Triangle/Local
Family of man found dead with a rope around neck demands answers; sheriff says no foul play detected
HENDERSON, N.C. (AP) — The family of a Black man found dead in North Carolina with a rope around his neck is demanding answers from authorities, who say there were no signs of foul play. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement Wednesday saying that the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has determined that there were no defensive wounds or signs of physical or sexual assault. Full autopsy results, including a determination on cause of death, were still pending. Detectives found 21-year-old Javion Magee dead underneath a tree with the rope around his neck in Henderson on Sept. 11, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. Lawyers for Magee’s family addressed reporters on Wednesday to demand transparency and answers.
National Voter Registration Day highlights upcoming election-related deadlines
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Today marks National Voter Registration Day, a non-partisan civic holiday established in 2012 to encourage Americans to register to vote. For North Carolina residents, October 11 is the deadline to register in person if they wish to vote in the upcoming election. Voter registration applications sent by mail must also be postmarked by this date.
Ex-Granville County sheriff’s convictions over falsifying training records overturned
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina appeals court has overturned a former county sheriff’s fraud and obstruction convictions from late 2022. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ex-Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins on Tuesday. Wilkins served as sheriff for 10 years and has been serving time in state prison. The intermediate-level appeals court said that allegations related to Wilkins falsifying his firearms training requirements didn’t meet the necessary elements for the obstruction and fraud charges. The ruling comes seven months after a subordinate to Wilkins had his obstruction convictions related to the training overturned. The ex-sheriff pleaded to unrelated crimes last fall.
Wake County public libraries offer free online tutoring
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Wake County Public Libraries (WCPL) has partnered with Tutor.com to offer free, on-demand online tutoring for all library cardholders. This new service provides students, parents, and adult learners with help across a wide range of subjects, including many available in Spanish. Through Tutor.com, library cardholders can receive one-on-one assistance in math, science, English, and more via two-way text-chat. The service supports learners of all ages, including homework help, test prep, and writing improvement.
BugFest infests downtown Raleigh
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosted its annual BugFest in downtown Raleigh on Saturday. The event featured exhibits, hands-on activities, and education on the world of insects. This year’s focus was on the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. There were butterfly encounter tents, as well as education stations where the public could talk to real-world entomologists. Butterflies and moths might have been the stars of the show, but bugs of all kinds were represented. One of the most popular events was the Roachingham 500, a cockroach race.
State/Regional
North Carolina Republican governor candidate Mark Robinson vows to stay in race despite media report
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson has vowed to remain in his race despite a CNN media report about comments it says he made on a website. Robinson is the sitting lieutenant governor. He decisively won his GOP gubernatorial primary in March. He’s been trailing in several recent polls to Democratic nominee Josh Stein. Robinson said in a video released Thursday on X that he wouldn’t be forced out by “salacious tabloid lies.” The CNN story said Robinson posted strongly worded racial and sexual comments on an online message board more than a decade ago.
Stein rejects Robinson’s calls for a gubernatorial debate
RALEIGH. N.C. (WPTF) – There are currently no plans for a televised debate in North Carolina’s gubernatorial race and that won’t be changing, according to the current frontrunner. Earlier this week, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee who trails by significant margins in recent polling, pushed for one in a video released on social media. However, Democratic nominee and current Attorney General Josh Stein told WPTF that he won’t accept that challenge.
80-year-old man found dead after driving around roadblock into high water
SUPPLY, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highway patrol says an 80-year-old man was found dead after he drove around a roadblock into high water. The highway patrol responded shortly after midnight Tuesday to a report of a submerged vehicle on state Route 211 in Brunswick County. Sheriff’s Office vehicles were stopped in the road with their lights activated aiming to prevent cars from entering a flooded area. But the highway patrol says Richard Robinson drove around them. The vehicle became completely submerged and a responding swift water rescue team wasn’t able to find it. A dive team later found the vehicle and Robinson dead inside.
North Carolina’s highest court hears challenge to law allowing more time for child sex abuse suits
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court is weighing whether a state law that gave adults who were victims of child sexual abuse two additional years to seek civil damages is constitutional or not. The state Supreme Court heard Wednesday five cases involving individuals who sued based on changes in a 2019 law. Victims used to have until age 21 to sue. The law raised that age but also gave other victims whose time period still had expired to file lawsuits in 2020 or 2021. The court gave no indication when it would rule on the constitutionality. Since 2002, 30 states revived previously expired child sex abuse claims with expansions of claim periods.
The Smoky Mountains’ highest peak is reverting to the Cherokee name Kuwohi
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — The highest peak at Great Smoky Mountains National Park is officially reverting to its Cherokee name more than 150 years after a surveyor named it for a Confederate general. The U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted on Wednesday in favor of a request from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to officially change the name Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi. The Cherokee name for the mountain translates to “mulberry place.” The park says Kuwohi is a sacred place for the Cherokee people and the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is America’s most visited national park, and Kuwohi is one its most popular sites, with more than 650,000 visitors per year.
World/National
Wall Street soars to records as Dow leaps 500 in a rate-cut rally that swept the world
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street leapt to record highs as delayed jubilation swept across markets worldwide following the Federal Reserve’s big cut to interest rates. The S&P 500 jumped 1.7% Thursday, beating the all-time closing high it set in July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.3%, also a record, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2.5%. The gains followed rallies for markets across Europe and Asia. Some reports on the U.S. economy helped bolster hopes that it can manage to avoid a recession as the Fed continues to cut interest rates now that inflation is receding.
Residents of Springfield, Ohio, hunker down and pray for a political firestorm to blow over
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — In the quiet corners of Springfield, Ohio — out of sight of the drumbeat of politicians, journalists, troopers and newly installed security cameras — people are attempting to carry on. Between the morning bomb sweeps of Springfield’s schools and the near daily afternoon media briefings, a hush comes over the city that residents say is uncanny, haunting even. They’re dismayed at being transformed overnight into a target for the nation’s vitriol. Residents say people are hunkered down and hoping the attention sparked by former President Donald Trump spreading unsubstantiated rumors about the city’s legal Haitian immigrants eating house pets during last week’s presidential debate will blow over.
Hezbollah attacks Israel with drones as fears of a widening war mount
BEIRUT (AP) — A new Hezbollah volley into northern Israel signals the group is keeping up its drumbeat of exchanges with the Israeli military. Lebanon was still reeling from this week’s unprecedented mass bombings via electronic devices, widely believed to be an attack by Israel. Over two days hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies largely used by Hezbollah detonated, killing at least 32 people, including two children, and wounding 3,000 others. The latest Hezbollah volley, which wounded eight in Israel, was a signal it would continue the fire after the attack and even as Israeli has warned of a possible escalated military operation in Lebanon.
Harris hits Trump’s promise of mass deportations as Trump rallies on Long Island
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is criticizing Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of people who are in the United States illegally. The Republican former president has promised the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history if he’s elected. Harris questioned Trump’s intentions Wednesday during a speech in Washington to Hispanic members of Congress and asked whether her rival would rely on “massive raids” and “massive detention camps” to achieve his goal. Trump, for his part, leaned heavily on his alarmist message on immigration as he held a rally on New York’s Long Island. Separately, the Teamsters labor union announced Wednesday that it would not endorse either candidate.
Americans can now renew passports online and bypass cumbersome paper applications
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays. The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational. It’s available to adult passport holders whose passport has expired within the past five years or will expire in the coming year. It’s not available for the renewal of children’s passports, for first-time passport applicants for renewal applicants who live outside the United States or for expedited applications. The current process had required people to print out and send paper applications and a check by mail.
Entertainment
Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton among hosts for ‘SNL’ season 50
NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh off her Emmys win, Jean Smart will kick off “Saturday Night Live’s” landmark 50th season. NBC announced the lineup of hosts for the season Thursday. It premieres Sept. 28. It will be Smart’s first time hosting “SNL” and she’ll be joined by Jelly Roll as musical guest. Nate Bargatze will host on Oct. 5, with Coldplay performing. Ariana Grande will be the host, with musical guest Stevie Nicks on Oct. 12. “Beetlejuice” star Michael Keaton will host on Oct. 19 and Billie Eilish will be that night’s musical guest. The host on Nov. 2 will be “SNL” alum John Mulaney, with breakout musical sensation Chappell Roan.
Second judge refuses to grant home release to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
NEW YORK (AP) — A second judge has refused to grant bail to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter said Wednesday that the government had proved “by clear and convincing evidence that there is no condition or set of conditions” that will ensure the safety of community and that he won’t tamper with witnesses. The hip-hop mogul pleaded not guilty following his Monday arrest on sex trafficking charges, and his lawyer says he’s innocent. Prosecutors say he used his power and prestige for years to sexually abuse women.
MrBeast and Amazon sued by competitors from his $5M reality show over alleged ‘unsafe’ conditions
NEW YORK (AP) — MrBeast is accused of creating “unsafe” employment conditions and misrepresenting contestants’ odds at winning his new Amazon reality show’s $5 million grand prize. That is according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by five unnamed participants. The filing alleges that MrBeast failed to provide minimum wages, overtime pay, uninterrupted meal breaks and rest time for competitors. It also says that “limited sustenance” endangered their health and that production staff created a “toxic” work environment for women who faced “sexual harassment” throughout the contest. A spokesperson for MrBeast told The Associated Press that he had no comment.
‘Fake heiress’ Anna Sorokin debuts on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ — with a sparkly ankle monitor
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Convicted con artist Anna Sorokin has hit the dancefloor on “Dancing With the Stars” with a featherweight — and very sparkly — ankle monitor. The so-called ‘fake heiress,’ who was convicted of swindling banks, hotels and friends in 2019 after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, debuted the ankle monitor during the premiere of “Dancing With the Stars’” new season Tuesday night. She calls the bedazzled ankle monitor “not a big issue at all.” Her dance pro partner, Ezra Sosa, tells The Associated Press the device is “the real star of the show.” The pair danced to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” and even Sorokin says the routine could have been better.
JD Souther, a singer-songwriter who penned hits for the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, dies at 78
LOS ANGELES (AP) — John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight.” The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Tuesday at his home in New Mexico, at 78.
Sports
Coach Dave Canales says Panthers aren’t considering trading QB Young after benching 2023 No. 1 pick
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales said he “absolutely” believes Bryce Young can still be a franchise quarterback, adding that the team has no plans to trade the 2023 No. 1 overall pick after benching him earlier this week. Canales said he believes the Panthers have a great situation at quarterback. Andy Dalton will start Sunday’s Week 3 game at Las Vegas. The 36-year-old journeyman quarterback walked out to the practice field on Wednesday with a big smile on his face, stopping along the way to sign a football for a fan. He took all of the first-team reps while Young was relegated to running the scout team.
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace signs contract extension with Jordan-owned 23XI Racing
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bubba Wallace has signed a multi-year contract extension with 23XI Racing that the team announced with a 10-second video on social media. Wallace did not make the Cup Series playoffs this season. He heads to Bristol Motor Speedway winless on the year and ranked 19th in the standings for Saturday night’s elimination race. Wallace has driven for 23XI since its 2021 inception. The team is owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.
ACC eyes revenue distribution models that could quell disputes with FSU, Clemson, AP sources say
Atlantic Coast Conference leaders are discussing new ways of divvying up media rights revenue that could potentially resolve legal disputes with Florida State and Clemson. That’s according to two people familiar with the league’s internal talks who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there is no fully formed proposal and a resolution is far from imminent. The discussions internally and with Florida State are an extension of a court-ordered mediation session last month between the conference and the school. FSU’s board of trustees sued the ACC in December, looking for an affordable potential way out of the conference.
Dave Canales’ decision to bench Bryce Young raises questions about No. 1 pick’s future in Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dave Canales’ decision to bench Bryce Young raises serious questions about the 2023 No. 1 overall pick’s future with the Carolina Panthers. Canales made the move on Monday, less than 24 hours after saying in his postgame news conference that Young would remain the team’s starter despite another dreadful performance in a 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Canales said he changed his mind after watching video Sunday night and consulting with the front office. There is no indication that this is a temporary move. That means the Panthers could be looking to draft a quarterback in the first round again next year.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin says Wake Forest violated an ‘unwritten rule’ in buying out 2025 game
Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin says Wake Forest violated “an unwritten rule” by buying its way out of next year’s matchup, leaving the Rebels in search of another major-conference opponent. The fifth-ranked Rebels beat the Demon Deacons 40-6 on Saturday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as part of a scheduled home-and-home series. There won’t be a rematch next season in Oxford, Mississippi. A person with knowledge of the decision confirmed that Wake Forest canceled next year’s trip to Ole Miss and said the school is closing in on alternative scheduling options.
