News Archives - Page 2 of 42

Having a family is expensive. Here’s what Harris and Trump have said about easing costs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Families are looking for relief from the high cost of caring for children. On this topic, the Democratic and Republican tickets for president have one main commonality: Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have supported a higher child tax credit. As one of her first campaign policy announcements, Harris said she would work to expand that tax credit to as much as $3,600 per child, and $6,000 in a baby’s first year. Trump has declined to say how he would make caregiving more affordable this time around. But Congress expanded the child tax credit when he was president, and his running mate supports doing it again.… Continue Reading

Supreme Court rebuffs Biden administration plea to restore multibillion-dollar student debt plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is keeping on hold the latest multibillion-dollar student debt relief plan from the Biden administration, while multiple lawsuits make their way through lower courts. The justices on Wednesday rejected an administration request to put most of it back into effect. It was blocked by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In an unsigned order, the court said it expects the appeals court to issue a fuller decision on the plan “with appropriate dispatch.” … Continue Reading

Dix Park launches statewide call for new artist residency

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — The Dix Park Conservancy, in collaboration with Raleigh Arts and supported by the Carlyle Adams Foundation, has launched an open call for its inaugural Artist in Residence program. This new initiative aims to attract artists or artist teams from across North Carolina, particularly those with an interest in environmental art, land art, and sustainable practices. The year-long Artist in Residence program will provide selected artists with a budget of $80,000, which includes a $2,000 monthly stipend, as well as funds for artwork fabrication and community event supplies.… Continue Reading

Questions about the safety of Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ system are growing

ETROIT (AP) — Tesla says its vehicles that are equipped with the latest versions of its vaunted “Full Self-Driving” system can travel from point to point with little human intervention. Yet a series of alarming recent incidents have drawn the attention of federal regulators, who were already investigating Tesla’s automated driving systems because of dozens of crashes that raised safety concerns. The problems have led people who monitor autonomous vehicles to become more skeptical that Tesla’s system will ever be able to operate safely on a widespread scale. … Continue Reading

Israeli forces launch a big operation in the West Bank and kill at least 10 militants

AL-FARAA REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank that has killed at least 10 Hamas militants. Israel said on Wednesday the operation is aimed at preventing attacks on Israeli civilians. Palestinian health officials say the operations into Jenin and Tulkarem have blocked access to hospitals and ripped up roads and infrastructure. Israel has carried out near-daily raids across the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza triggered the ongoing war there.… Continue Reading

Feds file new indictment in Trump Jan. 6 case, keeping charges intact but narrowing allegations

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith has filed a new indictment against Donald Trump over his efforts to undo the 2020 presidential election. It keeps the same criminal charges but narrows the allegations against him following a Supreme Court opinion conferring broad immunity on former presidents. The new indictment removes a section of the indictment that dealt with Trump’s interactions with the Justice Department, an area for which the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 opinion, said Trump was entitled to immunity from prosecution. … Continue Reading

2 workers killed and 1 injured in an explosion at a Delta Air Lines facility in Atlanta

ATLANTA (AP) — Two workers are dead and a third is seriously injured after an explosion at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility near the Atlanta airport. The airline says it’s working with authorities to investigate what happened. WSB-TV reported that a tire on a plane exploded early Tuesday morning. The television station is citing unnamed sources. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that several Atlanta fire units and police went to the scene at the maintenance hangar near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after 5 a.m. … Continue Reading

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., West approved for ballot in Wisconsin after attempts to oust them fail

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Elections Commission has voted to keep independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the ballot, rejecting a challenge filed by an employee of the Democratic National Committee. The commission on Tuesday ousted one presidential candidate — independent Shiva Ayyadurai — an anti-vaccine activist who was born in India to parents who weren’t United States citizens. The U.S. Constitution requires presidential candidates to be natural born U.S. citizens. There will be eight presidential candidates on the ballot in Wisconsin, including Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.… Continue Reading

New Wake County Superintendent discusses return to school for traditional calendar students

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Wake County Schools, North Carolina’s largest public school system, welcomed back traditional calendar students Tuesday, officially kicking off the 2024-25 school year. Wake County Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor shared that while the start of his first year brings excitement, it also comes with a few first-day jitters. Taylor reflected on his own school days and emphasized the importance of building strong connections between students and teachers—something he sees as the foundation of education.… Continue Reading

Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to “censor” some COVID-19 content during the pandemic. He vowed that the social media giant would push back if it faced such demands again. Zuckerberg sent a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Zuckerberg alleges that the officials, including those from the White House, “repeatedly pressured” Facebook for months to take down “certain COVID-19 content including humor and satire.”… Continue Reading