WPTF News Archives - Page 30 of 213

Kennedy tries to defend COVID-19 vaccine stance in raucous Senate hearing

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 4, 2025, 6:44 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced tough bipartisan questioning about his COVID-19 policies in a Senate committee hearing. On Thursday, Democratic senators clashed with Kennedy over his changes to vaccine recommendations, while some Republican senators also expressed concerns. Kennedy praised President Donald Trump for the Operation Warp Speed initiative but criticized the safety of mRNA vaccines. He defended the firing of the CDC director, claiming she was dishonest. Kennedy’s actions, including replacing a vaccine advisory panel with skeptics, have drawn criticism from medical groups. They warn his policies could increase vaccine-preventable diseases and have called for his resignation.… Read More

Panthers and Jaguars expect improvements from revamped defenses in season opener

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 4, 2025, 4:30 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars expect to see defensive improvements in their season opener. The Panthers and Jaguars ranked 32nd and 31st, respectively, in total defense in 2024. Both teams responded by overhauling that side of the ball. Carolina added defensive end Tershawn Wharton, safety Tre’von Moehrig and linebacker Patrick Jones. Jacksonville, under first-time head coach Liam Coen, brought in cornerback Jourdan Lewis and safety Eric Murray. Both teams expect the changes to lead to better results. The game also will feature quarterbacks Bryce Young and Trevor Lawrence trying to show more consistency as well as the debut of two-way Jaguars player Travis Hunter.… Read More

Judge reverses Trump administration’s cuts of billions of dollars to Harvard University

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 9:58 pm

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge in Boston has ordered the reversal of over $2.6 billion in federal funding cuts to Harvard University. The ruling, issued Wednesday, marks a significant victory for Harvard in its legal battle with the Trump administration. Judge Allison Burroughs found the cuts were illegal retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to comply with White House demands on governance and policies. The administration had linked the funding freezes to antisemitism issues on campus, but the judge called this a smokescreen. The White House said the administration would appeal the decision, making it unlikely that researchers receive funding any time soon.… Read More

Fayetteville State University sets record enrollment, retention gains

Author: WPTF Staff | Date: September 3, 2025, 8:04 pm

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WPTF) – Fayetteville State University is experiencing another year of record enrollment while also posting some of the strongest academic gains in its history, school leaders announced Tuesday. For the fourth straight year, FSU reached an all-time high enrollment with 7,628 students, surpassing last year’s record of 7,100 by more than 500. The freshman class is the largest since 2007 with 820 students, who arrived with an average GPA of 3.32. The university also reported a 78% student retention rate, a 15-point increase since 2021.… Read More

Republican North Carolina state Sen. Bobby Hanig announces bid to unseat Democrat Don Davis in 2026

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 7:46 pm

POWELLS POINT, N.C. (AP) — Republican state Sen. Bobby Hanig has announced his bid for a U.S. House seat in North Carolina. The coastal legislator aims to unseat two-term Democratic Rep. Don Davis. Hanig plans to run for the 1st Congressional District, which is the state’s only swing district and spans 22 counties. Davis has already filed federal candidate paperwork for the 2026 race. Another Republican, Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, has filed as well. The official election filing period is in December, with primaries in early March. Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats.… Read More

Belichick’s Tar Heels get short turnaround for Charlotte after opening-night flop against TCU

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 7:41 pm

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina coach Bill Belichick says his Tar Heels need to move past the TCU blowout loss “as fast as we can” entering a short turnaround before playing at Charlotte. The Horned Frogs beat the Tar Heels 48-14 on Labor Day in Belichick’s college debut. It marked the most points ever given up in an opener for UNC and more than any Belichick-coached team in the NFL ever allowed. The six-time Super Bowl winner as an NFL head coach says the Tar Heels “need to learn some lessons” from the loss but move on to Saturday’s game.… Read More

Test Scores and Graduation Rates Improve in North Carolina

Author: WPTF Staff | Date: September 3, 2025, 3:27 pm

According to annually released data that was presented to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, North Carolina students achieved a three-year high in most standardized tests at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. … Read More

Podcasters and influencers: The unexpected jobs covered under Trump’s ‘no tax on tips’ plan

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 2:31 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department has released a preliminary list of jobs exempt from income tax on tips, including food service, concierge, and salon workers. Surprisingly, podcasters and digital content creators are also included. This move fulfills a campaign promise by President Donald Trump, part of a tax and spending law signed in July. The provision is temporary, expiring in 2028, and applies to those earning less than $160,000 in 2025. Only tips reported on a worker’s W-2 qualify. Analysts project the provision could increase the deficit by $40 billion through 2028. Public opinion on the law is mixed.… Read More

OpenAI and Meta say they’re fixing AI chatbots to better respond to teens in distress

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 1:53 pm

OpenAI and Meta are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers showing signs of distress. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, plans to introduce new controls for parents to link their accounts to their teen’s account. Parents can choose which features to disable and receive notifications if their teen is in distress. The company says ChatGPT will redirect distressing conversations to more capable AI models. An attorney for parents who sued OpenAI for the wrongful death of their teenager criticized the changes as insufficient. Meta also says it is blocking its chatbots from discussing self-harm and suicide with teens, directing them to expert resources.… Read More

Graham Greene, a trailblazing Indigenous actor best known for ‘Dances with Wolves’, dies at 73

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 12:38 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — Graham Greene, a trailblazing Indigenous actor whose long and successful career on the big and small screen included an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Kicking Bird in “Dances with Wolves,” has died. He was 73. Greene died Monday in Stratford, Ontario, after a long battle with an unspecified illness. Greene was born in June 1952 in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. He became an actor in the 1970s, beginning with the 1979 Canadian drama series “The Great Detective” and the 1983 film “Running Brave.” He is best known for his role as Kicking Bird in the 1990 film “Dances with Wolves.” The performance earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 1991.… Read More

Rory McIlroy plans to follow Novak Djokovic’s lead in dealing with Ryder Cup hostility

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 12:29 pm

STRAFFAN, Ireland (AP) — Rory McIlroy watched Novak Djokovic handle boisterous spectators during a win at the U.S. Open and is ready to follow the tennis star’s lead at the Ryder Cup held in the United States this month. A hostile and partisan crowd is set to greet McIlroy and the European team at Bethpage Black for the Sept. 26-28 matches as the Americans look to regain the cup two years after losing in Rome. Djokovic had to deal with a similar environment during his U.S. Open quarterfinal match against home favorite Taylor Fritz, even blowing kisses at one points to the fans rooting against him. McIlroy liked what he saw from Djokovic.… Read More

A $1.4B Powerball jackpot is up for grabs after 40 drawings without a winner

Author: The Associated Press | Date: September 3, 2025, 12:14 pm

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An estimated $1.4 billion lottery jackpot will be up for grabs after dozens of drawings without a big winner. The massive Powerball prize is the sixth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot. It’s the result of 40 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all of the game’s six numbers. The 41st drawing on Wednesday night will be just one fewer than the record set last year. All of that losing stems from Powerball’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million. The $1.4 billion jackpot is for a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. The game’s cash option would pay out an estimated $634.3 million.… Read More