WPTF News

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Freshman Caleb Wilson had 24 points and No. 25 North Carolina dominated the second half to pull away from No. 19 Kansas 87-74 in a battle of college basketball bluebloods. Big man Henri Veesaar added 20 points for the Tar Heels. UNC also got a big showing from senior Seth Trimble with 13 of his 17 points after halftime. UNC made 24 of 36 shots after halftime. That erased a 37-29 lead at the break. Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson had 22 points to lead the Jayhawks. Kansas had won five straight meetings in the series.

A 208-year-old publication that farmers, gardeners and others keen to predict the weather have relied on for guidance will be publishing for the final time. Farmers’ Almanac said Thursday that its 2026 edition will be its last, citing the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.” Access to the online version will cease next month. The Maine-based publication was first printed in 1818. It’s distinct from the Old Farmer’s Almanac in neighboring New Hampshire. Both publications were among hundreds of almanacs that served a nation of farmers over two centuries ago. Most were regional publications and no longer exist.

A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November. The ruling Thursday was in response to a challenge from cities and nonprofits complaining that the administration was only offering to cover 65% of the maximum benefit. The Trump administration said last month that it would not pay benefits at all for November because of the federal shutdown. Last week, two judges ordered the government to pay at least partial benefits using an emergency fund.

President Donald Trump’s administration says it will partially fund the SNAP food aid program after a pair of judges’ rulings required the payments to continue. That means grocery aid will resume for 1 in 8 Americans, though it has been delayed for millions already and the amount beneficiaries receive will be reduced. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would not continue the funding in November due to the government shutdown. Two federal judges ruled last week that the government was required to keep the program running. But both gave the administration leeway to pay for it entirely or partially. It can normally take up two two weeks to load beneficiaries’ debit cards.

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking. Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term combined with China’s retaliatory limits on exports of rare earth elements gave the meeting newfound urgency. Trump told reporters he decided to reduce the current rate from 57% after the talks. Xi said Washington and Beijing would work to finalize their agreements to provide “peace of mind” to both countries and the rest of the world, according to a report on the meeting carried by Chinese state media.

SMITHFIELD, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a North Carolina man charged with killing four of his children after human remains were found in the trunk of a vehicle believe the slayings occurred over several months. Wellington Delano Dickens III contacted authorities Monday and told them he had killed his children and where to find the bodies at his home near Raleigh. Authorities say the victims include three of his biological children, aged 6, 9, and 10, and his 18-year-old stepchild. Investigators now believe the deaths started in May and continued through September. No motive has been identified. Dickens is being held without bond and an investigation is ongoing.

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage. Melissa made landfall Tuesday in southwestern Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. Officials warned of devastating damage and urged residents to seek shelter as the hurricane crossed the island. Melissa’s winds tied records for the strongest Atlantic storm on landfall. The storm is expected to move toward Cuba, where authorities prepared for evacuations. The hurricane has already caused seven deaths in the Caribbean. Relief efforts are underway, with supplies and emergency services ready to assist.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on. The cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to some of the Americans most in need unless a resolution is found in just a few days. The notice comes after the Trump administration said it will not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the benefits flowing into November. The Trump administration blames Democrats, who say they won’t agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature has formally begun redrawing the state’s congressional district map. The effort aims to help the GOP gain another U.S. House seat, supporting Donald Trump’s push to retain party control at midterms. The state Senate voted Monday along party lines for new boundaries for two eastern districts. This move aims to thwart the reelection of Democratic Rep. Don Davis, one of the state’s three Black members of Congress. The proposed map should move to the House on Tuesday. Litigation challenging the map is almost certain, with allegations of harming Black voting power likely.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Large crowds of protesters have gathered in cities across the United for “No Kings” demonstrations against what they see a drift into authoritarianism under President Donald Trump. People carrying signs with slogans such as “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism” packed into New York City’s Times Square on Saturday. They rallied by the thousands in parks in Boston, Atlanta and Chicago. There were also demonstrations outside capitols in several Republican-led states and hundreds of smaller public spaces. Republicans disparaged the demonstrations as “Hate America” rallies, but in many places the events looked more like a street party.