Associated Press Archives

Unsettled North Carolina election could be determined by which ballots are subject to court orders

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Supreme Court decided recently that ballots from two categories should have been left out of the tally of an unresolved November election for a seat on the court. But there’s still legal friction about the number of ballots that must be scrutinized by election officials tasked with removing them from the count and giving voters the chance to provide information so their race choices can remain. The number is critical since Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin by just 734 votes. Griffin hopes enough ballots are removed to flip the result. Riggs says federal law prevents these ballots from being removed.… Continue Reading

Tatooine-like planet outside the solar system may orbit two failed stars, scientists say

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists may have found a new Tatooine-like planet outside the solar system that orbits two failed stars. Located 120 light years away, the planet appears to take an unusual path around two brown dwarfs, whipping around at a right angle. Scientists know of over a dozen planets that orbit twin stars like the fictional “Star Wars” desert planet Tatooine. More observations are needed to confirm this latest planet exists. The research was published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.… Continue Reading

Judge rejects immediately restoring AP’s access to White House but urges government to reconsider

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has refused to immediately order the White House to restore The Associated Press’ access to presidential events, saying the news organization had not shown it had suffered irreparable harm in the matter. But he urged the government to reconsider its two-week-old ban. He said that case law “is uniformly unhelpful to the White House.” U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden told attorneys for the Trump administration and the AP that the issue required more exploration before ruling. The AP filed a lawsuit Friday saying that its First Amendment rights were being violated. President Donald Trump said it was punishment for the agency’s decision not to entirely follow his executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”… Continue Reading

NASCAR honors longtime AP auto racing writer Mike Harris as 2025 Squier-Hall award recipient

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Retired motorsports writer Mike Harris of The Associated Press on Sunday was named recipient of the 2025 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. Harris became the 13th winner of the award, which is displayed in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte. Harris joined the AP in 1969 and became lead motorsports reporter in 1980 — a role he held until retirement in July 2009. The Squier-Hall Award is voted upon by a panel of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, active and retired media members, and former NASCAR competitors and industry leaders. It is named after NASCAR media figures Ken Squier and Barney Hall, the first two recipients of the award.… Continue Reading