WPTF News Archives - Page 21 of 91

No. 22 SMU beats Duke 28-27 in overtime after Blue Devils fail to convert winning 2-point conversion

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 27, 2024, 5:42 am

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — No. 22 SMU forced an incompletion on a winning two-point conversion attempt to seal a 28-27 road victory in overtime against Duke. It’s the fifth consecutive win for SMU, which got 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including the winner in overtime, from Brashard Smith. Mustangs’ quarterback Kevin Jennings had 299 yards of total offense, rushing for a score and throwing for another. Duke lost despite winning the turnover battle 6-0. After Eli Pancol caught a touchdown pass, the Blue Devils threw an incompletion on the two-point conversion.… Read More

Hampton, Jones have big days, Tar Heels end skid 41-14 over Virginia

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 27, 2024, 5:27 am

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Omarion Hampton ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns, and J.J. Jones caught five passes for 129 yards and a pair of scores as North Carolina snapped a four-game losing streak with a 41-14 win over Virginia. The Tar Heel buried a month’s worth of frustration by dominating the second and third quarters to end their longest losing streak since 2018. Virginia endured a dismal offensive day, not scoring a touchdown until backup quarterback Tony Muskett connected with JR Wilson for a 68-yard score with 10:07 left and the outcome no longer in doubt. The Tar Heels outgained Virginia 428 yards to 288 and held the Cavaliers to a 6-for-16 showing on third down. Virginia, loser of three in a row, struggled to block North Carolina, which racked up 10 sacks.… Read More

‘I don’t want to get involved’: NC college students avoid abortion conversations on campus

Author: Media Hub | Date: October 26, 2024, 2:17 pm

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It’s mid-October, less than two weeks away from Election Day, and students are rallying in full force at UNC-Chapel Hill. Student organizations sit in the Pit—a brick patio that sits below ground level at the heart of the UNC-CH campus, where it’s believed that every student passes through at least once a day—asking if their fellow Tar Heels have voted, preaching the gospel or recruiting new members. One club’s table that can often be found is Students for Life at UNC-CH, a pro-life campus organization that strives to serve and educate the student body about abortion. The group’s signs, with messages such as “Abolish Abortion” and “Choose Life,” intend to help students engage in thoughtful conversations about abortion—but are not always met with support from UNC-CH’s largely liberal campus.… Read More

NASA astronaut remains at hospital after returning from an extended stay in space

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 25, 2024, 3:07 pm

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts are back on Earth after a space station mission that lasted almost eight months. A SpaceX capsule carrying the crew parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast before dawn Friday. The three Americans and one Russian should have returned from the International Space Station two months ago, but were delayed by Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule and weather. Shortly after splashdown, NASA said one of its astronauts had a medical issue. The space agency says the unidentified astronaut is in stable condition and remains at a Florida hospital as a “precautionary measure.”… Read More

North Carolina’s governor approves more than $600 million in Helene recovery funding

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 25, 2024, 11:31 am

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina state legislators have approved over $600 million more toward Hurricane Helene recovery and relief. The Republican-dominated General Assembly held a one-day session Thursday to consider additional funding and legislation. Four weeks ago, Helene tore across the Southeast and wreaked havoc in western North Carolina. Lawmakers had approved a $273 million package earlier this month. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has calculated overall storm damages and needs at over $53 billion and is requesting $3.9 billion in state funds. Republican leaders said they would consider Cooper’s proposal in the weeks ahead. The legislature also enacted another measure to direct two storm-affected counties to open more early-voting sites.… Read More

In Asheville, high school seniors make key life choices under the stress of Helene recovery

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 25, 2024, 11:28 am

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — High school seniors in Asheville are grappling with several important life decisions as they still recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on their region. Schools across North Carolina’s Buncombe County have been canceled for over a month, but are now set to resume within the next week. Some seniors have tried to make the most of their time off by hanging out with friends or volunteering. But many say they feel the stress of college applications weighing on them. Some seniors are also disappointed that they’ve missed a month of their last year of high school.… Read More

Prosecutors seek resentencing for Erik and Lyle Menendez in 1989 killings of their parents

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 24, 2024, 10:31 pm

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors are recommending that Erik and Lyle Menendez be resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents in Beverly Hills. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has announced during a Thursday news conference that his office would recommend the brothers be sentenced to 50 years to life. But he says their ages at the time of the crimes mean they will be eligible for parole immediately. The brothers were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors must now seek court approval for resentencing. The brothers admitted to the crime but said they feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent anyone from finding out that Jose Menendez had abused Erik for years.… Read More

Can an elephant sue to leave a zoo? Colorado’s top court must now decide

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 24, 2024, 8:03 pm

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado’s highest court is considering whether five zoo elephants can challenge their confinement under a legal process mainly used by prisoners to dispute their detention. The Colorado Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday from lawyers for an animal rights group and the zoo. The court won’t rule until later. The NonHuman Rights Project says the elephants are suffering and showing signs of brain damage because they’re confined to the zoo. The zoo says it would be cruel to move the elderly elephants to a wildlife sanctuary at this point. It also says the case creates a slippery slope that could lead to lawsuits to release other animals, including pets.… Read More

Harris is leaning on big names like Obama, Beyoncé and Springsteen to close out her campaign

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 24, 2024, 7:35 pm

CLARKSTON, Ga. (AP) — Kamala Harris is enlisting some of her most high-profile surrogates in the closing days of the campaign, with Bruce Springsteen lending his star power to deliver a musical warmup for the vice president’s speech Thursday night in Georgia. Harris was headlining the event outside Atlanta with former President Barack Obama, still one of the biggest names in Democratic politics. Springsteen told the Georgia audience he was backing Harris because he wants “a president who reveres the constitution.” On Friday, Harris travels to Texas for a Houston rally with Beyoncé, according to three people familiar with the matter. Beyoncé is a Houston native and her 2016 song “Freedom” has become Harris’ campaign anthem.… Read More

Stock market today: Wall Street finishes mixed after Tesla soars and IBM slumps

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 24, 2024, 5:37 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish after Tesla surged and IBM slumped following their latest profit reports. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Thursday to break its first three-day losing streak since early September. It bounced between losses and gains through the day and was nearly evenly split between stocks rising and falling. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.8%. Tesla jumped to the second-best day in its history after reporting a better profit than analysts expected. But IBM fell sharply after its revenue came in short of expectations. Treasury yields eased.… Read More

Trump says if he takes office, he’ll fire special counsel Jack Smith ‘within 2 seconds’

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 24, 2024, 2:10 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says that if wins the White House, he’ll fire special counsel Jack Smith “within two seconds” of taking office. Smith has charged Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents. Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday that the decision would be “so easy.” Trump, if elected, could order the Justice Department to remove Smith, But Trump probably would not be able to do it on his own because Smith isn’t a presidential appointee. When Trump, while president, was investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller, Trump urged his then-White House counsel, Don McGahn, to press the Justice Department to terminate Mueller. McGahn refused.… Read More

Senate leader cites ‘incompetence’ and criticizes Governor Cooper’s latest request for state relief funding

Author: WPTF Staff | Date: October 24, 2024, 11:12 am

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — North Carolina legislators returned to work Thursday to address further relief efforts following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, but Senate president Phil Berger doesn’t expect any action on Governor Cooper’s $3.9 billion request for disaster relief. State lawmakers approved an initial $270 million relief package last month, but Berger said he expects lawmakers will approve additional funding for Helene recovery efforts. However, he cautioned against rushing to spend all the state’s reserves so soon. Berger criticized Gov. Cooper’s administration for failing to get aid to Hurricane Matthew and Florence victims, including some people who lost their homes in 2016.… Read More