WPTF News Archives - Page 4 of 104

North Carolina’s brutal schedule continues with games against No. 7 Florida, No. 18 UCLA up next

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 17, 2024, 11:35 am

North Carolina continues one of the most daunting schedules in Division I basketball this week. The Tar Heels face No. 7 Florida in Charlotte in the Jumpman Invitational on Tuesday night, then head to Madison Square Garden on Saturday to face No. 18 UCLA, which is riding an eight-game winning streak. North Carolina already has lost to eighth-ranked Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, No. 2 Auburn and No. 20 Michigan State in Maui and No. 6 Alabama at home, and earned what has turned out to be a marquee victory over No. 21 Dayton, which just entered the AP poll this week.… Read More

A 15-year-old girl fatally shoots a teacher and a teenager at a Christian school in Wisconsin

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

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police say a 15-year-old student opened fire inside a study hall at a small Christian school in Wisconsin, killing a teacher and a teenager. Monday’s shooting prompted a swarm of police officers to descend on the school in response to a second grader’s 911 call. Police say the girl also wounded six others in the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition. Police say the shooter was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when officers arrived and died en route to a hospital. Police say a motive for the shooting was not immediately known, nor was it clear if the victims were targeted.… Read More

Next North Carolina governor names 7 Cabinet secretaries, with 2 current department heads

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 17, 2024, 10:14 am

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein has announced several of his Cabinet secretary choices. Stein revealed appointments to seven departments Monday. They include two holdovers from outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration, as well as what his transition team says are the state’s first Latino and first Indian American secretaries. The Cooper secretaries that will stay on are poised to go to new agencies. Reid Wilson will move to environmental quality and Pamela Cashwell to natural and cultural resources. Cabinet members are subject to state Senate confirmation. Stein is expected to get sworn in early in the new year.… Read More

Governor presents Hurricanes’ coach Rod Brind’Amour with North Carolina honor

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 16, 2024, 1:17 am

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour was presented with the state’s highest honor by Gov. Roy Cooper after Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brind’Amour received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is given to people who have made significant contributions to the state and their community. Cooper was in the Hurricanes locker room prior to the game to read the starting lineup before returning amid the postgame celebration. The 67-year-old Cooper has long been a supporter of the Hurricanes and frequently attends home games.… Read More

Official in French territory of Mayotte says death toll from Cyclone Chido is ‘several hundred’

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 15, 2024, 12:31 pm

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is “several hundred” and may be close to 1,000. That’s according to the island’s top government official who spoke with a local broadcaster Sunday. Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville told TV station Mayotte la 1ere that “I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we’ll get close to a thousand.” He said it was “extremely difficult” to get an exact number right now after the Indian Ocean islands were pummelled by the intense tropical cyclone on Saturday, causing widespread destruction. Officials had confirmed at least 11 deaths in Mayotte earlier Sunday but said that was expected to increase.… Read More

Trump gets warm welcome as he watches Army-Navy game alongside key allies, nominees and Daniel Penny

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 15, 2024, 7:28 am

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Donald Trump huddled with allies and a Republican cause célèbre at the Army-Navy football game. He took in one of the most storied rivalries in college sports while spotlighting his emerging national security team. On Saturday afternoon, Trump joined Vice President-elect JD Vance, embattled Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, potential backup defense option Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others for the game outside Washington. Daniel Penny, who was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide this week in the chokehold death of an agitated subway rider in New York, was also a guest of Trump and Vance. Navy beat Army 31-13 in the 125th matchup between the two service academies.… Read More

Argo the dog, a TSA calendar star, protects air travelers by sniffing out explosives

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 15, 2024, 7:21 am

LINTHICUM, Md. (AP) — A 9-year-old black Labrador retriever named Argo is gearing up for a busy holiday travel season. Argo is trained to detect potential explosives at Baltimore-Washington International Airport and is one of 12 dogs featured in a 2025 TSA canine calendar. During a recent demonstration of his skills, Argo was presented with a decoy person wearing a backpack containing something that smelled like potential explosives. He immediately reacted to the scent by dropping his nose to the ground, wagging his tail faster and pulling his handler toward the target. Explosive detection dogs are trained at the National TSA Canine Training Center in San Antonio, where Argo was assigned to Lilly.… Read More

ABC agrees to give $15 million to Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle defamation lawsuit

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 15, 2024, 7:19 am

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million toward Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. ABC will also post a note on its website expressing regret over the claim in Stephanopoulos’ March 10 segment on “This Week.” That’s according to a settlement document made public on Saturday. It describes ABC’s presidential library payment as a “charitable contribution.” The settlement agreement was signed Friday, the same day a Florida federal judge ordered Trump and Stephanopoulos to sit for separate depositions in the case next week. The settlement means that sworn testimony is no longer required.… Read More

Cade Tyson scores 23 points and North Carolina routs La Salle 93-67

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 14, 2024, 8:19 pm

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Backup guard Cade Tyson scored a season-high 23 points and made five 3-pointers in the Tar Heels’ 93-67 victory over La Salle. Tyson shot 9-for-14 overall, including 5 for 10 on 3-pointers. He was averaging 2.7 points through UNC’s first nine games. RJ Davis scored 13 points, Seth Trimble had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Ven-Allen Lubin had 10 points for North Carolina. The Tar Heels shot 58% in the second half and 54% overall despite unimpressive 3-point shooting — 10 for 31 — and poor free-throw shooting — 11 for 23. Demetrius Lilley scored 16 points for La Salle.… Read More

Belichick’s bid to reshape football at UNC another sign of rising pro influence on college level

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 13, 2024, 4:56 pm

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s hiring of NFL coaching great Bill Belichick marks another sign of the growing influence of the NFL on college football. The challenges of managing the transfer portal and looming revenue sharing for athletes has led teams to take on more NFL-like structures to their programs. Belichick is set to structure North Carolina’s program like an NFL front office. That includes hiring former NFL executive Michael Lombardi as general manager. At Florida, coach Billy Napier is interviewing general managers while saying the program is going to “a business model” to deal with a “major math puzzle.”… Read More

Feds propose protection for giant salamanders devastated by Hurricane Helene

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 13, 2024, 4:45 pm

A giant salamander that evolved on the supercontinent Pangaea and outlived the dinosaurs has been proposed for federal protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The eastern hellbender would be protected under the Endangered Species Act if Friday’s submission is adopted. The slimy brown amphibian is the largest in North America and one of two subspecies in the U.S. It inhabits the rocky beds of clear, cool rivers near the Appalachian Mountains. Its population in the U.S. has rapidly declined in recent decades. Dams, industry and flooding worsened by climate change and from Hurricane Helene have threatened its habitat and ability to reproduce and find food.… Read More

North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID-19 claims but against a clothing chain

Author: The Associated Press | Date: December 13, 2024, 4:39 pm

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court has ruled over some insurance claims filed by businesses that were harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting 2020 government orders limiting commerce and public movement. The state Supreme Court on Friday ruled unanimously in favor of some restaurants and bars in their claims, but against clothing store chain Cato Corp. At issue are “all-risk” commercial property insurance policies issued by Cincinnati and Zurich American insurance companies. The restaurants’ lawsuit focused on the definition of “direct physical loss” and whether it applied to them. In the Cato case, the justices decided the company’s policy contained a viral contamination exclusion.… Read More