WPTF News Archives - Page 3 of 90

Democrat keeps slight lead for North Carolina Supreme Court as counties finish count

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 10:18 pm

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The final counts by counties are about over and a Democratic incumbent on North Carolina’s Supreme Court has an ever-slight lead over a Republican challenger. Associate Justice Allison Riggs had trailed on election night by roughly 10,000 votes to Jefferson Griffin. But that margin dwindled last week as provisional and absentee ballots were considered. Riggs overtook Griffin and led by over 600 votes late Monday. Griffin can request a recount by Tuesday. A handful of legislative districts also remained close, including a state House race that if the margin holds for the Democrat would end the veto-proof majority that Republicans have held within the General Assembly.… Read More

Trump says he is naming former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy to be transportation secretary

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 8:20 pm

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he is naming former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy as his nominee to be transportation secretary, as he continues to roll out picks for his Cabinet. Duffy is a former reality TV star who was one of Trump’s most visible defenders on cable news — a prime concern for the media-focused president-elect. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, was a member of the Financial Services Committee and was chairman of the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019, and is now co-host of a show on Fox Business, the “Bottom Line.”… Read More

Hurricane Helene isn’t the only big storm North Carolina is still recovering from

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 7:59 pm

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republicans are voicing frustration over how the state is still struggling to recover from two hurricanes that ravaged the region long before Hurricane Helene hit in September. The issues bubbled to the surface Monday during a legislative committee hearing about a budget shortfall in the state Office of Recovery and Resiliency. At issue are projects stemming from hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper asked for money to eliminate the shortfall last month as part of a larger package to address Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding. One top recovery official says pausing projects is an “option on the table” if lawmakers don’t come up with enough cash.… Read More

Kissing the ring? MSNBC ‘Morning Joe’ hosts say they met with Trump to reopen lines of communication

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 4:47 pm

It was the last thing you might expect if you watched MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” a month ago — hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski asking for a meeting and traveling to Florida to talk with President-Elect Donald Trump. The show’s hosts were fierce critics of Trump the past few years, and throughout his campaign to win back the presidency. But they said Monday they wanted to reopen lines of communication in the hope of providing viewers with insighs about what is going on in the administration. The show’s hosts received some criticism, which they had anticipated, with some likening it to “kissing the ring.”… Read More

Stock market today: Wall Street holds steadier after losing most of its Trump bump

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 4:41 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — Most U.S. stocks ticked higher to recover some of their sharp slide from last week. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% Monday for its first gain in three days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%. CVS Health rallied after adding four new directors to its board, including the CEO of a hedge fund that’s a major investor. Treasury yields eased in the bond market, which also helped calm the stock market. Several big companies are lining up to report their latest quarterly results this week. The headliner arrives on Wednesday with market heavyweight Nvidia.… Read More

Biden seeks nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 3:57 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is requesting nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and other natural disasters. He’s telling lawmakers that the money is “urgently needed.” Biden says in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday that he’s met firsthand with those harmed by the storms and has heard what residents and businesses need from the federal government. The largest share of the money, about $40 billion, would go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. An additional $24 billion would help farmers and $12 billion would go toward community development block grants.… Read More

Western North Carolina’s water system is finally back online after Helene

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 2:15 pm

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — More than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina are now allowed to drink and bathe with water from their home faucets. The change on Monday comes nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of the local water system. Clay Chandler is a spokesman for Asheville’s Water Resources Department. He said tests of the water “were all clear” and that a boil-water notice was lifted. Asheville restored running water to most of its users by the end of October. But the city instituted a boil-water notice as workers brought the system back online and ran tests.… Read More

Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy as financial losses pile up and debt payments loom

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 12:29 pm

Spirit Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue. Spirit is the biggest U.S. budget airline. It has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion over the next year. Spirit says it expects to operate as normal as it works its way through a prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and that customers can continue to book and fly without interruption.… Read More

Testimony resumes in the trial of the man accused of killing Georgia student Laken Riley

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 10:27 am

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Testimony is resuming in the trial of the man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. Jose Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally two years ago, is charged with murder and other crimes in Riley’s February killing. The case became a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration during this…… Read More

About 20% of Americans regularly get their news from influencers on social media, report says

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 10:19 am

A report released Monday by Pew Research Center says about one in five Americans regularly get their news from so-called news influencers on social media. The report found that news influencers posted mostly about politics and the election, followed by social issues like race and abortion and international events, such as the Israel-Hamas war. Most of them – 63% – are men and the majority – 77% – have no affiliation, or background, with a media organization. Pew said about half of the influencers it sampled did not express a clear political orientation. From the ones that did, slightly more of them identified as conservative than as liberal.… Read More

Beyoncé will perform at halftime of Ravens-Texans Christmas Day game on Netflix

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 18, 2024, 10:01 am

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé is coming to your home on Christmas — provided you have Netflix and are tuning in to the Ravens-Texans game. Netflix announced late Sunday that the megastar would perform during halftime of a Christmas Day matchup in her hometown of Houston. The streaming service didn’t reveal details about the performance but teased that it would likely feature guest appearances from her “Cowboy Carter” album, which delivered Beyoncé a leading 11 Grammy nominations earlier this month. Netflix is also streaming a Christmas day Kansas City Chiefs game, setting up the possibility that another of the world’s biggest stars, Taylor Swift, would be on the stream. Swift is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.… Read More

Biden authorizes Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 6:15 pm

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia. The move eases limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war. Word of the decision comes from a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter. Thousands of North Korean troops have been sent to Ukraine’s northern border to help Russia reclaim hundreds of kilometers of territory seized by Ukrainian forces. President-elect Donald Trump has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and has expressed skepticism over continued support for Ukraine.… Read More