Triangle/Local
Why the ninebark shrub deserves a spot in your garden
How many of you have ever heard of the Ninebark shrub or Physocarpus opulifolius for those of you who like to get technical? I hadn’t until recently! Since then I have learned that the Ninebark is also referred to in horticulture circles as Common Ninebark, Atlantic Ninebark, or Eastern Ninebark and is native to the eastern United States including North Carolina. Most frequently seen growing in the mountains and foothills of North Carolina, but seen less often in the central part of the state. It seems to like rocky hillsides and slopes near rivers. You won’t find ninebark growing very much in eastern North Carolina.
Remembering lives lost: Workers Memorial Day ceremony held in Raleigh
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – More than 100 North Carolinians who died last year while on the job were honored Monday during Workers Memorial Day events in Raleigh. The event is observed annually across the country to recognize those who have died or been injured on the job and to recommit efforts to improving workplace safety. In North Carolina, both advocates and officials emphasized the importance of ongoing safety measures and regulatory enforcement.
High-Profile sports events score big for Raleigh economy
Raleigh’s spring sports season has delivered a wave of excitement and economic gain, as NCAA Tournament games, N.C. State women’s basketball, and the Carolina Hurricanes’ playoff run drew thousands to local venues. With sold-out crowds at the Lenovo Center and glowing feedback from event organizers, the city continues to prove itself as a major destination for sports and entertainment.
New psychiatry residency program aims to strengthen mental health care in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – A new initiative is expanding mental health services in Eastern North Carolina, with a focus on supporting rural communities and military families. Led by a partnership between the UNC School of Medicine and Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, the program offers a four-year psychiatry residency that blends military, academic, and community healthcare training. As North Carolina continues to face a shortage of mental health providers, healthcare organizations like Novant Health are investing in workforce development and collaborative programs aimed at improving access to care across the state.
Students and residents protest UNC’s coal plant over health and climate concerns
Dozens of students and Chapel Hill residents rallied to demand that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill stop using coal at its campus co-generation plant. Led by the Sunrise Movement at UNC, the protest spotlighted health concerns, environmental justice issues, and the university’s continued reliance on fossil fuels despite climate commitments. Student organizers say they’ve documented high pollution levels and dismissed community concerns, and they’re now working with allied groups to gather data and propose renewable energy alternatives.
State/Regional
North Carolina Republicans already seek to tighten up 2024 immigration enforcement law
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republicans managed just last fall to enact their long-sought policy ordering local sheriffs to cooperate with federal agents seeking to locate and deport certain jail inmates. Some GOP members already want it tightened further. The GOP-controlled state House approved a measure Tuesday that would subject people accused of more categories of crimes to inquiries about their immigration status. The bill also would make clear that jail officials must contact federal immigration agents if they’re holding someone. Vetoes by then-Gov. Roy Cooper meant Republicans took five years to pass the initial law. The proposed upgrade comes as President Donald Trump pushes an immigration enforcement crackdown nationally.
Decision looming for Trump administration on first PFAS drinking water limits
The Trump administration is expected to soon say whether it intends to stand by strict drinking water standards for forever chemicals set last year. The Environmental Protection Agency has said PFAS increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight. But reducing PFAS could be costly for thousands of water utilities. The Biden administration said those costs were worth it, but it’s unclear if current EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will agree. He’s expressed concern about places with marginal amounts of PFAS that could incur high costs to reduce it. There are billions of dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and lawsuits to help communities afford new treatments systems.
Loss of FEMA program spells disaster for hundreds of communities and their projects
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — For hundreds of communities nationwide, plans to protect against natural disasters and climate change have been upended because of the Trump administration’s elimination of a federal grant program. Scrapped projects include relocating flood-damaged homes in Pennsylvania, protecting businesses from stormwater in North Carolina, and safeguarding water supply lines in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley. The grants have been panned by the Republican White House as wasteful political spending. But those grants were seen by local officials and residents as a vital use of government resources to protect lives, infrastructure and economies with smart investments upfront.
A shooting at a small North Carolina college leaves 1 dead, 6 wounded
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A shooting at a small college in eastern North Carolina left one person dead and six others wounded and prompted a campus lockdown. The shooting early Sunday occurred in the center of Elizabeth City State University’s campus. It happened after the final event of the historically Black university’s weeklong Viking Fest celebration. The school says a 24-year-old man who was not a student was pronounced dead. Four people sustained gunshot wounds, including three students, while two other students were injured during the commotion. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening. The university is about 50 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia.
US election officials question agency about Trump’s order overhauling election operations
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — State and local election officials from around the country in North Carolina have questioned the leaders of a federal agency tasked by President Donald Trump with implementing parts of his sweeping election overhaul executive order, with some expressing concerns about the consequences for voters and the people in charge of voting. Whether the Republican president can order an independent agency to act and whether the commission has the authority to do what Trump wants will likely be settled in court. The commission is an independent federal agency and is at the center of Trump’s March 25 order that directs the commission to update the national voter registration form to include a proof-of-citizenship requirement and revise guidelines for voting systems.
World/National
How bugs and beet juice could play roles in the race to replace artificial dyes in food
ST. LOUIS (AP) — U.S. health officials are pushing to get artificial colors out of the nation’s food supply. Sensient Technologies Corp. is one of the world’s largest dyemakers. The company has seen a surge in businesses rushing to covert their products from synthetic to natural colors. The process to change from petroleum-based dyes to colors made from vegetables, fruits, flowers and even insects won’t be cheap or easy. Health advocates have long called for the removal of the dyes. They cite mixed evidence that the colors are linked to behavior problems and obesity in kids.
A massive explosion at an Iranian port linked to missile fuel shipment kills 18, injures some 800
MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — A massive explosion and fire has rocked a port in southern Iran purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant. State media said the blast killed 18 people and injuring around 800 others. Helicopters and aircraft dumped water from the air on the raging fire through the night into Sunday morning at the Shahid Rajaei port. The explosion occurred just as Iran and the United States met Saturday in Oman for the third round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Judges blocks Trump push to cut funding to public schools over diversity programs
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s guidance forbidding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in K-12 public schools. The ruling Thursday came in a lawsuit brought by National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union. In February, the Education Department told schools and colleges they needed to end any practice that differentiates people based on their race or they were at risk of losing their federal funding. The department ordered states to gather signatures from local school systems certifying compliance with civil rights laws, including the rejection of what the federal government calls “illegal DEI practices.”
Trump science cuts target bird feeder research, AI literacy work and more
Hundreds of university researchers in the U.S. have had their National Science Foundation funding abruptly canceled to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive to end support of research on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as the study of misinformation. The loss of funding has roiled academic laboratories that rely on NSF grants to conduct basic research. While some expected the cuts after making it onto on Sen. Ted Cruz’s target list of “woke DEI” projects last year, others said their work was only tangentially related to misinformation or encouraging more diversity in the study of science and engineering.
Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection, Education Department says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday. Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’s offset program, which withholds payments from the government, including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits, from people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department will also begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default.
Entertainment
Go inside the factory where Peeps are made
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Love them or hate them, marshmallow Peeps are inescapable around the Easter holiday. Millions of the brightly-colored candies are made daily in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Just Born Quality Confections. The family-owned candy manufacturer also churns out Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike fruit chews and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. Peeps is the company’s most recognizable brand. It also evokes strong reactions — good and bad. Some say an Easter basket isn’t complete without the multi-flavored Peeps, while others deride them as being indestructible. On average, about 5.5 million are made each day. That adds up to 2 billion Peeps a year.
Wink Martindale, the genial game show host and an early TV interviewer of Elvis Presley, dies at 91
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wink Martindale, the genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough,” has died. He was 91. Martindale began his career in radio and was did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley before scoring hits as a game show host. “Gambit” started in 1976 but within a few short years was overtaken by “Wheel of Fortune” and other shows, but he bounced back in 1978 with “Tic-Tac-Dough,” which aired until 1985. Publicist Brian Mayes says Martindale died Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage after battling lymphoma for a year.
Millions tune in for 24-hour live coverage of Sweden’s epic moose migration
Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” has become a phenomenon. The livestream began airing Tuesday, a week ahead of schedule. National broadcaster SVT shows the annual migration 24 hours a day for 20 days. Not much happens for hours at a time, and fans say that’s the beauty of it. The production hit 9 million viewers last year. Remote cameras capture dozens of moose as they swim across a river toward summer grazing pastures. An expert and fan calls the show “gripping because nothing catastrophic is happening.” Even the production crew says their stress eases.
Blue Origin launches an all-female celebrity crew with Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez
Blue Origin has launched Jeff Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space with an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Gayle King. The New Shepard rocket blasted off Monday from West Texas. Sanchez, a helicopter pilot and former TV journalist, invited the others along for the 10-minute, fully automated ride. Besides Sanchez, Perry and King, the crew included a film producer, a former NASA engineer who started her own companies to promote science education, and a scientist who now advocates for sexual violence survivors. Moved by the views of Earth below, Perry couldn’t resist singing “What a Wonderful World” in space.
So your home’s not social-media perfect? How to get over ‘house shame’ and invite people in
NEW YORK (AP) — Is your house something less than Pinterest perfect? Whose isn’t. Social media has fed a phenomenon called house shame. It’s that anxiety and dread that sets in when you think people coming over to your house will judge how it looks. It can also be internal — a self-shaming that sets in when you can’t achieve the perfection you see on Instagram. Home organizers and interior designers have suggestions on how to get over house shame. First, remember there’s no such thing as perfect. A space that’s cared for is more important. Light a candle and place some flowers to make the front hall welcoming. Use a rolling rack for coats if closets are crammed. And if someone does house shame you, don’t invite them back.
Sports
ACC and new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick head toward season after spring full of changes
It’s on to fall camp for the Atlantic Coast Conference and new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick. The Super Bowl champion coach with the New England Patriots came to college last December, taking over a Tar Heels program looking for ACC championships. Belichick was the buzziest offseason addition in the ACC. Stanford and interim coach Frank Reich made it through a chaotic spring following the March firing of coach Troy Taylor, who was twice investigated on allegations of hostile behavior. CFP teams in Clemson and SMU both felt like they built on playoff seasons from a year ago.
Devils struggle on power play again, penalty-kill gives up 4th goal in Game 4 loss to Hurricanes
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils had the top special teams units in the NHL this season. Things haven’t worked out so well in the playoffs, and they are now one loss away from elimination. The Devils were third on the power play at a franchise-record 28.2% during the regular season but went 0 for 2 in their 5-2 loss in Game 4 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday that dropped them to a 3-1 deficit in the first-round series. New Jersey is now 0 for 12 with the man-advantage against Carolina, which had the NHL’s top penalty-kill at 83.6%. New Jersey remained the only playoff team without a power-play goal.
Judge denies injunction for four players suing NCAA in North Carolina court
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A judge denied a preliminary injunction Tuesday filed in lawsuits by four college football players seeking an additional season of eligibility. Former Duke football players Ryan Smith and Tre’Shon Devones filed complaints in Durham County Superior Court earlier this month. Former Duke player Cam Bergeron and ex-North Carolina player J.J. Jones had a similar suit. The players’ lawsuits had claimed their careers were derailed by injuries, ailments and personal difficulties. Smith and Devones had competed in five seasons. Bergeron and Jones participated in four seasons across a four-year period.
Martinook, Andersen help Hurricanes push past Devils 3-1 for 2-0 lead in 1st-round playoff series
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Martinook scored a go-ahead shorthanded goal in the second period to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. Frederik Andersen had a big night in net with 25 saves and several big stops. Shayne Gostisbehere also scored in the second period for Carolina, while Seth Jarvis added a clinching empty-net breakaway goal. Jesper Bratt had New Jersey’s lone goal in the opening minutes of the game. Jacob Markstrom had 25 saves for the Devils. Game 3 is in Newark on Friday.
TCU and North Carolina will open ’26 in Ireland after Belichick’s debut this year at home vs. Frogs
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU and North Carolina will play their 2026 opener in Ireland. That will come a year after Bill Belichick’s debut as coach of the Tar Heels comes at home against the Horned Frogs. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Aug. 29, 2026. It will be the first game abroad for both TCU and North Carolina. Their season opener this year will be on Sept. 1, which is Labor Day. TCU will be the home team for the game in Ireland. The two teams were initially scheduled to open the 2026 season in Fort Worth, Texas.
