Category Archives: WPTF News

New North Carolina governor sues over more laws meant to weaken him

New North Carolina governor sues over more laws meant to weaken him

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is suing again over more recent laws from state Republicans that erode gubernatorial powers. The Democratic governor filed a lawsuit against House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger late last week. One provision forces him to fill Supreme Court and Court of Appeals vacancies from lists offered by the political party with which a departing judge or justice was affiliated. The other would give one of three Utilities Commission appointments earmarked for the governor to the state treasurer. Stein and predecessor Gov. Roy Cooper already filed lawsuits against other power-shifting provisions approved in December.… Continue Reading

Judge finds Trump administration hasn’t fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending

Judge finds Trump administration hasn’t fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has found the Trump administration hasn’t fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending and has ordered the White House to release all money. U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell on Monday found there’s evidence that some federal grants and loans are still not going out to the recipients and ordered that the cash be released. McConnell earlier ordered a halt to Trump administration plans for a sweeping freeze federal funding. The Republican administration has said the pause was necessary to ensure federal spending fits with the president’s agenda. The order comes in a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen states.… Continue Reading

Trump says he has directed US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing rising cost

Trump says he has directed US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing rising cost

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has directed the Treasury Department to stop minting new pennies, citing the rising cost of producing the one-cent coin. Trump wrote in a post Sunday night on his Truth Social site: “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful!” He added: “I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.” The move by Trump is the latest in what has been a rapid-fire effort by his new administration to enact sweeping change through executive order and proclamation.… Continue Reading

Eagles deny the Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat with dominant defense in 40-22 rout

Eagles deny the Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat with dominant defense in 40-22 rout

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cooper DeJean, Josh Sweat and the Philadelphia Eagles’ ferocious defense denied Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat. It wasn’t even close. DeJean got a pick-6 on his 22nd birthday, Sweat tormented Mahomes and the Eagles routed the Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday to secure the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship. Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score on a tush push, and Vic Fangio’s defense was so dominant that the Eagles didn’t need much from Saquon Barkley. With Donald Trump becoming the first president in office to attend a Super Bowl, the Eagles outplayed Kansas City in every facet.… Continue Reading

Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming 51st state in Super Bowl interview

Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming 51st state in Super Bowl interview

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state in an interview that aired Sunday during the Super Bowl preshow. “Yeah it is,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier when asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is “a real thing” — as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently suggested. In the interview, Trump also said he has not seen enough action from Canada and Mexico to stave off the tariffs he has threatened to impose. “No, it’s not good enough,” he said of the United States’ two largest trading partners. “Something has to happen. It’s not sustainable. And I’m changing it.”… Continue Reading

He’s back, baby! ESPN’s Dick Vitale makes return to commentating following 4th bout with cancer

He’s back, baby! ESPN’s Dick Vitale makes return to commentating following 4th bout with cancer

CLEMSON. S.C. (AP) — He’s back, baby! ESPN’s Dick Vitale received a standing ovation at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum in his first game back as a commentator since recovering from his fourth bout with cancer. About 30 minutes before Clemson faced Duke, Vitale was greeted by cheers as he arrived on the floor from a tunnel and began to make his way to his courtside seat to call the game. Clemson’s PA announcer chimed in with his best Vitale impersonation, saying “Dickie V, you’re awesome, baby!” Vitale, 85, hasn’t called a game for ESPN in two years. He’s battled four different types of cancer over the past four years, including vocal cord cancer. Vitale announced in December he’s cancer-free after his fourth bout with the disease in just over three years.… Continue Reading

Flu season in the US is the most intense it’s been in at least 15 years

Flu season in the US is the most intense it’s been in at least 15 years

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in about 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. According to data posted Friday, that level last week was higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010. So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been 13,000 flu deaths — including at least 57 children. The flu has forced schools to shut down in some states. One Texas district closed for three days because 650 students and 60 staff were out one day last week.… Continue Reading

Some Fort Liberty soldiers will head to US-Mexico border, bringing the total to 3,600

Some Fort Liberty soldiers will head to US-Mexico border, bringing the total to 3,600

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown on immigration. That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border. A U.S. official said Friday that the order has been approved to send a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment has not yet been publicly announced. The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s executive orders signed shortly after he took office on Jan. 20.… Continue Reading

NC-based Honeywell, one of the few remaining US industrial conglomerates, will split into three companies

NC-based Honeywell, one of the few remaining US industrial conglomerates, will split into three companies

Honeywell plans to separate its automation and aerospace technologies businesses from the U.S. industrial conglomerate, following similar actions by companies such as General Electric and Alcoa. Honeywell said Thursday that the move means there will be three publicly listed companies, when also accounting for its previously announced plan to spin off its advanced materials business.… Continue Reading

Irv Gotti, music executive who created Murder Inc. Records, dies at 54

Irv Gotti, music executive who created Murder Inc. Records, dies at 54

NEW YORK (AP) — Irv Gotti, a music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists such as Ashanti and Ja Rule, has died. He was 54. Def Jam Recordings announced Gotti’s death in a statement late Wednesday night. Def Jam was the parent company of Murder Inc. It did not give a cause of death. Gotti, whose real name is Irving Lorenzo, founded Murder Inc. with his brother in the late 1990s. The label gained worldwide prominence through platinum-selling artists Ashanti and Ja Rule. Gotti had also worked with artists DMX, Fat Joe and Jay-Z, among other huge names in the genre.… Continue Reading

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