper had made a decision to run, but said the Democrat “would be making his intentions known in the coming days.”

First-term Rep. Pat Harrigan, a West Point graduate and former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan and later became a defense-products manufacturer, was also seen as a potential Republican candidate.

Harrigan had previously said he would immediately back Lara Trump if she ran.

Tillis, who had opposed the Medicaid reductions in the president’s tax break and spending cut package, announced in late June that he would not run for reelection in after the president threatened to back a primary challenge against him.

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Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71

Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.

In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call Thursday morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.

Hulk Hogan’s entrance video (WWE via YouTube)

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.

He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”

In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 posted a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. Hogan contended the post violated his privacy.

WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the WWE Hall of Famer had passed away.

“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” it said.

Justice Department will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned girlfriend

Justice Department will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned girlfriend

By ERIC TUCKER and COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Department officials were set to meet on Thursday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned girlfriend of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The meeting in Florida, which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday he was working to arrange, is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of President Donald Trump’s base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation.

In a social media post Tuesday, Blanche said that Trump “has told us to release all credible evidence” and that if Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the Justice Department “will hear what she has to say.”

A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday. The person who confirmed the meeting insisted on anonymity to describe a closed-door encounter to The Associated Press.

A lawyer for Maxwell confirmed on Tuesday there were discussions with the government and said Maxwell “will always testify truthfully.”

The House Committee on Oversight issued a subpoena on Wednesday for Maxwell to testify before committee officials in August.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and is housed at a low-security federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. She was sentenced three years ago after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.

Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell’s links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises that claimed otherwise from Attorney General Pam Bondi. The department also said an Epstein client list does not exist.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Bondi told Trump in May that his name was among high-profile people mentioned in government files of Epstein, though the mention does not imply wrongdoing.

Trump, a Republican, has said that he once thought Epstein was a “terrific guy” but that they later had a falling out.

A subcommittee on Wednesday also voted to subpoena the Justice Department for documents related to Epstein. And senators in both major political parties have expressed openness to holding hearings on the matter after Congress’ August recess.

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has introduced legislation with bipartisan support that would require the Justice Department to “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein and his associates.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican majority leader, Rep. Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, have said they will address whatever outstanding Epstein-related issues are in Congress when they return from recess.

Epstein, under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement, pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender.

In 2019, Epstein was charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for nearly identical allegations.

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Williams reported from Detroit.

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