Category Archives: WPTF News

Chevron gets go ahead for $53B Hess deal, and access to one of the biggest oil finds this decade

Chevron gets go ahead for $53B Hess deal, and access to one of the biggest oil finds this decade

HOUSTON (AP) — Chevron has scored a critical ruling in Paris that has given it the go-ahead for a $53 billion acquisition of Hess and access to one of the biggest oil finds of the decade. Chevron said Friday that it completed its acquisition of Hess shortly after the ruling from the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. Exxon had challenged Chevron’s bid for Hess, one of three companies with access to the massive Stabroek Block oil field off the coast of Guyana. Guyana is a country of 791,000 people that is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest offshore oil producer, placing it ahead of Qatar, the United States, Mexico and Norway. It has become a major producer in recent years.… Continue Reading

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ canceled by CBS, ends May 2026

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ canceled by CBS, ends May 2026

CBS is axing “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in May 2026. The announcement on live air Thursday came two days after Colbert spoke out against Paramount Global settling with President Donald Trump over a “60 Minutes” story. The news was also announced in a press release sent from CBS with a link to a clip of Colbert’s announcement on Instagram. The comedian and TV personality began by telling the audience he was sharing something he learned the night before. Colbert said, “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”… Continue Reading

Wall Street hangs near its record as PepsiCo and United Airlines fly and health care stocks sink

Wall Street hangs near its record as PepsiCo and United Airlines fly and health care stocks sink

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is hanging near its records following some better-than-expected updates on the economy and a mixed set of profit reports from big U.S. companies. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Thursday and was just below its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 59 points, and the Nasdaq composite tacked 0.1% onto its record set the day before. PepsiCo jumped after delivering revenue and profit that topped Wall Street’s expectations. That helped offset drops for some big health care companies following their latest profit reports. Treasury yields were mixed after better-than-expected reports on retail sales and unemployment claims.… Continue Reading

Prodded by lawsuits, North Carolina seeks to tighten voter ID records for roughly 200,000 people

Prodded by lawsuits, North Carolina seeks to tighten voter ID records for roughly 200,000 people

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina election officials are taking steps to tighten up voter registration records in a pivotal swing state. On Thursday, the State Board of Elections launched an online database of 103,000 voters who need to add their driver’s license numbers or partial Social Security numbers to the state records. Requirements for the numerical identifiers have been in place since 2004, but an outdated voter registration form helped lead to missing information. The state board is seeking to collect the ID information in part to address a lawsuit by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. Critics worry the process could disenfranchise voters.… Continue Reading

Severe weather in tropical storm’s wake triggers North Carolina state of emergency

Severe weather in tropical storm’s wake triggers North Carolina state of emergency

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina election officials are taking steps to tighten up voter registration records in a pivotal swing state. On Thursday, the State Board of Elections launched an online database of 103,000 voters who need to add their driver’s license numbers or partial Social Security numbers to the state records. Requirements for the numerical identifiers have been in place since 2004, but an outdated voter registration form helped lead to missing information. The state board is seeking to collect the ID information in part to address a lawsuit by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. Critics worry the process could disenfranchise voters.… Continue Reading

North Carolina governor doesn’t appeal ruling on who gets say over highway patrol commander

North Carolina governor doesn’t appeal ruling on who gets say over highway patrol commander

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has decided not to appeal a trial court’s decision to dismiss one of his legal challenges against state Republican legislative leaders. The court’s decision focused on a provision in a broader state law that said Stein does not have the authority to appoint his own State Highway Patrol Commander. It instead keeps current commander Col. Freddy Johnson in his post until 2030. Stein says he challenged the provision because it was too ambiguous on if he has the ability to remove Johnson if necessary. The trial court last month ruled the provision wasn’t unconstitutional.… Continue Reading

An Alaska tsunami warning had residents scrambling for high ground after 7.3 magnitude earthquake

An Alaska tsunami warning had residents scrambling for high ground after 7.3 magnitude earthquake

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Communities along a 700-mile stretch of Alaska’s southern coast ordered their residents to higher ground after a powerful earthquake, but officials quickly downgraded and then canceled a tsunami warning in the area. There were no immediate reports of significant damage. Officials said the earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck at 12:37 p.m. local time south of Sand Point. The first waves were projected to land there, but the state’s emergency management division said an hour after the quake that it had received no reports of damage. The earthquake was reportedly felt as far away as Anchorage, almost 600 miles to the northeast.… Continue Reading

20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters

20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters

Twenty Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency over the cancellation of a disaster mitigation grant program. The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Massachusetts claims President Donald Trump’s administration acted illegally by ending the program in April. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program funds projects such as flood protection, wildfire prevention and earthquake safety. FEMA called the program wasteful. But supporters say it can help save lives and reduce costly damage from disasters. The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration violated constitutional separation of powers by ending the program without congressional permission to do so.… Continue Reading

Trump says he’s ‘highly unlikely’ to fire Fed’s Powell after floating that idea in private

Trump says he’s ‘highly unlikely’ to fire Fed’s Powell after floating that idea in private

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s “highly unlikely” to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. His public statement Wednesday came less than 24 hours after suggesting in a private meeting that he was leaning in favor of dismissing Powell. Trump confirmed to reporters that in a White House meeting Tuesday night with about a dozen House Republicans, he’d discussed the “concept” of dismissing Powell. The Fed chair has long been a target because of his refusal to lower interest rates as Trump wants. Trump’s team recently has accused Powell of mismanaging a $2.5 billion renovation project at the Fed. Trump said Wednesday he’s “highly unlikely” to dismiss Powell — ”unless he has to leave for fraud.”… Continue Reading

Fights over charters loom over NASCAR as teams, series await key court rulings

Fights over charters loom over NASCAR as teams, series await key court rulings

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR hits midsummer amid legal battles involving team charters, a key part of its business model. Two teams, including Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, are suing NASCAR over antitrust issues. They claim losing their charters could force them out of business. A federal court ruling is expected soon, with a trial set for December. Separately, Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is in a dispute with Rick Ware Racing over a charter sale. Johnson hopes to secure the charter, while the legal chaos highlights the skyrocketing value of NASCAR charters.… Continue Reading

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