WPTF News Archives - Page 2 of 63

Trump offers prayers for people in hurricane’s path after lashing out at Harris and other women

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 9, 2024, 8:06 pm

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump offered his prayers to those in the path of Hurricane Milton as it lashed Florida while continuing to insult his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other women. “I don’t want to be nice,” Trump said at a Pennsylvania rally. “You know, somebody said, ‘You should be nicer. Women won’t like it.’ I said, ‘I don’t care.’” Trump was holding a pair of rallies as another hurricane threatened to overshadow the presidential campaign with fears that it would cause catastrophic damage in Tampa and other parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Harris was to fly to Nevada later Wednesday for a western campaign swing, but first attended a federal storm briefing.… Read More

North Carolina lawmakers pass $273M Helene relief bill with voting changes to more counties

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 9, 2024, 6:38 pm

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina legislators have approved an initial $273 million relief package to help address Hurricane Helene’s devastation and recovery in the mountains. The unanimous House and Senate passage on Wednesday came less than two weeks after Helene’s historical rainfall caused catastrophic damage and loss of life. Repubilcan legislative leaders who helped craft the measure described it as a down payment on aid. The bill also mostly follows rule alterations for conducting elections and turning in ballots that were approved unanimously Monday by the State Board of Elections for 13 western counties. But it would now cover 25 counties. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and the board offered input for the bill.… Read More

Officials work to protect IV supplies in Florida after disruptions at North Carolina plant

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 9, 2024, 5:08 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are working to move IV bags out of the path of Hurricane Milton, which is threatening another manufacturer of IV fluids even as hospitals nationwide are still reeling from disruptions caused by flooding at a large factory in North Carolina. Medical manufacturer B. Braun Medical closed its facility in Daytona Beach, Florida, ahead of the storm. The company says it expects to resume manufacturing and shipping Friday morning. Braun is one of several IV producers that have been tapped to boost supplies after Baxter International’s North Carolina plant was damaged in Hurricane Helene.… Read More

Stock market today: Wall Street sets more records after Shanghai’s worst drop since early COVID

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 9, 2024, 4:18 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after the latest wild swerves for Chinese stocks left few ripples in markets worldwide. The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% Wednesday to top the all-time high it set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 431 points to hit its own record, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%. The relatively calm movements on Wall Street followed another manic day in China. Stocks in Shanghai tumbled to their worst loss since February 2020 amid disappointment that the government is not offering more stimulus for the world’s second-largest economy. Oil prices eased, and Treasury yields rose.… Read More

Military board substantiates misconduct but declines to fire Marine who adopted Afghan orphan

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 9, 2024, 10:16 am

By JULIET LINDERMAN, CLAIRE GALOFARO and MARTHA MENDOZA Associated Press CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — A U.S. Marine whose adoption of an Afghan war orphan has spurred a yearslong legal battle and raised alarms at the highest levels of government will remain on active duty. A three-member panel of Marines said Tuesday that while Maj.…… Read More

Las Vegas says goodbye to the Tropicana with a flashy casino implosion

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 9, 2024, 10:04 am

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sin City blew a kiss goodbye to the Tropicana in an elaborate implosion that leveled two hotel towers. The celebration in Las Vegas early Wednesday included a fireworks display. It was the first casino implosion in nearly a decade for a city that loves fresh starts. The Tropicana closed in April after 67 years to make room for a new baseball stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics. Once known as the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its opulence, the Tropicana was a frequent haunt of the legendary Rat Pack. Its past under the mob has long cemented its place in Las Vegas lore.… Read More

How Waffle House helps Southerners — and FEMA — judge a storm’s severity

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 9, 2024, 9:43 am

For some residents of storm-prone Southeastern states, the best indicator of a hurricane’s severity can be found at the local Waffle House. If the Georgia-based restaurant chain stays open in town, neighbors are reassured that the coming storm is unlikely to cause devastation. A closed location of the dependable diner chain has come to indicate impending disaster. What might sound like silly logic has become one of the most reliable ways for Southerners and even federal officials to gauge a storm’s severity and identify communities most in need of immediate aid. The Waffle House Index was created by a federal emergency management official and is still used today.… Read More

Man arrested in Michigan and charged with slaying of former Clemson receiver in North Carolina

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 8, 2024, 8:57 pm

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Michigan and charged with first-degree murder in last month’s fatal shooting of former Clemson receiver Diondre Overton. Jeremiah Diago Blanks is believed to have slain Overton at a gathering in the former player’s hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina, last month. That’s according to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Danny H. Rogers said in a statement Tuesday that detectives traveled to Michigan and got help from the U.S. Marshals Service in arresting Blanks. Police did not disclose further information about Blanks or a potential motive for the slaying.… Read More

Tampa Bay hasn’t been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921. Milton may be the one

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 8, 2024, 8:41 pm

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Fearful Florida residents are streaming out of the Tampa Bay region ahead of what could be a once-in-a-century direct hit from Hurricane Milton. Crews are working furiously to prevent furniture, appliances and other waterlogged wreckage from Florida’s last big storm from becoming deadly projectiles in this one. The preparations marked the last chance for millions of people in the Tampa metro area to prepare for lethal storm surges, ferocious winds and possible tornadoes in a place that has narrowly avoided a head-on blow from a major storm for generations.… Read More

This camp provides a safe space for kids to learn and play after Hurricane Helene

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 8, 2024, 8:28 pm

BREVARD, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Helene flooded the Weissmans’ home last month. They need to chase down private insurance claims and fill out federal aid applications. But their priority is their children. Schools have been closed since the storm and on Monday morning, Max Weissman took his son Avi and his daughter Reyna to a free, pop-up day camp where dozens of kids were making bracelets, drawing, and playing oversized games of Jenga and Connect Four in a large playroom. The camp is hosted by the L.A.-based nonprofit Project:Camp. As storms become more frequent and severe, the organization is increasingly traveling to disaster-affected communities to set up spaces where kids can process the disruption and devastation of a disaster while their parents start the long recovery process.… Read More

As FEMA prepares for Hurricane Milton, it battles rumors surrounding Helene recovery

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 8, 2024, 8:12 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been fighting misinformation since Helene slammed into Florida nearly two weeks ago. The false claims are being fueled by former President Donald Trump and others just ahead of the presidential election, and are coming as the agency is gearing up to respond to a second major disaster. Hurricane Milton is set to strike Florida on Wednesday. The FEMA administrator told reporters Tuesday that she’s never seen the disinformation problem as bad as it’s been with Helene. A county official in North Carolina says part of the problem is that affected regions have been largely without phone lines and internet, so outside voices have an easier time setting the narrative.… Read More

NC joins a dozen states suing TikTok, claiming its platform is addictive and harms the mental health of children

Author: The Associated Press | Date: October 8, 2024, 6:52 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging the popular short-form video app is harming youth mental health by designing its platform to be addictive to kids. At the heart of each lawsuit is the TikTok algorithm, which powers what users see on the platform by populating the app’s main “For You” feed with content tailored to people’s interests. The lawsuits also emphasize design features that they say make children addicted to the platform.… Read More