Triangle/Local
Trump administration freezes $108M at Duke amid inquiry into alleged racial preferences
By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is freezing $108 million in research funding to Duke University as the federal government accuses the school of racial discrimination in the form of affirmative action, according to a person familiar with the matter. The…
Lantana: The sun-loving, pollinator-friendly powerhouse
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener I have grown to love lantana. I never really had anything against it. It’s just the fact I haven’t had a lot of sun areas in my landscape and lantana can take up a fair amount of room if…
Record-breaking heat wave scorches Southeast US
By RUSS BYNUM and MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Residents in the Southeast U.S. are no strangers to heat in the summertime, but this week’s sweltering hot weather set at least one record and has forecasters urging residents to limit time outside…
Wiley Nickel exits North Carolina Senate race the day after Roy Cooper announces candidacy
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press CARY, N.C. (AP) — A former congressman will no longer seek an open U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina next year now that fellow Democrat Roy Cooper is running for the post. Tuesday’s announcement by ex-U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel came…
Heat advisories and warnings issued for Southeast and Midwest as temperatures and humidity soars
By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press It’s always hot in the summer in the U.S. Southeast, but even by the standards of Florida and the Carolinas, the steamy heat wave on tap for the region Saturday into the coming week is a little extreme. The National…
State/Regional
NTSB finds Army chopper in fatal midair crash with plane was above altitude limit
By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer Investigators probing the January midair collision of a passenger plane and an Army helicopter over Washington that killed 67 people found the chopper was flying higher than the it should have been and the altitude readings were inaccurate. The details came…
Some North Carolina Democratic lawmakers break from party to pass Republican priorities
By MAKIYA SEMINERA and GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican lawmakers on Tuesday overrode several vetoes by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, getting just enough votes from Stein’s own party to enact some laws while falling short on others. The…
Union Pacific and Norfolk seek 1st transcontinental railroad through a massive merger
By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific wants to buy Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S, and potentially trigger a final wave of rail mergers across the country. The proposed merger, announced Tuesday,…
Former Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will run for Senate in 2026
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, giving Democrats a proven statewide winner in an open-seat race that is expected to be one of the most competitive 2026 contests. Cooper…
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
By FERNANDA FIGUEROA Associated Press In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases’ names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names, this time with different namesakes who share…
World/National
Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor in 2026
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP Political Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for California governor next year, leaving open the possibility that she could mount a third run for the White House in 2028. “Over the past six months, I…
Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help
By AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records…
8.8-magnitude earthquake sends small tsunami into coasts of Russia, Japan and Alaska
By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — One of the world’s strongest earthquakes struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that caused small tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south…
Wall Street coasts for now ahead of a week packed with potential flashpoints
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted through a quiet Monday after the United States agreed to tax cars and other products coming from the European Union at a 15% rate, lower than President Donald Trump had earlier threatened.…
US-EU deal sets a 15% tariff on most goods and averts the threat of a trade war with a global shock
By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — The United States and the European Union agreed on Sunday to a trade framework setting a 15% tariff on most goods, staving off — at least for now — far higher imports on both sides that might have sent shock…
Entertainment
Birmingham gives an emotional farewell to Ozzy Osbourne as tearful family lead tributes
By HILARY FOX and PAN PYLAS Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Ozzy Osbourne returned to the “home of metal” for the last time on Wednesday as an emotional Birmingham honored one of its most cherished sons. Thousands of Black Sabbath fans paid their respects to the…
Company involved in Coldplay KissCam drama hires Gwyneth Paltrow as spokesperson
BOSTON (AP) — Astronomer — the company whose CEO resigned after being caught on a KissCam at a Coldplay rock concert embracing a woman who was not his wife — is trying to move on from the drama with someone who knows the band pretty well. Actress…
Comic-Con salutes James Gunn and gets first looks at ‘Coyote vs. Acme,’ and new ‘Star Trek’ forays
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Director James Gunn got an ovation from thousands for “Superman” in the most fitting place of all — Comic-Con. Among the highlights of day three of the San Diego pop culture spectacular was a sincere tribute to the director who’s now helming Warner Bros.’…
Teens say they are turning to AI for friendship
By JOCELYN GECKER AP Education Writer No question is too small when Kayla Chege, a high school student in Kansas, is using artificial intelligence. The 15-year-old asks ChatGPT for guidance on back-to-school shopping, makeup colors, low-calorie choices at Smoothie King, plus ideas for her Sweet 16 and…
Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath and became the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76
By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice — and drug-and-alcohol ravaged id — of heavy metal, died Tuesday, just weeks after his farewell show. He was 76. “It is with…
Sports
Coaches race to master art of retention amid NIL, revenue sharing and transfer portal challenges
By MAURA CAREY AP Sports Writer Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal,…
PGA Tour ends regular season in Carolina. LPGA wraps up major season with Women’s British Open
The PGA Tour wraps up its regular season at the Wyndham Championship. At stake is the top 70 advancing to the FedEx Cup playoffs. Jordan Spieth is back in the field trying to fortify his position in the FedEx Cup. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley…
Max Homa and Sahith Theegala played in the Presidents Cup. Now both might miss PGA Tour postseason
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer The Wyndham Championship is the last chance for players to qualify for the PGA Tour’s postseason. It’s also a reminder that so much in golf still must be earned. Sahith Theegala and Max Homa are two examples, both of…
Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase placed on paid leave as part of MLB sports betting investigation
By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting. Clase, a three-time All-Star, becomes the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on leave in connection…
Football season looms with no clear guidance in athlete battles to win more eligibility from NCAA
By TERESA M. WALKER AP Sports Writer The stream of lawsuits across the country from college athletes trying to grab another season of eligibility appears ready to fizzle out for a bit. With fall football practice cranking up this week, players still hoping for a…