WPTF News Archives - Page 5 of 91

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

Hampton’s huge day helps North Carolina hold off Wake Forest 31-24 to reach bowl eligibility

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 17, 2024, 5:53 am

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Omarion Hampton posted career highs of 35 carries for 244 yards with a key late touchdown that helped North Carolina beat Wake Forest 31-24. The win pushed the Tar Heels to bowl eligibility. Hampton found the end zone from 6 yards out with 2:26 left for a 31-17 lead. Demond Claiborne ran for two touchdowns for the Demon Deacons, who lost three turnovers. Michael Kern took over at quarterback for Wake Forest due to an injury to starter Hank Bachmeier in the third quarter.… Read More

What is Bluesky, the fast-growing social platform welcoming fleeing X users?

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 16, 2024, 10:48 am

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Disgruntled X users are once again flocking to Bluesky, a newer social media platform that grew out of the former Twitter before billionaire Elon Musk took it over in 2022. While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk. Bluesky said in mid-November that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and talk to others online.… Read More

Jake Paul, 27, beats 58-year-old Mike Tyson as the hits don’t match the hype

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 16, 2024, 10:37 am

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Paul won a unanimous decision over Mike Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between a young YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion. All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, with Paul even stopping to pay homage with a bow to Tyson before the final bell sounded at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. The fight wasn’t close on the judge’s cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73. Tyson came after Paul immediately after the opening bell and landed a couple of quick punches but didn’t try much else the rest of the way.… Read More

Trump names Karoline Leavitt as youngest ever White House press secretary

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 15, 2024, 9:47 pm

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named his campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt to serve as his White House press secretary. The 27-year-old Leavitt would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. During Trump’s first term in office, Leavitt worked in the White House press office. Trump says: “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium.”… Read More

North Carolina court race is extremely close as counties complete election tallies

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 15, 2024, 9:43 pm

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An already close race for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat reached a razor-thin margin as most counties completed final tallies from the Nov. 5 election. Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin were essentially even as of Friday night. The margin is within the range for the trailing candidate to seek a recount. County election boards met to consider provisional or absentee ballots and certify local results. Several county boards likely will finish work Monday. Complete, canvassed results in areas with very close legislative races still indicate that Republicans are unlikely to maintain their veto-proof majority in the General Assembly come January.… Read More

Trump Pentagon pick had been flagged by fellow service member as possible ‘Insider Threat’

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 15, 2024, 6:04 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep that’s associated with white supremacist groups. Hegseth has said he was pulled by his National Guard unit from guarding Joe Biden’s January 2021 inauguration, saying he was unfairly identified as an extremist due to a cross tattoo on his chest. This week, however, a fellow Guard member shared with The Associated Press an email he sent to the unit’s leadership flagging a different tattoo reading “Deus Vult” that’s been used by white supremacists, concerned it was an indication of an “Insider Threat.”… Read More

Stock market today: Wall Street tumbles as the “Trump bump” fades and vaccine makers sink

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 15, 2024, 5:16 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell to their worst loss since Election Day as the boost that Wall Street got from last week’s victory for Donald Trump and a cut to interest rates by the Federal Reserve kept fading. The S&P 500 sank 1.3% Friday to close a losing week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2.2%. Moderna and other makers of vaccines helped drag the market down after President-elect Donald Trump named Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist, to be his health secretary. Treasury yields swung following stronger-than-expected reports on the economy.… Read More

Trial begins for the man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 15, 2024, 3:34 pm

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A prosecutor says the man on trial in the killing of nursing student Laken Riley “went hunting for females” on the University of Georgia campus that February day. Prosecutor Sheila Ross told the judge Tuesday at the outset of Jose Ibarra’s trial that the Venezuelan man encountered Riley while she was out for a run and killed her when “she refused to be his rape victim.” Her body was found on the campus. Ibarra’s attorney, Dustin Kirby, called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing, but he said none of it proves that Ibarra killed Riley. Ibarra entered the U.S. illegally two years ago, and the case helped fan the immigration debate during this year’s presidential race.… Read More

Whistleblower sounds alarm about destruction of tribal sites in North Carolina

Author: The Associated Press | Date: November 15, 2024, 9:54 am

A career archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service says managers have been engaging in irresponsible and illegal behavior that has resulted in damage to Native American sites across the forested slopes of North Carolina. Scott Ashcraft says his whistleblower case has brought to light the lack of guardrails more broadly to keep the agency from using outdated modeling and skirting requirements to consult with tribes ahead of prescribed fires and other work on national forest land. In a letter shared with The Associated Press, Ashcraft sent his concerns Thursday to top federal officials. The case has the attention of specialists in the field and a national group of tribal historic preservation experts.… Read More