Judge rejects immediately restoring AP’s access to White House but urges government to reconsider

Judge rejects immediately restoring AP’s access to White House but urges government to reconsider

By MATT SEDENSKY AP National Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday refused to immediately order the White House to restore The Associated Press’ access to presidential events, saying the news organization had not demonstrated it had suffered any irreparable harm. But he urged the Trump administration to reconsider its two-week-old ban, saying that case law “is uniformly unhelpful to the White House.”

U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden’s decision was only for the moment, however. He told attorneys for the Trump administration and the AP that the issue required more exploration before ruling.

McFadden peppered both sides with questions during arguments over a lawsuit the AP filed Friday saying that its First Amendment rights were being violated by the ban, which began gradually two weeks ago. President Donald Trump said it was punishment for the agency’s decision not to entirely follow his executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”

McFadden, discussing the composition of the “press pool” that is chosen by the White House Correspondents’ Association, questioned why the government was obligated to follow those choices. “It feels a little odd that the White House is somehow bound by the decisions this private organization is making,” the judge told AP attorneys.

He also questioned AP’s noting of its longtime membership in the White House press pool. “Is this administration somehow bound by what happened with President McKinley?” the judge asked. But he noted that the correspondents’ group had been tasked by the White House to choose the members of its pool.

“The White House has accepted the correspondents’ association to be the referee here, and has just discriminated against one organization. That does seem problematic,” McFadden said in an exchange with government attorney Brian Hudak.

Later, McFadden warned the government’s attorney to reconsider its position, saying “case law in this circuit is uniformly unhelpful to the White House.”

The AP says it is adhering to the “Gulf of Mexico” terminology because its audience is global and the waters are not only in U.S. territory, but it is acknowledging Trump’s rechristening as well.

AP says the issue strikes at the very core of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, which bars the government from punishing speech. The White House says access to the president is a privilege, not a right.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration began barring the AP from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other areas that have been open to the agency for a century as part of the White House press pool. The dispute stems from AP’s refusal to change its style in referring to the Gulf of Mexico, which Trump decreed the “Gulf of America” via an executive order.

The AP named three Trump officials – White House chief of staff Susan Wiles, deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich and press secretary Karoline Leavitt – as defendants. The agency, a nonprofit news outlet in operation since 1846, called the White House’s move a “targeted attack” of the sort barred by the First Amendment.

“The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the AP said in its lawsuit.

The White House says its move to restrict AP is not an infringement of free-speech rights. “The only person who has the absolute right to occupy those spaces is the president of the United States,” Wiles wrote to Julie Pace, AP’s executive editor, in an email included in the agency’s lawsuit. “For the rest of us, it’s a privilege, and to suggest otherwise is wrong.”

Dozens of news organizations signed a letter last week urging the White House to reverse its policy. The signees included Trump-friendly outlets like Fox News Channel and Newsmax.

Trump has dismissed the AP as an organization of “radical left lunatics” and said: “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”

It isn’t the first case of its kind, nor even the first to involve Trump. In Trump’s first term, reporter Jim Acosta of CNN had his White House credentials revoked. After CNN sued, another federal judge appointed by Trump ruled in Acosta’s favor to restore access.

FDA moves to rehire medical device, food safety and other staffers fired days earlier

FDA moves to rehire medical device, food safety and other staffers fired days earlier

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barely a week after mass firings at the Food and Drug Administration, some probationary staffers received unexpected news over the weekend: The government wants them back.

Beginning Friday night, FDA employees overseeing medical devices, food ingredients and other key areas received calls and emails notifying them that their recent terminations had been “rescinded effective immediately,” according to messages viewed by The Associated Press.

Four FDA staffers impacted by the decisions spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity because they planned to continue working for the agency and weren’t authorized to discuss its internal procedures.

The reversal is the latest example of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s chaotic approach to cost-cutting, which has resulted in several agencies firing, and then scrambling to rehire, employees responsible for nuclear weapons, national parks and other government services.

The FDA reinstatements followed pushback by lobbyists for the medical device industry, which pays the agency hundreds of millions of dollars annually to hire extra scientists to review products. The industry’s leading trade group said Monday “a sizable number” of device reviewers appear to be returning to FDA.

“This would be welcome news, and I appreciate the administration for acting quickly,” AdvaMed CEO Scott Whitaker said in an emailed statement. “We all share the same goal — an efficient, effective FDA review process that helps advance the medical technologies American patients depend on.”

FDA staffers said entire teams of five or more medical device reviewers had been reinstated.

In the agency’s food program, at least 10 staffers responsible for reviewing the safety of new ingredients were offered their jobs back, according to a food staffer who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency matters.

The FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods, Jim Jones, resigned last week, citing “the indiscriminate firing” of nearly 90 staffers in his division, according to a copy of his resignation letter obtained by the AP. The food program recently underwent a major restructuring to better oversee essential products like infant formula and baby food.

The FDA hasn’t released official numbers on the terminations, but former FDA officials have pegged the number at roughly 700, with more than 220 coming from the medical device center. That would represent roughly 10% of the program’s total staffing.

The FDA did not respond to requests Monday about how many employees were being reinstated.

Like other agencies, the FDA terminations went to employees in their probationary period, typically the first two years of federal employment. But that approach resulted in firings across key areas where the agency has been working to beef up staffing, including rapidly evolving fields like artificial intelligence and digital health. The cuts also included agency leaders who were recently hired for senior roles.

“The disarray caused by the wholesale termination of a wide swath of device center staff was counterproductive and appears to have caused a variety of unintended and negative results,” said Steve Silverman, a former FDA device official who now runs a consulting firm. “It’s encouraging to see a shift in the opposite direction that recognizes the critical expertise of these staffers.”

Many reviewers have advanced degrees in specialized medical and technological fields. They can typically earn more in the private sector than in government.

Last week, the lobbying group AdvaMed pushed back on the firings, calling on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse course. The group warned that the cuts would result in slower approvals for companies and fewer new treatment options for patients.

“FDA will lose hundreds of new employees, the best and most innovative hires under our most recent agreement,” Whitaker wrote in a statement posted online. He noted that the hiring of FDA device reviewers is largely financed through an ongoing five-year agreement between the FDA and medical device companies.

More than half the device program’s $791 million budget last year came from industry fees, according to federal figures. In return, the FDA is obligated to meet certain benchmarks for quickly and predictably reviewing applications for new and updated devices.

FDA staffers who were reinstated said their immediate supervisors received no explanation or advance notice on the decisions. Instead, staffers received calls or emails from the FDA’s “Office of Talent Solutions,” informing them that their access to FDA computer systems and offices had been restored.

“We are so grateful to still have you working for the FDA and serving the American public!” the emails concluded.

A week earlier, the same employees received emails stating that they were “not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and skills do not fit the agency’s current needs.”

Nearly half the FDA’s budget, or about $3.3 billion, comes from fees paid by drugmakers, device and tobacco companies. The result is that broad cuts to those programs won’t add much toward Musk’s stated goal of shrinking the federal budget.

But the financial support of industry fees did not appear to help staffers in other parts of the agency.

FDA’s tobacco center â€” which reviews new products like electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches — is 100% funded by industry fees. But there did not appear to be an effort to rehire the estimated 100 or so employees fired from that center.

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AP Health Writer JoNel Aleccia contributed to this story.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Joy Reid is leaving MSNBC as her evening show is canceled

Joy Reid is leaving MSNBC as her evening show is canceled

NEW YORK (AP) — Joy Reid is leaving MSNBC, the network’s new president announced in a memo to staff on Monday, marking an end to the political analyst and anchor’s prime time news show.

Reid’s namesake show, “The ReidOut,” has been a fixture of MSNBC’s evening programming since 2020. In the hourlong newscast, held at 7 p.m. E.T., Reid conducts extensive interviews with politicians and other newsmakers.

“Joy Reid is leaving the network and we thank her for her countless contributions over the years,” MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler wrote Monday. ”Her work has been recognized with several esteemed honors, including most recently, the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News Series.”

In the coming weeks, Kulter added, rotating anchors will host Reid’s hour.

Current hosts of MSNBC’s “The Weekend” — Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez — will now move to weekdays at 7 p.m. to host a new ensemble news program, Kulter also noted in Monday’s memo.

News reports about MSNBC cancelling “The ReidOut” emerged online over the weekend. Prior to Kulter’s memo, Reid took to social media to thank those who she said had reached out to her with messages of support.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement, both personally and in these social media streets,” Reid wrote in a message posted to BlueSky and Instagram just after midnight. “So very proud of The Reidout @joy.msnbc.com team, who are truly family, and all of our supporters & friends. See you tomorrow night at 7, one more time.”

Patients struggle with lack of consistent coverage for popular weight-loss drugs

Patients struggle with lack of consistent coverage for popular weight-loss drugs

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer

Supplies of high-demand obesity treatments are improving, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier to get them.

Many employers and insurers are scaling back coverage of Wegovy and Zepbound and a key government program, Medicare, doesn’t cover the drugs for obesity. Meanwhile, some big employers are adding coverage, but their commitment isn’t guaranteed.

Treatment prices that can top hundreds of dollars monthly even after discounts make it hard for many people to afford these drugs on their own. That can make the life-changing weight loss that patients seek dependent on the coverage they have and how long it lasts.

Coverage complications are not unusual in the U.S. health care system. But the challenge is magnified for these obesity treatments because a wide swath of the population could be eligible to take them, and patients have to stay on the drugs to keep the weight off.

“There are a lot of people right now who want access to the medication and can’t get it,” said Katherine Hempstead, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation senior policy adviser.

Coverage varies depending on who pays the bill

Paul Mack dropped about 70 pounds after he started taking Wegovy. The Redwood City, California, resident said food noise — constant thoughts of eating — faded, and he was able to have a heart procedure.

The treatment was covered by California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. Then the 50-year-old security guard got a raise. He no longer qualified for Medi-Cal and lost coverage of the drug for several months starting last summer.

He regained two pants sizes.

“I couldn’t control the eating,” he said. “All the noise came back.”

Coverage of these drugs remains patchy more than a year after Zepbound entered the market to challenge Wegovy.

The benefits consultant Mercer says 44% of U.S. companies with 500 or more employees covered obesity drugs last year. It’s even more common with bigger employers.

More than a dozen government-funded Medicaid programs for people with low incomes also cover obesity treatments.

But few insurers cover the drugs on individual insurance marketplaces. And some plans restrict their coverage with things like requests for prior authorization or pre-approval.

The lack of Medicare coverage remains a concern as well, especially for people who retire and move to the government-funded program from employer-sponsored coverage.

“Patients come to us terrified about switching to Medicare and losing coverage,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and cofounder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “We start talking about backup plans a year before they transition.”

Cost and uncertain payoff loom as concerns payer concerns

Philadelphia-area insurer Independence Blue Cross dropped coverage of the drugs solely for weight loss for some customers starting this year. Company officials say the insurer worried about premium hikes it would have to impose on all customers if it continued.

Cost also was a factor in decisions by West Virginia and North Carolina officials to end similar programs that provided coverage for state employees.

These concerns make Vanderbilt University researcher Stacie Dusetzina wonder how long employers who have added coverage will keep it, now that the drugs are no longer in short supply.

“That’s probably going to spike spending,” said Dusetzina, a health policy professor who studies drug costs.

Drugmakers tout the savings these drugs can provide by improving patient health and warding off future serious medical conditions like heart attacks or strokes.

But health care experts note that there are no guarantees that the employer or insurer who covers the drug will eventually reap those benefits because people may change jobs or insurers.

Will coverage ever become consistent?

There’s no clear path toward widespread coverage of these drugs for obesity, even as polls show Americans favor having Medicaid and Medicare cover the costs.

Leaders at Zepbound maker Eli Lilly have seen coverage grow steadily for their drug, and they’re optimistic that will continue.

Former President Joe Biden’s administration proposed a rule that would allow for Medicare and broader Medicaid coverage. Its fate remains uncertain in President Donald Trump’s administration.

A bill calling for Medicare coverage has been floating around Congress for years. But it isn’t scheduled for a vote.

Drugmakers are currently testing several additional obesity treatments. Such potential competition could reduce prices and prompt more coverage.

Patchy coverage complicates treatment plans

Dr. Amy Rothberg says the lack of consistent coverage leaves her conflicted about writing prescriptions because she’s not sure how long patients will be able to take the drug.

“We know from the studies that people go off these medications, they regain their weight,” said Rothberg, director of the University of Michigan’s weight-management program. “I don’t want to do harm.”

Some insurers require diet and exercise changes for the patient before they will cover a weight-loss medication. Those changes should happen in conjunction with starting the medicine, said Dr. Lydia Alexander, president of the Obesity Medicine Association.

She’s also seen requirements for a body mass index of 40 or more, which equates to severe obesity, before coverage can start.

“We’re saying that obesity is a disease, but were not treating it like a disease,” she said.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning singer with an intimate style, dies at 88

Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning singer with an intimate style, dies at 88

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recordings artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She was 88.

She died at home surrounded by her family, publicist Elaine Schock said in a statement. Flack announced in 2022 she had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and could no longer sing,

Little known before her early 30s, Flack became an overnight star after Clint Eastwood used “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as the soundtrack for one of cinema’s more memorable and explicit love scenes, between the actor and Donna Mills in his 1971 film “Play Misty for Me.” The hushed, hymn-like ballad, with Flack’s graceful soprano afloat on a bed of soft strings and piano, topped the Billboard pop chart in 1972 and received a Grammy for record of the year.

“The record label wanted to have it re-recorded with a faster tempo, but he said he wanted it exactly as it was,” Flack told The Associated Press in 2018. “With the song as a theme song for his movie, it gained a lot of popularity and then took off.”

In 1973, she matched both achievements with “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” becoming the first artist to win consecutive Grammys for best record.

A classically trained pianist and who at age 15 received a full scholarship to Howard, the historically Black university, Flack was discovered in the late 1960s by jazz musician Les McCann, who later wrote that “her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.” Although versatile enough to summon the up-tempo gospel passion of Aretha Franklin, Flack often favored a more reflective and measured approach, as if curating a song word by word.

For Flack’s many admirers, she was a sophisticated and bold new presence in the music world and in the social and civil rights movements of the time, her friends including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis, whom Flack visited in prison while Davis faced charges — for which she was acquitted — for murder and kidnapping. Flack sang at the funeral of Jackie Robinson, major league baseball’s first Black player, and was among the many guest performers on the feminist children’s entertainment project created by Marlo Thomas, â€œFree to Be … You and Me.”

Flack’s other hits from the 1970s included the cozy “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and two duets with her close friend and former Howard classmate Donny Hathaway, “Where Is the Love” and ”The Closer I Get to You” — a partnership that ended in tragedy. In 1979, she and Hathaway were working on an album of duets when he suffered a breakdown during recording and later that night fell to his death from his hotel room in Manhattan.

“We were deeply connected creatively,” Flack told Vibe in 2022, upon the 50th anniversary of the million-selling “Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway” album. “He could play anything, sing anything. Our musical synergy was unlike (anything) I’d had before or since.”

She never matched her first run of success, although she did have a hit in the 1980s with the Peabo Bryson duet “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” and in the 1990s with the Maxi Priest duet “Set the Night to Music.” In the mid-90s, Flack received new attention after the Fugees recorded a Grammy-winning cover of “Killing Me Softly,” which she eventually performed on stage with the hip-hop group.

Overall, she won five Grammys (three for “Killing Me Softly”), was nominated eight other times and was given a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2020, with John Legend and Ariana Grande among those praising her.

“I love that connection to other artists because we understand music, we live music, it’s our language,” Flack told songwriteruniverse.com in 2020. “Through music we understand what we are thinking and feeling. No matter what challenge life presents, I am at home with my piano, on a stage, with my band, in the studio, listening to music. I can find my way when I hear music.”

In 2022, BeyoncĂ© placed Flack, Franklin and Diana Ross among others in a special pantheon of heroines name-checked in the Grammy-nominated “Queens Remix” of “Break My Soul.”

Flack was briefly married to Stephen Novosel, an interracial relationship that led to tension with each of their families, and earlier had a son, the singer and keyboardist Bernard Wright. For years, she lived in Manhattan’s Dakota apartment building, on the same floor as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who became a close friend and provided liner notes for a Flack album of Beatles covers, “Let It Be Roberta.” She also devoted extensive time to the Roberta Flack School of Music, based in New York and attended mostly by students between ages 6 to 14.

Roberta Cleopatra Flack, the daughter of musicians, was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Arlington, Virginia. After graduating from Howard, she taught music in D.C.-area junior high schools for several years in her 20s, while performing after hours in clubs.

She sometimes backed other singers, but her own shows at Washington’s renowned Mr. Henry’s attracted such celebrity patrons as Burt Bacharach, Ramsey Lewis and Johnny Mathis. The club’s owner, Henry Yaffe, converted an apartment directly above into a private studio, the Roberta Flack Room.

“I wanted to be successful, a serious all-round musician,” she told The Telegraph in 2015. “I listened to a lot of Aretha, the Drifters, trying to do some of that myself, playing, teaching.”

Flack was signed to Atlantic Records and her debut album, “First Take,” a blend of gospel, soul, flamenco and jazz, came out in 1969. One track was a love song by the English folk artist Ewan MacColl: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” written in 1957 for his future wife, singer Peggy Seeger. Flack not only knew of the ballad, but used it while working with a glee club during her years as an educator.

“I was teaching at Banneker Junior High in Washington, D.C. It was part of the city where kids weren’t that privileged, but they were privileged enough to have music education. I really wanted them to read music. First, I’d get their attention. (Flack starts singing a Supremes hit) ‘Stop, in the name of love.’ Then I could teach them!” she told the Tampa Bay Times in 2012.

“You have to do all sorts of things when you’re dealing with kids in the inner-city,” she said. “I knew they’d like the part where (‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’) goes ‘The first time ever I kissed your mouth.’ Ooh, ‘Kissed your mouth!’ Once the kids got past the giggles, we were good.”

February 24th 2025

February 24th 2025

Thought of the Day

Photo by Getty Images

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Doggy Dental Care Tips

Doggy Dental Care Tips

Have you checked your dogs teeth recently?

Photo by Getty Images

Dental issues effect all pets throughout their lives. Smaller dogs are more prone for periodontal issues compared to larger dog breeds who deals more with tooth fractures. Some dog breeds have more dental issues so it is best to check with your veterinary about what you can do now to help prevent problems later on.

Don’t let your dog suffer alone or in silence.

Dogs can’t use human words but they are very talkative with signs. Here are a few to keep in mind for dental or mouth issues:

  • Red, inflamed, or bleeding gums 
  • Tooth discoloration (e.g., gray or pink), particularly on the cuspids (i.e., the large canine teeth) 
  • Excessive drooling 
  • Pawing at the mouth

There are several things you can do to help prevent or contain these issues such as daily brushing and yearly exams. I understand it might be a hassle for daily teethbrushing but it will help strengthen your dog’s life since some dental diseases can be life-threatening.

For more information about doggy dental care and tips check out Happy Healthy Pets.

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Love Potion Drink

Love Potion Drink

Love Potion Drink

Photo by Getty Images

Love Potion Drink Recipe from Sugar Hero

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: N/A

Serving size: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • Âœ cup fresh raspberries, see Note below
  • 1 TBSP granulated sugar
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice, freshly squeezed preferable
  • 1 pint raspberry sherbet
  • 3 cups sparkling berry lemonade
Photo by Getty Images

Directions

  1. Combine the fresh raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl, and mash them together with a fork until you have a berry puree.
  2. Place a generous spoonful of puree at the bottom of 6 glasses. (I used 7 oz French champagne glasses). Top with a small scoop of raspberry sherbet, and fill the cups to the brim with sparkling berry lemonade. Garnish with a few more fresh berries, if desired, then enjoy!
  3. Note! To make in a punch bowl:  First, combine the raspberry puree and sparkling lemonade in a punch bowl and whisk them together. Next, add scoops of sherbet, and stir briefly so the sherbet melts a little and the drink gets creamy. Ladle into cups and enjoy!
Photo by Getty Images
Urban Legends

Urban Legends

North Carolina Urban Legends

1. The Devil’s Tramping Ground (Chatham County)

ruralone-lane bridge - chatham county north carolina stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
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Located in Bear Creek, North Carolina, The Devil’s Tramping Ground is a mysterious, barren circle shrouded in legend. Folklore claims the Devil paces the clearing at night, contemplating the world’s evils, and that objects left there disappear by morning. Visitors report eerie sensations, while animals refuse to enter. Some believe the site is an alien landing zone, has unusually salty soil, or was once sacred to Indigenous people. Camping is allowed with reservations, but tents must be set up outside the circle, and fires are prohibited.

Location: 3229-4026 State Rd 1100, Bennett, NC 27208

2. The Beast of Bladenboro

nc bladen county vector map green - bladenboro north carolina stock illustrations
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In 1953–54, the small town of Bladenboro, North Carolina, was terrorized by a mysterious, blood-draining creature. Described as a large, dark-furred feline with piercing eyes, the Beast allegedly killed livestock and even attacked a woman, though she escaped unharmed. Witnesses reported hearing eerie, human-like screams before the creature suddenly vanished. Theories ranged from a wildcat or panther to a rabid dog, but its true identity was never confirmed. Today, the legend lives on through Bladenboro’s annual Beast of Bladenboro Festival.

3. The Brown Mountain Lights (Burke County)

sunrise landscape over morganton town in north carolina - burke county nc stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
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For centuries, mysterious lights have appeared near Brown Mountain in Burke County, North Carolina. Described as glowing orbs or fiery streaks, the lights have been witnessed by Native Americans, settlers, and even Civil War soldiers. Theories range from ball lightning and ghost lights to UFOs, but no definitive explanation exists. Scientists have studied the phenomenon, with early surveys attributing the lights to train or car headlights. The best viewing spots include Brown Mountain Overlook and Wisemans View, where they are most visible on clear nights.

4. The Maco Light (Brunswick County)

oil lamp lighting up the darkness or burning kerosene lamp background, camping light concept - railroad lanternn dark stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
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From the late 1800s until 1977, a mysterious light resembling a railroad lantern appeared along the tracks in Brunswick County, North Carolina. According to legend, it was the ghost of Joe Baldwin, a brakeman who was decapitated in a train accident in 1867 and forever roamed the tracks searching for his head. Explanations ranged from marsh gas and light refraction to ball lightning, but no definitive cause was found. The phenomenon gained national attention, even appearing in a 1957 Life magazine article, and remains a well-known ghost story today.

5. Lydia’s Bridge (Jamestown)

road tunnels in a forest, azores islands - tunnel stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images
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According to legend, Lydia was a young woman returning from a dance when her date lost control of their car, crashing into a bridge. She died in the accident, but her spirit is said to linger. Travelers near the bridge in Jamestown, North Carolina, have reported seeing a woman in a white dress hitchhiking, only for her to vanish when they stopped. Though the true story remains a mystery, Lydia’s Bridge endures as one of North Carolina’s most famous ghost tales.

6. The Phantom Choir of Roan Mountain

scenic view of field against sky during sunset,roan mountain,tennessee,united states,usa - roan mountain stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

For centuries, hikers and locals near Roan Mountain, on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, have reported hearing eerie, disembodied voices drifting through the mist. Described as a ghostly choir singing in unearthly harmony, the sounds have no known source. Some believe they are the voices of long-lost spirits, while others suggest wind patterns or natural acoustics as an explanation. Despite scientific skepticism, the Phantom Choir of Roan Mountain remains one of the region’s most haunting mysteries.

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