Category Archives: WPTF News

These Canadian rocks may be the oldest on Earth

These Canadian rocks may be the oldest on Earth

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have identified what could be the oldest rocks on Earth from a rock formation in Canada. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in Quebec has long been known for its ancient rocks, but researchers disagree on exactly how old they are. Samples from a new site place the rocks at approximately 4.16 billion years old, in the earliest period of Earth’s history. Ancient rocks are hard to find, but they give scientists a rare window into how early Earth may have looked and even how life got started. The new research was published Thursday in the journal Science.… Continue Reading

More refunds are being sent to Fortnite players ‘tricked’ into unwanted purchases. How you can apply

More refunds are being sent to Fortnite players ‘tricked’ into unwanted purchases. How you can apply

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is issuing more refunds to Fortnite players who it says were charged for unwanted purchases. The U.S. regulator says it’s sending more than 969,000 payments amounting to over $126 million this week. This is part of a $520 million settlement Epic Games agreed to in 2022, addressing complaints about deceptive practices and children’s privacy. The settlement included $245 million for customer refunds. Between this week’s payments and a first round of refunds in December, $198 million of that has been distributed. Eligible players who haven’t received compensation can still file claims until July 9.… Continue Reading

US stocks climb to the brink of a record

US stocks climb to the brink of a record

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing toward the brink of another record. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% Thursday and is just 0.3% below its all-time high, which was set in February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 264 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.5%. McCormick helped lead the market after the seller of cooking spices delivered a better-than-expected profit report. Treasury yields eased a bit in the bond market following a couple of better-than-expected reports on the U.S. economy, including on jobless claims and orders for long-lasting manufactured goods. Stock indexes were mixed across much of Europe and Asia.… Continue Reading

College graduates face toughest job market in more than a decade as hiring slows

College graduates face toughest job market in more than a decade as hiring slows

WASHINGTON (AP) — Young people graduating from college this spring and summer are facing one of the toughest job markets in more than a decade. The unemployment rate for degree holders ages 22 to 27 has reached its highest level in a dozen years, excluding the coronavirus pandemic. Joblessness among that group is higher than the overall unemployment rate, and the gap is larger than it’s been in more than three decades. That worries many economists as well as officials at the Federal Reserve because it could be an early sign of trouble for the economy. It suggests businesses are holding off on hiring new workers because of rampant uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration’s tariff increases… Continue Reading

Record-breaking holiday travel expected in NC this Fourth of July

Record-breaking holiday travel expected in NC this Fourth of July

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Carolina roads and airports are about to get busy—AAA says a record 2.3 million North Carolinians are expected to travel during a nine-day Fourth of July window, with most opting to hit the road. Motor club spokesperson Tiffany Wright says drivers should plan ahead, avoid peak travel times between noon and 5 p.m., and allow plenty of time to reach their destination as traffic is expected to surge across the state and beyond.… Continue Reading

States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules

States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court is allowing states to cut off Medicaid money for Planned Parenthood amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the organization, the country’s largest abortion provider. The 6-3 ruling was handed down Thursday. The case centers on funding for other health care services Planned Parenthood provides in South Carolina, but the ruling could have broader implications for Medicaid patients. South Carolina argued no public money should go to the high-profile abortion provider, even if it it’s not paying for abortions. Planned Parenthood says patients go there for things like contraception and cancer screenings, in part because it can be hard to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance.… Continue Reading

Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is headed to the Dallas Mavericks, who may have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the draft Wednesday night, selecting the 18-year-old who was the college player of the year in his lone season. Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team. But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by San Antonio with the No. 2 pick.… Continue Reading

One more sizzling hot day for the eastern US before temperatures plunge 30 degrees

One more sizzling hot day for the eastern US before temperatures plunge 30 degrees

NEW YORK (AP) — Weather forecasters are predicting wild temperature swings across the eastern U.S. Wednesday was expected to be another scorcher before temperatures plunge as much as 30 degrees. On Tuesday, at least 50 heat records were broken and 21 places hit triple-digit temperatures. About 127 million Americans are under some kind of National Weather Service heat advisory, down from more than 150 million Tuesday. The sizzling temperatures sent utilities scrambling to keep the air conditioning and lights on because of the massive power demand.… Continue Reading

US stocks hang near their record as Wall Street takes a breath following two big days

US stocks hang near their record as Wall Street takes a breath following two big days

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks hung near their all-time high as financial markets caught a breath following two big days bolstered by hopes that the Israel-Iran war will not disrupt the global flow of crude oil. The S&P 500 barely budged on Wednesday and is sitting just 0.8% below its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Oil prices stabilized after plunging by roughly $10 per barrel in the prior two days. Stock indexes fell modestly in Europe after rising in Asia, and Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market.… Continue Reading

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs confirms he won’t testify and praises the trial judge for an ‘excellent job’

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs confirms he won’t testify and praises the trial judge for an ‘excellent job’

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs has praised the judge at his sex trafficking trial as he confirmed he won’t be testifying. Combs told Judge Arun Subramanian that he’s doing an “excellent job” after the judge asked him Tuesday if he planned to testify. The question was posed after the government rested after calling 34 witnesses, capping a more than six-week-long presentation of evidence against the hip-hop maven. Later, the defense rested. Prosecutors have cited “freak offs” described by two ex-girlfriends of Combs’ as proof of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Defense lawyers say they were consensual sexual encounters consistent with the swingers lifestyle. Combs has pleaded not guilty.… Continue Reading

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