Triangle/Local
Yvonne Johnson, the first Black mayor of North Carolina’s third-largest city, has died
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — The first Black mayor of North Carolina’s third largest city has died. Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan announced that Yvonne Johnson died Wednesday at age 82. Johnson served on the city council for nearly 30 years in two stints, the last of which ended at her death. She was elected mayor in 2007 and served one term. Gov. Roy Cooper said Johnson “was a dedicated public servant and friend who led Greensboro with courage, passion and a sense of justice.” A cause of death wasn’t released. But Vaughan had said Tuesday that Johnson was absent from that evening’s council meeting because of illness.
Groundbreaking North Carolina lawmaker Dan Blue will no longer be state Senate minority leader
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A groundbreaking figure in North Carolina politics will no longer serve as leader of state Senate Democrats. Sen. Dan Blue of Wake County first joined the General Assembly in 1981 and was elected the state’s first Black House speaker in 1991. Blue has been the Senate minority leader for over a decade. But on Monday the Senate Democratic Caucus elected Sen. Sydney Batch as the minority leader for the next two-year session. A caucus news release said Blue announced his desire to decline another term as leader before the caucus election. The House Democratic Caucus reelected Rep. Robert Reives as minority leader on Monday.
Janet Cowell officially sworn in as Raleigh Mayor
RALEIGH, N.C. — Janet Cowell, a seasoned public servant, has been officially sworn in as Raleigh’s new mayor after winning the election on November 5.
Cowell’s career includes roles as a Raleigh City Council member, state Senator and state Treasurer. She is set to serve a two-year term. In an interview with WPTF, Cowell shared her vision for the future of Raleigh. She emphasized her commitment to addressing the concerns voiced by residents during her campaign, including inclusivity and sustainability.
The Weekend Gardener Tips: Taming the Saltbush
The saltbush is native, but the North Carolina Native Plant Society considers this provocative plant invasive. It was once only located near the coast, but now you can find it through eastern North Carolina and the Piedmont region. There are other native coastal plants that have made their way west like wax myrtle, beautyberry and yaupon holly. But the saltbush is insidious in the way it takes over growing space for plants that are native to the Piedmont.
Workers at Charlotte airport, an American Airlines hub, go on strike during Thanksgiving travel week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have gone on strike during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel to protest what they say are unlivable wages. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services authorized the work stoppage in North Carolina that started Monday morning. Union spokesperson Sean Keady says the strike is expected to last 24 hours. The companies contract with American Airlines to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. Airport officials say this holiday travel season is expected to be the busiest on record. The companies have acknowledged the seriousness of a strike during the holiday travel season.
State/Regional
Vance tells North Carolina residents rebuilding after the hurricane that they haven’t been forgotten
FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance is surveying hurricane damage in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election. Vance and his wife, Usha, visited the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, which was flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water in the storm. They heard that roughly a dozen people got walking pneumonia while responding to the hurricane’s destruction and that power outages prevented some first responders from talking with their families. Vance said, “At the height of it, I imagine y’all were working nonstop.” Vance has largely stayed out of the public eye since the election aside from shepherding Trump’s Cabinet nominees around Capitol Hill.
After 1 year, Medicaid expansion in North Carolina nears its enrollment goal
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Enrollment in North Carolina’s new Medicaid coverage for low-income adults has nearly reached the state’s goal of 600,000 in only a year. So says Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration, which reports that over 590,000 are enrolled in Medicaid expansion. At the start of expansion in December 2023, Cooper’s administration had estimated 600,000 would be reached within two years. Cooper celebrated the enrollment news and other health care accomplishments during a speaking event in Greenville. The Democratic governor leaves office at the end of the month after two terms. He’s also citing more money for mental health treatment and an effort to rid hospital patients of medical debt.
North Carolina Republicans close in on enacting bill that weakens incoming Democratic governor
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina legislative Republicans are closing in on enacting a measure that would erode powers of the incoming governor and other statewide Democratic officials who got elected last month. The GOP-dominated state Senate voted successfully on Monday to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill. The bill would in part weaken Gov.-elect Josh Stein. It would transfer the governor’s authority to make State Board of Elections appointments to the next state auditor — a Republican. The bill now returns to the House, where another successful override vote next week would make it law. Litigation is possible, however.
North Carolina man dies two weeks after an explosion at his home
WEDDINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Authorities in North Carolina say an 82-year-old man has died two weeks after an explosion at his home. The Union County Sheriff’s Office said reports came in on Nov. 17 of an explosion at a Weddington home that was felt across the county. First responders found severe damage to part of a home. County officials said a man and woman were taken to hospitals and the wife was treated and released. Union County announced that Wesley Decker, who sustained extensive burns in the explosion, was receiving care at a long-term care facility when he died Friday. The Fire Marshal’s Office determined that there was an accidental fuel-air explosion in the garage, but the exact cause remains undetermined.
Trump promised federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe. Will he follow through?
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina, both candidates courted a state-recognized tribe there whose 55,000 members could have helped tip the swing state. Trump in September promised that he would sign legislation to grant federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe, a distinction that would unlock access to federal funds. He ultimately won North Carolina by more than 3 percentage points, in part due to continued support from Lumbee voters. Now, as Trump prepares to return to the White House in January, the promise will be put to the test. He has Republican allies in Congress on the issue, and now the Lumbee, as well as tribal nations across the country, are watching closely to see what comes next.
World/National
Trump calls for ‘immediate’ cease-fire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is calling for an immediate cease-fire in Russia’s war with Ukraine and the president-elect is renewing warnings that he’s open to pulling the United States out of NATO. Trump made his cease-fire proposal after a weekend meeting in Paris with French and Ukrainian leaders, claiming in a social media post that Kyiv “would like to make a deal” to end the more than 1,000-day war. The Kremlin responded that it’s open to negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. Separately, Trump told NBC News that he didn’t see continued U.S. participation in NATO as a given during his second term in office.
Jubilation and gunfire as Syrians celebrate the end of the Assad family’s half-century rule
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrians have poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital. It put an end to the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule but raises questions about the future of the country and the wider region. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus Sunday waving the Syrian revolutionary flag. The scenes recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising before a brutal crackdown and an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. Syrians on Sunday ransacked the presidential palace and the Assad family residence after President Bashar Assad and other top officials fled, their whereabouts unknown.
Search for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer yields evidence, but few answers
NEW YORK (AP) — As the search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer stretches into a fourth day and beyond the New York City limits, investigators are reckoning with a tantalizing dichotomy. They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. Retracing his steps using surveillance video, it now appears he left the city on a bus soon after the shooting Wednesday morning outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later. The FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi.
Trump names former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is naming former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be his ambassador to China. Trump says that as a former CEO, Perdue will bring “valuable expertise” to the U.S. relationship with China. Perdue pushed Trump’s debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for Georgia governor. Economic tensions are sure to be a big part of the U.S.-China picture for the new administration. Trump has threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs.
Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City
NEW YORK (AP) — Police officials believe the gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of Wednesday’s shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, the chief of detectives told CNN on Friday. The police commissioner said investigators believe he left New York City. The gunman made sure to conceal his identity with a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras. The reason for the killing remains unknown.
Entertainment
Stolen ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ are auctioned for $28 million
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A pair of ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen nearly two decades ago have fetched $28 million at auction. The iconic slippers were auctioned off to the highest bidder Saturday. Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch $3 million or more. Including the auction house’s fee, the final cost to the buyer is $32.5 million. The slippers were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when a thief used a hammer to smash the glass of the door and display case. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.
‘Moana 2’ sails to a record $221 million opening as Hollywood celebrates a moviegoing feast
NEW YORK (AP) — “Moana 2” brought in a tidal wave of moviegoers over the Thanksgiving Day weekend with $221 million in ticket sales. Studio estimates Sunday show that, combined with “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” made for an unprecedented weekend in cinemas. “Moana 2″ blew predictions out of the water, setting a record for Thanksgiving moviegoing. At the same time, the sensation of “Wicked” showed no signs of slowing down with $117.5 million over the five-day weekend. “Gladiator II” collected $44 million. For an industry that’s been battered in recent years by the pandemic, work stoppages and streaming, it was a triumphant weekend that showed the still-potent power of Hollywood’s blockbuster machine.
How to sum up 2024? The Oxford University Press word of the year is ‘brain rot’
LONDON (AP) — Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” its word of the year. It’s defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state,” especially from consuming too much low-grade online content. Oxford University Press said Monday that the phrase “gained new prominence in 2024,” with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before. It was chosen by a combination of public vote and language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. The five other word-of-the-year finalists were demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said the choice of phrase “feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology.”
‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ make gravity-defying theater debuts
NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of ‘Love Connection’ and ‘Scrabble,’ dies at 83
NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.
Sports
No. 18 Clemson beats No. 8 SMU 34-31 on last-second field goal for ACC title, berth in the CFP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cade Klubnik threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns, Nolan Hauser kicked 56-yard field goal as time expired and the No. 18 Clemson beat No. 8 SMU 34-31 on Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff and position itself for a first-round bye. Bryant Wesco had eight catches for 143 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns for the Tigers, who needed a win to get into the expanded 12-team playoffs. Jake Briningstool added two short TD receptions as Clemson improved to 9-1 in ACC championship games under coach Dabo Swinney. Kevin Jennings was 32 of 51 for 310 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score for SMU.
Trimble helps No. 20 North Carolina top Georgia Tech, 68-65
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Seth Trimble scored 19 points and No. 20 North Carolina held off upset-minded Georgia Tech for a 68-65 victory in the ACC opener for both teams Saturday. Trimble was 5 for 6 from the field and 8 for 9 on free throws for the Tar Heels (5-4, 1-0 ACC). RJ Davis added 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Ian Jackson chipped in 15 points off the bench. Lance Terry scored 22 points for Georgia Tech (4-5, 0-1). Baye Ndongo had 19 points and 12 rebounds. UNC played without graduate transfer Ty Claude, who spent last season at Georgia Tech, because of an injury to his right eye.
No. 10 Alabama beats No. 20 North Carolina 94-79 in the ACC-SEC Challenge
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Mark Sears scored 20 points, Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon each had 15 points and No. 10 Alabama beat No. 20 North Carolina 94-79 on Wednesday night in the ACC-SEC Challenge. Clifford Omoruyi and Derrion Reid each scored 11 points and Grant Nelson had 10 points to help the Crimson Tide (6-2) beat three straight Top 25 opponents for the first time in three seasons. The rematch of Alabama’s Sweet 16 victory last season wasn’t close. Freshman Ian Jackson scored a season-high 23 points, RJ Davis had 18 and Seth Trimble added 12 points for the Tar Heels (4-4). They’ve lost three in a row.
Sumo wrestlers bring 1,500 years of tradition to London as the sport has an international moment
LONDON (AP) — London’s Royal Albert Hall is preparing to host a different kind of spectacle: Sumo wrestling. Wrestlers put on an exhibition of heavyweight grappling to promote a tournament scheduled for next October. It marks only the second time an elite five-day tournament will be held outside Japan. The first was held in 1991 at the same venue. Organizers are hoping to whip up the kind of excitement that was generated three decades ago, when the deeply ritualistic sport attracted sell-out crowds and a national television audience.
Panthers 2nd-year QB Bryce Young suffers another loss, but continues to show late-game production
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young is beginning to show signs that he can perform in the clutch. Now the Carolina Panthers just have to figure out how to win close games. Young capped a 60-yard touchdown drive Sunday with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen to briefly give the Panthers a 23-20 lead with 30 seconds left against Tampa Bay. And Young was in the process of engineering a potential winning score in overtime when Chuba Hubbard fumbled at the Bucs 29. The Panthers lost 26-23. But it was the second time in two weeks Young showed a knack for making big plays late in the game.
