Bill Belichick won big in the NFL. Can he do it as a rookie college coach at North Carolina?

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina bet big on Bill Belichick to elevate its football program beyond decades of also-ran status and mid-tier bowl appearances.

More simply, though, it was a bet Belichick could do something he never has before.

The 73-year-old with six Super Bowl titles as an NFL head coach is now a college rookie. He’s traded rosters of 30-somethings for recruiting teenagers yet to emerge from under their parents’ wings. He’s greeted donors at fundraising gatherings. And he’s working amid a wildly evolving landscape of player empowerment across college athletics.

The first on-field look comes Monday night when the Tar Heels host TCU.

“I’ve been through a lot of opening days,” Belichick said, “and every one is the same in that there’s some things you kind of feel good about, there’s some other questions that you have.”

The setting

The spotlight will lock on Belichick taking the field — possibly with his trademarked hoodie look — as he pushes a vision of building the NFL’s “33rd team” at a school better known for its storied men’s basketball program.

ESPN will host a pregame show from Kenan Stadium. UNC has sold out season tickets (at higher prices, no less) and single-game seats. And beyond Monday, streaming provider Hulu will feature the program in a behind-the-scenes show.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes has experience with spectacle, at least. Two years ago, his ranked Horned Frogs hosted Colorado in retired NFL star Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes debut — and lost.

“Never thought I would, no,” Dykes said of facing Belichick. “Just assumed he would aways coach in the NFL and assumed I’d always coach in college, and didn’t really consider that possibility. One thing I’ve learned about college football though is never say never.”

College pivot

Belichick’s NFL career featured a 24-year run leading the New England Patriots, producing six world titles alongside star quarterback Tom Brady. When Belichick and the Patriots split in January 2024, he held 333 regular-season and playoff wins, trailing only Don Shula (347) for the NFL record.

Belichick was later linked to NFL jobs but nothing materialized. That eventually led to the unlikely pairing with UNC when the school moved on from Mack Brown. At the time, Belichick said he “always wanted” to try college coaching and cited his late father Steve’s connection as a Tar Heels assistant in the 1950s.

In months since, he’s popped up at men’s basketball and baseball games and can rattle off a list of stops — Atlanta, New York and Chicago, included — on the donor circuit.

“It’s really fun to be part of a school,” Belichick said last month. “I grew up in Annapolis at the Naval Academy and there’s only one team: there’s Navy. It didn’t matter if it was Navy baseball, Navy lacrosse, Navy football, Navy swimming, Navy this, Navy that — you always root for the same team. … So you’re really part of a community.”

UNC gave Belichick a five-year deal, the first three guaranteed at $10 million in base and supplemental pay, to spark a program that last won an ACC title in 1980. It comes as the sport’s role as the revenue driver in college athletics has never been more important, particularly with July’s introduction of revenue sharing.

In a recent athletics department podcast, chancellor Lee Roberts pointed to early returns in added buzz from Belichick’s mere presence.

“I’d say, in a lot of ways the experiment — and I think that’s the right word — has already been successful,” Roberts said.

Coaching relationships

Of course, questions abounded. Among the biggest: would the NFL lifer known for terse and gruff responses in Patriots news conferences really hit the recruiting trail?

Rolesville High coach Ranier Rackley was quickly convinced.

His school, about 40 miles east of Chapel Hill, was an immediate stop for Belichick with the Rams featuring multiple prospects, including four-star senior edge rusher Zavion Griffin-Haynes.

“There was a situation for me with my schedule that I had to change the dates of him originally coming,” Rackley said. “He was like, ‘No, we’ll make it around your schedule.’ And he did that. For me, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is Bill Belichick adjusting to my schedule to come see my kids.’”

Rackley recalled Belichick spending two hours in his first visit “talking about ball, talking about life” while working to build relationships. Rackley said there’s an “open-door policy” for him to visit or talk with UNC’s staff, and that Belichick had been receptive to Rackley’s observations.

That included a tip to look at defensive lineman Xavier Lewis, landing the former Austin Peay recruit on UNC’s roster as a freshman.

Rackley said six of his players have UNC offers with three committed: Griffin-Haynes; his brother Jayden, a linebacker and fellow senior; and junior running back Amir Brown.

“Even when I go out to practices, when (Belichick) sees us, before he goes to anybody else, he’ll come talk to us,” Rackley said. “That means something to me. Not saying other coaches haven’t done that, but the fact that I know my guys will be in good hands — that makes me settled in my spirit, in my heart, that they’re going to be OK.”

Convincing a mother

Winning over Mom, however, is a tougher sell. And Latara Griffin, mother to the Griffin-Haynes brothers, wasn’t going to be easily swayed by numbers on a résumé.

“I am really a football mom,” she said. “I care about my kids. I care about being able to lay my head down at night and know my kids are good and being taken care of.”

So she didn’t hold back when questioning Belichick, including how he’d go from coaching grown men to teenagers never having lived away from home. Or whether this was a one-year pitstop before returning to the NFL.

Griffin said she sensed some nervousness from the coaching great in early conversations, though that faded into a welcoming vibe. She described establishing a strong connection with UNC’s defensive coordinator — Belichick’s son, Steve, and his family — and appreciated the elder Belichick’s effort to understand the importance for the brothers to play together.

After prayer-filled days for her, the brothers announced their commitment to UNC in June for a January enrollment.

“I think after being around us a little bit more, I’ve seen him kind of be a little bit more open: telling jokes, laughing and smiling,” she said with a laugh. “When you see Bill Belichick on pictures, you don’t really feel like he’s funny and cool like that. But he is.”

What’s ahead

Belichick’s current players, meanwhile, have had time to get past star-struck first encounters with a man they grew up watching at the sport’s highest level.

“It’s pretty normal now,” receiver Alex Taylor said.

Still, that doesn’t mean Belichick’s presence has lost its luster, or that friends and families have stopped inquiring about what Belichick is like.

“Honestly it’s just every meeting I walk into, every new day,” Boise State transfer linebacker Andrew Simpson said, “I just sit there and I understand that I’m in front of greatness.”

The only thing left now? Actually winning games.

“The whole college football world is going to notice in regards to what they’re going to bring,” Rackley said of UNC’s staff. “It’s going to be interesting to see, man.”

___

AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas, contributed to this report.

Longtime WRAL anchor Charlie Gaddy dies at 93

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Charlie Gaddy, one of North Carolina’s most recognizable broadcasters and a longtime anchor on WRAL-TV, has died at age 93.

Before beginning his television career, Gaddy worked for a time at WPTF, the flagship station of the North Carolina News Network. In a 2024 interview marking WPTF’s 100th anniversary, he recalled the early days of local radio programming, including a show called Ask Your Neighbor.

“It was just something that somebody came up with as an idea, and they tried it to see how it would work,” Gaddy said. “And it worked beautifully. It was a very popular program and lasted a long time. But that’s how it started.”

Gaddy was born in Biscoe, North Carolina, attended Guilford College, and served in the U.S. Army. He became a household name across central North Carolina during his years anchoring WRAL’s evening newscasts, known for his calm demeanor and trusted presence.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Speaker Johnson faces an unruly House as lawmakers return for shutdown vote

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — After refusing to convene the U.S. House during the government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson is recalling lawmakers back into session — and facing an avalanche of pent-up legislative demands from those who have largely been sidelined from governing.

Hundreds of representatives are preparing to return Wednesday to Washington after a nearly eight-week absence, carrying a torrent of ideas, proposals and frustrations over work that has stalled when the Republican speaker shuttered the House doors nearly two months ago.

First will be a vote to reopen the government. But that’s just the start. With efforts to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and the swearing in of Arizona’s Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, the unfinished business will pose a fresh test to Johnson’s grip on power and put a renewed focus on his leadership.

“It’s extraordinary,” said Matthew Green, a professor at the politics department at The Catholic University of America.

“What Speaker Johnson and Republicans are doing, you have to go back decades to find an example where the House — either chamber — decided not to meet.”

Gaveling in after two months gone

When the House gavels back into session, it will close this remarkable chapter of Johnson’s tenure when he showed himself to be a leader who is quietly, but brazenly, willing to upend institutional norms in pursuit of his broader strategy, even at the risk of diminishing the House itself.

Rather than use the immense powers of the speaker’s office to forcefully steer the debate in Congress, as a coequal branch of the government on par with the executive and the courts, Johnson simply closed up shop — allowing the House to become unusually deferential, particularly to President Donald Trump.

Over these past weeks, the chamber has sidestepped its basic responsibilities, from passing routine legislation to conducting oversight. The silencing of the speaker’s gavel has been both unusual and surprising in a system of government where the founders envisioned the branches would vigorously protect their institutional prerogatives.

“You can see it is pretty empty around here,” Johnson, R-La., said on day three of the shutdown, tour groups no longer crowding the halls.

“When Congress decides to turn off the lights, it shifts the authority to the executive branch. That is how it works,” he said, blaming Democrats, with their fight over health care funds, for the closures.

An empty House as a political strategy

The speaker has defended his decision to shutter the House during what’s now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. He argued that the chamber, under the GOP majority, had already done its job passing a stopgap funding bill in September. It would be up to the Senate to act, he said.

When the Senate failed over and over to advance the House bill, more than a dozen times, he refused to enter talks with the other leaders on a compromise. Johnson also encouraged Trump to cancel an initial sit-down with the Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to avoid a broader negotiation while the government was still closed.

Instead, the speaker, whose job is outlined in the Constitution, second in line of succession to the presidency, held held almost daily press conferences on his side of the Capitol, a weekly conference call with GOP lawmakers, and private talks with Trump. He joined the president for Sunday’s NFL Washington Commanders game as the Senate was slogging through a weekend session.

“People say, why aren’t you negotiating with Schumer and Jeffries? I quite literally have nothing to negotiate,” Johnson said at one point.

“As I’ve said time and time again, I don’t have anything to negotiate with,” he said on day 13 of the shutdown. “We did our job. We had that vote.”

And besides he said of the GOP lawmakers, “They are doing some of their best work in the district, helping their constituents navigate this crisis.”

Accidental speaker delivers for Trump

In many ways, Johnson has become a surprisingly effective leader, an accidental speaker who was elected to the job by his colleagues after all others failed to win it. He has now lasted more than two years, longer than many once envisioned.

This year, with Trump’s return to the White House, the speaker has commandeered his slim GOP majority and passed legislation including the president’s so-called “one big beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending reductions that became law this summer.

Johnson’s shutdown strategy also largely achieved his goal, forcing Senate Democrats to break ranks and approve the funds to reopen government without the extension of health care subsidies they were demanding to help ease the sticker shock of rising insurance premium costs with the Affordable Care Act.

Johnson’s approach is seen as one that manages up — he stays close to Trump and says they speak often — and also hammers down, imposing a rigid control over the day-to-day schedule of the House, and its lawmakers.

Amassing quiet power

Under a House rules change this year, Johnson was able to keep the chamber shuttered indefinitely on his own, without the usual required vote. This year his leadership team has allowed fewer opportunities for amendments on legislation, according to a recent tally. Other changes have curtailed the House’s ability to provide a robust check on the executive branch over Trump’s tariffs and use of war powers.

Johnson’s refusal to swear-in Grijalva is a remarkable flex of the speaker’s power, leading to comparisons with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision not to consider President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, said David Rapallo, an associate professor and director of the Federal Legislation Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center. Arizona has sued to seat her.

Marc Short, who headed up the White House’s legislative affairs office during the first Trump administration, said of Johnson, “It’s impressive how he’s held the conference together.”

But said Short, “The legislative branch has abdicated a lot of responsibility to the executive under his watch.”

Tough decisions ahead for the Speaker

As lawmakers make their way back to Washington, the speaker’s power will be tested again as they consider the package to reopen government.

Republicans are certain to have complaints about the bill, which funds much of the federal government through Jan. 30 and keeps certain programs including agriculture, military construction and veterans affairs running through September.

But with House Democratic leaders rejecting the package for having failed to address the health care subsidies, it will be up to Johnson to muscle it through with mostly GOP lawmakers — with hardly any room for defections in the chamber that’s narrowly split.

Jeffries, who has criticized House Republicans for what he called an extended vacation, said, “They’re not going to be able to hide this week when they return.”

Overnight Oats

This recipe is a lifesaver on busy mornings. It’s super easy to prep, and makes for a great start to your day.

Ingredients

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
¼ cup Greek yogurt (optional for creaminess)
1–2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Optional Flavor Combos:

Apple Cinnamon:
Stir in ½ cup grated or chopped apple, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg.
Top with extra apple slices and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Maple Pecan:
Add 1 tablespoon chopped pecans, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Top with toasted pecans and a few banana slices.
Pumpkin Pie:
Mix in 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and a touch of brown sugar.
Top with crushed graham crackers or granola.
Berry Almond:
Add ¼ cup frozen or fresh berries and 1 teaspoon almond butter.
Top with sliced almonds.

Instructions

1. Make the base
In a jar or container with a lid, combine the oats, milk, yogurt, sweetener, vanilla and salt. Stir well.

2. Add the toppings
Add your desired flavor mix-ins. (see ideas above or make it your own!)

3. Refrigerate
Cover and refrigerate overnight for at least 6 hours.

4. Finishing touches
In the morning, stir and add a splash of milk if it’s too thick and top with fresh fruit, nuts, or seeds before serving.

5. Enjoy
Grab a spoon and enjoy at home or on-the-go!

November 11th 2025

Thought of the Day

Mondays are for people with a mission.

Senate approves bill to end the shutdown, sending it to the House

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end as a small group of Democrats ratified a deal with Republicans despite searing criticism from within their party.

The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation. President Donald Trump has signaled support for the bill, saying Monday that “we’re going to be opening up our country very quickly.”

The final Senate vote, 60-40, broke a grueling stalemate that lasted more than six weeks as Democrats demanded that Republicans negotiate with them to extend health care tax credits that expire Jan. 1. The Republicans never did, and five moderate Democrats eventually switched their votes as federal food aid was delayed, airport delays worsened and hundreds of thousands of federal workers continued to go unpaid.

After the vote, Senate Majority leader John Thune, R-S.D., thanked unpaid staff and Capitol Police who stood near him on the floor. He said he realized the strain had been immense for “six excruciating weeks.”

“I am very, very happy to be able to say we are coming to the end,” Thune said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to start returning to Washington “right now” given shutdown-related travel delays. “We have to do this as quickly as possible,” said Johnson, who has kept the House out of session since mid-September, when the House passed a bill to continue government funding.

How the stalemate ended

After weeks of negotiations, A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January. Republicans promised to hold a vote to extend the health care subsidies by mid-December, but there was no guarantee of success.

Shaheen said Monday that “this was the option on the table” after Republicans had refused to budge.

“We had reached a point where I think a number of us believed that the shutdown had been very effective in raising the concern about health care,” she said, and the promise for a future vote “gives us an opportunity to continue to address that going forward.”

The legislation includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. It also protects federal workers against further layoffs through January and guarantees they are paid once the shutdown is over.

In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted Sunday in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes. All other Democrats, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, voted against it.

The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as 10 to 12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations. But in the end, only five switched their votes — the exact number that Republicans needed. King, Cortez Masto and Fetterman had already been voting to open the government since Oct. 1.

Many Democrats call the vote a “mistake”

Schumer, who received blowback from his party in March when he voted to keep the government open, said he could not “in good faith” support it after meeting with his caucus for more than two hours on Sunday.

“We will not give up the fight,” Schumer said, adding that Democrats have now “sounded the alarm” on health care.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said “we could have won” and giving up will only embolden Trump. He said voters were on their side after overwhelming wins for Democrats in last week’s elections.

“We were building momentum to help save our democracy,” Murphy said.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said that striking a deal was “a horrific mistake.”

Others gave Schumer a nod of support. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had criticized Schumer in March after his vote to keep the government open. But he praised the Senate Democratic leader on Monday and expressed support for his leadership throughout the shutdown.

“The American people know we are on the right side of this fight,” Jeffries said Monday, pointing to Tuesday’s election results.

Health care debate ahead

It’s unclear whether the two parties would be able to find any common ground on the health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to bringing it up in his chamber.

On Monday, Johnson said House Republicans have always been open to voting to reform what he called the “unaffordable care act” but again did not say if they would vote on the subsidies.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies. Some argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins said Monday that she’s supportive of extending the tax credits with changes, like new income caps. Some Democrats have signaled they could be open to that idea.

“We do need to act by the end of the year, and that is exactly what the majority leader has promised,” Collins said.

Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.

In a possible preview, the Senate voted 47-53 along party lines Monday not to extend the subsidies for a year. Majority Republicans allowed the vote as part of a separate deal with Democrats to speed up votes and send the legislation to the House.

___

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Michelle Price and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

PGA Tour returning to Asheville for the first time in 86 years as it adds to fall schedule

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The PGA Tour is returning to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for the first time in 86 years, announcing Monday a FedEx Cup Fall event starting next September to be sponsored by the Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville.

The Biltmore Championship in Asheville is scheduled for Sept. 17-20, 2026, the second new fall event the tour has announced in the last month. It will be held at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, a Jack Nicklaus signature design.

North Carolina already has the Truist Championship in Charlotte (May) and Wyndham Championship in Greensboro (August).

The PGA Tour was last in Asheville in 1942, a four-year run of a tournament called Land of the Sky Open. Ben Hogan won his first individual tour title in 1940, the start of winning three in a row at Asheville.

It was held a week before the Masters from 1940 through 1942. Now it will be the third week in September at a time most players are simply trying to retain their PGA Tour cards.

The LPGA Tour played in Asheville from 1957 through 1960.

The announcement of the four-year deal with Asheville adds to a growing Fall 2026 schedule. The Good Good Championship in Austin, Texas, will be Nov. 12-15. Other Fall Series events for 2026 include stops in Utah, Japan, Mexico, Bermuda and the southeast Georgia coast.

Supreme Court rejects call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

The justices, without comment, turned away an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the high court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Davis had been trying to get the court to overturn a lower-court order for her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple denied a marriage license.

Her lawyers repeatedly invoked the words of Justice Clarence Thomas, who alone among the nine justices has called for erasing the same-sex marriage ruling.

Thomas was among four dissenting justices in 2015. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito are the other dissenters who are on the court today.

Roberts has been silent on the subject since he wrote a dissenting opinion in the case. Alito has continued to criticize the decision, but he said recently he was not advocating that it be overturned.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was not on the court in 2015, has said that there are times when the court should correct mistakes and overturn decisions, as it did in the 2022 case that ended a constitutional right to abortion.

But Barrett has suggested recently that same-sex marriage might be in a different category than abortion because people have relied on the decision when they married and had children.

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson praised the justices’ decision not to intervene. “The Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences,” Robinson said in a statement.

Davis drew national attention to eastern Kentucky’s Rowan County when she turned away same-sex couples, saying her faith prevented her from complying with the high court ruling. She defied court orders to issue the licenses until a federal judge jailed her for contempt of court in September 2015.

She was released after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. The Kentucky legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses.

Davis lost a reelection bid in 2018.

Lasagna Soup

This recipe is cozy, unique and can last for multiple meals! It’s super flavorful and you can customize the protein and spices to your preferences.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (or ground beef/turkey)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup marinara sauce (optional, for richer flavor)
8–10 lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the cheese topping
¾ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or basil
Optional garnishes
Extra mozzarella or Parmesan
Fresh basil or parsley
Drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook the protein
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage (or protein of choice) and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon. Drain excess fat if needed.

2.Add onion, tomato paste and spices
Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes, then cook for 1 more minute. Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to deepen flavor.

3. Add thickeners
Pour in crushed tomatoes, broth, and marinara (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

4. Add the noodles
Add the broken lasagna noodles and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and herbs.

5. Serve it hot
Spoon into bowls and top with the cheese mixture, and enjoy this hearty and cozy soup.

November 10th 2025

Thought of the Day

Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.

No. 25 North Carolina guard Seth Trimble breaks arm in team workout

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — No. 25 North Carolina senior guard Seth Trimble is out indefinitely after suffering a broken left forearm during a workout on Sunday.

The school said a timetable for Trimble’s return will be determined following surgery this week.

“So sad for Seth,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said in a statement. “He’s such a great kid and teammate and has worked so hard for his senior year. He loves being a Tar Heel and we love him. The good news is he will be back at some point this year, and I know he will continue to be a great leader for us until he can get back in the lineup.”

Trimble entered the season as a team leader on a roster with 11 new players and had a huge immediate impact in the Tar Heels’ 87-74 win over No. 19 Kansas on Friday.

The 6-foot-3, fourth-year player rebounded from a quiet first half to score 13 of his 17 points in the second as North Carolina rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit. Trimble also played a crucial role defensively, helping to slow Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson in the second half.

Trimble averaged 11.7 points per game last season, an increase of more than six points from 2023-24.

Senate is poised to take the first steps to end 40-day shutdown

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is voting on the first steps to end the 40-day government shutdown Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who wanted to continue the fight.

The group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — said they would vote to reopen if the Senate passed three annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January. Senate Majority Leader John Thune endorsed the deal Sunday night and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it.

Watch live as senators work through a weekend session, seeking to end the government shutdown that has now lasted 40 days. (AP Video)

“The time to act is now,” Thune said.

The deal would also include a future vote on the health care subsidies, which would not have a guaranteed outcome, and a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers that have happened since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. The full text of the deal has not yet been released.

“We must not delay any longer,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins said in a Senate floor speech, adding that she is “relieved” that the shutdown appeared headed toward an end.

Republicans need five Democratic votes to reopen the government. In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to millions of federal workers, also said he would support the agreement.

After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support it.

“America is in the midst of a Republican-made health care crisis,” Schumer said on the floor just ahead of the expected votes. He said Americans would “suffer immensely” and that the crisis would only get worse.

“Democrats have sounded the alarm,” Schumer said, and “will not give up the fight.”

Final passage of the legislation could take several days if Democrats object and draw out the process. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said that giving up the fight was a “horrific mistake.”

Republicans have been working with the group of moderates as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay. But many Democrats have warned their colleagues against giving in, arguing that they can’t end the fight without an agreement to extend the health subsidies.

Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”

A bipartisan agreement

Democrats have now voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they have demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans have refused to negotiate on the health care subsidies while the government is closed, but they have been supportive of the proposal from moderate Democrats as it emerged over the last several days.

The agreement would fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things — and extend funding for everything else until the end of January. It would take up Republicans on their longstanding offer to hold a future vote on the health care subsidies, with that vote occurring by the middle of December, the people said.

The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburses states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January, the people said, and guarantee all federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.

“I have long said that to earn my vote, we need to be on a path toward fixing Republicans’ health care mess and to protect the federal workforce,” Kaine said.

Alongside the funding fix, Republicans released final legislative text of three full-year spending bills Sunday. That legislation keeps a ban on pay raises for lawmakers but boosts their security by $203.5 million in response to increased threats. There’s also a provision championed by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to prevent the sale of some hemp-based products.

Democratic pushback expected

Republicans only need five votes from Democrats to reopen the government, so a handful of senators could end the shutdown with only the promise of a later vote on health care. Around 10 to 12 Democrats have been involved in the talks, and the three people familiar with the agreement said they had enough votes to join with Republicans and pass the deal.

Many of their Democratic colleagues are saying the emerging deal is not enough.

“I really wanted to get something on health care,” said Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. “I’m going to hear about it right now, but it doesn’t look like it has something concrete.”

House Democrats were also chiming in against it. Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn’t reduce health care costs is a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.

“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.”

Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that “if people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you.”

Even if the Senate were to move forward with funding legislation, getting to a final vote could take several days if Democrats who oppose the deal object and draw out the process. The first vote, which could come as soon as Sunday evening, would be to proceed to consideration of the legislation.

Republicans preview health care debate

There is no guarantee that the Affordable Care Act subsidies would be extended if Republicans agree to a future vote on health care. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to a health vote.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.

Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.

“THE WORST HEALTHCARE FOR THE HIGHEST PRICE,” Trump said of the Affordable Care Act in a post Sunday.

Shutdown effects worsen

Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown were compounding. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.

Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be “reduced to a trickle” if the government doesn’t reopen.

At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were caught up in legal battles related to the shutdown. More than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” as Trump’s administration is demanding states “undo” benefits paid out under judges’ orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings.

And in Washington, home to millions of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it is providing 8 million more meals than it had prepared to this budget year — a nearly 20% increase.

___

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

The setting

College pivot

Coaching relationships

Convincing a mother

What’s ahead

Gaveling in after two months gone

An empty House as a political strategy

Accidental speaker delivers for Trump

Amassing quiet power

Tough decisions ahead for the Speaker

Ingredients

Instructions

Thought of the Day

How the stalemate ended

Many Democrats call the vote a “mistake”

Health care debate ahead

Ingredients

Instructions

Thought of the Day

A bipartisan agreement

Democratic pushback expected

Republicans preview health care debate

Shutdown effects worsen

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