Triangle/Local
First disappointment and then a celebration as video captures high school band’s big surprise
SNOW HILL, N.C. (AP) — A small high school in eastern North Carolina is celebrating the highest ranking its band has won at a statewide musical competition. The surprise reaction of the students learning they had won a superior ranking was captured on video. It started when band director Andrew Howell solemnly stepped onto the bus and told his students what they had gone through was a learning experience. Some of the students groaned or dropped their heads. Then he pulled out a plaque awarding the band with the competition’s highest ranking. The students erupted with screams and cheers. The video of their celebration has been seen by millions after being posted on TikTok and social media sites.
North Carolina judge challenging outcome of race wore Confederate uniform in college photo
WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge challenging the outcome of his North Carolina Supreme Court race was photographed wearing Confederate military garb and posing before a Confederate battle flag when he was a member of a college fraternity that glorified the pre-Civil War South. The emergence of the photographs comes at a delicate time for Jefferson Griffin. The Republican appellate judge is seeking a spot on North Carolina’s highest court. Griffin is facing mounting criticism as he seeks to invalidate over 60,000 votes cast in last November’s election. He trails the Democratic incumbent by over 700 votes. The photographs obtained by The Associated Press were taken when he was a student at the University of North Carolina in the early 2000s. Griffin said he regrets wearing the Confederate uniform.
North Carolina Senate majority leader to resign from chamber
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A top lieutenant to North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger is resigning from the chamber. A statement released Tuesday from Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton says he’s retiring effective Wednesday evening “to pursue an opportunity outside of state government.” His specific plans weren’t immediately released. The 64-year-old is a former Duke Energy state president in North Carolina from Cabarrus County who joined the Senate in 2017. He was elected majority leader after the 2022 elections. Republicans in his 34th Senate District will choose someone to fill his two-year term. Senate Republicans also will have to meet to pick a new majority leader.
North Carolina justices decide family can sue over unwanted COVID-19 shot
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court says a mother and son can sue a school system and a doctors’ group on allegations they gave the boy a COVID-19 vaccine without consent in 2021. The state Supreme Court on Friday reversed a lower-court decision that declared a federal health emergency law blocked the litigation. The Supreme Court has ruled the law did not prevent lawsuits alleging violations under the state constitution. According to the litigation, Tanner Smith was 14 when he received the vaccination against his will at a Guilford County school clinic. Smith and his mother, Emily Happel, filed a lawsuit alleging claims of battery and that their constitutional rights were violated.
North Carolina’s largest public university NC State names new chancellor
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The University of North Carolina Board of Governors announced the next leader of North Carolina State University. Kevin Howell will be NC State’s next chancellor and will succeed Randy Woodson. Howell will become the first Black chancellor at NC State. He currently serves as chief external affairs officer for the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health. Woodson announced his retirement last year after serving as chancellor for nearly 15 years. There will be a lot on Howell’s plate when he assumes the chancellorship, including navigating a nationally turbulent time for universities’ research funding.
State/Regional
First rain and then fire chase people from their homes in North and South Carolina
At least a half-dozen large wildfires continue to burn in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina and North Carolina. Nicole Taylor had to leave her home with the porch that overlooks Table Rock Mountain in South Carolina. She took video of the smoke pouring off the ridge until an evacuation order came Tuesday. She says she doesn’t know when she can go home. So far no one has been hurt in the fires that have burned more than 20 square miles of mostly rugged remote forests. The firefighting is slow. Water sources are scarce, so crews depend on building fire breaks.
Chief lawyer’s position at alma mater prompted Newton’s departure from North Carolina Senate
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A top lieutenant to North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger is resigning from the chamber. A statement released Tuesday from Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton says he’s retiring effective Wednesday evening “to pursue an opportunity outside of state government.” His specific plans weren’t immediately released. The 64-year-old is a former Duke Energy state president in North Carolina from Cabarrus County who joined the Senate in 2017. He was elected majority leader after the 2022 elections. Republicans in his 34th Senate District will choose someone to fill his two-year term. Senate Republicans also will have to meet to pick a new majority leader.
More evacuations as wildfires burn in the Carolinas. Forecasts aren’t encouraging for firefighters
More people have been asked to leave their homes in the North Carolina and South Carolina mountains as wildfires spread and the forecast for the rest of the week isn’t encouraging. A half-dozen large fires are burning in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Millions of fallen trees from September’s Hurricane Helene are both providing fuel for the wildfires and blocking the logging roads and paths firefighters use to fight the blazes and create fire breaks. The forecast for this week is dry and windy. There’s a chance of rain over the weekend, but forecasters say it isn’t likely to be the kind of downpour that can knock a fire out on its own.
North Carolina government makes big tax revenues quickly from first year of sports betting
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina government cashed in early when it came to reaping fiscal benefits from authorized sports wagering in the ninth-largest state. Legalized online sports betting began in North Carolina in March 2024. A report Wednesday to a state commission says the state expects it will have collected over $131 million in taxes from the first full year of sports betting operations. An earlier estimate by state legislative researchers before the law was enacted in 2023 said taxes could reach $100 million annually within five years. The windfall is connected to big betting — the taxes are based on a percentage of betting revenue minus paid winnings.
Wildfires in North and South Carolina fueled by drought, wind and fallen trees from Hurricane Helene
Dry conditions, wind and trees downed by Hurricane Helene are fueling wildfires in North and South Carolina. Officials say evacuation orders are in effect Tuesday in some parts of the states while they continue to monitor the blazes. Three fires are burning in a rural North Carolina county about 80 miles west of Charlotte. At least one of the fires was caused by a downed power line. In South Carolina, two fires are burning in a mountainous region and both have no containment so far. A forestry professor says trees downed during last year’s Hurricane Helene dropped tons of fuel on the ground for the fires.
World/National
Smell of death permeates Myanmar cities after quake kills over 1,600 and leaves countless buried
MANDALAY, Myanmar (AP) — The smell of decaying bodies permeated the streets of Myanmar’s second-largest city on Sunday as people worked frantically by hand to clear rubble in the hope of finding someone still alive, two days after a massive earthquake struck that killed more than 1,600 people and left countless others buried. The 7.7 magnitude quake hit midday Friday with an epicenter near Mandalay, bringing down scores of buildings and damaging other infrastructure like the city’s airport. Relief efforts have been hampered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the midst of a civil war.
Plastics are seeping into farm fields, food and eventually human bodies. Can they be stopped?
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Around the world, plastics are finding their way into farm fields. Some farmers say agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, is becoming even more necessary as climate change fuels extreme weather. And plastics from other industries end up in fields, too, and eventually the food grown there as well as waterways. Scientists, farmers and consumers all worry about how the plastics that enter the food supply affect health, and research is continuing to show that it’s ending up in human bodies. Researchers are looking for solutions, but industry experts say despite attempts to tackle the plastic problem, it’s difficult to know where plastic ends up or get rid of it completely, even with the best intentions of improving reuse and recycling programs.
Myanmar’s earthquake death toll jumps to 1,644 as more bodies are recovered from the rubble
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling military has said on state television that the confirmed death toll from a devastating earthquake rose to1,644. Saturday’s new total is a sharp rise compared to the 1,002 total announced just hours earlier. It underlines the difficulty of confirming casualties over a widespread region and the likelihood that the numbers will continue to grow from Friday’s quake. Rescue efforts are underway especially in the major stricken cities of Mandalay and Naypyitaw. Teams and equipment have been flown in from other nations. But they are hindered by the airports in those cities being damaged and apparently unfit to land planes.
Was classified information shared? Senators overseeing military request probe into Signal leak
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee are requesting an investigation into how Trump national security officials used the Signal app to discuss military strikes. A federal judge also says he will order the preservation of the messages. Thursday’s action ensures some scrutiny on an episode President Donald Trump has dismissed as frivolous. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker and Democratic Sen. Jack Reed signed onto a letter to the acting inspector general at the Defense Department for an inquiry into the potential use of unclassified networks to discuss classified information. Contents of the Signal chat published by The Atlantic show Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listed weapons systems and a timeline for an attack on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
3D printed and factory-built homes could help tackle housing crisis
DENVER (AP) — Businesses and lawmakers are trying to address the U.S. affordable housing crisis by turning to alternative ways to build homes. These include 3D printing houses out of concrete, building homes in a factory and shipping them to their final destination, and even using the hemp plant in construction. The 3D printing technology is far off from making a dent in the crisis, but proponents hope its speed in building walls can bring down construction time and costs. Modular and manufactured homes, built inside a factory, are gaining ground in the U.S., with homes built in a matter of days. Hemp, a plant related to marijuana, has also shown promise when combined with other materials to build more cheaply and efficiently.
Entertainment
What to know about the bird flu outbreak in wild birds and what it means for backyard bird feeders
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bird flu has devastated poultry and dairy farms since it was first detected in North America in late 2021. But what has been the toll on wild birds? While most wild birds are susceptible to the disease, some species like mallards are more likely to carry the virus without symptoms. Others like geese tend to die in large numbers. Songbirds have sometimes gotten sick and died, but there haven’t been mass die-offs. Experts recommend taking precautions around sick or dead wild birds. But you can keep your bird feeder up. Scientists say the threat to the general population is currently low.
Why are clocks set forward in the spring? Thank wars, confusion and a hunger for sunlight
DALLAS (AP) — Once again, most Americans will set their clocks forward by one hour this weekend, losing perhaps a bit of sleep but gaining more glorious sunlight in the evenings as the days warm into summer. How we came to move the clock forward in the spring, and then push it back in the fall, is a tale that spans over more than a century and is one that’s driven by two world wars, mass confusion at times and a human desire to bask in the sun. There’s been plenty of debate over the practice but about 70 countries currently use what Americans call daylight saving time.
Angry Birds, Frogger and others are finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — The World Video Game Hall of Fame has revealed its 12 finalists for 2025. Members of the public have a week to vote for their favorites online. The finalists are: Age of Empires, Angry Birds, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Defender, Frogger, Golden Eye, Golden Tee, Harvest Moon, Mattel Football, Quake, NBA 2K and Tamagotchi. The World Video Game Hall of Fame honors games that have achieved longevity, geographical reach and have influenced game design and pop culture. The Class of 2025 will be enshrined May 8 at the Hall of Fame’s new space inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
The Florida attorney general’s office is investigating Andrew and Tristan Tate
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s attorney general says his office has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are charged with human trafficking in Romania. The announcement Tuesday comes days after they returned to the U.S. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said on social media that he directed his office to work with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the Tate brothers. Uthmeier said he’s directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in what he calls “the now-active investigation into the Tate brothers.” During a Monday podcast appearance, Andrew Tate said he has broken no laws.
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years who inspired ‘Jolene,’ dies at 82
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, has died. The country music superstar says Dean died Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 82. According to a statement provided to The Associated Press by Parton’s publicist, Dean will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. The family has asked for respect and privacy. No cause of death was announced. Parton met Dean outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat the day she moved to Nashville at 18. They married two years later, on Memorial Day — May 30, 1966 — in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.
Sports
Sears, Alabama can’t duplicate record 3-point night, fall to Duke with Final Four at stake
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Sears was held to six points and Alabama followed an NCAA Tournament-record 25 3-pointers with only eight, dooming its shot at a second straight Final Four in an 85-65 loss to Duke in the East Region final. Sears — who finished 2 of 12 from the field and 1 for 5 on 3s — shot a clunker on Alabama’s first attempt and never got untracked. He hit 10 3s and scored 34 points on the same Prudential Center court only two nights earlier against BYU. This time, Sears made his only basket of the first half with 2:17 to go.
Proctor, Flagg help No. 1 seed Duke roll past Baylor 89-66 to reach Sweet 16 of March Madness
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tyrese Proctor had career highs of seven 3-pointers and 25 points to continue his recent tear, helping No. 1 seed Duke beat Baylor 89-66 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Freshman star Cooper Flagg had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Blue Devils, the headliner in the East Region and one of the favorites to win it all. They will face either Oregon or Arizona in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey. Proctor made 7 of 8 3-pointers — his third straight game with at least six 3s. Freshman V.J. Edgecombe scored 16 points for Baylor.
NC State officially announces hiring of McNeese’s Will Wade as new Wolfpack men’s basketball coach
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — N.C. State has announced the hiring of McNeese’s Will Wade as the Wolfpack’s new men’s basketball coach. The school announced the hiring Sunday. That came a day after Wade’s McNeese team lost to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. An introductory news conference for Wade is scheduled for Tuesday. It caps a week in which Wade was unusually open about his conversations with N.C. State. Wade had won 58 games the past two seasons at McNeese. That marked a climb back to prominence after he was fired at LSU in 2022 amid allegations of recruiting violations.
Tobacco Road is front and center of March Madness with 3 women’s sites and men’s site in area
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Tobacco Road is the center of the NCAA Tournament this week with three women’s first-round sites at Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State. There’s also the men’s first-round games being played at N.C. State as well. In all, there’s 21 men’s and women’s teams in the area for the games. No city comes close to that, including Los Angeles which has both UCLA and Southern Cal hosting first-round women’s sites. It’s the first time that there’s been so much basketball in one area at four different venues. The “Triangle” as its known, hosted three women’s first-round sites in 1998, but there was no men’s games in the area that year.
Tar Heels and Rebels fighting for respect going into NCAA tourney matchup
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Seth Trimble and North Carolina face Jaemyn Brakefield and Mississippi in the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Milwaukee. It’s a matchup of two motivated teams. North Carolina was a controversial selection when it received an at-large bid on Sunday. But the 11th-seeded Tar Heels posted a dominant 95-68 victory against San Diego State in the First Four on Tuesday night. No. 6 seed Ole Miss also has faced criticism. Despite going 22-11, including a 10-8 record in the rugged SEC, a veteran college basketball analyst labeled Mississippi a “fraud” while predicting a first-round loss.
