5 ounces shredded unsweetened coconut about 2 ½ cups
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or reusable liner.
In a bowl, mix together the coconut, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly mixed.
Mix in the egg whites and vanilla. Stir until completely mixed, with no dry bits remaining.
Using a cookie scoop or damp hands, form mixture into mounds of about 1 1/2 tablespoons and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Macaroons will dry and crisp further as they cool.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — On a long day when it felt everything was going wrong, Cameron Young birdied three of his last four holes Monday to get into a 5-for-1 playoff and then made a 12-foot birdie to earn his spot in the U.S. Open in two weeks at Oakmont.
The drama went coast-to-coast, and even north of the border into Canada, with 47 places available at 10 qualifying sites to fill the field for the major regarded the toughest test in golf.
Monday was tough enough, especially for Max Homa.
He had a chance to get one of the six spots available from the Ohio qualifier at Kinsale, all while carrying his own bag for 36 holes — this after a rugged week at the Memorial — because he has split from his caddie. But he three-putted for par on his final hole, getting into the playoff.
Make that 38 holes lugging his bag.
Young advanced with his clutch play, while Rickie Fowler was eliminated with a bogey. Homa played the 11th hole to try to get an alternate spot. He missed a par putt on that hole and then faced a long walk to the parking lot.
Young, already enduring a tough year that forced him to do a 36-hole qualifier, hit 9-iron to 8 feet for birdie on the 15th, birdied the par-5 16th and then hit wedge to 18 inches on the final hole to earn a spot in the 5-for-1 playoff.
“I feel like I showed myself something today,” he said. “For so long today I saw nothing go in.”
The playoff began on the 10th hole, and Young hit driver into the left rough and judged his wedge perfectly to 12 feet below the hole.
“I started my day here 12 hours ago and made a 3, so I tried to do it again,” he said.
Erik van Rooyen opened with a 64 at Kinsale and had no trouble getting to Oakmont for the U.S. Open on June 12-15. He wound up six shots ahead of the field. Other qualifiers were Bud Cauley, Lanto Griffin, Justin Lower and Harrison Ott, at No. 2,651 in the world ranking.
Cauley is No. 56 in the world, and is likely to stay in the top 60 after the Canadian Open and get in through that category. If that happens, Chase Johnson would get to his first U.S. Open. He won the playoff for the two alternate spots with Eric Cole.
In the other Ohio qualifier in Springfield, Zac Blair won a 4-for-1 playoff for the last spot by outlasting John Peterson, a former PGA Tour player who retired and then asked to be reinstated as an amateur.
The four spots from the Florida qualifier did not finish because of a rain delay. In California, Preston Summerhays of Arizona State led three of the four qualifiers. A playoff for the final spot between Joey Herrera and Lucas Carper was to be completed on Tuesday.
Three of the five spots from the Atlanta qualifier went to amateurs, with 17-year-old Mason Howell leading the way. The high school junior played bogey-free for an 18-under 126. Also qualifying was Jackson Koivun of Auburn, who already has locked up a PGA Tour card, and Florida State sophomore Tyler Weaver.
Qualifiers in Toronto and North Carolina each offered seven spots — the PGA Tour is in Canada this week and the Korn Ferry Tour is in its Carolinas swing.
Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and Emiliano Grillo of Argentina were among the seven qualifiers in Canada, where Kevin Velo led the field. Florida State junior Luke Clanton was in the U.S. Open as No. 1 in the amateur world ranking. He gave up that spot to make his pro debut in the Canadian Open, and failed to get through U.S. Open qualifying.
In North Carolina, Zach Bauchou led the seven players who got into Oakmont. Bauchou was in the Ohio qualifier two years ago when he had his college roommate — Viktor Hovland — caddie for him a day after Hovland won the Memorial.
Most of the LIV Golf players who tried to qualify — or thought about it, anyway — were competing for four spots in Maryland. Marc Leishman of Australia, who has not qualified for a major the last two years since joining LIV, beat out fellow LIV player Sebastian Munoz to earn one of the four spots.
Fifteen players from LIV originally were in the Maryland field. Five did not turn in cards when it was clear they wouldn’t make it — not unusual for tour players — while five withdrew before it began, including Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood.
Matt Vogt led the two qualifiers in Walla Walla, Washington, and secured a homecoming of sorts. He was a caddie at Oakmont and now is a dentist in Indiana.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Hurricane season is officially underway and NOAA is predicting a stormy ride for 2025. The Atlantic forecast includes 19 named storms, nine hurricanes and four that could reach major strength before the season ends November 30.
“North Carolina has seen the devastation hurricanes can cause firsthand,” said North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. “Last year, Hurricane Helene tore through our state, leaving behind massive damage and many people in western North Carolina are still recovering.”
According to Causey, early preparation is critical to protect lives and property before a storm makes landfall.
Hurricane Helene hit hard last fall—bringing deadly floods and destruction to western North Carolina. With 107 lives lost and billions in damage, Commissioner Causey is now looking ahead, offering practical advice in a new video to help residents brace for whatever the 2025 hurricane season may bring.
There are multiple things Causey suggests you do to prepare for this upcoming hurricane season:
“Have an emergency kit,” said Causey, “You can go to our website (ncdoi.gov) we’ve got some tips. Most of these agencies like Red Cross, American’s First, a lot of those websites have tips on hurricane preparedness.”
Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey offers essential tips and information to prepare North Carolinians for the start of the 2025 hurricane season on June 1. (Video by N.C. Department of Insurance
Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage. Know exactly what your insurance policy covers. Homeowners’ policies do not cover flooding. Be aware there is a 30-day waiting period before flood policies take effect. If you rent, your landlord’s insurance only covers the building, not your belongings. You’ll need renters’ insurance to protect your personal items.
“You have to have a separate flood insurance policy either through the federal flood insurance program which is under FEMA or through a private flood insurance policy,” said Causey. “It was almost a similar thing with Hurricane Helene.”
Compile important documents. Gather important paperwork, including insurance policies, medical records and prescriptions. Be prepared to bring copies with you if you are forced to evacuate your home. Know how to get in touch with your insurance agent and company.
“Be sure to have a home inventory,” said Causey. “If you haven’t done this you need to go through your house, room to room, and take pictures with your cell phone or take a video.”
Store your home inventory and related documents in a safe, easily accessible place online, on your smart phone, on your computer or in a fire-proof box or safe deposit box.
Identify potential hazards around your home. Hanging tree branches, loose shingles, patio furniture and other outdoor objects can cause damage or injuries in a storm. Make repairs or secure large objects to reduce the threat.
Check your emergency toolkit and to-go bag. Update items such as food, medicine and batteries. Make sure to include items for every member of your family, including pets.
Electricity may go out, so make sure you have extra drinking water. Also, fill the bathtub with water for bathing and flushing the toilet.
Despite all the preparation you may do before the storm, it will not prevent the storm from happening. Causey has multiple procedures for keeping you and your family safe during a hurricane:
If officials advise you to shelter in place during a storm, take it seriously—your safety could depend on it. Stay away from windows, glass doors and skylights, which can shatter in high winds and send debris flying. Instead, hunker down in a secure interior room on the lowest floor of your home—unless there’s a risk of flooding, in which case you’ll want to head for higher ground.
Make sure your cell phone is fully charged before severe weather hits. It may be your only way to stay informed or call for help. If there’s lightning in the area, avoid using landlines altogether. And if flooding becomes a threat, turn off the electricity at the main breaker to prevent electrical hazards.
Don’t go outside until officials give the all-clear. Storm conditions can shift quickly, and hazards like downed power lines or hidden floodwaters can linger long after the skies clear. If you’re ordered to evacuate, stay away from home until officials say it’s safe to return.
Unfortunately, scams often follow in the wake of a major storm. Commissioner Causey urges storm victims to steer clear of fraud by working only with licensed, insured contractors. The NCDOI’s Criminal Investigations Division has Special Agents on the case every day, tracking down insurance fraud across the state.
After a storm, one of your first steps should be to contact your homeowners’ insurance agent or company to report any losses. Even if you hold a separate windstorm or hail policy, your primary insurer will still handle the investigation and adjust your claim. Keep in mind, though—after a major storm, insurers are often swamped with claims, so patience will be key.
Start by documenting the damage. Make a thorough list and take clear photos before making any temporary repairs. Then, do what you can to prevent things from getting worse. For example, placing a tarp over a damaged roof can help keep water from seeping in. Save your receipts—reasonable expenses to protect your home are considered part of the loss and may be reimbursed by your insurer.
Hold off on permanent repairs until your insurance company has had a chance to inspect the damage and you’ve reached an agreement on costs. You should also check with them before throwing out any damaged materials or items—they may need to be documented.
If the damage leaves your home uninhabitable, talk with your insurance company about what temporary living expenses are covered. Knowing what to expect can make a tough situation more manageable.
For more information on how to be prepared before, during and after any storm, visit www.ncdoi.gov/disaster or contact the NCDOI Consumer Services Division at 1-855-408-1212.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast is retiring after missing this season with a neck injury sustained in the 2023-24 regular-season finale.
Fast, 33, announced his decision Monday.
“I never took for granted the privilege of playing in the best league in the world,” Fast said in a statement issued by the team.
“I am grateful for all of the teammates, coaches, staff and fans from the Rangers and Hurricanes who made my time in the NHL so special, and for my family for everything they did to help me achieve and live my dream. I’d also like to thank Nassjo HC and HV71, organizations that played a vital role in my development into an NHL player.”
Fast hadn’t played since April 2024 when Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson cross-checked him from behind into the boards. Carolina was headed to the playoffs and resting numerous players in a game that had no bearing on the standings.
“That’s the part that just makes you sick, to be honest with you,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said that night. “You’re just trying to get through the game without having that. I’m not sure where that’s going to go.”
Fast wore a neck brace when he spoke with reporters during end-of-year interviews roughly a month later.
“It’s definitely one of the toughest periods of my career,” Fast said after the Hurricanes fell to the Rangers in Round 2 of the playoffs.
Fast first signed with Carolina in October 2020, then re-signed to a two-year, $4.8 million extension in July 2023.
He had six postseason goals during Carolina’s run to the 2023 Eastern Conference final, including an overtime winner in Game 2 of the first-round series against the New York Islanders and the series clincher against the New Jersey Devils in a five-game second-round series.
Fast played 703 career regular-season games in the NHL with the Rangers and Hurricanes over 11 seasons, tallying 91 goals and 157 assists. He was a sixth-round draft pick by the Rangers in 2010.
Disney’s live-action hybrid “Lilo & Stitch” took first place again with $63 million from 4,410 locations in North America. It was enough to pass “Sinners” to become the second-highest grossing movie of the year with $280.1 million in domestic ticket sales. Globally, its running total is $610.8 million. “Sinners,” meanwhile, is still going strong in its seventh weekend with another $5.2 million, bumping it to $267.1 million domestically and $350.1 million globally.
The eighth “Mission: Impossible” movie also repeated in second place, with $27.3 million from 3,861 locations. As with “Lilo & Stitch,” that’s down 57% from its opening. With $122.6 million in domestic tickets sold, it’s performing in line with the two previous installments. But with a reported production budget of $400 million, profitability is a ways off. Internationally, it added $76.1 million (including $25.2 million from China where it just opened), bringing its global total to $353.8 million.
“This is the year of longterm playability,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “The currency of word of mouth and the strong hold is more important than opening weekend dollars.”
Leading the newcomers was Sony’s “Karate Kid: Legends,” with an estimated $21 million from 3,809 locations. The movie brings Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio together to train a new kid, the kung fu prodigy Li Fong ( Ben Wang ). Chan starred in a 2010 reboot of the 1984 original, while Macchio has found a new generation of fans in the series “Cobra Kai,” which just concluded a six-season run.
Reviews might have been mixed, but opening weekend audiences gave the PG-13 rated film a strong A- CinemaScore and 4.5 stars on PostTrak. It also only cost a reported $45 million to produce and has several weeks until a new family-friendly film arrives. “Karate Kid: Legends” opened earlier internationally and has a worldwide total of $47 million.
Fourth place went “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” which earned $10.8 million in its third weekend. The movie is the highest-grossing in the franchise, not accounting for inflation, with $229.3 million globally.
The weekend’s other big newcomer, “Bring Her Back” rounded out the top five with $7.1 million from 2,449 screens. Starring Sally Hawkins as a foster mother with some disturbing plans, the film is the sophomore feature of twin filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou, who made the 2023 horror breakout “Talk to Me.” It earned a rare-for-horror B+ CinemaScore and is essentially the only new film in the genre until “28 Years Later” opens on June 20.
A new Wes Anderson movie, “The Phoenician Scheme,” also debuted in New York and Los Angeles this weekend, where it made $270,000. It expands nationwide next weekend.
The summer box office forecast remains promising, though there’s a long way to go to get to the $4 billion target (a pre-pandemic norm that only the “Barbenheimer” summer has surpassed). The month of May is expected to close out with $973 million – up 75% from May 2024, according to data from Comscore.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Lilo & Stitch,” $63 million.
2. “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” $27.3 million.
The Ocrafolk Festival is on Ocracoke Island from June 6th-8th this year. They have musicians, storytellers, artisans and much more fun to be had for the whole family. It a festival celebrating a community with a mission to help support one another.
Photo by Getty Images
Raleigh’s International Food Festival
Raleigh’s International Food Festival will be celebrating their 10 Year Anniversay this June 7th in Downtown Raleigh. Admissions is free so come on down to the Capital City and just eat everything from everywhere all at once! With over 120 food trucks to choose from there is bound to be something you want to try at least once.
Photo by Getty Images
Cherry Bounce Festival in Forest City
This festival is named after the moonshiner Amos Owen’s corn whiskey based “Cherry Bounce” moonshine. This weekend long festival starts Friday, June 6th and has local and regional art, live bands of bluegrass and Americana, and many moonshine and cherry-inspired items from local businesses and eatries. And the best news: it’s FREE!
Photo by Getty Images
North Carolina Blueberry Festival in Burgaw
It’s time to celebrate one of summer’s best fruits, the humble blueberry. Come out to Burgaw, North Carolina for the Blueberry Festival on Friday, June 20th and Saturday, June 21st. There will be blueberry and BBQ sales, a blueberry stome, live bands, a pie eating contest, and a beer and wine garden.
Photo by Getty Images
Apex Juneteenth Festival
Juneteenth is an important day in celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. And we celebrate it through education and entertainment so come out to Apex, Saturday, June 21st at Town Hall Campus from 12pm to 7. There is live music and entertaiment, Juneteenth stories, local vendors, and Chalk the Walk.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange phyllo cups on the prepared baking sheet. Place 1 piece Brie cheese into each phyllo cup. Top each Brie piece with about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry preserves.
Bake in the preheated oven until Brie is melted, about 7 minutes.
HICKORY, N.C. (AP) — Gunfire erupted around a house party in western North Carolina early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from fleeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheriff’s deputies said.
Authorities said at least 80 shots were fired in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.
A statement from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously reported in critical condition.
Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheriff’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the office.
Sheriff’s office Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of the city of Hickory.
He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting.
Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres (0.8 hectares), and included outdoor and indoor areas.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence response team, officials said.
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This story has been updated to correct that the total number of victims, including the person who died, is 12 and not 11 overall.
A three-year exercise program improved survival in colon cancer patients and kept disease at bay, a first-of-its-kind international experiment showed.
With the benefits rivaling some drugs, experts said cancer centers and insurance plans should consider making exercise coaching a new standard of care for colon cancer survivors. Until then, patients can increase their physical activity after treatment, knowing they are doing their part to prevent cancer from coming back.
“It’s an extremely exciting study,” said Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who wasn’t involved in the research. It’s the first randomized controlled trial to show a reduction in cancer recurrences and improved survival linked to exercise, Meyerhardt said.
Prior evidence was based on comparing active people with sedentary people, a type of study that can’t prove cause and effect. The new study — conducted in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States — compared people who were randomly selected for an exercise program with those who instead received an educational booklet.
“This is about as high a quality of evidence as you can get,” said Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “I love this study because it’s something I’ve been promoting but with less strong evidence for a long time.”
The findings were featured Sunday at ASCO’s annual meeting in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine. Academic research groups in Canada, Australia and the U.K. funded the work.
Researchers followed 889 patients with treatable colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Half were given information promoting fitness and nutrition. The others worked with a coach, meeting every two weeks for a year, then monthly for the next two years.
Coaches helped participants find ways to increase their physical activity. Many people, including Terri Swain-Collins, chose to walk for about 45 minutes several times a week.
“This is something I could do for myself to make me feel better,” said Swain-Collins, 62, of Kingston, Ontario. Regular contact with a friendly coach kept her motivated and accountable, she said. “I wouldn’t want to go there and say, ‘I didn’t do anything,’ so I was always doing stuff and making sure I got it done.”
After eight years, the people in the structured exercise program not only became more active than those in the control group but also had 28% fewer cancers and 37% fewer deaths from any cause. There were more muscle strains and other similar problems in the exercise group.
“When we saw the results, we were just astounded,” said study co-author Dr. Christopher Booth, a cancer doctor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario.
Exercise programs can be offered for several thousand dollars per patient, Booth said, “a remarkably affordable intervention that will make people feel better, have fewer cancer recurrences and help them live longer.”
Researchers collected blood from participants and will look for clues tying exercise to cancer prevention, whether through insulin processing or building up the immune system or something else.
Swain-Collins’ coaching program ended, but she is still exercising. She listens to music while she walks in the countryside near her home.
That kind of behavior change can be achieved when people believe in the benefits, when they find ways to make it fun and when there’s a social component, said paper co-author Kerry Courneya, who studies exercise and cancer at the University of Alberta. The new evidence will give cancer patients a reason to stay motivated.
“Now we can say definitively exercise causes improvements in survival,” Courneya said.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
A three-year exercise program improved survival in colon cancer patients and kept disease at bay, a first-of-its-kind international experiment showed.
With the benefits rivaling some drugs, experts said cancer centers and insurance plans should consider making exercise coaching a new standard of care for colon cancer survivors. Until then, patients can increase their physical activity after treatment, knowing they are doing their part to prevent cancer from coming back.
“It’s an extremely exciting study,” said Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who wasn’t involved in the research. It’s the first randomized controlled trial to show a reduction in cancer recurrences and improved survival linked to exercise, Meyerhardt said.
Prior evidence was based on comparing active people with sedentary people, a type of study that can’t prove cause and effect. The new study — conducted in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States — compared people who were randomly selected for an exercise program with those who instead received an educational booklet.
“This is about as high a quality of evidence as you can get,” said Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “I love this study because it’s something I’ve been promoting but with less strong evidence for a long time.”
The findings were featured Sunday at ASCO’s annual meeting in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine. Academic research groups in Canada, Australia and the U.K. funded the work.
Researchers followed 889 patients with treatable colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Half were given information promoting fitness and nutrition. The others worked with a coach, meeting every two weeks for a year, then monthly for the next two years.
Coaches helped participants find ways to increase their physical activity. Many people, including Terri Swain-Collins, chose to walk for about 45 minutes several times a week.
“This is something I could do for myself to make me feel better,” said Swain-Collins, 62, of Kingston, Ontario. Regular contact with a friendly coach kept her motivated and accountable, she said. “I wouldn’t want to go there and say, ‘I didn’t do anything,’ so I was always doing stuff and making sure I got it done.”
After eight years, the people in the structured exercise program not only became more active than those in the control group but also had 28% fewer cancers and 37% fewer deaths from any cause. There were more muscle strains and other similar problems in the exercise group.
“When we saw the results, we were just astounded,” said study co-author Dr. Christopher Booth, a cancer doctor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario.
Exercise programs can be offered for several thousand dollars per patient, Booth said, “a remarkably affordable intervention that will make people feel better, have fewer cancer recurrences and help them live longer.”
Researchers collected blood from participants and will look for clues tying exercise to cancer prevention, whether through insulin processing or building up the immune system or something else.
Swain-Collins’ coaching program ended, but she is still exercising. She listens to music while she walks in the countryside near her home.
That kind of behavior change can be achieved when people believe in the benefits, when they find ways to make it fun and when there’s a social component, said paper co-author Kerry Courneya, who studies exercise and cancer at the University of Alberta. The new evidence will give cancer patients a reason to stay motivated.
“Now we can say definitively exercise causes improvements in survival,” Courneya said.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
