Court papers say suspect in embassy killings declared, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza’

Court papers say suspect in embassy killings declared, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza’

By ERIC TUCKER, MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum told police after his arrest, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” federal authorities said Thursday in announcing charges in the killings they called a targeted act of terrorism.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away after his arrest, according to charging documents that provided chilling new details of the Wednesday night shootings in the nation’s capital that killed an American woman and an Israeli man who had just left an event at the museum. They were set to become engaged.

The stunning attack prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel pursues another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in the war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally, and that law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned could inspire violence in the U.S.

Rodriguez faces charges of murder of foreign officials and other crimes and did not enter a plea during a perfunctory court appearance. Additional charges are likely, prosecutors said, as authorities continue to investigate the killings as both a hate crime against the Jewish community and terrorism.

“Violence against anyone based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not an act of a hero,” said Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation’s capital.”

The couple planned to become engaged

The two people killed were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. They were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Those who knew them paid tribute to the pair Thursday as warm, vibrant and curious, dedicated to promoting peace and aspiring to bridge cultural and religious divides.

“Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,” said Ted Deutch, the chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, which organized the event. “Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.”

An FBI affidavit made public Thursday presents the killing as calculated and planned, with authorities alleging that Rodriguez flew to the Washington region from Chicago on Tuesday with a handgun in his checked luggage. He purchased a ticket for the event about three hours before it started, the affidavit said.

The couple were leaving the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect, who witnesses said had been behaving suspiciously by pacing outside, approached a group of four people and opened fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing closer to the two victims as they fell to the ground, leaning over them and firing additional shots. He even appeared to reload before jogging off, the FBI said.

Affidavit says suspect declared that he ‘did it’

After the shooting, the suspect went inside the museum and stated that he “did it.” He was no longer armed by the time he was taken into custody, according to the affidavit.

“I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,” he spontaneously said. He also told detectives that he admired an active-duty Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing the man as “courageous” and a “martyr,” court documents said.

Investigators said they were still working to corroborate the authenticity of writings purported to be authored by Rodriguez, an apparent reference to a document circulating online that expressed outrage over Israel’s conduct in the war. The FBI is also contacting associates, family members and co-workers.

Rodriguez appeared in federal court in Washington in a white jail suit and listened impassively as the charges and possible punishments, which include the death penalty, were read. At a home listed in public records for Rodriguez’s mother in suburban Chicago, a sign taped on the door Thursday afternoon asked for privacy.

The shooting followed the Jewish advocacy group’s annual Young Diplomats reception at the museum, which the couple had attended.

Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots, and a man came inside looking distressed. Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red kaffiyeh, the Palestinian headscarf, and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,’” Kalin said.

“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin said. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”

Victims praised for their commitments and compassion

Milgrim, from Overland Park, Kansas, was “warm and compassionate, committed to peace building and passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations,” Deutch said.

A former youth director at Congregation Beth Torah recalled her as a brilliant girl with a perpetual smile and a sense of purpose.

“She had a passion for Judaism and for Israel, and she wanted to do some good,” said Marcia Rittmaster, the former youth director. She recommended Milgrim for a Jewish leadership internship upon the young woman’s graduation from high school.

Lischinsky grew up partly in the German city of Nuremberg and moved to Israel at 16.

“He was a Christian, a true lover of Israel, served in the (Israel Defense Forces), and chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause,” said Ron Prosor, who taught Lischinsky at Israel’s Reichman University. Lischinsky earned a master’s degree in government, diplomacy and strategy there. “He embodied the Judeo-Christian values and set an example for young people worldwide.”

A friend, David Boskey, recalled Lischinsky as someone unafraid to broach hard questions in order to interrogate his own convictions. He met Lischinsky in 2017 in Jerusalem at a Messianic Jewish congregation, where they would often end up talking together about life and faith, Boskey said.

“He was looking to see where he was going to go in life, asking questions about calling and about identity and about what he was going to study, where he was going to work,” Boskey said.

On Instagram, his bio included a yellow ribbon symbolizing the struggle to free the hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip.

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An earlier version incorrectly said that the suspect in the shooting had been charged with shoplifting in Chicago.

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Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Maya Sweedler, Zeke Miller, Michael Biesecker, Gary Fields, Michael Balsamo, Mike Pesoli, Nathan Ellgren, Dan Huff and Sarah Brumfield in Washington; as well as Jennifer Peltz in New York; Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri; Nick Ingram in Overland Park, Kansas; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, Stefanie Dazio in Berlin; and Natalie Melzer in Nahriya, Israel.

North Carolina House advances more Hurricane Helene aid in $465M package

North Carolina House advances more Hurricane Helene aid in $465M package

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina House advanced another Hurricane Helene funding package on Thursday to address pressing needs in the mountains eight months after the storm caused historic flooding and destruction.

The $465 million package, approved unanimously by the chamber just one day after its unveiling, is about half the $891 million that Democratic Gov. Josh Stein requested from the Republican-controlled General Assembly this week. Republicans lawmakers had been working on their package well before Stein’s pitch on Monday.

The package, which now goes to the Senate for consideration, includes grants for farmers to rebuild barns and greenhouses and for businesses that have experienced monetary storm-related losses. There are also funds to continue debris removal and to repair schools and private roads and bridges.

“The funding in this bill is practical and is going to real work to get done,” GOP Rep. Jennifer Balkcom of Henderson County, one of the counties harmed by the storm, said during floor debate.

To date, the General Assembly has appropriated or allocated more than $1.6 billion in recovery funds since September’s storm. That contrasts with the estimated $60 billion in overall Helene damages and recovery needs. More than 100 people died from the storm in North Carolina, state officials say.

Disaster relief already approved by Congress and other federal funding sources may ultimately provide more than $15 billion to North Carolina. But those funds have been slow to reach the state.

Stein, who is seeking more federal funds, said this week that western North Carolina needs more state assistance now, rather than wait on “uncertain federal assistance.”

House members from both parties praised the newest round of recovery funding.

“I think we’ll never get enough money from the federal (government) or the state to make us whole by any stretch, and we think we all know that,” Democratic Rep. Eric Ager of Buncombe County said. “But this is going to make a big difference.”

Ager and others emphasized the $60 million included to initiate a leading priority for the governor — a state program providing direct grants to businesses that suffered economic losses from the storm and its aftermath.

GOP lawmakers declined to provide such payments in the most recent aid package enacted in March even while offering similar grants to farmers for agricultural losses from Helene and other weather emergencies.

House Speaker Destin Hall said GOP colleagues had been worried a business grant program that lacked controls would lead to funds for many companies that don’t need help, like what happened with COVID-19 pandemic business grants from the federal government.

This initiative, however, requires applicants to show details of financial need, such as an economic loss of at least $25,000. The maximum grant allowed would be $75,000.

“If we have some standard that we can measure those things, our folks are much more comfortable with it,” Hall told reporters this week.

The package provides funds for other items that Stein sought, albeit at lower levels. There’s $12.5 million for parks, museum and library repairs; $33 million for public school repairs; and tens of millions of dollars to cover federal matching funds for local and state governments.

The Senate agreed to set aside $700 million in its two-year budget plan approved last month for future Helene recovery needs, but left out details on how to spend it. The House crafted the newest tranche of aid separate from its own budget bill, which it approved on Thursday.

Helene aid and the budget likely will become intertwined in the coming weeks because the two chambers are using different funding sources. The House wants to use money that the Senate budget earmarked for future construction of the state’s first stand-alone children’s hospital. The House has been cautious about offering more hospital funds right now.

Judge blocks Trump’s order to dismantle the Education Department and fire employees

Judge blocks Trump’s order to dismantle the Education Department and fire employees

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Education Department and ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from carrying out two plans announced in March that sought to work toward Trump’s goal to shut down the department. It marks a setback to one of the Republican president’s campaign promises.

The ruling came in two consolidated lawsuits that said Trump’s plan amounted to an illegal closure of the Education Department.

One suit was filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts along with the American Federation of Teachers and other education groups. The other suit was filed by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general.

The suits argued that layoffs left the department unable to carry out responsibilities required by Congress, including duties to support special education, distribute financial aid and enforce civil rights laws.

In his order, Joun said the plaintiffs painted a “stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America’s most vulnerable student populations.”

Layoffs of that scale, he added, “will likely cripple the Department. The idea that Defendants’ actions are merely a ‘reorganization’ is plainly not true.”

Joun ordered the Education Department to reinstate federal workers who were terminated as part of the March 11 layoff announcement.

That announcement led to the firing of about 1,300 people. Some Education Department employees have left through buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees, which combined with the layoffs have reduced the staff to roughly half the 4,100 the department had when Trump took office.

“Today’s order means that the Trump administration’s disastrous mass firings of career civil servants are blocked while this wildly disruptive and unlawful agency action is litigated,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represents plaintiffs in the Somerville case.

The Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Trump administration has said the layoffs are aimed at efficiency, not a department shutdown. Trump has called for the closure of the agency but recognizes it must be carried out by Congress, the government said.

The administration said restructuring the agency “may impact certain services until the reorganization is finished” but it’s committed to fulfilling its statutory requirements.

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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

House Republicans pass Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and program cuts after all-night session

House Republicans pass Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and program cuts after all-night session

By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING, LEAH ASKARINAM and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package, with Speaker Mike Johnson defying the skeptics and unifying his ranks to muscle President Donald Trump’s priority bill to approval Thursday.

With last-minute concessions and stark warnings from Trump, the Republican holdouts largely dropped their opposition to salvage the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that’s central to the GOP agenda. The House launched debate before midnight and by dawn the vote was called, 215-214, with Democrats staunchly opposed. It next goes to the Senate, with long negotiations ahead.

“To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again,” said Johnson, R-La.

The outcome caps an intense time on Capitol Hill, with days of private negotiations and public committee hearings, many happening back-to-back, around-the-clock. Republicans insisted their sprawling 1,000-page-plus package was what voters sent them to Congress — and Trump to the White House — to accomplish. They believe it will be “rocket fuel,” as one put it during debate, for the uneasy U.S. economy.

House Republicans are getting closer to passing President Donald Trump’s tax breaks, spending cuts and beefed-up border security. (AP Video)

Trump himself demanded action, visiting House Republicans at Tuesday’s conference meeting and hosting GOP leaders and the holdouts for a lengthy session Wednesday at the White House. Before the vote, the administration warned in a pointed statement that failure “would be the ultimate betrayal.”

After the legislation’s passage, Trump posted on social media: “Thank you to every Republican who voted YES on this Historic Bill! Now, it’s time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work.”

The Senate hopes to wrap up its version by the Fourth of July holiday.

Central to the package is the GOP’s commitment to extending some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks they engineered during Trump’s first term in 2017, while temporarily adding new ones he campaigned on during his 2024 campaign, including no taxes on tips, overtime pay, car loan interest and others.

To make up for some of the lost tax revenue, the Republicans focused on changes to Medicaid and the food stamps program, largely by imposing work requirements on many of those receiving benefits. There’s also a massive rollback of green energy tax breaks from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act.

Additionally, the package tacks on $350 billion in new spending, with about $150 billion going to the Pentagon, including for the president’s new “ Golden Dome” defense shield, and the rest for Trump’s mass deportation and border security agenda.

All told, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates 8.6 million fewer people would have health care coverage and 3 million less people a month would have SNAP food stamps benefits with the proposed changes.

The CBO said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services would tally $1 trillion in reduced spending. The lowest-income households in the U.S. would see their resources drop, while the highest ones would see a boost, it said.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York read letters from Americans describing the way the program cuts would hurt them. “This is one big ugly bill,” he said.

As the minority, without the votes to stop Trump’s package, Democrats instead offered up impassioned speeches and procedural moves to stall its advance. As soon as the House floor reopened for debate, the Democrats forced a vote to adjourn. It failed.

In “the dark of night they want to pass this GOP tax scam,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.

Other Democrats called it a “big, bad bill” or a “big, broken promise.”

Pulling the package together before his Memorial Day deadline has been an enormous political lift for Johnson, with few votes to spare from his slim GOP majority whose rank-and-file Republicans have conflicting priorities of their own.

Conservatives, particularly from the House Freedom Caucus, held out for steeper spending cuts to defray costs piling onto the nation’s $36 trillion debt.

At the same time, more moderate and centrist GOP lawmakers were wary of the changes to Medicaid that could result in lost health care for their constituents. And some worried the phaseout of the renewable energy tax breaks will impede businesses using them to invest in green energy projects in many states.

One big problem had been the costly deal with GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states to quadruple the $10,000 deduction for state and local taxes, called SALT, to $40,000 for incomes up to $500,000, which was included in the final product.

For every faction Johnson tried to satisfy, another would roar in opposition.

Late in the night, GOP leaders unveiled a 42-page amendment with a number of revisions.

The changes included speedier implementation of the Medicaid work requirements, which will begin in December 2026, rather than January 2029, and a faster roll back of the production tax credits for clean electricity projects, both sought by the conservatives.

Also tucked into the final version were some unexpected additions — including a $12 billion fund for the Department of Homeland Security to reimburse states that help federal officials with deportations and border security.

And in a nod to Trump’s influence, the Republicans renamed a proposed new children’s savings program after the president, changing it from MAGA accounts — money account for growth and advancement — to simply “Trump” accounts.

Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., said Americans shouldn’t believe the dire predictions from Democrats about the impact of the bill. “We can unlock the ‘Golden Age’ of America,” she said, echoing the president’s own words.

By early morning hours, the chief holdouts appeared to be falling in line. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said they “got some improvements.”

But two Republicans voted against the package, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a deficit watcher who had been publicly criticized by Trump, remained unmoved. “This bill is a debt bomb ticking,” he warned.

And Rep. Andy Harris, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus who wanted more time, voted present. Some others did not vote.

Final analysis of the overall package’s costs and economic impacts are still being assessed.

Along with extending existing tax breaks, it would increase the standard income tax deduction, to $32,000 for joint filers, and boost the child tax credit to $2,500. There would be an enhanced deduction, of $4,000, for older adults of certain income levels, to help defray taxes on Social Security income.

To cut spending, those seeking Medicaid health care, who are able-bodied adults without dependents, would need to fulfill 80 hours a month on a job or in other community activities.

Similarly, to receive food stamps through SNAP, those up to age 64, rather than 54, who are able-bodied and without dependents, would need to meet the 80 hours a month work or community engagement requirements. Additionally, some parents of children older than 7 years old would need to fulfill the work requirements.

Republicans said they want to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal programs.

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Associated Press writers Matt Brown and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

Simple Beef and Brew Chili

Simple Beef and Brew Chili

Simple Beef and Brew Chili

Photo Courtesy of BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

Simple Beef and Brew Chili Recipe from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serving size: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Ground Beef (96% lean)
  • 1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 can (15 ounces) reduced sodium or regular black beans, rinsed, drained
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounce) diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) light beer or 1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 1 packet (1-1/4 ounces) reduced sodium or regular chili seasoning mix
  • Sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced green onions, sliced Serrano or jalapeño peppers, chopped onions, lime wedges and tortilla chips (toppings: if desired)

Directions

  1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add Ground Beef and bell pepper; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking beef into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. (Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed Ground Beef. Ground Beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160ºF. Color is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness.)
  2. Stir in beans, tomatoes, beer and chili seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Serve with toppings, as desired.
KIX Kitties and K9s: Meet Scully!

KIX Kitties and K9s: Meet Scully!

Meet Scully. If you ask what breed mix she is, we honestly don’t have an answer for you (other than a smart kind). Whatever it is, those teefers are always on display.

She’s a little bit over two years old and weighs around 40 pounds. Scully knows tons of tricks and commands. Things like “sit”, “down”, “spin”, and “paw” are a breeze and there’s no doubt in our minds you could teach her more if you have the right motivator! She does love her treats after all.

Scully is house-trained and crate-trained and does not mind at all if you want to crate her when you leave the house. If you give her something to chew on like a Kong and a nice soft bed, you won’t hear any complaints.

Her ideal home is one where there are no other resident pets or young children. She’s looking for a quieter lifestyle. A place where she can relax and be her loving self with her humans is exactly what she needs. That said, she would LOVE to have a fenced-in yard for zoomies and not have to worry about dogs passing by while she’s outside.

Could she be your new spoiled princess? Visit the Second Chance website to learn more about Scully: secondchancenc.org/adopt-a-pet

Second Chance Pet Adoptions
6003 Chapel Hill Rd., Ste. 133
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 851-8404

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United Way launches tools to help North Carolinians navigate financial uncertainty

United Way launches tools to help North Carolinians navigate financial uncertainty

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — A new report from United Way of North Carolina is shining a spotlight on ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This growing demographic consists of working individuals and families who earn above the federal poverty level but still struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare, food, transportation and healthcare.

David Mercado, Senior Director of Operations for United Way of North Carolina, says their report takes the average income of a family based on the census and brings it all together.

“And it shows them what could they be able to survive looking at the median of what people can have in their home. Everything from rent, utilities, car insurance, everything and it divides it by what your income is in household and then that’s how it determines who is ALICE eligible,” said Mercado.

United Way of North Carolina has been mobilizing communities for nearly five decades with a mission to help individuals, families, and entire communities thrive. The latest data underscores how precarious financial stability is for many North Carolinians — especially those who don’t have two to three months of savings.

“Let’s say somebody is living paycheck to paycheck and all of a sudden their car has four tires pop or their transmission goes,” said Mercado. “At that point they aren’t able to support their family.”

To assist ALICE families, United Way operates a 24/7 information and referral service where community resource specialists connect people with local help. According to Mercado, the system is designed to respond quickly.

“Our current hold time is less than 10 seconds, 24 hours a day. [Callers] provide their ZIP code, and we can provide them with resources in their area they can partner with to get the assistance that they need,” said Mercado.

United Way is also piloting a new tool called My Friend Ben in collaboration with Code the Dream. The online resource offers a confidential way for users to assess their eligibility for various forms of state assistance — both short- and long-term.

“Once you go into there, it would ask you certain demographics of your own, everything is private and it would show you what state resources you qualify for long-term and short-term,” said Mercado.

United Way of North Carolina’s vision is rooted in building thriving communities through equitable access to resources — and their ALICE initiative is one more step toward bridging the growing gap between hard work and economic security.

Taxes, salaries, vacancy cuts make plain differences over rival North Carolina GOP budgets

Taxes, salaries, vacancy cuts make plain differences over rival North Carolina GOP budgets

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina House’s reveal of its state government budget proposal makes plain the differences on taxes, salaries and job cuts between Republicans who control both General Assembly chambers.

With strong bipartisan support, the House gave preliminary approval late Wednesday to its plan to spend $32.6 billion in the year beginning July 1 and $33.3 billion the next year — the same amounts Senate Republicans agreed to for their competing two-year budget approved last month.

The amounts reflect a more strained fiscal picture amid uncertainty over federal government spending, inflation and projections of flat or falling tax collections.

“We’ve had to tighten the belt a little bit more than we normally have,” Rep. Donny Lambeth, a top chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters.

But the chambers’ paths to those figures show deep areas of disagreement as they pursue a compromise they hope new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein can accept — or build enough legislative support to withstand a Stein veto.

House more cautious on tax rate reductions

GOP leaders in both chambers agree a previously approved law reducing the current 4.25% individual income tax rate to 3.99% in 2026 should stay in place.

But the House, concerned about revenue shortfalls, doesn’t want to go along with the Senate proposal to reduce that rate to 3.49% in 2027 and 2.99% in 2028.

The House also would make it harder to lower the rate below 3.99% by raising revenue thresholds contained in current law that state coffers must exceed before the rate automatically falls. The Senate tilts toward a more aggressive threshold, proposing a schedule that could reduce the rate one day to 1.99%.

Stein has warned that the current thresholds, if left intact, could bring “self-inflicted fiscal pain” by curbing revenues. Senate Republicans have downplayed such fears, and outside conservative groups argue the House budget actually would raise taxes — legislative staff calculate $2 billion-plus more revenue annually compared to current law.

The national conservative group Club for Growth warned on X ahead of Wednesday’s vote that anyone voting for the bill containing the “tax increase in North Carolina should expect to be held accountable on election day, and kiss their political future goodbye.”

The threat didn’t faze House Republicans, some of whom considered it a scare tactic as talks begin with Senate counterparts. House leaders also note the plan would lower income taxes further by increasing standard deductions and eliminating tax on the first $5,000 of a worker’s tips.

“Nothing on the outside of this building is going to change my belief and this (GOP) caucus’ belief that this budget is … the more fiscally conservative between the two chambers,” House Speaker Destin Hall said during a break in Wednesday’s debate.

Teacher salaries surge in House plan

The House plan would raise teacher pay well above the Senate proposal, with a focus on early-career instructors.

The House proposal would increase state-funded salaries of K-12 teachers by 8.7% on average over the next two years. The Senate’s proposed raises are well under half of that percentage, but that doesn’t include $3,000 bonuses the Senate also approved.

The House says its plan would vault compensation for first-year teachers to top levels in the Southeast. Stein’s budget proposal released in March would raise teacher pay well over 10% on average.

House goes deep on cutting vacant jobs

House Republicans would direct state agencies, departments and institutions to eliminate nearly 3,000 vacant positions, while the Senate version directs that 850 vacancies be eliminated. The Office of State Human Resources notes there were more than 14,000 vacancies in state agencies as of last month.

About two-thirds of the House’s cuts come from a directive for agencies to eliminate 20% of their vacant positions, with cost savings intended to beef up salaries to recruit and retain workers for critical hard-to-fill positions.

Negotiations could continue well into summer

After an expected final House vote Thursday, the budget bill will return to the Senate — a prelude to House-Senate negotiations on a unified plan to present to Stein.

The goal is to have an enacted budget by July 1, but meeting that deadline has been difficult in recent years as Republicans have battled each other and the Democratic governor. Given this week’s discourse over taxes, GOP intraparty negotiations could extend deep into summer.

Legislative Republicans currently are one seat shy of a veto-proof majority, meaning Stein could wield some influence.

For now, Stein backs the House plan over the Senate. In a statement released during Wednesday’s floor debate, he praised its proposals for teacher pay, cutting taxes for working families and reducing income tax rates “only when the economy is growing.”

“The House’s proposed budget isn’t perfect,” said Stein, yet while also criticizing “the Senate’s fiscally irresponsible revenue scheme.”

Stein’s words trickled down into Wednesday’s vote. Following five hours of debate and dozens of amendments, 27 House Democrats joined all the Republicans present in voting 93-20 for the plan.

Rapper Kid Cudi to testify at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial this week

Rapper Kid Cudi to testify at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial this week

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper and actor Kid Cudi is expected to testify at the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial this week, taking the witness stand to tell the jury about his brief relationship 14 years ago with Combs’ ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie.

Prosecutors have contended in court filings that Combs was so upset about the relationship that he arranged to have Cudi’s convertible firebombed.

Prosecutors informed the judge that Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, would not be called to the stand before Thursday. Meanwhile, a federal agent resumed testifying Wednesday about what investigators found when they raided Combs’ home in Florida in March 2024. Homeland Security Agent Gerard Gannon displayed for the jury a Gucci bag in which drugs were found, including cocaine.

Cassie testified last week that Combs was enraged when she left him for a period of time in 2011 and began dating Cudi. She said Combs left a large bruise on her back where he kicked her as she left his Los Angeles home for the last time that year.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that he leveraged his fame and fortune to oversee a two-decade-long racketeering enterprise that controlled Cassie and others through threats and violence.

His lawyers say evidence in the case reflects domestic violence, not anything amounting to a criminal racket or sex trafficking.

Cassie testified last week that Combs arranged for her to meet Cudi several times in 2011 to work on music. She said her relationship with Cudi began late in the year and she got a burner phone so the two could communicate without Combs learning about it.

Cassie said she and Combs had broken up at the time, although they still engaged in so-called “freak-offs” that involved sexual performances with male escorts that Combs watched and sometimes participated in. It was during one of those “freak-offs” that Combs picked up her regular phone and noticed communications that revealed Cassie was seeing Cudi, Cassie said.

On Tuesday, Cassie’s mother, Regina Ventura, testified that she received an email in December 2011 from Cassie saying that Combs was so angry about her relationship with Cudi that he planned to release sexually explicit videos of her and send someone to hurt Cassie and Cudi.

Afterward, Regina Ventura said, she received a demand from Combs for $20,000. Scared for her daughter’s safety, she went to the bank and sent Combs the money, only to have it returned by Combs days later.

Cassie testified that Cudi came to visit her at her mother’s Connecticut home around Christmas in 2011 and stayed for three or four days. She said she broke up with him.

“It was just too much,” she said. “Too much danger, too much uncertainty of, like, what could happen if we continued to see each other.”

Cassie said she told her family she was going to Los Angeles after the holidays to “get to work.” But instead, she said, she traveled after New Year’s to meet Combs in Arizona, where he had gone to visit a college with his son. They resumed their relationship.

When Cassie and Combs were out of the country, Combs told her that Cudi’s car would be blown up and Combs wanted Cudi’s friends there to see it, Cassie said.

Reigning Stanley Cup champ Florida Panthers beat Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Eastern final opener

Reigning Stanley Cup champ Florida Panthers beat Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Eastern final opener

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers wasted no time snatching home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference final.

Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored two tone-setting first-period goals while Sergei Bobrovsky remained strong in net as the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Tuesday night’s opener of their Eastern Conference final series.

A.J. Greer added a goal by finishing off a perfect 2-on-1 transition chance in the second period for Florida, while Sam Bennett added a third-period score that erased any lingering doubt — only to see Eetu Luostarinen add another one late to make it 5-1 and keep pouring it on.

“We love to win, of course,” Bennett said. “That’s why we’re here, that’s why we put in all these hours. That’s why we do the hard things that are necessary to win. It’s because we love it that much. We have one goal in mind and that’s going to be our focus the whole way.”

Bobrovsky held up with 31 saves, including during a stretch in which the Panthers failed to get a shot on goal for more than 15 minutes spanning the second intermission. It came 48 hours after the Panthers had beaten Toronto in a road Game 7 to advance and set up a rematch of the Eastern final from two years ago.

Florida swept that one with four one-goal margins, including Game 1 in four overtimes. And just as before, the Panthers have immediately ripped home-ice advantage from a team that was 5-0 at home in these playoffs.

“I think we didn’t love our game,” Verhaeghe said. “We liked our game, obviously anytime you win in the playoffs.”

Sebastian Aho tallied Carolina’s lone score when the outcome was in doubt, with Seth Jarvis’ pass banging off Aho’s right skate to slide under Bobrovsky in the dying seconds of the first to make it 2-1. But Florida got Greer’s finish off a backhand feed from Niko Mikkola to beat Frederik Andersen to push the margin back to two goals early in the second.

Andersen had been elite in the postseason, but found himself alone with Verhaeghe at the edge of the crease for a quick power-play goal that beat him to the upper right corner. He was later shielded by Brad Marchand on Bennett’s score, which fittingly ended the 15-minute stretch without a shot on goal.

Those both came with the man advantage, a glaring stat against Carolina’s penalty kill that had been the postseason’s best by allowing two goals on 30 attempts through two rounds.

“When they got the two power-play goals, I think that’s really the difference in the game,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You’ve got to kill those. You’ve got to give them credit; when they get a chance it’s in the net. … They play a heavy, hard game, but they can score.”

Jackson Blake scored a late goal for Carolina in a finish that included Marchand being tossed for a game-misconduct penalty — including being escorted off by an official while shouting back toward center ice — after a tussle with Carolina’s Shayne Gostisbehere.

The loss marked Carolina’s 13th straight in a conference final, going back being swept in 2009, 2019 and 2023.

Game 2 is back at Carolina on Thursday night.

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