Category Archives: WPTF News
Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle wasn't flying his plane before crash that killed him and six others, NTSB report shows
By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was not flying his own jet when it crashed last month, killing him and six others, according to a Friday report from federal saf...
Jan 30, 2026 Greg Biffle, driver of the #51 Toyota Toyota, stands on the grid during US Concrete Qualifying Day for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 07, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Catherine O'Hara, Emmy-winning comedian of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'SCTV' fame, dies at 71
By ANDREW DALTON and JOCELYN NOVECK AP Entertainment Writers LOS ANGELES (AP) - Catherine O'Hara, a gifted Canadian-born comic actor and "SCTV" alum who starred as Macaulay Culkin's harried mother in ...
Jan 30, 2026 Catherine O'Hara attends the World Premiere of Apple TV+'s Series "The Studio" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 24, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Melania Trump's documentary premieres at the Kennedy Center ahead of global release
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Melania Trump is capping her first year back as first lady with the global release of a documentary she produced about the 20 days leading up t...
Jan 29, 2026 U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a screening of the documentary film “Melania” at The Kennedy Center on January 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. “Melania” was directed by Brett Ratner, and Amazon paid $40 million to license the film, which follows the first lady in the twenty days before her return to the White House. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Trump threatens tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba, a move that puts pressure on Mexico
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell...
Jan 29, 2026
NASCAR adjusts Clash schedule at Bowman Gray Stadium due to winter storm
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - NASCAR has adjusted the schedule for this weekend's exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem in anticipation of more ice and snow blanketing the Winston-Salem...
Jan 29, 2026 A general view of racing during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Starbucks sees room to expand with hundreds of new US stores and increased seating
By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Starbucks said Thursday that it plans to open hundreds of new stores across the U.S. and add seating capacity at thousands of existing locations, d...
Jan 29, 2026 A Starbucks coffee shop stands in Manhattan on December 02, 2025 in New York City. City officials announced that Starbucks will pay New York City workers around $35 million to settle claims that the chain arbitrarily cut hours and deprived workers of stable schedules. The announcement comes a day after mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders visited striking baristas on a picket line. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Worries deepen in US South after days of grappling with snow, ice and widespread outages
By SOPHIE BATES, JEFF MARTIN and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Conditions were growing more dire in parts of the South still reeling from subfreezing temperatures and widespread po...
Jan 28, 2026 A tree blocks the road days after an ice storm in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Travis Loller)
US stocks hold near their all-time high while the dollar's value stabilizes
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Few ripples washed through Wall Street Wednesday after the Federal Reserve decided to hold its main interest rate steady, just like investors expected. ...
Jan 28, 2026 First lady Melania Trump appears at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) where she rang the opening bell on January 28, 2026 in New York City. Mrs. Trump made the appearance as part of her publicity tour for the film, "Melania," which documents her life in the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Federal Reserve keeps interest rates unchanged even as Trump continues to insist they be lowered
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its interest rate cuts Wednesday, leaving its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% after lowerin...
Jan 28, 2026 Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference following the Federal Open Markets Committee meeting at the Federal Reserve on January 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Bill Belichick's snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame is criticized by voters and NFL fans
By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer Bill Belichick won six Lombardi Trophies as a head coach with the Patriots, two as an assistant with the Giants and has more Super Bowl rings than anyone in NFL hi...
Jan 28, 2026 RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels responds to questions during his press conference following their loss to the NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)