Wall Street’s rally stalls as US stocks dip for their 1st loss in 4 days

Wall Street’s rally stalls as US stocks dip for their 1st loss in 4 days

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s rally stalled on Wednesday after U.S. stocks climbed back within 2% of their all-time high.

The S&P 500 fell 0.3% for its first loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was virtually unchanged after edging down by 1 point, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.5%.

Several Big Tech stocks led the way lower, and a 1.9% drop for Apple was the heaviest weight on the market. It’s been listless this week after unveiling several modest upcoming changes to the software that runs its devices.

The action was stronger in the bond market, where Treasury yields eased after a report suggested President Donald Trump’s tariffs are not pushing inflation much higher, at least not yet.

U.S. consumers had to pay prices for food, gasoline and other costs of living that were 2.4% higher overall in May than a year earlier. That was up from April’s 2.3% inflation rate, but it wasn’t as bad as the 2.5% that Wall Street was expecting.

A fear has been that Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs could ignite an acceleration in inflation, just when it had seemed to get nearly all the way back to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target from more than 9% three summers ago. It hasn’t happened, though economists warn it may take months more to feel the full effect of Trump’s tariffs.

“Another month goes by with little evidence of tariffs, but the longer-term inflation challenge they pose remain,” according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Financial markets also had only modest reactions to the conclusion of two days of trade talks between the United States and China in London.

Trump said Wednesday that China will supply rare-earth minerals and magnets to the United States, while his government will allow Chinese students into U.S. universities in a deal that still needs an agreement by him and by China’s leader. Trump also said that “President XI and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade. This would be a great WIN for both countries!!!”

Investors are still hoping for a more sweeping trade deal that would ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Hopes for such deals between the United States and countries around the world have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has charged nearly all the way back to its all-time high after dropping roughly 20% below a couple months ago. Without them, the fear is that Trump’s high tariffs could drive the economy into a recession while pushing inflation higher. The S&P 500 is now sitting 2% below its record.

On Wall Street, Chewy dropped 11% after the seller of pet supplies reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts had forecast. Expectations were high after its stock had already rallied nearly 37% coming into the day for the year so far.

Tesla swung between gains and losses before finishing with a rise of 0.1% to continue its shaky run. It’s been recovering much of its big losses taken last week after Elon Musk’s relationship with Trump imploded, which in turn raised fears about a loss of business for the electric-vehicle company. Musk on Wednesday backed away from some of his earlier comments and said they went “too far.”

All told, the S&P 500 fell 16.57 points to 6,022.24. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 1.10 to 42,865.77, and the Nasdaq composite sank 99.11 to 19,615.88.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.41% from 4.47% late Tuesday. Shorter-term yields, which more closely track expectations for what the Fed will do with overnight interest rates, fell more.

Wednesday’s better-than-expected reading on inflation raised expectations along Wall Street that the Fed could cut its main interest rate at least twice by the end of the year.

The Fed has been keeping interest rates steady so far this year, going on pause after cutting rates at the end of last year. It has been waiting to see how much Trump’s tariffs raise inflation because cutting interest rates could push inflation up even more, in addition to giving the economy a boost.

“The Fed could be justified in doing some preemptive rate cuts,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “They were afraid that inflation would rise before growth would slow, but the script has been flipped and they will likely change their tune.”

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe after rising in Asia. South Korea’s Kospi was one of the best performers and jumped 1.2%.

___

AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama contributed.

Permitless concealed carry in North Carolina faces uphill battle after some GOP pushback

Permitless concealed carry in North Carolina faces uphill battle after some GOP pushback

By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A bill to let adults carry concealed handguns without a permit cleared the North Carolina legislature on Wednesday, however the path to joining the majority of U.S. states with similar laws remains uncertain.

The GOP-backed legislation faces a likely veto from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, as well as pushback from a handful of Republicans who voted against the legislation in the state House. House Speaker Destin Hall acknowledged those concerns after Wednesday’s vote.

“I would imagine that — math being math — that it’s probably a low percentage relative to other bills,” Hall told reporters.

If the bill becomes law, North Carolina would become the 30th state in the country to legalize permitless carrying of a concealed handgun, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. North Carolina would also be one of the last states in the Southeast to implement that legislation.

The legislation allows for eligible people with valid identification over the age of 18 to carry a concealed handgun. More than half of states with permitless concealed carry set their age limit at 21 and older, while the rest have the legal carrying age at 18, according to the NCSL.

Currently, a person must be 21 and older to obtain a concealed handgun permit in North Carolina. To qualify, an applicant must pass a firearms safety training course and not “suffer from a physical or mental infirmity that prevents the safe handling of a handgun,” according to state law.

Approving permitless concealed carry has been a goal of gun-rights activists in North Carolina for years, with House Republicans historically supportive of the idea. Some see it as the next step after Republican lawmakers successfully eliminated the permit system that required sheriffs to conduct character evaluations and criminal history checks for pistol applicants in 2023.

Conservative advocates for the bill say it would strengthen Second Amendment rights for North Carolinians. Republican lawmakers also disputed that the bill would make the state more dangerous, as “law-abiding citizens” would be the only people that would benefit from the permit elimination, not criminals, Republican Rep. Brian Echevarria said.

“Rights to keep and bear arms are constitutionally inseparable,” Echevarria said. ”If a person cannot own a firearm, they cannot bear a firearm.”

The bill’s passage tees up one of the first opportunities for a likely veto from Stein if he stays aligned with his fellow Democrats in the legislature. Stein has a more powerful veto stamp than his predecessor Roy Cooper, after Republicans lost their House supermajority last year that allowed them to override vetoes and enact their legislative agenda with relative ease.

Now, House Republicans would need to count on a Democrat to join in their override efforts. Reaching that goal seems especially daunting, considering all of the present House Democrats — and two Republicans — voted against the bill.

The governor’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment on the legislation, but House Deputy Democratic Leader Cynthia Ball said in a committee Tuesday that Stein was opposed to it.

Several Democratic legislators said it would make communities unsafe by loosening who can carry a concealed handgun without training. Democrats also raised issue with the age limit set in the bill, saying it would put guns in the hands of young people who aren’t yet mature enough to have one.

“Do you not remember when you were 18? We are prone and so susceptible to peer pressure, we are hotheaded, we are emotional,” Democratic Rep. Tracy Clark said on the House floor after retelling her personal experience of losing two friends in college to gun violence.

Those seeking a permit for their concealed handgun — such as for the purpose of traveling with a firearm to a state that requires a permit — would still be able to do so. The bill also heightens the felony punishment for those who assault law enforcement officers or first responders with a firearm.

A separate bill that makes gun safety courses available at North Carolina community colleges for people 18 and up passed in a near-unanimous House vote directly after the concealed carry permit repeal legislation was approved.

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Associated Press writer Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh contributed to this report.

Female athletes appeal landmark NCAA settlement, saying it violates federal antidiscrimination law

Female athletes appeal landmark NCAA settlement, saying it violates federal antidiscrimination law

By BEN NUCKOLS AP Sports Writer

Eight female athletes filed an appeal Wednesday of a landmark NCAA antitrust settlement, arguing that women would not receive their fair share of $2.7 billion in back pay for athletes who were barred from making money off their name, image and likeness.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the settlement last week, clearing the way for direct payments from universities to athletes and the end of the NCAA’s amateurism model.

The athletes who appealed the settlement competed in soccer, volleyball and track. They are: Kacie Breeding of Vanderbilt; Lexi Drumm, Emma Appleman, Emmie Wannemacher, Riley Hass, Savannah Baron and Elizabeth Arnold of the College of Charleston; and Kate Johnson of Virginia. They have standing to appeal because they previously filed objections to the proposed settlement.

Ashlyn Hare, one of the attorneys representing the athletes, said in a statement that the settlement violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education.

“We support a settlement of the case, but not an inaccurate one that violates federal law. The calculation of past damages is based on an error that ignores Title IX and deprives female athletes of $1.1 billion,” Hare said. “Paying out the money as proposed would be a massive error that would cause irreparable harm to women’s sports.”

The House settlement figures to financially benefit football and basketball stars at the biggest schools, who are likely to receive a big chunk of the $20.5 million per year that colleges are permitted to share with athletes over the next year. Some athletes in other sports that don’t make money for their schools could lose their partial scholarships or see their roster spots cut.

“This is a football and basketball damages settlement with no real benefit to female athletes,” Hare said. “Congress has expressly rejected efforts to exempt revenue-generating sports like football and basketball from Title IX’s antidiscrimination mandate. The NCAA agreed with us. Our argument on appeal is the exact same argument the conferences and NCAA made prior to settling the case.”

The appeal was filed by the law firm Hutchinson Black and Cook of Boulder, Colorado, and was first reported by Front Office Sports. It would be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of top charge in the retrial of his landmark #MeToo sex crimes case

Jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of top charge in the retrial of his landmark #MeToo sex crimes case

By JENNIFER PELTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted Wednesday of one of the top charges in his sex crimes retrial but acquitted of another, and jurors were as yet unable to reach a verdict on a third charge.

The split verdict meted out a measure of vindication to his accusers and prosecutors — but also to Weinstein — after the landmark case was thrown into limbo.

The partial verdict came after an extraordinary day in which the jury foreperson expressed dismay to the judge about how deliberations were going and Weinstein himself urged the judge to halt the trial, declaring: “It’s just not fair.”

“My life is on the line, and you know what? It’s not fair,” the former Hollywood heavy-hitter declared after making an unusual request to address the court. “It’s time, it’s time, it’s time, it’s time to say this trial is over.”

He spoke before learning there was a verdict on any of the charges.

Weinstein’s initial conviction five years ago seemed to cement the downfall of one of Hollywood’s most powerful men in a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement. But that conviction was overturned last year, and the case was sent back for retrial in the same Manhattan courthouse.

This time, a majority-female jury convicted the former studio boss of forcibly subjecting one woman, Miriam Haley, to a criminal sex act in 2006.

But jurors acquitted Weinstein of another criminal sex act charge. It related to Kaja Sokola, whose allegations of forcible oral sex date to 2006 but were added to the case last year.

And jurors were to continue deliberating Thursday on a charge that he raped another woman, Jessica Mann, in 2013. Under New York law, the third-degree rape charge carries a lesser penalty than the first-degree criminal sex act offense.

Weinstein, 73, denies sexually assaulting or raping anyone.

Jury deliberations had teetered Wednesday.

The foreperson — who complained Monday that other jurors were pushing people to change their minds and talking about information beyond the charges — signaled to Judge Curtis Farber that he wanted to talk.

“He said words to the effect of ‘I can’t go back in there with the other jurors,’” Farber explained later. The discussion was closed to the press and public, but Farber later said the foreperson had expressed that he didn’t want to change his position — whatever it may be — and was being bullied.

“He did indicate that at least one other juror made comments to the effect of ‘I’ll meet you outside one day,’ and there’s yelling and screaming,” the judge said.

Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala characterized the foreperson’s concerns more severely, saying that the man had said he was concerned for his safety after his fellow panelist talked about meeting him outside and added, “you don’t know me.”

“I don’t think the court is protecting this juror. Period,” Aidala said, going on to ask for a mistrial.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, however, said the foreperson hadn’t seemed afraid or apprehensive, just “stubborn.”

“He said he’d made up his mind, he didn’t want to change it, and people were pressuring him to change it. That’s what jury deliberations involve,” the prosecutor said.

The episode was the latest sign of strain among the jurors. On Friday, one of them asked to be excused because he felt another member of the group was being treated unfairly.

Weinstein’s lawyers asked unsuccessfully for a mistrial then, and again after the foreperson expressed his concerns Monday. The jury kept deliberating and went through Tuesday without sending any more messages about interpersonal tensions.

The seven female and five male jurors started their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday by re-hearing Mann’s testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. The group wrapped up Tuesday’s deliberations by asking to revisit that testimony.

Some jurors appeared to take fresh notes Wednesday, while others sat impassively as court stenographers read aloud the requested parts of Mann’s days-long testimony. The jury had already reheard some of the passages last week.

Weinstein, 73, an Oscar-winning producer and former Hollywood powerbroker maintains that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone, and his lawyers portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted a leg up in the entertainment world.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be named. Haley, Mann and Sokola have done so.

Nationals’ bat-retrieving dog Bruce gets call up to majors from Triple-A, set for MLB debut Saturday

Nationals’ bat-retrieving dog Bruce gets call up to majors from Triple-A, set for MLB debut Saturday

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer

A ballpark-tested Golden Retriever named Bruce is going to the major leagues to scoop up bats on baseball’s biggest stage for the Washington Nationals after the team said he worked his tail off in the minors.

Yes, Bruce is the team’s “Top Paw-spect” at 21 months old — in people years.

The Nationals shared the wonderful news Tuesday that Bruce the Bat Dog has been called up, set to make his major league debut Saturday at home against the Miami Marlins — his promotion perfectly timed for Pups in the Park day at Nationals Park.

He won’t be on the field during live game action, however, just for a pregame ceremonial bat retrieval. And the dog will return to Triple-A duties afterward, a spokesperson said.

Bruce was credited by the organization’s front office for “working your tail off” to earn this opportunity. The Nats said Bruce owns a 1.000 retrieving average in three games for Rochester this year and will make a fourth start in Rochester on Friday before traveling to Washington.

The club unveiled an announcement for the dog’s special day featuring three photos of Bruce under “Welcome to The Show Bruce the Bat Dog” — and stated ”no rules that say a dog can’t play baseball.”

Triple-A manager Matthew LeCroy even brought the pooch into his office to give him the great news, and the Nationals posted video of the moment on their social media.

“Hey, I got some news for you, I think you’re going to like it,” LeCroy said. “You know last year you got called up to Triple-A, did a really nice job but we still thought we needed some work down at the lower levels. … You did a nice job coming back to Triple-A this year, but I’m excited to tell you the front office, the GM, the president, the owners, they’re excited to invite you to Nats Park for your call up to the major leagues on June 14.”

More kind wishes poured in, and one fan called the move “pawsome.” The Nationals have never seen him turn down signing a “pawtograph.”

“Our fans and front office are always excited to see our players get promoted to the Nationals, but Bruce’s promotion is a historic call-up to the big leagues that he richly deserves,” Rochester Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason said. “Nobody makes people smile more than Bruce, and I’m sure he’ll do a WOOFtastic job for the Nats! He has proven himself to be ready for the show in a very short time and has earned the phenom status that has been bestowed upon him. He’ll put on a doggone great show for Nats fans on June 14.”

Brian Wilson, Beach Boys visionary leader and summer’s poet laureate, dies at 82

Brian Wilson, Beach Boys visionary leader and summer’s poet laureate, dies at 82

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer

Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired “Good Vibrations,” “California Girls” and other summertime anthems and made him one of the world’s most influential recording artists, has died at 82.

Wilson’s family posted news of his death to his website and social media accounts Wednesday. Further details weren’t immediately available.

The eldest and last surviving of three musical brothers — Brian played bass, Carl lead guitar and Dennis drums — he and his fellow Beach Boys rose in the 1960s from local California band to national hitmakers to international ambassadors of surf and sun. Wilson himself was celebrated for his gifts and pitied for his demons. He was one of rock’s great romantics, a tormented man who in his peak years embarked on an ever-steeper path to aural perfection, the one true sound.

The Beach Boys rank among the most popular groups of the rock era, with more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and worldwide sales of more than 100 million. The 1966 album “Pet Sounds” was voted No. 2 in a 2003 Rolling Stone list of the best 500 albums, losing out, as Wilson had done before, to the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The Beach Boys, who also featured Wilson cousin Mike Love and childhood friend Al Jardine, were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Wilson feuded with Love over songwriting credits, but peers otherwise adored him beyond envy, from Elton John and Bruce Springsteen to Smokey Robinson and Carole King. The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon, fantasized about joining the Beach Boys. Paul McCartney cited “Pet Sounds” as a direct inspiration on the Beatles and the ballad “God Only Knows” as among his favorite songs, often bringing him to tears.

Wilson moved and fascinated fans and musicians long after he stopped having hits. In his later years, Wilson and a devoted entourage of younger musicians performed “Pet Sounds” and his restored opus, “Smile,” before worshipful crowds in concert halls. Meanwhile, The Go-Go’s, Lindsey Buckingham, Animal Collective and Janelle Monáe were among a wide range of artists who emulated him, whether as a master of crafting pop music or as a pioneer of pulling it apart.

An endless summer

The Beach Boys’ music was like an ongoing party, with Wilson as host and wallflower. He was a tall, shy man, partially deaf (allegedly because of beatings by his father, Murry Wilson), with a sweet, crooked grin, and he rarely touched a surfboard unless a photographer was around. But out of the lifestyle that he observed and such musical influences as Chuck Berry and the Four Freshmen, he conjured a golden soundscape — sweet melodies, shining harmonies, vignettes of beaches, cars and girls — that resonated across time and climates.

Decades after its first release, a Beach Boys song can still conjure instant summer — the wake-up guitar riff that opens “Surfin’ USA”; the melting vocals of “Don’t Worry Baby”; the chants of “fun, fun, fun” or “good, good, GOOD, good vibrations”; the behind-the-wheel chorus “’Round, ’round, get around, I get around.” Beach Boys songs have endured from turntables and transistor radios to boom boxes and iPhones, or any device that could lay on a beach towel or be placed upright in the sand.

The band’s innocent appeal survived the group’s increasingly troubled back story, whether Brian’s many personal trials, the feuds and lawsuits among band members or the alcoholism of Dennis Wilson, who drowned in 1983. Brian Wilson’s ambition raised the Beach Boys beyond the pleasures of their early hits and into a world transcendent, eccentric and destructive. They seemed to live out every fantasy, and many nightmares, of the California myth they helped create.

Chris Pollard hired as Virginia’s baseball coach after 13 seasons at Duke

Chris Pollard hired as Virginia’s baseball coach after 13 seasons at Duke

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Chris Pollard has been hired as Virginia’s baseball coach after spending the past 13 seasons at Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke.

Virginia athletic director Carla Williams on Tuesday announced the successor to Brian O’Connor, who left June 1 to take the job at Mississippi State.

Pollard was 420-296 and led the Blue Devils to seven NCAA regionals, four super regionals and two ACC Tournament championships. Duke hosted a super regional this season, losing in three games to Murray State.

Pollard is 806-614-3 in 26 seasons as a head coach. He also has coached at Pfeiffer (2000-04), Appalachian State (2005-12) and Duke (2013-25). As he did at Duke in 2025, Pollard led Appalachian State to the NCAA Tournament during his final season with the Mountaineers in 2012.

The Blue Devils are coming off back-to-back 40-win seasons for the first time in program history.

Pollard takes over a Virginia program that went to 18 NCAA regionals, nine super regionals and seven College World Series in 22 seasons under O’Connor. The 2015 team won the national championship. Virginia went 32-18 this season and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

Judge denies NC State cornerback Corey Coley Jr.’s request for fifth year of eligibility

Judge denies NC State cornerback Corey Coley Jr.’s request for fifth year of eligibility

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled against cornerback Corey Coley Jr.’s request that he be granted a fifth year of eligibility to play at N.C. State and earn name, image and likeness money.

Coley is one of several players suing the NCAA over its rule that college athletes may play only four seasons within a five-year period.

He sought an injunction that would allow him to play this fall, but U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III denied the request on Friday, writing that “the balance of hardships does not favor Coley.”

Coley played three seasons at Maryland before transferring to N.C. State, where he played six games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury. He filed a hardship waiver with the NCAA, seeking another season of eligibility, and when that was denied, he filed the antitrust lawsuit, arguing he could “earn substantial sums” of NIL money if he played this year.

However, Dever wrote that even if the player got an injunction, “nothing guarantees that Coley will get the additional playing time and NIL money he seeks.”

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

Photo by Getty Images

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob Recipe from Immaculate Bites

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serving size: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4-6 ears corn, husk and silk removed
  • 2-3 tablespoons garlic butter, or just plain butter
  • 1-2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
  • Salt and pepper 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425℉/218℃. 
  2. In a small bowl, combine garlic butter and Creole seasoning. Set aside.
  3. Place corn individually with foil paper, top with garlic butter, and brush with Creole seasoning. Wrap the corn. Repeat with the remaining corn, then place on a baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the tray halfway through roasting. 
  5. Remove and serve slightly cool. Brush with more garlic butter mixture if desired.
Tar Heels players embrace new world as part of coach Bill Belichick’s first college team

Tar Heels players embrace new world as part of coach Bill Belichick’s first college team

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was North Carolina’s new coach.

“It was just like, ‘That’s the greatest coach of all time,'” the receiver recalled, “’and he’s about to be a coaching us.’”

Belichick’s arrival has triggered plenty of change for the Tar Heels, who are making a big bet on the man who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach to spark their football program. No one knows that better than the players — both the holdovers and the transfer-portal arrivals — after months of Belichick overhauling the roster and building the foundation on his first college team.

North Carolina players hadn’t spoken to reporters since last year’s team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season.

So Tuesday marked the first time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick’s arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport’s highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots.

Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer now giving college a try.

“There’s a lot of that, you get a lot of ‘How is Coach Belichick? What’s new? What’s different?'” Hardy said. “So I’ve rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.”

Formative stages

The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football’s role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger.

He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level. It’s been a key pitch as the 73-year-old Belichick made his first foray onto the recruiting trail, as well as the volume of players transferring in and out of the program.

Belichick’s first on-field work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts, lodged between portal windows in December and April.

“Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,” Belichick said Tuesday. “We’ve had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they’re early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the field. They spend time on their own, whether it’s doing extra training or coming over and watching film and that type of thing.

“They’ve made a ton of improvement and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it’s exciting to see where that’s going to take us.”

Enticing opportunity

For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV.

Intimidating much?

“I mean, maybe at first when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he’s won,” said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick’s first portal commitment. “But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there’s no question why he has the success that he has.

“The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals, and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that’s what’s getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect and it’s been great.”

Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick’s son Steve — now the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two shared a few conversations then, and he jumped at the chance to head east.

“I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,” Dixon said.

Behind the curtain

Yet not every surprise has been about X’s and O’s. Sometimes it’s simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side.

“I feel like that’s the biggest curveball, you’re coming to the first meeting and you’re expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in,” said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. “He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That’s the second thing he said.”

Hardy pointed that vibe, too.

“There are times when he’ll just crack a joke out of nowhere,” he said. “And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.”

Still, Hardy noted it’s mingled amid the work, such as film sessions when “there’s no hiding” when Belichick highlights a mistake.

UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football.

“I’ve loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,” Hardy said. “It’s cool to see and meet him personally, because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he’s just a completely different coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It’s cool.”

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