Category Archives: WPTF News

Interstate 40 in the Smoky Mountains reopens faster than expected after rock slide and flooding

Interstate 40 in the Smoky Mountains reopens faster than expected after rock slide and flooding

HARTFORD, Tenn. (AP) — Crews have reopened a section of Interstate 40 along its narrow corridor through the Great Smoky Mountains after flooding and a rock slide closed the major cross country highway for nine days. Officials initially expected I-40 in far eastern Tennessee to remain closed until July 3, but crews sped along the work and the highway reopened on Friday with one lane in each direction. I-40 is already undergoing major repairs from massive damage and washouts during Hurricane Helene last fall. The damaged section is part of 12 miles in North Carolina and Tennessee that were washed away or heavily damaged by flooding that roared through the Pigeon River gorge.… Continue Reading

Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91

Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91

NEW YORK (AP) — Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television’s most honored journalists, has died at 91. His career ranged from President Lyndon Johnson’s press secretary to newspaper publisher and senior news analyst at CBS News. But it was for public television that Moyers produced some of TV’s most intelligent and provocative programs. During hundreds of hours on PBS, he proved at home with subjects ranging from government corruption to modern dance, from drug addiction to media consolidation, from religion to environmental abuse. He called himself a “citizen journalist.”… Continue Reading

NFL suspends Justin Tucker for first 10 weeks of the season for violating personal conduct policy

NFL suspends Justin Tucker for first 10 weeks of the season for violating personal conduct policy

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has suspended former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for the first 10 weeks next season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The league announced the punishment Thursday. It takes effect on Aug. 26, which is roster cutdown day, and Tucker is eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11. He is a free agent after the Ravens released him last month in the aftermath of reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. A five-time All-Pro, the 35-year-old Tucker has played his entire 13-year career with Baltimore. He’s considered one of the best kickers in NFL history, although 2024 was his worst season.… Continue Reading

These Canadian rocks may be the oldest on Earth

These Canadian rocks may be the oldest on Earth

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have identified what could be the oldest rocks on Earth from a rock formation in Canada. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in Quebec has long been known for its ancient rocks, but researchers disagree on exactly how old they are. Samples from a new site place the rocks at approximately 4.16 billion years old, in the earliest period of Earth’s history. Ancient rocks are hard to find, but they give scientists a rare window into how early Earth may have looked and even how life got started. The new research was published Thursday in the journal Science.… Continue Reading

More refunds are being sent to Fortnite players ‘tricked’ into unwanted purchases. How you can apply

More refunds are being sent to Fortnite players ‘tricked’ into unwanted purchases. How you can apply

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is issuing more refunds to Fortnite players who it says were charged for unwanted purchases. The U.S. regulator says it’s sending more than 969,000 payments amounting to over $126 million this week. This is part of a $520 million settlement Epic Games agreed to in 2022, addressing complaints about deceptive practices and children’s privacy. The settlement included $245 million for customer refunds. Between this week’s payments and a first round of refunds in December, $198 million of that has been distributed. Eligible players who haven’t received compensation can still file claims until July 9.… Continue Reading

US stocks climb to the brink of a record

US stocks climb to the brink of a record

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing toward the brink of another record. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% Thursday and is just 0.3% below its all-time high, which was set in February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 264 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.5%. McCormick helped lead the market after the seller of cooking spices delivered a better-than-expected profit report. Treasury yields eased a bit in the bond market following a couple of better-than-expected reports on the U.S. economy, including on jobless claims and orders for long-lasting manufactured goods. Stock indexes were mixed across much of Europe and Asia.… Continue Reading

College graduates face toughest job market in more than a decade as hiring slows

College graduates face toughest job market in more than a decade as hiring slows

WASHINGTON (AP) — Young people graduating from college this spring and summer are facing one of the toughest job markets in more than a decade. The unemployment rate for degree holders ages 22 to 27 has reached its highest level in a dozen years, excluding the coronavirus pandemic. Joblessness among that group is higher than the overall unemployment rate, and the gap is larger than it’s been in more than three decades. That worries many economists as well as officials at the Federal Reserve because it could be an early sign of trouble for the economy. It suggests businesses are holding off on hiring new workers because of rampant uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration’s tariff increases… Continue Reading

Record-breaking holiday travel expected in NC this Fourth of July

Record-breaking holiday travel expected in NC this Fourth of July

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Carolina roads and airports are about to get busy—AAA says a record 2.3 million North Carolinians are expected to travel during a nine-day Fourth of July window, with most opting to hit the road. Motor club spokesperson Tiffany Wright says drivers should plan ahead, avoid peak travel times between noon and 5 p.m., and allow plenty of time to reach their destination as traffic is expected to surge across the state and beyond.… Continue Reading

States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules

States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court is allowing states to cut off Medicaid money for Planned Parenthood amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the organization, the country’s largest abortion provider. The 6-3 ruling was handed down Thursday. The case centers on funding for other health care services Planned Parenthood provides in South Carolina, but the ruling could have broader implications for Medicaid patients. South Carolina argued no public money should go to the high-profile abortion provider, even if it it’s not paying for abortions. Planned Parenthood says patients go there for things like contraception and cancer screenings, in part because it can be hard to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance.… Continue Reading

Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is headed to the Dallas Mavericks, who may have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the draft Wednesday night, selecting the 18-year-old who was the college player of the year in his lone season. Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team. But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by San Antonio with the No. 2 pick.… Continue Reading

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