Triangle/Local
North Carolina justices decide family can sue over unwanted COVID-19 shot
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina mother and son can sue a public school system and a doctors’ group on allegations they gave the boy a COVID-19 vaccine without consent, the state Supreme Court ruled on Friday, reversing…
North Carolina’s largest public university NC State names new chancellor
By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has chosen the next person to lead the state’s largest public university by enrollment after its longtime chancellor is set to retire soon. Kevin Howell was named the…
North Carolina GOP town hall gets rowdy as attendees hurl scathing questions on Trump
By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Before answering an attendee’s question about President Donald Trump’s “destructive and disastrous trade war,” U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards made a plea to the rowdy crowd at his Thursday town hall in Asheville, North Carolina. “Let me…
Tens of billions in Hurricane Helene aid to start by March 21
By JEFF AMY and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Tens of billions in aid for victims of Hurricane Helene should start flowing later this month, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pledged Wednesday, but delays are already making it hard this year for some…
Schools use AI to monitor kids, hoping to prevent violence. Our investigation found security risks
By CLAIRE BRYAN of The Seattle Times and SHARON LURYE of The Associated Press One student asked a search engine, “Why does my boyfriend hit me?” Another threatened suicide in an email to an unrequited love. A gay teen opened up in an online diary…
State/Regional
Wildfires in North and South Carolina fueled by drought, wind and fallen trees from Hurricane Helene
Dry conditions, wind and trees downed by Hurricane Helene fueled wildfires in North Carolina and South Carolina, where evacuation orders were in effect Tuesday. About 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte, North Carolina, officials ordered mandatory evacuations for roughly 165 properties in rural Polk County. Three…
Firefighters in the Carolinas battle multiple wildfires as New Jersey crews contain a forest blaze
Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said. Millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year combined with long stretches of dry weather this spring are making for a long and active…
Wildfires prompt evacuations and an emergency declaration in the Carolinas
Wildfires forced a mandatory evacuation in one North Carolina county as emergency crews fought separate fires in an area of the state still recovering from Hurricane Helene, while South Carolina’s governor declared an emergency in response to a growing wildfire. The North Carolina Department of…
North Carolina lawmakers approve additional $528M for Hurricane Helene recovery
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina lawmakers agreed Wednesday to spend another $528 million on still-pressing needs from Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding nearly six months ago, with an emphasis on home and private road repairs, agriculture and infrastructure to aid businesses.…
New North Carolina governor seeks to freeze tax cuts, phase out school vouchers in budget
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein on Wednesday urged Republicans in charge of the legislature to roll back upcoming income tax rate cuts and scale back private school vouchers that now can be received by families of…
World/National
Military veterans are becoming the face of Trump’s government cuts and Democrats’ resistance
By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As congressional lawmakers scramble to respond to President Donald Trump’s slashing of the federal government, one group is already taking a front and center role: military veterans. From layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs to a Pentagon purge of archives…
Trump officials texted war plans to a group chat in a secure app that included a journalist
By TARA COPP, AAMER MADHANI and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Top national security officials for President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included…
A new museum in Texas tells the life stories of Medal of Honor recipients
By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A new museum devoted to telling the stories of those who have received the nation’s highest military honor is opening this coming week in Texas. The National Medal of Honor Museum is set to open Tuesday in…
Education secretary says Columbia University’s changes put it on track to recover funding
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon says Columbia University is “on the right track” to recover federal funding frozen by the Trump administration. McMahon’s comments on CNN’s “State of the Union” follow Columbia agreeing to a host of policy changes demanded by…
Trump orders a plan to dismantle the Education Department while keeping some core functions
By COLLIN BINKLEY and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives. Trump has derided the…
Entertainment
What to know about the bird flu outbreak in wild birds and what it means for backyard bird feeders
By CHRISTINA LARSON AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Bird flu has devastated poultry and dairy farms, and sent the price of eggs soaring in the United States since it was first detected in North America in late 2021. But what has been the toll on wild birds? More than…
Why are clocks set forward in the spring? Thank wars, confusion and a hunger for sunlight
By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — Once again, most Americans will set their clocks forward by one hour this weekend, losing perhaps a bit of sleep but gaining more glorious sunlight in the evenings as the days warm into summer. Where did this all come…
Angry Birds, Frogger and others are finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — This year’s finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame include trailblazers in esports, electronic pets and portable gaming, as well as the arcade favorite brought to life in a 1998 episode of “Seinfeld.” The Hall of Fame revealed the…
The Florida attorney general’s office is investigating Andrew and Tristan Tate
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s attorney general announced Tuesday that his office has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are charged with human trafficking in Romania, days after they returned to the U.S. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on social media that he directed his…
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years who inspired ‘Jolene,’ dies at 82
By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit “Jolene,” died Monday. He was 82. According to a statement provided to The Associated Press by Parton’s publicist, Dean died in Nashville,…
Sports
Proctor, Flagg help No. 1 seed Duke roll past Baylor 89-66 to reach Sweet 16 of March Madness
By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tyrese Proctor couldn’t miss. And top-seeded Duke showed the toughness to push back when pushed. Proctor had career highs of seven 3-pointers and 25 points to continue his recent tear, helping Duke beat Baylor 89-66…
NC State officially announces hiring of McNeese’s Will Wade as new Wolfpack men’s basketball coach
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — N.C. State has made it official: McNeese’s Will Wade is the Wolfpack’s new men’s basketball coach. The school announced the hiring Sunday, coming a day after Wade’s McNeese team lost to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. An introductory…
Tobacco Road is front and center of March Madness with 3 women’s sites and men’s site in area
By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Oregon coach Kelly Graves was excited when he saw his team was headed to Duke to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Ducks had success there a few years back when they played in the…
Tar Heels and Rebels fighting for respect going into NCAA tourney matchup
By RICH ROVITO Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) — On one side of the court, it’s Seth Trimble and North Carolina. On the other, it’s Jaemyn Brakefield and Mississippi. Two motivated teams facing off in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. North Carolina was a controversial selection…
McNeese State’s Will Wade confirms he’s been in contact with NC State about its coaching job
By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — McNeese State coach Will Wade knows his name is in the mix during the college basketball coaching carousel. And unlike some coaches during this time of year, he’s not being coy talking about it. Asked…