Triangle/Local
Goats on the Go: Raleigh taps four-legged crew to tackle invasive plants at Dorothea Dix Park
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Raleigh’s most unconventional landscaping crew is back at work—this time with hooves on the ground and greenery in their sights. Goats on the Go has partnered with the Triangle area and City of Raleigh Parks Department to tackle invasive plants at…
JetZero plans to build $4.7B plant in North Carolina, aims to create 14,500 jobs
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — JetZero Inc. announced plans Thursday to build its first manufacturing plant for a next-generation passenger jet in central North Carolina, a project that if successful would create more than 14,500 jobs there in a decade. The California-based startup intends to build the factory…
Trump says he will ‘liberate’ Los Angeles in speech to mark the 250th anniversary of the Army
By CHRIS MEGERIAN and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump called protesters in Los Angeles “animals” and “a foreign enemy” in a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday as he defended deploying the military on demonstrators opposed to his immigration…
Poll shows broad support for vaccines, rising concern over decline in childhood immunizations
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — A new national poll is revealing a rare point of agreement among American voters across the political spectrum: strong support for keeping FDA-approved vaccines accessible. The survey, conducted by the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease, also highlights growing alarm over declining…
Invasive Alabama bass threaten native fish and tournaments across North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — A fast-spreading invasive fish is raising alarms across North Carolina—and wildlife officials say it’s already threatening some of the state’s most popular game fish. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is warning anglers to be on the lookout for Alabama bass,…
State/Regional
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…
North Carolina GOP sending immigration crackdown bills to Democratic Gov. Stein
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republicans at the North Carolina legislature gave final approval Tuesday two pieces of legislation that would compel state agencies to participate in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and would toughen a recent law that required sheriffs to help federal…
North Carolina auto insurance rates are going up 5% on average in settlement
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina automobile insurance rates are poised to increase statewide by a 5% average this fall as part of an agreement reached between state regulators and the insurance industry. The settlement announced on Monday by Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey is lower…
North Carolina governor forms council to recommend cannabis regulations
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein says a panel he’s tasked with recommending cannabis sale regulations — including potential legalization of adult use of marijuana — should aim to provide a structure in a state where products now from otherwise lawful hemp are unregulated…
Amazon planning $10B investment in North Carolina for data center and AI campus
HAMLET, N.C. (AP) — Amazon plans to invest $10 billion toward building a campus in North Carolina to expand its cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure, bringing a massive shot in the arm to a region where many textile and apparel jobs dried up a…
World/National
Air India’s sole crash survivor narrates his escape
By RAJESH ROY Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — The lone passenger who survived the Air India crash that killed 241 people onboard couldn’t believe he was alive when he opened his eyes, surrounded by flames, debris and charred bodies. The British national of Indian origin, Viswashkumar…
Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear sites and its top military leaders. Iran retaliates with drones
By JON GAMBRELL, JOSEF FEDERMAN and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel attacked Iran early Friday with a barrage of airstrikes that took out top military officers and hit nuclear and missile sites, calling it just the beginning and raising the potential…
House approves Trump’s request to cut funding for NPR, PBS and foreign aid
By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House narrowly voted Thursday to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to follow through on work done by the Department of Government Efficiency when it was…
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…
Southern Baptist delegates at national meeting overwhelmingly call for banning same-sex marriage
By PETER SMITH Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — Southern Baptist delegates at their national meeting overwhelmingly endorsed a ban on same-sex marriage — including a call for a reversal of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 10-year-old precedent legalizing it nationwide. They also called for legislators to curtail sports…
Entertainment
Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, briefly shows up to support Sean “Diddy” Combs at trial
By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, briefly showed up to the New York sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on Friday to support the hip-hop mogul, a longtime friend.…
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…
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…
Disney to pay almost $439 million to take full control of streaming service Hulu
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Disney will pay Comcast’s NBCUniversal nearly $439 million for its stake in Hulu, taking full control of the streaming service. The move closes out an appraisal process that’s dragged on for a few years. Disney said in November 2023 that it…
Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni’s $400M lawsuit against ‘It Ends With Us’ costar Blake Lively
By MICHAEL HILL Associated Press A judge on Monday dismissed the lawsuit that actor and director Justin Baldoni filed against his “It Ends With Us” costar Blake Lively after she sued him last year for sexual harassment and retaliation. U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman’s…
Sports
Denny Hamlin to miss NASCAR’s first international race after birth of son
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer MEXICO CITY (AP) — Denny Hamlin will miss NASCAR’s first international race of the modern era to remain in North Carolina following the birth of his child. Ryan Truex will replace him Sunday in Mexico City. “See you…
J.J. Spaun leads U.S. Open at Oakmont on a wild day of great shots and shockers
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun is still new enough to the U.S. Open, and a newcomer to the brute that is Oakmont, that he was prepared for anything Thursday. He wound up with a clean card and a…
J.J. Spaun leads U.S. Open at Oakmont on a wild day of great shots and shockers
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun is still new enough to the U.S. Open, and a newcomer to the brute that is Oakmont, that he was prepared for anything Thursday. He wound up with a clean card and a…
US Open tee time awaits Docherty less than a month after horrific car accident
By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — What Alistair Docherty thought was smoke was really the powder bursting out of the freshly deployed airbag. There was no mistaking the blood and glass covering everything in the wrecked white minivan. Docherty was driving…
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,…