Jeremy Piven talks with Matt Murphy about passing on a big role on The Office, dating, and stand-up comedy. Jeremy Piven is at Raleigh Improv in Cary, NC on May 2nd and 3rd.

Jeremy Piven talks with Matt Murphy about passing on a big role on The Office, dating, and stand-up comedy. Jeremy Piven is at Raleigh Improv in Cary, NC on May 2nd and 3rd.
Meet Priscilla, the rough-and-rowdy, high-energy dog playmate who’s always ready for play time! She’s a fantastic dog to use for testing the male dogs and how they will play with females. Priscilla doesn’t hold back-she’s tough, and she knows how to keep the peace, like when she expertly corrected a naughty male who just wouldn’t stop trying to mount her. Despite her energetic playstyle, Priscilla is also a lover at heart, especially when it comes to pool time. When the water’s involved, she prefers to cling to her trusted human, proving she’s got a soft spot for a little comfort and security.
If you’re interested in learning more about her, please reach out to our volunteer matchmakers at [email protected] with the subject line “Priscilla 256256”.
She is up to date on vaccinations, flea/tick, and heartworm prevention, is microchipped, and will be spayed 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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By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Republican state auditor made appointments to a new State Board of Elections on Thursday, the day after an appeals court agreed a law shifting that power otherwise held by the Democratic governor could still be enforced while the measure’s constitutionality is appealed.
Auditor Dave Boliek announced three members — all proposed by the state Republican Party chairman — to the five-member board.
Two remain reserved for choices from the state Democratic Party, but Boliek said he had not received a slate of candidates from the Democratic chair. That is not surprising because Democrats and Stein are strongly opposed to the law finalized in December by the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Stein sued to overturn the law and stop its enforcement. Trial judges just last week sided with Stein and declared that stripping him of the board appointment authority was unconstitutional.
But Boliek, who was elected last fall to the post, went ahead with appointments after the intermediate-level Court of Appeals on Wednesday said the appointment switch could be carried out while broader legal questions are reviewed on appeal.
Stein asked the state Supreme Court late Wednesday to suspend the unanimous ruling of the three Court of Appeals judges and keep blocking the law. The justices had not ruled on that matter as of midday Thursday.
The appointments if upheld could mark a dramatic change in election administration in the battleground state. For over a century, the governor has picked the five board members, three of whom are traditionally members of the governor’s party. With Boliek the auditor, Republicans would now assume a majority on the board, whose duties include carrying out campaign finance laws, certifying election results and setting rules on voting administration details.
The law containing the board appointment changes said the terms of the five most recent members, which were otherwise supposed to continue until 2027, expired Wednesday and that new members would be appointed to four-year terms that would begin Thursday.
Boliek’s appointments are a political victory for the GOP, which since late 2016 has sought to erode or eliminate a governor’s authority to appoint the board. Four previous laws targeting then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper were blocked by courts. Voters in 2018 also rejected a constitutional amendment that would have forced the governor to pick members recommended by legislative leaders.
Republicans have complained that a governor has too much control over elections, resulting in one-party decision-making and a lack of voter confidence. But Democrats say the laws are a GOP power grab designed to give Republicans an unfair advantage in elections.
The board’s importance has been apparent in the still-unresolved November election for a state Supreme Court seat between Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, himself a Court of Appeals judge.
Stein said Wednesday after the Court of Appeals ruling that he feared the appointment changes would help Republicans succeed at helping Griffin win the seat. The current tally has Riggs slightly ahead.
Boliek appointed on Thursday Stacy “Four” Eggers, who served on the most recent board; former state Sen. Bob Rucho; and Francis De Luca, former president of a conservative think tank.
“We need full confidence in our elections, and I’d like to thank these individuals for their willingness to serve,” Boliek said in a press release.
Lawyers for Stein argue the appointment transfer unlawfully interfered with the governor’s responsibility in the state constitution to take care that laws were “faithfully executed.” Two of three trial judges hearing the lawsuit sided April 23 with Stein. Their order also blocked a power transfer that would direct Boliek in June to choose the chairs of county election boards. But the appeals court decision set aside that judgment.
Legislative leaders said the appointments transfer was lawful, arguing the state constitution allows the General Assembly to disperse executive branch powers to carry out laws to other statewide elected officials like the auditor.
The Court of Appeals ruling favoring Republican lawmakers neither provided reasons for the judges’ ruling nor identified the judges who ruled. In such matters, the court releases their names after 90 days.
By ZEKE MILLER, AAMER MADHANI and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — White House national security adviser Mike Waltz is leaving the administration just weeks after it was revealed he added a journalist to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans, according to two people familiar with the matter Thursday, marking the first major staff shake-up of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Waltz came under searing scrutiny in March after revelations that he added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on the encrypted messaging app Signal, which was used to discuss planning for a sensitive March 15 military operation against Houthi militants in Yemen. A far-right ally of the president, Laura Loomer, has also targeted Waltz, telling Trump in a recent Oval Office conversation that he needs to purge aides who she believes are insufficiently loyal to the “Make America Great Again” agenda.
Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, is also expected to depart, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel move not yet made public. The National Security Council did not respond do a request for comment.
Waltz, who served in the House representing Florida for three terms before his elevation to the White House, is the most prominent senior administration official to depart since Trump returned to the White House. In his second term, the Republican president had been looking to avoid the tumult of his first four years in office, during which he cycled through four national security advisers, four White House chiefs of staff and two secretaries of state.
The Signal chain also showed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop. Waltz had previously taken “full responsibility” for building the message chain and administration officials described the episode as a “mistake” but one that caused Americans no harm. Waltz maintained that he was not sure how Goldberg ended up in the messaging chain, and insisted he did not know the journalist.
Trump and the White House — which insisted that no classified information was shared on the text chain — have stood by Waltz publicly throughout the episode. But the embattled national security adviser was also under siege from personalities such as Loomer, who had been complaining to administration officials that she had been excluded from the vetting process for National Security Council aides. In her view, Waltz relied too much on “neocons” — referring to hawkish neoconservatives within the Republican Party — as well as others who Loomer argued were “not-MAGA-enough” types.
Waltz was on television as late as Thursday morning, promoting the administration’s agreement with Kyiv that would allow the U.S. to access Ukraine’s critical minerals and other natural resources. As reports began to circulate that Waltz could be leaving the administration, Loomer appeared to take credit in a post on the social media site X, writing: “SCALP.”
“Hopefully, the rest of the people who were set to be fired but were given promotions at the NSC under Waltz also depart,” Loomer wrote in another post.
Loomer had taken a similar victory lap when several other NSC officials were dismissed last month one day after she met with Trump. Those firings included Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence; Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs; and David Feith, a senior director for technology and national security, as well as other lower-ranking aides.
Waltz’s resignation comes as questions are swirling around Hegseth and his role in the Signal chat.
While Waltz set it up, Hegseth posted times for aircraft launches and bomb drops into the unsecured app and shared the same information with dozens of people in a second chat, including his wife and brother.
The Associated Press reported that Hegseth also bypassed Pentagon security protocols to set up an unsecured line for a personal computer in his office –- beside terminals where he was receiving classified information. That raises the possibility that sensitive information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.
The Pentagon inspector general is investigating Hegseth’s use of Signal, and he has faced criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans. It has added to the turmoil at the Pentagon at a time when Hegseth has dismissed or transferred multiple close advisers. Nonetheless, Trump has maintained public confidence in Hegseth.
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Associated Press writer Tara Copp contributed to this report.
Italian Beef Meatball Sandwich Rolls Recipe from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Serving size: 12 servings
Garnish
Cook’s Tip: Italian-Style Beef Sausage: Combine 1 pound Ground Beef (93% lean or leaner), 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly, but thoroughly.
By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick defended girlfriend Jordon Hudson for interjecting during a CBS interviewer’s questions about their relationship and said she was “simply doing her job.”
The six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and first-time college coach at UNC issued a statement through the school Wednesday, which followed an appearance on “CBS News Sunday Morning” to promote his upcoming book on his coaching life. In the interview, Hudson objected to a question about how the two had met while Tony Dokoupil referred to her during the segment as being a “constant presence” in the interview.
“The final eight-minute segment does not reflect the productive 35-minute conversation which we had, which covered a wide range of topics related to my career,” Belichick said in his statement. “Instead, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from just a few minutes of the interview to suggest a false narrative — that Jordon was attempting to control the conversation — which is simply not true.”
Belichick also said he told his publicist with book publisher Simon & Schuster that any promotional interviews would “agree to focus solely on the contents of the book.” But CBS News pushed back in its own statement Wednesday.
“When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview,” the statement said. “There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation. This was confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed.”
The awkward interview added to the attention and curiosity that has followed the 73-year-old Belichick, hired as the Tar Heels’ head coach in December after his ultra-successful run with the New England Patriots, and the 24-year-old Hudson, who has frequently posted glimpses into their relationship with social media photos. That has included her role in Belichick’s transition to college coaching, such as a March public records report by The Assembly about Belichick’s request for an athletic official at UNC to copy in Hudson on emails sent to him.
In his Wednesday statement, Belichick said he shares “both a personal and professional relationship” with Hudson and that he expected the interview would focus solely on the book release instead of his personal life. He said Hudson had “stepped in to reiterate that point to help refocus the discussion” in an effort to “ensure the interview stayed on track.”
He also said the couple has “been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021.”
During the CBS interview, Belichick shrugged off attention on his relationship with Hudson, saying: “Never been too worried about what everybody else thinks, just try to do what I feel like is best for me and what’s right.”
When Dokoupil asked how they met, Hudson — sitting at a nearby table — said flatly: “We’re not talking about this.”
In a statement Tuesday, InkWell Management — a literary agency working with Belichick on his upcoming book — said the interview “veered” into a discussion of Belichick’s personal life and resulted “in a raft of hostile social media posts about his personal life.”
“Bill has written an authoritative and entertaining book about success that should be judged by its contents, not by the clicks generated by the segment,” the agency said.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Distracted driving remains a leading factor in crashes across the country, despite laws and awareness efforts aimed at reducing it.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 9% of fatal crashes involve distracted driving, though many researchers believe the actual number is even higher. Despite texting bans in nearly all 50 states, distraction behind the wheel remains a consistent issue—particularly among younger drivers.
Though smartphones are often cited as a source of distraction, they may also offer a solution. Many smartphones come equipped with a “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature that can block notifications automatically when driving is detected. This tool is built into most devices, but many drivers remain unaware of it or choose not to use it. Tiffany Wright of AAA Carolinas said that even when distraction is a known factor in a crash, it’s not always admitted.
“So a lot of people won’t readily admit that they were distracted,” said Wright. “You see it more and more, and at least at AAA, what we’ve seen over the last 10-15 years is more and more single car collisions, and that’s from people being distracted but they won’t readily admit it.”
According to DoSomething.org, sending or reading a text at highway speeds means a driver may travel the length of a football field without looking at the road. Still, research shows that younger drivers—especially those aged 18 to 24—are among the most likely to be familiar with the Do Not Disturb feature, even though usage remains inconsistent across age groups.
“It’s surprising how many people don’t know that their smartphone has a ‘do-not-disturb’ feature,” said Wright.
Surveys show that about half of people didn’t know their phones had the feature, 85% didn’t know how to use it, and 65% didn’t realize it could be activated automatically when the phone detects driving. Wright said that after a structured training process, 100% of participants not only understood how to use the feature—but also demonstrated a 40% reduction in phone use while driving.
According to HONK Technologies, using a mobile phone while driving increases the risk of a crash by up to 400%. Still, even with awareness growing, reluctance remains.
“They have FOMO, fear of missing out, they’re confused about the functionality of it, they think that it’s going to limit their access to their music or navigation systems,” said Wright. “By doing this study we were able to uncover some reasons why people are not using this feature.”
According to Groth Law, it takes just three seconds of looking away from the road for a crash to occur. AAA emphasizes that their campaign isn’t about emergencies where someone needs to break through to reach a driver—in most cases, drivers are simply commuting or running errands, and the urge to check a phone is tied more to routine distraction than urgent need.
“We’re constantly putting out campaigns…so we constantly send out messaging. We support the handheld band legislation that’s currently out there right now. Those are just some of the things that we’ve been doing,” said Wright.
Even with the proven benefits of the Do Not Disturb feature, Wright acknowledged that some people still resist using it—not because of technical barriers, but because they don’t want to miss anything.
AAA Carolinas continues to advocate for increased use of the feature because, according to the organization, it has a measurable impact.
“Us at Triple A want people to use it because we know it saves lives,” said Wright.
According to DoSomething.org, 34% of crashes happen within one minute of phone use or another distraction. Safety experts recommend that drivers visit TSA.gov or their phone settings to explore how Do Not Disturb can be used to limit distractions and prevent accidents.
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — A veteran North Carolina Republican legislator announced Wednesday that she will run next year for the state Supreme Court, seeking the seat currently held by Democratic Associate Justice Anita Earls, who is already preparing for a reelection bid.
Rep. Sarah Stevens of Surry County said in a news release posted on social media that if elected she would “be a conservative voice for justice and families” on the court.
Stevens, 65, has served in the state House since 2009 and became a leader on judicial matters. She’s currently serving as the chairwoman of judiciary and election law committees. Stevens also served eight years as House speaker pro tempore — a title for the No. 2 elected leader in the chamber — through 2024.
“My experience as a family law attorney and a state legislator has prepared me to be a voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves,” Stevens said.
Earls’ seat is the only one of the seven on the state’s highest court currently up for election next year. Candidate filing for November 2026 elections doesn’t start until this December, with any party primaries scheduled for next March.
Earls, one of two Democrats on the Supreme Court, is a longtime civil rights lawyer. She was elected to an eight-year term in 2018, unseating GOP incumbent Barbara Jackson.
Republicans have held a majority on the state’s highest court since early 2023. Associate Justice Allison Riggs, the other Democrat on the court, remains embroiled in litigation involving her unresolved November 2024 election with Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin.
Stevens disclosed in early 2024 that she was recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis. Her treatment has since been completed.
Stevens’ decision would otherwise open her 90th House District seat in the 2026 elections.
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina appeals court ruled Wednesday that a law stripping the governor’s authority to appoint State Board of Elections members can take effect for now, even though trial judges struck it down as unconstitutional just last week.
Three judges on the intermediate-level Court of Appeals unanimously granted the request of Republican legislative leaders to suspend enforcement of that ruling. If left intact, the decision means provisions otherwise slated to take effect Thursday would shift the appointment duties from new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein to GOP State Auditor Dave Boliek, at least temporarily.
Barring a contrary ruling by the state Supreme Court, the decision means Boliek could imminently appoint the board’s five members from slates of candidates provided by the state Democratic and Republican parties. Stein’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court late Wednesday to halt temporarily the Court of Appeals decision.
For over a century, the governor has picked the five board members, three of whom are traditionally members of the governor’s party. Under the new law, the expectation is that Republicans would assume a majority on the board.
Wednesday’s order provided neither an explanation for the decision nor the names of the three Court of Appeals judges who ruled — the court releases the names after 90 days. The court has 15 judges — 12 registered Republicans and three Democrats.
Stein and gubernatorial predecessor Roy Cooper sued over the law finalized by the GOP-dominated General Assembly in December, saying the appointment transfer in part unlawfully interfered with the governor’s responsibility in the state constitution to take care that laws were “faithfully executed.”
Legislative leaders contend that the constitution allows the General Assembly to disperse executive branch powers to several other statewide elected officials, including the auditor.
Republicans have complained that a governor has too much control over elections, resulting in one-party decision-making and a lack of voter confidence. The board’s duties include carrying out campaign finance laws, certifying election results and setting rules on a host of voting administration details.
But Democrats say the laws are a GOP power grab designed to give Republicans an unfair advantage in elections in the battleground state. The board’s importance has been apparent in the still-unresolved election for a state Supreme Court seat. It’s unclear how a new board would affect pending litigation in the race between Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, himself a Court of Appeals judge.
Stein mentioned that election in criticizing the Court of Appeals decision Wednesday, saying on the social platform X that the order “poses a threat to our democracy and the rule of law. The Supreme Court should not allow it to stand.”
In a 2-1 decision on April 23, a panel of trial judges hearing the lawsuit sided with Stein and permanently blocked the power transfer and other provisions, including one that would have directed Boliek to choose the chairs of election boards in all 100 counties.
The dissenting judge would have upheld the law, saying the General Assembly had the final, constitutional authority to assign new powers to the state auditor.
Attorneys for House Speaker Destin Hall, Senate leader Phil Berger and Boliek quickly asked the Court of Appeals to allow the challenged law to take effect as planned while the court hears further arguments over the trial judges’ ruling.
The legislative leaders’ lawyers wrote that the two judges making up the majority — one registered Republican and one Democrat — got their legal conclusions wrong.
Bergrer said in a statement Wednesday that the Court of Appeals “rightly affirmed what we all know: the Governor is not the sole elected executive officer in North Carolina’s government.”
But Stein’s attorneys said in a legal brief earlier Wednesday that the lawmakers’ demand to permit the law’s implementation failed to justify “overturning more than a century of historical precedent and practice, numerous binding Supreme Court decisions, and last week’s presumptively correct ruling.” Terms for the current five board members otherwise would have expired in 2027.
Boliek said earlier this week he was prepared to take on the appointments transfer.
Since late 2016, the Republican-dominated legislature has sought to erode or eliminate a governor’s authority to appoint the board that administers elections in the ninth-largest state.
Four previous laws targeting Cooper were blocked by courts. Voters in 2018 also rejected a constitutional amendment that would have forced the governor to pick members recommended by legislative leaders.
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts appears to hold the key vote over whether the Supreme Court will allow the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school in Oklahoma.
Roberts was the only justice whose vote seemed in doubt after the court heard more than two hours of arguments Wednesday in a major culture-war clash involving the separation of church and state.
The court seemed otherwise deeply divided.
Four other conservative justices seemed firmly on the side of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School and the state charter school board that approved it.
“They’re not asking for special treatment, not asking for favoritism,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. “They’re just saying, ’Don’t treat us worse because we’re religious.”
The three liberal justices seemed just as likely to vote to affirm an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that held that the taxpayer-funded school would entangle church and state in violation of the First Amendment.
“Charter schools are in every respect equivalent to regular public schools,” Justice Elena Kagan said.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself without explanation. Barrett previously taught law at Notre Dame and is close friends with Notre Dame law professor Nicole Garnett, a leading proponent of publicly funded religious charter schools.
If Roberts sides with the liberals, the court would be tied 4-4, an outcome that would leave the state court decision in place, but would leave the issue unresolved nationally.
If he joins his conservative colleagues, on the other hand, the court could find that the taxpayer-funded school is in line with a string of high court decisions that have allowed public funds to flow to religious entities. Those rulings were based on a different part of the First Amendment that protects religious freedom.
Roberts wrote the last three of those decisions. He acknowledged at one point that the court had previously ruled that states “couldn’t exclude religious participants,” suggesting support for St. Isidore.
But he also said the state’s involvement in this case is “much more comprehensive” than in the earlier ones, a point that could lead him in the other direction.
St. Isidore, a K-12 online school, had planned to start classes for its first 200 enrollees last fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith.
Opponents warn a decision to allow the school to open would sap money from public schools and possibly upend the rules governing charter schools in almost every state.
Greg Garre, the lawyer defending the Oklahoma decision, repeatedly urged the justices to consider the broad impact of a ruling for the school.
“This is going to have a dramatic effect on charter schools across the country,” Garre said.
Representing the state charter school board, lawyer James Campbell said Oklahoma’s charter school law discriminates against religion by encouraging diversity, but “deeming religion to be the wrong kind of diversity.”
The case comes to the court amid efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Those include a challenged Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms and a mandate from Oklahoma’s state schools superintendent that the Bible be placed in public school classrooms.
St. Isidore, a K-12 online school, had planned to start classes for its first 200 enrollees last fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith.
Opponents warn a decision to allow the school to open would sap money from public schools and possibly upend the rules governing charter schools in almost every state.
The state board and the school are backed by an array of Republican-led states and religious and conservative groups, though the case has divided some of Oklahoma’s Republican leaders.
Gov. Kevin Stitt and Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters support using public funds for religious schools, while Attorney General Gentner Drummond has opposed the idea and sued to overturn the state board’s approval of St. Isidore.
A key issue in the case is whether the school is public or private. Charter schools are deemed public in Oklahoma and the other 45 states and the District of Columbia where they operate. North Dakota recently enacted legislation allowing for charter schools.
They are free and open to all, receive state funding, abide by antidiscrimination laws and submit to oversight of curriculum and testing. But they also are run by independent boards that are not part of local public school systems.
Just under 4 million American schoolchildren, about 8%, are enrolled in charter schools.