Category Archives: WPTF News

Hurricane Erin leaves rough seas with 2 swimmers dead and a search underway for a missing boater

Hurricane Erin leaves rough seas with 2 swimmers dead and a search underway for a missing boater

SALISBURY, Mass. (AP) — Hurricane Erin never made landfall, but it left behind rough ocean conditions along the U.S. East Coast. At least two people have died, a 17-year-old boy in New Hampshire and a 59-year-old man in New York, after they went swimming in heavy current. A search continued Monday for a man who was missing after his boat capsized off of Salisbury Beach in Massachusetts on Saturday. The teen was pulled away by a strong ocean current off of Hampton Beach. The man was swimming at Sailors Haven in the Fire Island National Seashore. Forecasters say there are no coastal watches or warnings for newly formed Tropical Storm Juliette in the Pacific Ocean and Tropical Storm Fernand in the Atlantic.… Continue Reading

Some FEMA staff call out Trump cuts in public letter of dissent

Some FEMA staff call out Trump cuts in public letter of dissent

More than 180 current and former FEMA employees have published a letter warning of potential disaster due to cuts in the agency. The letter coincides with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, highlighting concerns about management and capacity at FEMA. It warns that current practices echo conditions the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act aimed to prevent. The letter criticizes policies like expenditure approval and reassignment of staff to ICE. It calls for FEMA to be an independent cabinet-level agency. Thirty-five signatories included their names, while 141 remained anonymous due to fear of suppression.… Continue Reading

UNC’s Belichick tells players that Hulu will feature Tar Heels program in a show this fall

UNC’s Belichick tells players that Hulu will feature Tar Heels program in a show this fall

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s football program is getting a spotlight this season under new coach Bill Belichick. In a video posted by the program Sunday, Belichick told the team that Hulu will feature the Tar Heels as they play through his first season as a college coach. Belichick led the NFL’s New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles. UNC kicks off its season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football.… Continue Reading

Dr Pepper buys Peet’s for $18 billion and will split into separate coffee and cold drink sellers

Dr Pepper buys Peet’s for $18 billion and will split into separate coffee and cold drink sellers

NEW YORK (AP) — Keurig Dr Pepper says it will buy Peet’s Coffee owner JDE Peet’s in an $18 billion (15.7 billion euro) deal. When the acquisition is complete, the company plans to split into two separate companies, one focused on coffee and the other focused on beverages including Dr Pepper, Canada Dry, 7Up and energy drinks. The coffee business will have about $16 billion in combined sales and the beverage business about $11 billion. In addition to Peet’s, Amsterdam-based JDE Peet’s brands include L’OR, Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, Kenco, Pilao, OldTown, Super and Moccona.… Continue Reading

‘Sopranos’ star Jerry Adler, Broadway backstage vet turned late-in-life actor, dies at 96

‘Sopranos’ star Jerry Adler, Broadway backstage vet turned late-in-life actor, dies at 96

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Jerry Adler has died at 96. Adler started his career behind the scenes in theater and worked on more than 50 Broadway productions. He later transitioned to acting in his 60s, gaining fame for roles on “The Sopranos” and “The Good Wife.” A New York funeral home confirmed he died Saturday. Adler’s acting career spanned over 30 years, with appearances in shows like “Rescue Me” and “Mad About You.” He also returned to Broadway, onstage this time. He hailed from an entertainment family. His father worked in the theater industry and his cousin was famed acting teacher Stella Adler.… Continue Reading

Trump says he’ll be at Ryder Cup and he thinks captain Keegan Bradley should play

Trump says he’ll be at Ryder Cup and he thinks captain Keegan Bradley should play

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s coming to the Ryder Cup. And he thinks U.S. captain Keegan Bradley should be playing in the Sept. 26-28 matches against Europe. Trump posted on his social media site that he would be at Bethpage Black for the opening round. The Ryder Cup already is the most flag-waving, raucous event in golf. It has gone up a notch this time because of the venue. Bethpage Black on New York’s Long Island is notorious for having the rowdiest fans. Bradley is debating whether he should be the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963.… Continue Reading

Fed Chair Powell faces fresh challenges to Fed independence amid potential rate cuts

Fed Chair Powell faces fresh challenges to Fed independence amid potential rate cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Now that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has signaled that the central bank could soon cut its key interest rate, he faces a new challenge: how to do it without seeming to cave to the White House’s demands. For months, Powell has largely ignored President Donald Trump’s relentless hectoring that he reduce borrowing costs. Yet on Friday, in a highly-anticipated speech, Powell suggested that the Fed could take such a step as soon as its next meeting in September. It will be a fraught decision for the Fed, which must weigh it against persistent inflation that remains a problem and an economy that could also improve in the second half of this year. Both trends, if they occur, could make a cut look premature.… Continue Reading

Hurricane Erin never hit land or caused major damage, but threatened turtle nests weren’t so lucky

Hurricane Erin never hit land or caused major damage, but threatened turtle nests weren’t so lucky

As Hurricane Erin pelted North Carolina’s barrier islands with strong winds and waves, it destroyed many nests of threatened sea turtles. The waves buried the eggs deep in sand or washed them out to sea. On Topsail Island more than half the 43 loggerhead turtle nests were lost this week. The storm also likely wiped out eight of the 10 remaining nests on Emerald Isle. Loggerheads are threatened in the U.S. due to bycatch from fishing. But conservation groups can do little to keep nests safe during a hurricane given North Carolina’s strict laws about keeping the sea turtle hatching process natural.… Continue Reading

Don’t fret: Air guitar world title returns home to Finland after 25 years

Don’t fret: Air guitar world title returns home to Finland after 25 years

OULU, Finland (AP) — Finnish air guitarist Aapo “The Angus” Rautio has plucked victory from thin air, grabbing the world championship title for his homeland for the first time since 2000. This year’s Air Guitar World Championships reached the climax with a final on Friday evening on a square in the western city of Oulu. The three-day event held in Finland brings together competitors from 13 countries. Contestants are judged on the performance of two songs in two separate rounds, each lasting 60 seconds, with the singers pretending to play an imaginary guitar. Props and costumes are allowed, but backup bands and real instruments are off-limits.… Continue Reading

Ryan Blaney’s last-second surge at Daytona denies underdogs a Cinderella moment

Ryan Blaney’s last-second surge at Daytona denies underdogs a Cinderella moment

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Blaney wins a thrilling race at Daytona International Speedway, securing a spot in NASCAR’s playoffs and keeping Alex Bowman’s championship hopes alive. Blaney was 13th with two laps to go but surged ahead to win by a narrow margin. His victory denies other drivers a chance at the playoffs. The race was intense, with the first 19 cars finishing within half a second of Blaney. This win breaks an 11-race losing streak for Team Penske and Ford. The playoffs begin next Sunday at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.… Continue Reading

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