Category Archives: WPTF News

Flamingos are stirring up trouble and ravaging rice for risotto in Italy’s northeast

Flamingos are stirring up trouble and ravaging rice for risotto in Italy’s northeast

JOLANDA DI SAVOIA, Italy (AP) — Farmers in Italy’s northeastern Po Delta region are battling an unusual pest: flamingos. These birds have been invading rice paddies and damaging crops while searching for food like mollusks and insects. Farmers are using noisy tactics such as gas cannons and banging barrels to scare them off, but the birds often move to nearby fields. Some farmers report losing up to 90% of their crops. There have been no studies to determine why flamingos seek food inland where farmers flood fields from late spring to early summer. Ornithologists suggest humane solutions like planting hedges or lowering water levels in paddies to deter the birds while protecting the rice.… Continue Reading

Nutella maker Ferrero plans to buy century-old cereal maker WK Kellogg for $3.1 billion

Nutella maker Ferrero plans to buy century-old cereal maker WK Kellogg for $3.1 billion

Italian confectioner Ferrero, known for brands like Nutella and Kinder, is buying the century-old U.S. cereal company WK Kellogg in a deal valued at approximately $3.1 billion. The Ferrero Group said Thursday it will pay $23 for each Kellogg share. The transaction includes the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of WK Kellogg Co.’s portfolio of breakfast cereals across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Kellogg was founded in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1906. It makes Fruit Loops, Special K, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies. The deal still needs the approval of WK Kellogg’s shareholders.… Continue Reading

Harrowing stories of rescue emerge from Texas floods as crews search for over 160 reported missing

Harrowing stories of rescue emerge from Texas floods as crews search for over 160 reported missing

HUNT, Texas (AP) — Texas police described some of the harrowing rescues they conducted after flash floods engulfed camps and homes in the state’s Hill Country. An officer who was trapped himself spotted dozens of people stranded on roofs and waded out to bring them to safety. That’s according to a fellow officer who spoke Wednesday to a news conference. Another off-duty officer tied a garden hose around his waist so he could reach two people clinging to a tree above swirling floodwaters. More than 160 people still are believed to be missing and at least 118 have died in the floods. The floods are now the deadliest from inland flooding in the U.S. since 1976.… Continue Reading

North Carolina governor vetoes another set of bills, including one on guns in private schools

North Carolina governor vetoes another set of bills, including one on guns in private schools

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has cleared his desk of the last of the legislation passed to him from the North Carolina General Assembly this legislative session. The governor vetoed three of the bills Wednesday. One of the vetoed bills would allow certain people to carry firearms on private school property with permission from certain school administrators. Stein says the bill would make children less safe. Republican proponents say the bill would help private schools in rural areas. The two other vetoes deal with nonprofit donor information and removing unauthorized people from residential property. Possible veto override attempts could occur starting later this month.… Continue Reading

Gains for tech stocks push Nasdaq to another record

Gains for tech stocks push Nasdaq to another record

A rally in big tech stocks led Wall Street to a higher close, lifting the Nasdaq to another all-time high. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.9%. Nvidia became the first public company to top $4 trillion in value. Merck rose after announcing it would buy Verona Pharma, a U.K. company that focuses on respiratory diseases. Copper prices eased after spiking a day earlier as President Donald Trump said he would impose 50% tariffs on imports of the metal. Treasury yields slipped in the bond market.… Continue Reading

Biden’s former doctor refuses to answer questions in House Republican probe

Biden’s former doctor refuses to answer questions in House Republican probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s White House physician is refusing to answer questions as part of the House Republican investigation into Biden’s health in office. Dr. Kevin O’Connor invoked doctor-patient privilege and his rights under the Fifth Amendment during an appearance Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee. Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer of Kentucky says O’Connor’s decision not to testify makes it “clear there was a conspiracy.” Republicans are probing Biden’s actions in office and questioning whether the Democrat’s use of an autopen may have been invalid. Biden has called the claims “ridiculous and false.” The Oversight committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, calls the Republican investigation a waste of time.… Continue Reading

More than 160 people are still missing after deadly Texas floods, governor says

More than 160 people are still missing after deadly Texas floods, governor says

HUNT, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says more than 160 people are believed to be still missing days after flash floods killed more than 100 people across central Texas. Abbott says many of those who are not accounted for were staying in the state’s Hill Country but did not register at a camp or hotel. The big jump in the number of missing came after authorities set up a hotline for families to call. Abbott says search crews will not stop working until everyone is located. He says the 161 missing were believed to be in Kerr County. That’s where most of the victims have been recovered.… Continue Reading

Latest ‘Tiger King’ twist finds ‘Doc’ Antle sentenced to 1 year in prison for animal trafficking

Latest ‘Tiger King’ twist finds ‘Doc’ Antle sentenced to 1 year in prison for animal trafficking

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle from the Netflix series “Tiger King” could be sent to prison as he is sentenced in a federal courtroom in South Carolina. Antle pleaded guilty in November 2023 to charges of exotic animal trafficking and money laundering. Prosecutors say he illegally traded animals like lions and cheetahs and laundered over $500,000, allegedly tied to human smuggling. Antle ran Myrtle Beach Safari and gained fame for offering pricey animal encounters. His sentencing marks the final legal chapter of the “Tiger King” saga that captivated audiences during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Joe Exotic and other figures from the series are also serving prison sentences for various crimes.… Continue Reading

Wall Street is mixed amid Trump’s new tariff deadlines

Wall Street is mixed amid Trump’s new tariff deadlines

Wall Street ended mixed a day after a broad sell-off in response to the Trump administration setting new tariffs on more than a dozen nations. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite was little changed. The sluggish trading came a day after the S&P 500 had is biggest drop since June as President Donald Trump announced a 25% tax on imports from Japan and South Korea and new tariff rates on other nations scheduled to go into effect Aug. 1. The S&P 500 remains near the record it set last week.… Continue Reading

3 potential storm deaths in North Carolina after Chantal, officials say

3 potential storm deaths in North Carolina after Chantal, officials say

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Officials in North Carolina say there were three potential storm-related deaths amid flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal. North Carolina Emergency Management spokesperson Justin Graney says state health officials are working on confirmation of the deaths in Chatham, Orange and Alamance counties. During a visit to Mebane in Alamance County on Tuesday, Gov. Josh Stein said the storm destroyed homes and impaired businesses and lives were lost. He says officials are still assessing the scale of the damage and working on a final number of deaths. Officials say crews are working to restore power, utilities and road access.… Continue Reading

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