Triangle/Local
Johnston County sheriff says a North Carolina suspect may have killed 4 of his children over several months
SMITHFIELD, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina man accused of killing four of his children after human remains were found inside the trunk of a vehicle at their home appears to have spread the slayings over several months, a sheriff said Wednesday. Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38,…
Duke University study finds EVs quickly overcome their energy-intensive build to be cleaner than gas cars
By ALEXA ST. JOHN Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Making electric vehicles and their batteries is a dirty process that uses a lot of energy. But a new study says that EVs quickly make up for that with less overall emissions through two years of use than…
A North Carolina man is charged with 4 murder counts after telling authorities he killed his kids
By ALLEN G. BREED, GARY D. ROBERTSON and JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press ZEBULON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man was charged Tuesday with four counts of murder after telling authorities that he had killed his children and after sheriff’s deputies found human remains in…
Composting Made Easy: Tips from the WPTF Weekend Gardener
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener One of the most economical and practical things you can do for the plants in your landscape and vegetable garden is to start a compost pile. We’ve discussed it fairly often on the “WPTF Weekend Gardener” over the last…
Black enrollment is waning at many elite colleges after affirmative action ban, AP analysis finds
By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — After decades of gradual growth, the number of Black students enrolling at many elite colleges has dropped in the two years since the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in admissions, leaving some campuses with Black populations as small…
State/Regional
Flight disruptions continue as air traffic controllers brace for their first full missing paychecks
By RIO YAMAT AP Airlines and Travel Writer A shortage of air traffic controllers caused more flight disruptions Monday around the country as controllers braced for their first full missing paycheck during the federal government shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing-related delays on Monday afternoon averaging about 20…
Virginia gubernatorial candidates debate trans youth rights as LGBTQ+ voters weigh a fraught moment
By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press/Report for America SALEM, Va. (AP) — René Harvey and her wife arrived at a Roanoke Valley pride celebration in October carrying deep-seated worries about all that could go wrong. The couple had been to the region’s annual pride festival before,…
Democrats look to long term as North Carolina GOP redistricting plan seeks another seat for Trump
By MAKIYA SEMINERA and GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democrats rallying Tuesday against a new U.S. House map proposed by North Carolina Republicans seeking another GOP seat at President Donald Trump’s behest acknowledged they’ll likely be unable to halt the redraw for now.…
North Carolina GOP advances congressional map to secure another House seat for Trump
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s legislature formally began redrawing the state’s congressional district map Monday, plainly stating their intent to help Republicans gain another U.S. House seat under President Donald Trump’s push to retain his party’s grip on…
‘No Kings’ protests against Trump bring a street party vibe to cities nationwide
By MIKE PESOLI, MATT BROWN and GARY FIELDS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Large crowds of protesters marched and rallied in cities across the U.S. Saturday for “ No Kings ” demonstrations decrying what participants see as the government’s swift drift into authoritarianism under President Donald Trump. People…
World/National
Birders going ‘cuckoo’ after unexpected sighting in New York City area
By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI Associated Press A bird sighting on New York’s Long Island has avian enthusiasts flocking to the region in hopes of spotting a feathered friend that has never been seen before in the state. The common cuckoo is typically found from Europe to…
Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba pick up the pieces after Melissa’s destruction
By ARIEL FERNÁNDEZ, ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ and JOHN MYERS JR. Associated Press SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (AP) — The rumble of large machinery, whine of chain saws and chopping of machetes echoed through communities across the northern Caribbean on Thursday as they dug out from the destruction…
Trump cuts tariffs on China after meeting Xi in South Korea
By JOSH BOAK, CHRIS MEGERIAN and MARK SCHIEFELBEIN Associated Press ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump described his face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China, while Beijing had agreed to…
Federal Reserve cuts key rate as government shutdown clouds economic outlook
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. “Job gains have slowed this year,…
Category 5 Hurricane Melissa brings flooding and catastrophic winds to Jamaica
By JOHN MYERS JR. and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Heavy floodwaters swept across southwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofs off buildings and boulders tumbled into roads Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa came ashore as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes…
Entertainment
The Louvre reopens 3 days after one of the biggest museum heists of the century
By THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press PARIS (AP) — The Louvre reopened on Wednesday to long lines beneath its landmark Paris glass pyramid, just three days after one of the highest-profile museum thefts of the century stunned the world with its audacity and scale. The thieves slipped in…
Amazon cloud computing outage disrupts Snapchat, Ring and many other online services
By KELVIN CHAN LONDON (AP) — Internet users around the world faced widespread disruption early on Monday because of a problem at Amazon’s cloud computing service that took down dozens of major online services, including social media site Snapchat, the Roblox and Fortnite video games…
Limp Bizkit band members say bass player Sam Rivers has died
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press Sam Rivers, the bass player in the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, died on Saturday, according to social media posts by his band mates. The band did not disclose where Rivers died or the circumstances, but praised him as “pure…
Thieves strike Louvre in brazen jewel heist as the world’s most visited museum shuts
By THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press PARIS (AP) — In a brazen, seven-minute strike, thieves used a basket lift to reach the Louvre on Sunday morning and, as tourists were already inside, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with jewels of “inestimable value,” France’s…
Meta adds parental controls for AI-teen interactions
By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer Meta is adding parental controls for kids’ interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots — including the ability to turn off one-on-one chats with AI characters altogether — beginning early next year. But parents won’t be able to turn off Meta’s…
Sports
Unbeaten and 8th-ranked Georgia Tech looks to dodge upset at NC State
By BOB SUTTON Associated Press No. 8 Georgia Tech is a front-runner to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. Staying on course will require the Yellow Jackets (8-0, 5-0) to avoid a misstep at N.C. State on Saturday night. “We’re going into an environment up…
No. 6 Duke keeps its frequent perch as favorite in ACC race featuring No. 11 Louisville, No. 25 UNC
By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer Jon Scheyer inherited a seemingly impossible task at Duke in following retired Hall of Fame coaching great Mike Krzyzewski. Yet the sixth-ranked Blue Devils have kept on winning. They’re starting this year as Atlantic Coast Conference favorite again. The Blue Devils…
Former Duke player Kyle Singler charged with assaulting girlfriend in Oklahoma
By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Former Duke and Oklahoma City Thunder player Kyle Singler was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor assault in Oklahoma after his girlfriend told authorities he grabbed her head and shoved her to the ground. Singler, 37, was arrested…
Michael Brennan wins Utah Championship on an invitation and gets 2-year PGA Tour exemption
IVINS, Utah (AP) — Michael Brennan was just as dominant at Black Desert as he was on the PGA Tour Americas. He closed with a 5-under 66 to go from a sponsor exemption to a PGA Tour winner Sunday with his four-shot victory in the…
James Cook runs for 216 yards and 2 TDs, Allen accounts for 3 TDs as Bills rout Panthers 40-9
By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — James Cook ran for a career-high 216 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Allen accounted for three scores and the Buffalo Bills returned from their bye with a resounding 40-9 win over the Carolina Panthers on…