Category Archives: WPTF News

Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut reclaims title in Famous hot dog eating contest, wins 17th Mustard Belt

Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut reclaims title in Famous hot dog eating contest, wins 17th Mustard Belt

Famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut has reclaimed his title at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest after skipping last year’s event. The 41-year-old from Westfield, Indiana, secured his 17th Mustard Belt in 20 appearances before cheering fans at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. He had missed the 2024 competition over a contract dispute involving a deal he had struck with a competing brand, the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods. Defending champion Miki Sudo won her 11th title in the women’s division. The event, held outside the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant, dates back to 1972 and draws large crowds of fans.… Continue Reading

The House gives final approval to Trump’s big tax bill in a milestone for his second-term agenda

The House gives final approval to Trump’s big tax bill in a milestone for his second-term agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have propelled President Donald Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage. Republicans overcame multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package Thursday before a Fourth of July deadline. GOP leaders worked overnight, and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to his desk to become law. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York delayed voting for more than eight hours with a record-breaking speech against the bill. It’s $4.5 trillion in tax breaks, with $1.2 trillion in cuts to government programs. The president is expected to sign it into law Friday.… Continue Reading

Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ star, dies at 67

Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ star, dies at 67

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill” made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino’s films, has died. He was 67. Madsen’s manager says the actor was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday and was declared dead from what appeared to be cardiac arrest. Madsen’s career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low budget films. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer in 1992’s “Reservoir Dogs.” He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the “Kill Bill” films and “The Hateful Eight.”… Continue Reading

Nikolaj Ehlers chooses the Carolina Hurricanes, taking the NHL’s top free agent off the market

Nikolaj Ehlers chooses the Carolina Hurricanes, taking the NHL’s top free agent off the market

The long wait for Nikolaj Ehlers’ free agent decision is over. Ehlers decided to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, taking the top player available off the market more than 72 hours since the NHL’s signing period began. Ehlers agreed to terms on a six-year contract worth $51 million. He’ll count $8.5 million against the salary cap through 2031. Carolina had plenty of space to add the speedy, productive Danish winger. The 29-year-old joins a core that has reached the playoffs seven consecutive seasons with two trips to the Eastern Conference final over the past three springs.… Continue Reading

North Carolina governor vetoes anti-DEI and transgender rights bills, calling them ‘mean-spirited’

North Carolina governor vetoes anti-DEI and transgender rights bills, calling them ‘mean-spirited’

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed three anti-DEI bills and another targeting transgender rights. Stein criticized on Thursday the Republican-led legislature for prioritizing what he called “mean-spirited” bills that it sent to his desk. The anti-DEI bills would cut or eliminate diversity programs in government and education. The transgender-related bill includes restrictions on state-funded gender-affirming care for prisoners and other provisions. Republicans argue these laws promote fairness and parental rights. The legislature may attempt to override the vetoes later this month. Stein has vetoed 11 bills since January, all within the past two weeks.… Continue Reading

Medicaid, food aid recipients worry about safety net cuts in bill sent to Trump

Medicaid, food aid recipients worry about safety net cuts in bill sent to Trump

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The nation’s social safety net would face massive changes under a bill headed to President Donald Trump’s desk. There would be a work requirement for many people to get or keep Medicaid health insurance, and a similar requirement for older adults to receive food assistance. Paperwork requirements would also increase. Planned Parenthood could no longer get federal funding for its non-abortion health services. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that by 2034, the bill would result in nearly 12 million more uninsured people in the U.S. Supporters say the measures will save taxpayers money, enhance personal responsibility and block fraud.… Continue Reading

Supreme Court will take up a new case about which school sports teams transgender students can join

Supreme Court will take up a new case about which school sports teams transgender students can join

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just two weeks ago, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. On Thursday, the justices said they’ll review lower court rulings in favor of transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia. The case will be argued in the fall. West Virginia’s attorney general calls it “a great day, as female athletes in West Virginia will have their voices heard.” Lawyers on the other side say they stand ready to defend the lower-court rulings. More than two dozen states have enacted laws restricting transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports. Some of these laws have been blocked in court.… Continue Reading

How an empty North Carolina rural hospital explains a GOP senator’s vote against Trump’s tax bill

How an empty North Carolina rural hospital explains a GOP senator’s vote against Trump’s tax bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — An empty hospital in Williamston, North Carolina, offers an evocative illustration of why Republican Sen. Thom Tillis would buck his party and its leaders to vote down President Trump’s signature domestic policy package. It’s one of a dozen hospitals that have closed in North Carolina over the last two decades. It’s a problem that hospital systems and health experts warn may only worsen if the “One Big Beautiful Act,” passes with its $1 trillion cuts to the Medicaid program and new restrictions on enrollment in the coverage. Across the country, 200 hospitals have shut down or reduced their services over the last two decades. Many of these closures occur in red states that have declined to expand Medicaid coverage, the health insurance program for the poorest Americans.… Continue Reading

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is denied bail after mixed verdict clears him of top charges in sex crimes case

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is denied bail after mixed verdict clears him of top charges in sex crimes case

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has declined to set Sean “Diddy” Combs free on bail to await sentencing in his sex crimes case. Combs was convicted Wednesday of federal prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The 55-year-old Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest. He stands convicted of two counts of a crime that carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. But the jury cleared him of charges that could have put him behind bars for life. The judge will decide Combs’ punishment and suggested Oct. 3 as a sentencing date. A virtual hearing is set for Tuesday on the defense’s request for an earlier date.… Continue Reading

North Carolina Gov. Stein vetoes bill repealing interim greenhouse gas reduction mandate

North Carolina Gov. Stein vetoes bill repealing interim greenhouse gas reduction mandate

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has vetoed a bill that would repeal an interim greenhouse gas reduction mandate for power generation. Stein said Wednesday that the legislation would harm consumers and discourage clean energy. The bill would do away with a directive in a 2021 law for electric regulators to take “all reasonable steps to achieve” reducing carbon dioxide output 70% from 2005 levels by 2030. Republican supporters say the mandate is unnecessary and costly. They want to focus on a 2050 carbon neutrality goal that would remain in place. Environmentalists praised Stein’s veto of the bill. It would impact Duke Energy, the state’s dominant electric utility.… Continue Reading

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