Triangle/Local
Flu season in the US is the most intense it’s been in at least 15 years
By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like…
Friends say Army captain killed in midair collision was a ‘brilliant and fearless’ patriot
By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Army captain who died in Wednesday’s midair collision of a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet was “brilliant and fearless” and “meticulous in everything she did,” friends and fellow soldiers…
Democrats and voting groups say a bid to toss out North Carolina ballots is an attack on democracy
BY GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Copland Rudolph cast a ballot in the November election, just as she has for years, with her vote counting on a long list of North Carolina contests that were settled soon after. Nearly three months…
State/Regional
New North Carolina governor sues over more laws meant to weaken him
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein says more recent laws enacted by state Republicans that erode some gubernatorial appointment powers are “partisan power grabs that thwart North Carolina voters’ decisions at the ballot box.” The Democratic governor…
Some Fort Liberty soldiers will head to US-Mexico border, bringing the total to 3,600
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown on immigration. That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border. A U.S. official said…
NC-based Honeywell, one of the few remaining US industrial conglomerates, will split into three companies
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Honeywell, one of the last remaining U.S. industrial conglomerates, will split into three independent companies, following in the footsteps of manufacturing giants like General Electric and Alcoa. The company said Thursday that it will separate from its automation and aerospace technologies…
How key Republican senators are responding to Trump allies’ primary threats
By THOMAS BEAUMONT and MEG KINNARD Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — From activists on the far right to Elon Musk, allies of President Donald Trump have been quick to threaten primary challengers for Republican senators who don’t back his Cabinet picks and legislative priorities. In the case of…
National/World
Judge finds Trump administration hasn’t fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge found Monday that the Trump administration hasn’t fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending and told the White House to release all the money. U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell ruled that continued struggles to…
Trump says he has directed US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing rising cost
By JILL COLVIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has directed the Treasury Department to stop minting new pennies, citing the rising cost of producing the one-cent coin. “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more…
Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming 51st state in Super Bowl interview
By JILL COLVIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state in an interview that aired Sunday during the Super Bowl preshow. “Yeah it is,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier when asked whether his talk…
Salvage crews remove large portion of commercial jet from river after deadly air collision near DC
By DAVID R. MARTIN, MICHAEL R. SISAK and CLAUDIA LAUER Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Salvage crews have removed a large portion of a commercial jet from the Potomac River near Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Monday, five days after a midair collision last…
Google to change map names for Gulf of Mexico and Denali when US updates them based on Trump order
Google says it will take its cue from the U.S. government if it has to change the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali on its maps. The company said Monday that it will only make changes when the government updates its official listings for the…
Entertainment
Irv Gotti, music executive who created Murder Inc. Records, dies at 54
NEW YORK (AP) — Irv Gotti, a music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists such as Ashanti and Ja Rule, has died. He was 54. Def Jam Recordings, which was the parent company of Murder Inc., announced…
Beyoncé wins album of the year at the 2025 Grammys for ‘Cowboy Carter’
By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé won album of the year for “Cowboy Carter” at Sunday’s Grammys, delivering her — at last — the show’s elusive top award. The superstar, who is both the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, has been…
Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, handlers say, predicting 6 more weeks of wintry weather
By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Sunday and predicted six more weeks of wintry weather, his top-hatted handlers announced to a raucus, record-sized crowd at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania. Phil was welcomed with chants…
Sports
Lakhin leads No. 23 Clemson to 85-65 win over North Carolina
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Viktor Lakhin scored 22 points, including a season-best four 3-pointers, and No. 23 Clemson rolled past North Carolina 85-65 on Monday night. Chase Hunter added 19 points with four 3s for the Tigers (20-5, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who followed up…
Eagles deny the Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat with dominant defense in 40-22 rout
By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cooper DeJean, Josh Sweat and the Philadelphia Eagles’ ferocious defense denied Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat. It wasn’t even close. DeJean got a pick-6 on his 22nd birthday,…
He’s back, baby! ESPN’s Dick Vitale makes return to commentating following 4th bout with cancer
By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CLEMSON. S.C. (AP) — He’s back, baby! ESPN’s Dick Vitale received a standing ovation Saturday night at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum in his first game back as a commentator since recovering from his fourth bout with cancer. About 30 minutes…
No. 2 Duke jumps all over rival North Carolina, rolls to 87-70 win to stay unbeaten in ACC
By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Cooper Flagg had 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in his Duke-North Carolina rivalry debut, helping the second-ranked Blue Devils roll past the Tar Heels 87-70 on Saturday night. Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel scored…
NASCAR champion Joey Logano tunes out critics and insists playoff format is ‘very entertaining’
By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer Joey Logano has found a way to tune out months of negativity. Critics? Naysayers? Anyone who thinks his third Cup Series championship was a fluke? “I can’t hear it because my trophies, they kind of, like, echo around me,”…