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.
NEW YORK (AP) — A mixed day of trading left the U.S. stock market split on Tuesday as Wall Street’s momentum slowed after setting record highs in each of the last two days.
The S&P 500 dipped 0.1% for its first loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 400 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.8%.
Tesla tugged on the market as the relationship between its CEO, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump soured even further. Once allies, the two have clashed recently, and Trump suggested there’s potentially “BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED” by scrutinizing subsidies, contracts or other government spending going to Musk’s companies.
Tesla fell 5.3% and was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500. It has lost just over a quarter of its value so far this year, 25.5%, in large part because of Musk’s and Trump’s feud.
Drops for several darlings of the artificial-intelligence frenzy also weighed on the market. Nvidia’s decline of 3% was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500.
But more stocks within the index rose than fell, led by several casino companies. They rallied following a report showing better-than-expected growth in overall gaming revenue in Macao, China’s casino hub. Las Vegas Sands gained 8.9%, Wynn Resorts climbed 8.8% and MGM Resorts International rose 7.3%.
Automakers outside of Tesla were also strong, with General Motors up 5.7% and Ford Motor up 4.6%.
All told, the S&P 500 slipped 6.94 points to 6,198.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 400.17 to 44,494.94, and the Nasdaq composite fell 166.84 to 20,202.89.
Many of Trump’s stiff proposed taxes on imports are currently on pause, and they’re scheduled to kick into effect in about a week. Depending on how big they are, they could hurt the economy and worsen inflation.
Washington is also making progress on proposed cuts to tax rates and other measures that could send the U.S. government’s debt spiraling higher, which could raise inflation. That in turn could mean higher interest rates, which would hurt prices for bonds, stocks and other investments.
Despite such challenges, strategists at Barclays say they see signals of euphoria among some investors. The strategists say a measure that tries to show how much “excess optimism” is in the market is not far from the peaks seen during the “meme stock” craze that sent GameStop to market-bending heights or to the dot-com bubble at the turn of the millennium.
Other signals include demand for what are known as “blank-check companies,” which are essentially piles of cash that hunt for privately held companies to buy. When too much optimism is in the market, it can inflate stock prices to too-high levels in what’s called a “bubble.”
Of course, “market bubbles are infamously difficult to predict and can endure far longer than anticipated before correcting,” according to the Barclays strategists led by Stefano Pascale and Anshul Gupta.
In the bond market, Treasury yields swiveled following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy.
One said U.S. employers were advertising more job openings at the end of May than the month before and than economists expected. That could be an encouraging signal for a job market that had been appearing to settle into a low-hire, low-fire state.
Separate reports on U.S. manufacturing were more mixed. One from the Institute for Supply Management said U.S. manufacturing activity shrank again in June, though not by as much as the month before.
“Customers do not want to make commitments in the wake of massive tariff uncertainty,” one survey respondent in the fabricated metal products industry said.
A separate report from S&P Global suggested manufacturing production returned to growth in June after three months of declines.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.24%, where it was late Monday, after bouncing from a modest loss to a modest gain earlier in the day.
The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with its main interest rate, rose more sharply to 3.77% from 3.72%. Better-than-expected data on the economy could push the Fed to stay on pause with interest rates, after it halted its cuts to rates at the start of this year.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said again on Tuesday that he wants to wait for more evidence about how Trump’s tariffs will affect the economy and inflation before resuming cuts to interest rates. That’s despite Trump’s angry insistences lately that Powell and the Fed act more quickly to give the economy a boost through lower rates.
In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.2%, and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.6% for two of the larger moves.
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AP Writers Teresa Cerojano and Matt Ott contributed.
By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
OCHOPEE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday toured a new immigration detention center surrounded by alligator-filled swamps in the Florida Everglades, suggesting it could be a model for future lockups nationwide as his administration races to expand the infrastructure necessary for increasing deportations.
Trump said he’d like to see similar centers in “really, many states” and raised the prospect of also deporting U.S. citizens. He endorsed having Florida National Guard forces serve as immigration judges to ensure migrants are ejected from the country even faster, despite the dubious constitutional implications of doing so.
President Donald Trump says migrants would need to know “how to run away from an alligator” to flee the new detention center he’s visiting in a remote area of the Florida Everglades. (AP Video)
“Pretty soon, this facility will handle the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet,” Trump said of the Florida site known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
He added: “The only way out, really, is deportation.”
Hundreds of protesters converged outside the site — a remote airstrip with tents and trailers. They waved signs calling for the humane treatment of migrants as well as the protection of the expansive preserve that is home to a few Native American tribes and many endangered animal species.
The administration sees the location as a plus
The White House has delighted in the area’s remoteness — about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Miami — and the fact that it is teeming with pythons and alligators. It hopes to convey a message to detainees and the rest of the world that repercussions will be severe if the immigration laws of the United States are not followed.
Before arriving, Trump even joked of migrants being held there, “We’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison.”
“Don’t run in a straight line. Run like this,” Trump said, as he moved his hand in a zigzag motion. “And you know what? Your chances go up about 1%.” Alligator experts suggest it is better to dash in one direction in the rare situation when the reptile gives chase, according to a website run by the University of Florida.
Trump on his tour walked through medical facilities and other parts of the detention center, then held a lengthy roundtable where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and assorted state and federal officials, heaped him with praise.
Authorities originally suggested it could house up to 5,000 detainees upon completion, but DeSantis said it would actually hold around 3,000, with some starting to arrive Wednesday.
The center was built in eight days over 10 miles (16 kilometers) of Everglades. It features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire and 400 security personnel.
Trump dismissed concerns from critics, particularly the argument of the potential impact on a delicate ecosystem. He said there was already an airstrip in the area, which meant authorities won’t be “dropping dirt.”
“Frankly, it’s, like, perfect,” Trump said. “I don’t think you’re doing anything to the Everglades. You’re just enhancing it.”
Other, though, are appalled, including Phyllis Andrews, a retired teacher who drove from Naples, Florida, to protest Trump’s visit and called migrants “fine people.”
“They do not deserve to be incarcerated here,” Andrews said. ”It’s terrible that there’s a bounty on their head.”
Some Trump supporters showed up near the detention center as well, including Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the Proud Boys whom Trump pardoned for his conviction related to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. He suggested Trump won last year’s election because voters wanted “mass deportation” and “retribution.”
Part of a larger Trump immigration push
Crackdowns on the U.S.-Mexico border and harsh immigration policies have long been a centerpiece of Trump’s political brand for years. During his first term in 2019, Trump denied reports that he floated the idea of building a moat filled with alligators at the southern border.
Trump has more recently suggested that his administration could reopen Alcatraz, the notorious island prison off San Francisco. The White House similarly promoted the political shock value of sending some immigrants awaiting deportation from the U.S. to a detention lockup in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and others to a megaprison in El Salvador.
His administration has vowed that mass deportations are coming, even if some of those notions are impractical. Transforming Alcatraz from a tourist attraction into a prison would be very costly, and Guantánamo Bay is being used less often than administration officials originally envisioned.
Trump also mused Tuesday about deporting dangerous people born in the United States, like ones who “knife you when you’re walking down the street” or who kill people from behind with a baseball bat.
“They’re not new to our country. They’re old to our country. Many of them were born in our country. I think we ought to get them the hell out of here, too,” Trump said. “So maybe that’ll be the next job that we’ll work on together.”
Alluding to his criminal indictments during President Joe Biden’s administration, Trump said of the detention facility, “Biden wanted me here,” using an expletive to describe his predecessor.
Construction of the Everglades site came together fast
Florida plans to offer members of the National Guard to be “deputized” and assist immigration judges, as a way to loosen another chokepoint in the country’s long-overburdened immigration court system. Guard personnel could provide site security along perimeter and entry control points, but also serve as staff augmentation while being ready to provide other support, officials say.
The detention center has an estimated annual cost of $450 million, but state officials say at least some of that will be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency — which is best known for responding to hurricanes and other natural disasters.
During his tour, Trump greeted around 20 FEMA employees and construction workers and bonded with DeSantis, who once bitterly challenged him for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
“We have blood that seems to match pretty well,” Trump said of Florida’s governor. When DeSantis suggested that members of the Guard could ease immigration judges’ workloads, Trump offered, “He didn’t even have to ask me. He has my approval.”
Encouraging self-deportation?
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was also on the tour, said immigrants arriving to the site could still opt to “self-deport” and board flights to their home countries rather than being held in it. She said she hoped “my phone rings off the hook” with other states looking to follow Florida’s lead and open similar sites.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees are generally held for reasons like entering the country illegally or overstaying a visa. They are either waiting for ICE to put them on the next flight or bus ride home, or they’re fighting their removal in immigration court.
As of mid-June, ICE detention facilities held more than 56,000 immigrants, the most since 2019.
During his visit, Trump was informed that the sweeping tax cut and spending bill the White House has championed had cleared the Senate, drawing applause. The president said his being in Florida, rather than helping promote bill in Washington, underscored the importance of the immigration issue.
“I’m here, and I probably should be there,” he said, shortly before flying back to the White House.
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Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida, Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.
By LISA MASCARO, MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans hauled President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of votes, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session.
Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top. The three Republicans opposing the bill were Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the president’s signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval, or collapse.
Senators are considering proposed amendments to President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, hunkering down for a series of votes on Monday. (AP Video)
The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point is not expected to let up. The package now goes back to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.
The outcome is a pivotal moment for president and his party, which have been consumed by the 940-page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as it’s formally titled, and invested their political capital in delivering on the GOP’s sweep of power in Washington.
“I don’t want to go too crazy with cuts,” he said. “I don’t like cuts.”
What started as a routine but laborious day of amendment voting, in a process called vote-a-rama, spiraled into a round-the-clock slog as Republican leaders were buying time to shore up support.
The droning roll calls in the chamber belied the frenzied action to steady the bill. Grim-faced scenes played out on and off the Senate floor, amid exhaustion.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota was desperately reaching for last-minute agreements between those in his party worried the bill’s reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care, and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts.
The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities. Thune can lose no more than three Republican senators, and already two — Tillis, who warned that millions of people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Paul, who opposes raising the debt limit by $5 trillion — had indicated opposition.
Attention quickly turned to two key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Collins, who also raised concerns about health care cuts, as well as a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions.
Murkowski in particular became the subject of the GOP leadership’s attention, as they sat beside her for talks. She was huddled intensely for more than an hour in the back of the chamber with others, scribbling notes on papers.
Then all eyes were on Paul after he returned from a visit to Thune’s office with a stunning offer that could win his vote. He had suggested substantially lowering the bill’s increase in the debt ceiling, according to two people familiar with the private meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said “Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular.”
And on social media, billionaire Elon Musk was again lashing out at Republicans as “the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” for including the $5 trillion debt ceiling in the package, which is needed to allow continued borrowing to pay the bills.Senators insist on changes
Few Republicans appeared fully satisfied as the final package emerges, in either the House or Senate.
Collins had proposed bolstering the $25 billion proposed rural hospital fund to $50 billion, offset with a higher tax rate on those earning more than $25 million a year, but her amendment failed.
And Murkowski was trying to secure provisions to spare people in her state from some food stamp cuts, which appeared to be accepted, while she was also working to beef up federal reimbursements to hospitals in Alaska and others states, that did not comply with parliamentary rules.
“Radio silence,” Murkowski said when asked how she would vote.
The conservative senators demanding a vote on their steeper health care cuts, including Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, filed into Thune’s office near-midnight.What’s in the big bill
All told, the Senate bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, according to the latest CBO analysis, making permanent Trump’s 2017 rates, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, including no taxes on tips.
The Senate package would roll back billions of dollars in green energy tax credits, which Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide. It would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to Medicaid and food stamps, by imposing work requirements on able-bodied people, including some parents and older Americans, making sign-up eligibility more stringent and changing federal reimbursements to states.
Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for border and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants.Democrats fighting all day and night
Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats tried to drag out the process, including with a weekend reading of the full bill.
A few of the Democratic amendments won support from a few Republicans, though almost none were passing. More were considered in one of the longer such sessions in modern times.
One amendment overwhelmingly approved stripped a provision barring states from regulating artificial intelligence if they receive certain federal funding.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump’s first term are now “current policy” and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits.
She said that kind of “magic math” won’t fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books.
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Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti, Darelene Superville and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) — Electronics maker Jabil Inc. aims to create nearly 1,200 jobs in central North Carolina, spending $500 million to create a manufacturing facility that will support cloud computing and artificial intelligence data centers.
Gov. Josh Stein’s office and the company said the manufacturing operation will be in Rowan County, which is about 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) northeast of Charlotte.
The investment will be made over several years, with capital spending of $264 million and 1,181 jobs proposed by the end of 2030, according to a state document released Monday along with the plant’s planned location.
The Florida-based multinational company already has 30 locations in the U.S., including three in North Carolina that employ about 1,000 workers. The minimum average wages for the new jobs will be about $62,000, with opportunities for manufacturing and engineering professionals, state officials said.
“The drive to build AI data centers is only accelerating in the United States,” Matt Crowley, a Jabil executive vice president, said in a news release by Stein’s office. “We are excited to help meet that demand, provide additional scale and capabilities for our data center customers, and empower the AI solutions of the future.”
North Carolina competed with Florida to host the project, according to a document provided by the state Commerce Department.
The document said state and local incentives total more than $21 million, from which Jabil could receive cash payments of $11.3 million over 12 years if it meets investment and job-creation thresholds. The Job Development Investment Grant was approved Monday by a state incentives committee, Stein’s office said.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Many years ago, my family and I were visiting relatives in Ohio in early April. On the way back home it snowed, although it did not stick to the roads. It stopped snowing as we were coming down Fancy Gap mountain on the Virginia-North Carolina border, just north of Mount Airy. I have vivid memories of a tree with white blooms that caught my eye. It was a Serviceberry (Amelanchier) which is in the rose family. It is also called Shadbush, Shadblow, Juneberry, and Sugarplum. Native to all three regions of North Carolina and I had never seen one, so I read up on it and asked Anne Clapp about this interesting tree.
The Serviceberry in North Carolina prefers full sun to partial shade to deal with our growing conditions. We have acid soil in North Carolina so this tree is happy here. The Serviceberry is fairly drought tolerant. You are wise, however, to water well during the first year until the root system matures.
The standard Serviceberry will grow to a height of 15 to 25 feet tall.
When planting your serviceberry in the spring or fall, be sure to dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball and deep enough for the top of the root ball to just peek over the top of the ground surface. You may choose to place something like Permatill or other type of aggregate material at the bottom of the hole, add some water and fill in dirt, compost, or organic matter of some kind. Add two to three inches of hardwood mulch. Keep in mind the evaporation rates are much higher in the spring.
Fertilize your serviceberry lightly with a slow-release fertilizer. The extension service often recommends something in the realm of a 12-6-6. Root protection can be achieved with the use of hardwood mulch or pine straw. This will also provide nutrients.
All birders will like the Serviceberry since it produces berries that birds love and can be used by humans in the form of jelly. I must say I have never eaten a serviceberry or jelly made from the berries. The white flowers will service all kinds of pollinators well.
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service has a recipe to share:
3.5 cups of serviceberry juice.
2 tbsp lemon juice.
6 tbsp pectin (Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin is a suggested brand).
5 cups granulated sugar
Prepare the serviceberry juice: You can extract juice by crushing the berries, adding a cup of water, bringing it to a boil, simmering for 10 minutes, and straining through a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth.
Combine and dissolve: Pour the serviceberry juice and lemon juice into a large stainless steel pan. Add the pectin and stir until dissolved.
Boil and add sugar: Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar and return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat and skim: Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any foam from the top.
Fill jars and process: Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Heat-process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.
There are a few varieties and cultivars that will work well in North Carolina. “Allegheny Serviceberry” is a native species found in western North Carolina. The Downy Serviceberry is also native and the folks at NC State say that you normally find the “Amelanchier aborea” in woodland areas of the states. “Robin Hill” has pink buds that eventually fade. “Autumn Brilliance” is known for its really good fall color. “Princess Diana” is also a popular variety and is much like “Autumn Brilliance.” “Cumulus” is an upright variety. “Dwarf Serviceberry” is smaller than the standard varieties and will save you some space.
The scientists at NC State University say Serviceberry insect pests include leafminers, spider mites, aphids, peach borer and scale. Diseases can include powdery mildew, cedar apple rust, fire blight and a few others. I’m not sure if I have enticed you to search for serviceberry. But it is after all a native tree with an interesting history which saw European settlers waiting for the blooms to appear as a sign of thawing ground and a time for burial services. I rarely see them in local nurseries, so you will have to ask if they can order one.
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham will transition next summer into a new advisory role to the school’s chancellor, while hiring RFK Racing team president Steve Newmark as his eventual successor.
The transition includes a two-year contract extension through July 2029 for the 63-year-old Cunningham, who has served as athletic director since late 2011. He will move to advising chancellor Lee Roberts and eventually Newmark on projects tied to athletics next summer, according to the school’s release.
“As part of my last contract extension, I committed to working with university leadership on a succession plan that would positively position Carolina Athletics and our 28 teams for the future,” Cunningham said in a statement.
“I appreciate the opportunity to extend my contract and enhance my role in a way that will allow me to continue to support our outstanding student-athletes, coaches and staff as we transition and navigate the changing athletics landscape. I am excited for the future.”
In the meantime, Newmark — who has been president of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing for 15 years — will spend the 2025-26 season working as an executive associate AD and reporting to Cunningham. The school said Newmark’s initial focus will be on “revenue-driving initiatives,” particularly tied to the school’s men’s basketball and football programs, before eventually taking over as AD after the sports season.
UNC’s announcement touted Newmark’s experience in sponsorships, marketing and contract negotiations — coming at a time of landscape-altering changes to college athletics with the arrival of revenue sharing. Newmark will start his first role Aug. 15.
“Like many passionate Tar Heel fans, avidly following UNC Athletics has represented a special and unique bond with my family and friends since childhood, and I recognize the role it serves for the University, alumni, community and broader fanbase,” Newmark said in a statement.
“I look forward to working with Bubba and the entire Tar Heel Nation to continue to elevate UNC’s status as a premier brand in college sports with top-tier programs across the board, and with student-athletes who represent North Carolina’s flagship institution with class on and off their respective playing fields. With collegiate athletics undergoing massive changes at all levels, UNC is well positioned to take advantage of the new landscape.”
Newmark is a Chapel Hill native with multiple ties to the school, including serving on an advisory committee in the hiring of six-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Belichick as football coach in December. He is also part of the advisory committee in the Rams Club’s search for a new executive director.
Before joining RFK Racing, Newmark was a partner in a Charlotte-based law firm and specialized in sports and entertainment, including work with the NCAA, Southeastern Conference and Conference USA, UNC said in its release.
Cunningham’s tenure included elevating Hubert Davis to take over as men’s basketball coach when Hall of Famer Roy Williams retired in April 2021, as well as Belichick’s hiring.
It also included navigating the school through a multi-year NCAA infractions case tied to academic courses popular with athletes. That case reached a no-penalty conclusion in October 2017.
The school also won often. Eight different programs combined for 24 of the school’s 63 national championships in Cunningham’s tenure, while the school also had 22 individual national titles across seven sports.
Cunningham also recently completed a five-year term on the committee that selects the men’s NCAA Tournament field, including serving last year as chairman.
This dish is slow-cooked comfort in a bowl. Hearty, smoky, and just the right amount of spice. It’s perfect for Sundays, Mardi Gras, or anytime you need a warm, stick-to-your-ribs meal. It takes time, but the result is pure magic.
Ingredients
For the beans:
1 lb. dried small red beans
2 bay leaves
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (divided)
Kosher salt
For the good stuff:
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 lb. smoked ham, chopped
12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced into ¼” rounds
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped (seeds and ribs removed)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
To serve:
Cooked white rice
Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
1. Start the soak. Sort through the beans and toss out any broken ones or little rocks (yep, they sneak in). Put the beans in a big container with a lid, add 2 tablespoons of salt and 10 cups of water, and give it a stir. Cover and let it soak at least 8 hours… overnight is even better.
2. Get the beans cooking. Drain and rinse your soaked beans, then move them to a large pot (5- to 6-quart is perfect). Cover with 2 quarts of fresh water, toss in the bay leaves and half the chopped onion, and bring it to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring now and then. Use a spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. That’s how you start to get that creamy texture.
3. Brown the ham. About 15 minutes before the beans are done, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the ham and cook until it’s browned and smells amazing, 7 to 9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop it into the pot with the beans.
4. Brown the sausage. Same skillet, now with the second tablespoon of oil. Cook the sausage rounds until they’ve got some nice color. Roughly 7 to 9 minutes. Add them to the beans too.
5. Cook the trinity. In that same skillet (don’t you dare clean it), toss in the remaining onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, stir until fragrant (1–2 minutes), then pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Scrape up those browned bits, then pour it all into the bean pot.
6. Let it all come together. Bring the whole pot to a simmer and let it go for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to a nice, gravy-like consistency. Toss the bay leaves.
7. Serve it up. Scoop white rice into bowls, ladle over the red beans and sausage, and finish with a little fresh parsley on top. You earned this one.
MURPHY, N.C. (AP) — A federal inmate escaped from custody at a medical clinic in western North Carolina and fatally shot a detention officer with his own gun Monday, then fled in a stolen vehicle before being captured in another county, a sheriff said.
The inmate had been taken to an orthopedics office in Murphy for undisclosed treatment when a scuffle began. The inmate took the officer’s weapon and shot him, Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith said at a news conference. The inmate ran into the parking lot, jumped into a vehicle that had just arrived and took off. The inmate was later apprehended in Macon County, nearly an hour to the east, Smith said.
A detention officer was fatally shot with his own gun Monday as a federal inmate escaped from custody at a medical clinic in western North Carolina, a sheriff said. (AP Video)
Smith said the inmate, Kelvin Simmons, 48, will be charged with first-degree murder.
The detention officer was identified as Francisco Paul Flattes, 56, a four-year employee of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Smith said Flattes’ wife also works for the county detention center.
Another officer suffered injuries unrelated to the shooting and was recovering, the sheriff said.
“This has been probably one of the worst days of my career,” Smith said.
Emergency personnel in Clay County had alerted Macon County deputies that the inmate was driving to their county on U.S. Route 64, authorities said. Simmons’ vehicle was stopped and he was detained after a short standoff. There were no injuries at the scene.
Smith said Simmons was already being held on bank robbery charges along with an October 2024 escape.
NEW YORK (AP) — Virginia swimmer Gretchen Walsh won the Honda Cup, given annually to the country’s top female college athlete, on Monday night.
She’s the ninth swimmer to win the award and first since Simone Manuel in 2018.
“This year’s Honda Cup winner, Gretchen Walsh, is nothing short of world-class,” said Chris Voelz, executive director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards. “Her performance at the national championships was extraordinary — shattering collegiate, American and even world records.
“We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments both in the pool and in the classroom, and we look forward to watching her continue to rise as she prepares for the World Championships and the 2028 Olympic Games. We’re thrilled to welcome Gretchen to the CWSA family, joining the elite group of swimmers who have earned this prestigious honor before her.”
The other two finalists for the award were UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers and Texas Tech softball pitcher NiJaree Canady. The top three were determined by votes from nearly 1,000 NCAA member schools, with the final Honda Cup recipient selected by the CWSA board of directors.
Caitlin Clark won the award the previous two years.
Walsh was a two-time Honda Award winner for swimming and diving. She helped Virginia to its fourth straight NCAA team title. She won seven NCAA championships this year, including the 50-yard freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and concluded her collegiate career with 25 NCAA titles (nine individual). She was 16 for 16 in NCAA relay finals in her career.
Walsh is the second Honda Cup winner from Virginia. Basketball star Dawn Staley won the award in 1991.
In addition to their athletic performance, the Honda Cup honors college athletes for their leadership, academics and community service.
By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Jury deliberations got underway on Monday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial and hit a snag almost as soon as they started. But, by the end of the day, jurors indicated they were making progress weighing complex charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life.
The first day of deliberations saw a flurry of notes from the jury and Combs and his supporters bowing their heads in prayer in the courtroom — but no verdict.
The jury of eight men and four women are sifting through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the rap, fashion and reality TV impresario ’s propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fueled sex marathons dubbed “ freak-offs ” or “hotel nights.”
The jury has started deliberating in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking case. The panel of eight men and four women began their closed-door discussions Monday. They are weighing charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. (AP video: Joseph B Frederick)
About an hour in, the foreperson reported that a juror might be having trouble following the 61 pages worth of instructions the judge had just read to them.
“We are concerned (the juror) cannot follow your honor’s instructions,” the foreperson said in a note to Judge Arun Subramanian just after 12:30 p.m.
After the judge originally proposed asking the jury foreperson the nature of concerns about the fellow juror, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested caution and that it was better to say less than more.
“We can always ratchet it up. We can’t ratchet it down,” Agnifilo said.
Subramanian sent his response to the jury around 2 p.m., reminding the panel to deliberate and to follow his instructions on the law.
The jury sent another note about three hours later asking for clarification on the part of the instructions addressing drug distribution — an allegation included in Combs’ racketeering conspiracy charge.
As deliberations were happening, Combs prayed with his family and friends in the courtroom. Wearing his customary sweater and khakis, he stood facing his contingent in the audience and bowed his head with them. As they finished, they applauded, along with Combs.
Combs also showed off two books he’s reading: “The Power of Positive Thinking,” by Norman Vincent Peale and “The Happiness Advantage,” by Shawn Achor.
As he sent the jury to deliberate, Subramanian told the five alternate jurors to remain on standby at home in case they’re needed at a later point.
Jurors were provided with a laptop loaded with all of the exhibits shown in court, including text messages, photographs and videos of the sexual encounters at the heart of the case.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking — relating to two of his ex-girlfriends — and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly his girlfriends and sex workers across state lines.
In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs’ defense team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records.
“The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said. “He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.”
She said that he used his “close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant’s every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs.”
Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, “This isn’t about crime. It’s about money.” He noted that one of Combs’ accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court.
“He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of these things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him,” the lawyer told jurors.
In all, 34 witnesses testified, headlined by Combs’ former girlfriends Cassie — the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura — and “ Jane,” who testified under a pseudonym. Both women said he often was violent toward them. Cassie said he forced her into hundreds of sexual encounters with paid male sex workers while Jane recounted numerous “hotel nights.”
Jurors also saw now-infamous security camera video of Combs beating, kicking and dragging Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 and clips from videos of sexual encounters.
Combs chose not to testify, and his lawyers didn’t call any witnesses in their defense case. His attorneys elected instead to challenge the accusers’ credibility during lengthy cross-examination questioning.
The defense has acknowledged that Combs veered into violence, but his lawyers maintain that the sex acts were consensual. They contend that prosecutors are intruding in Combs’ personal life and that he’s done nothing to warrant the charges against him.
