WPTF News Archives - Page 4 of 90

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

A rare Israeli strike on central Beirut kills Hezbollah’s spokesman, official says

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 12:09 pm

BEIRUT (AP) — A rare Israeli airstrike on central Beirut has killed Hezbollah’s chief spokesman. An official with the militant group confirmed that Mohammed Afif was killed on Sunday. The latest in targeted killings of senior Hezbollah officials came as Lebanese officials consider a United States-led cease-fire proposal. Israel also bombed several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has long been headquartered. In Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 12 people. And two flares fired overnight at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence have been blamed on domestic critics as frustrations over the war in Gaza remain high.… Read More

North Carolina Democrats find electoral success further down the ballot and hope to build on it

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 10:19 am

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democrats fell short again in wresting away swing-state prize North Carolina from Republicans in the presidential election. But their party succeeded with significant state down-ballot victories that builds them hope for the next cycle. Donald Trump narrowly won North Carolina’s electoral votes for the third consecutive election. But Democratic candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general won, and legislative candidates appear to have secured enough victories to end the GOP’s veto-proof majority. State Republican leaders say their party is still doing well. They point to winning five statewide executive branch posts, retaining General Assembly control and continuing recent dominance in statewide appellate court races.… Read More

Bela Karolyi, coach of Olympic champion gymnasts who was criticized after Nassar scandal, dies at 82

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 8:09 am

Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power, has died. He was 82. USA Gymnastics confirmed Karolyi died Friday. No cause of death was given. Karolyi and wife Martha trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the U.S. and Romania, including Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton. Comaneci called Karolyi “a big impact and influence” on her life. Karolyi came under fire at times for his methods and several former gymnasts blamed the Karolyis for their role in the Larry Nassar scandal, saying the culture they helped create allowed Nassar’s abusive behavior to run unchecked for years.… Read More

Jon Jones sends Stipe Miocic into retirement with decisive UFC heavyweight win in front of Trump

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 7:21 am

NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Jones sent Stipe Miocic into retirement with a stunning back kick to the ribs and used a series of blows to the head in the third round to retain the UFC heavyweight championship in front of President-elect Donald Trump in the main event of UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Jones posed and played to the crowd on top of the octagon in front of Trump, Elon Musk and Robert Kennedy Jr. Trump walked out to a rousing ovation just before the start of the pay-per-view card and seemed to bask in thrill of the fighters that throughout the night gave him props.… Read More

Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark is crowned the 73rd Miss Universe

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 7:03 am

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark has been crowned Miss Universe. Kjaer, an animal protection advocate who works in the diamond selling business, beat out Miss Nigeria at the end of 73rd edition of the competition in Mexico City. Miss Mexico placed third. It is the first time a Danish contestant has won Miss Universe. The pageant was held in the Mexico City Arena, an indoor venue with a capacity for 20,000 people. Supporters inside shouted and waved flags from countries around the world.… Read More

In the polar bear capital of the world, a community lives with the predator next door and loves it

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 6:35 am

CHURCHILL, Manitoba (AP) — Churchill is a remote Canadian town that not only lives with the predator next door, but loves it. That’s because the predator — polar bears — attracts the tourists who saved the town on Hudson Bay when a military base closed. The bears bring millions of dollars into the economy by attracting visitors eager to see them. But they’re entering town more frequently in search of food because climate change is shrinking the sea ice they depend on to hunt. It’s been more than a decade since a bear last attacked people, mauling two people on a Halloween night. Townspeople look out for each other and for tourists with an alert system, paid guards and a polar bear jail specially made for troublesome animals.… Read More

Kamala Harris raised $1 billion-plus in defeat. She’s still sending persistent appeals to donors

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 6:26 am

ATLANTA (AP) — Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party’s prodigious fundraising operation raised more than $1 billion in her loss to Donald Trump, but the vice president is still pushing donors for more money after the election. Democrats are sending appeals to Harris supporters without expressly asking them to cover any potential debts. They’re enticing would-be donors instead with other matters such as the president-elect’s picks for his upcoming administration and a handful of pending congressional contests where ballots are still being tallied. The party is flooding Harris’ lucrative email donor list with near-daily appeals aimed at small-dollar donors.… Read More