WPTF News

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina House has advanced another Hurricane Helene funding package to address pressing needs in the mountains eight months after the storm. The chamber approved a $465 million spending plan unanimously on Thursday. It’s about half what Democratic Gov. Josh Stein requested from the Republican-controlled General Assembly earlier this week. Republican lawmakers had been working on their package before Stein’s pitch. The General Assembly already has provided $1.6 billion in Helene recovery funding. But the needs are many times greater, and federal funds have been slow in reaching western North Carolina. The bill now heading to the Senate includes a business grant program.

U.S. health officials are investigating a new outbreak of salmonella illnesses tied to a Florida grower whose tainted cucumbers were linked to more than 500 illnesses last year. Cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales are linked to at least 26 illnesses in 15 states. Nine people have been hospitalized. The outbreak was detected as part of a follow-up inspection in April to a 2024 outbreak that ended in August. Investigators traced that outbreak to untreated canal water. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps.

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Tuesday was the eighth annual “World Bee Day.” Bees and other pollinators have been on the decline for years. Experts blame a combination of factors. They include insecticides, parasites, disease, climate change and lack of a diverse food supply. A significant part of the human diet comes from plants pollinated by bees. And not just honeybees but hundreds of species of lesser-known wild bees. Many of them are endangered. The U.N. General Assembly sponsored the first “World Bee Day” in 2018 to bring attention to the bees’ plight. Steps as small as planting a pollinator garden or buying raw honey from local farmers were encouraged.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein made another request of state lawmakers to commit hundreds of millions more dollars to western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene last year. Stein’s proposal announced Monday totals $891 million. The governor says the money will go to addressing critical needs such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance. The state legislature has already appropriated or made available more than $1 billion for Helene recovery since the storm ravaged the western part of the state in September. Stein also emphasized the need for state funds instead of waiting for “uncertain federal assistance.”

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will roll back limits on several types of what are known as forever chemicals in drinking water. The agency, however, will keep limits on the two most common types, called PFOA and PFOS, although it will offer a two-year deadline extension for utilities to comply. PFAS are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and are incredibly useful in household products, but that resilience also makes them hazardous.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House national security adviser Mike Waltz is leaving the Trump administration just weeks after it was revealed he added a journalist to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans. That’s according to two people familiar with the matter. Thursday’s development marks the first major staff shake-up of President Donald Trump’s second term. Waltz came under scrutiny in March after revelations he added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on the encrypted messaging app Signal, which was used to discuss planning for a March 15 military operation against Houthi militants in Yemen. Waltz served in the House representing Florida for three terms before his elevation to the White House.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — U.S. health officials are pushing to get artificial colors out of the nation’s food supply. Sensient Technologies Corp. is one of the world’s largest dyemakers. The company has seen a surge in businesses rushing to covert their products from synthetic to natural colors. The process to change from petroleum-based dyes to colors made from vegetables, fruits, flowers and even insects won’t be cheap or easy. Health advocates have long called for the removal of the dyes. They cite mixed evidence that the colors are linked to behavior problems and obesity in kids.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he won’t back down on his sweeping tariffs on imports from most of the world unless countries even out their trade with the U.S. He’s digging in on his plans to implement the taxes that have sent financial markets reeling, raised fears of a recession and upended the global trading system. Speaking to reporters Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump said he didn’t want global markets to fall, but also that he wasn’t concerned about the massive sell-off either, adding, “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.” His comments came after Trump’s aides sought to soothe market concerns by saying more than 50 nations had reached out about launching negotiations to lift the tariffs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is imposing a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries and even higher tariff rates on dozens of nations that run trade surpluses with the United States. It threatens to upend much of the architecture of the global economy and trigger broader trade wars. Trump is declaring a national economic emergency to launch the tariffs, which are expected to produce hundreds of billions in annual revenues. He has promised that factory jobs will return back to the United States as a result of the taxes, but his policies risk a sudden economic slowdown as consumers and businesses could face sharp price hikes on autos, clothes and other goods.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks swerved through another shaky day of trading, with uncertainty still high about just what President Donald Trump will announce about tariffs on his “Liberation Day.” The S&P 500 rose 0.4% Tuesday after roaring back from an early drop of 1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by less than 0.1% after likewise pinging between gains and losses, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.9%. Treasury yields dropped in the bond market after a report said U.S. manufacturing contracted last month. Markets have been shaky in the run-up to Wednesday, when Trump will announce a sweeping set of tariffs.