WPTF News Archives - Page 22 of 92

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

Russia amplified hurricane disinformation to drive Americans apart, researchers find

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 24, 2024, 10:13 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — New research shows Russia has worked to amplify false and misleading claims about the U.S. government’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate Americans before the Nov. 5 election. The research comes from the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Researchers found that posts linked to Russian state media and online accounts spread English-language content that was designed to reduce American confidence in the federal response to the storms. It’s an approach consistent with past Russian disinformation campaigns.… Read More

North Carolina government calculates Hurricane Helene damages, needs at least $53B

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 24, 2024, 9:16 am

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina officials say the catastrophic flooding and destruction from Hurricane Helene likely caused at least $53 billion in damages and recovery needs in the state. Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration generated the preliminary figure in a report released Wednesday that also includes Cooper’s request to the General Assembly for $3.9 billion. The request was disclosed the day before the legislature planned to meet for a one-day session to advance additional Helene recovery legislation. Cooper says the previous record for storm damage in North Carolina was $17 billion after Hurricane Florence in 2018.… Read More

NC State’s Grayson McCall gives up football, says he can’t come back from latest head injury

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 10:58 pm

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall has announced his retirement from football less than three weeks after a vicious hit knocked him out of a game for the second time this season. McCall was a sixth-year player who was a graduate transfer following five seasons at Coastal Carolina, where he threw for more than 10,000 yards and 88 touchdowns, but also had concussion issues. McCall was knocked out of the Sept. 14 game against Louisiana Tech and in his first game back left on a cart after taking a helmet-jarring hit in the first quarter against Wake Forest on Oct. 5.… Read More

Donald Trump tells supporters to ‘just vote’ at lively Georgia rally organized by Charlie Kirk

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 10:29 pm

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Republican Donald Trump is pushing supporters in Georgia to get out and vote for him in a state that could be crucial in the presidential election. He spoke Wednesday before a lively rally that was filled to capacity and organized by Charlie Kirk, a conservative provocateur. Kirk is using his online presence and the organization he founded, Turning Point Action, to make himself one of the nation’s most recognizable conservatives. He is launching get-out-the-vote operations in key battleground states. Trump has put a particular emphasis on winning support from younger men as he tries to reach them through podcasts, social media and influencers such as Kirk.… Read More

Tim Burton talks about his dread of AI as an exhibition of his work opens in London

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 9:38 pm

LONDON (AP) — The imagination of Tim Burton has produced ghosts and ghouls, Martians, monsters and misfits. All are on display at an exhibition that is opening in London just in time for Halloween. “The World of Tim Burton” exhibition at London’s Design Museum includes 600 items from movie studio collections and Burton’s personal archive.…… Read More

Postal Service reassures on mail ballots, says all centers operating in regions hit by hurricanes

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 9:01 pm

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service says it has reopened all of its mail processing centers in areas of Florida and North Carolina hit by recent hurricanes. Executive Vice President Steven Monteith gave the update during a virtual briefing Wednesday that was meant to reassure voters and election officials that the Postal Service is ready to handle mail ballots. State and local election officials said in September that problems with mail delivery threatened to disenfranchise voters in this year’s presidential election. But Monteith said during the first three weeks of October, 99.9% of the nation’s election-related mail arrived within seven days. That was even after hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the Southeast.… Read More

Stock market today: Wall Street slumps to a rare 3-day losing streak

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 7:14 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed lower as more steam came out of Wall Street’s huge, record-breaking rally. The S&P 500 fell 0.9% Wednesday. It was the third loss in a row for the benchmark index, the first time that’s happened in six weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1%. The Nasdaq composite sank 1.6% as Nvidia and other Big Tech stocks were among the market’s heaviest weights. Momentum has reversed for stocks since the S&P 500 set a record on Friday as pressure has increased from rising Treasury yields in the bond market. Yields rose again Wednesday.… Read More

Panthers QB Bryce Young will start against Broncos after Andy Dalton sprains thumb in car crash

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 6:39 pm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young will start Sunday at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers against the Denver Broncos after Andy Dalton sprained the thumb on his right throwing hand during a car crash in Charlotte. Panthers coach Dave Canales made the announcement Wednesday after practice. Dalton did not practice. Canales said there were no serious injuries in Tuesday’s crash, and the 36-year-old Dalton will be listed as day to day. Canales said it’s possible that Dalton could be the team’s No. 2 quarterback on Sunday. Young was benched two games into the season after starting 0-2. Dalton has gone 1-4 as a starter since then, losing his last four starts.… Read More

A hurricane’s historic destruction hasn’t stopped North Carolina election workers and voters

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 2:28 pm

HOT SPRINGS, N.C. (AP) — Elections officials, poll workers and voters in western North Carolina have been adapting in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destruction. The storm destroyed roads, bridges and homes, and left communities without power and water. Despite the widespread destruction, election workers have rallied to set up polling sites and help voters cast ballots during the early voting period in the crucial presidential battleground. Turnout during last week’s first day of early in-person voting set a record, and more than 1.3 million people have cast ballots since then. Many election workers and voters in a hard-hit Democratic-leaning county and others in a Republican-leaning one expressed a gritty determination to make sure voters’ voices are heard.… Read More

Efforts by Russia, Iran and China to sway US voters may escalate, new Microsoft report says

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 23, 2024, 12:44 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — A new threat intelligence report from Microsoft says foreign adversaries have showed continued determination to influence the U.S. election and there are signs their activity will intensify as Election Day nears. The company said Wednesday that Russian operatives are doubling down on fake videos to smear Kamala Harris’ campaign, while Chinese-linked social media campaigns are maligning down-ballot candidates who are critical of China. Microsoft says Iranian actors who allegedly sent emails aimed at intimidating U.S. voters in 2020 have been surveying election-related websites and major media outlets. Russia, China and Iran have all rejected claims that they are seeking to meddle with the U.S. election.… Read More