Triangle/Local
Charlotte airport workers voting on whether to strike during busy Thanksgiving travel week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport are voting on whether to go on a 24-hour strike around Thanksgiving amid complaints about low wages and poor working conditions. The vote is being taken by employees of two airport contractors who provide cabin cleaning services, trash removal and other services. The airport expects over 1 million passengers to depart from it the weekend before the holiday. The date of the proposed strike has not been announced.
North Carolina official overseeing hurricane rebuilding efforts is no longer in role
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The chief operating officer for the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency is no longer working in the position as of Wednesday. An office spokesperson confirmed Laura Hogshead is out of the role and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s legislative lobbyist Pryor Gibson will serve in the interim. Hogshead’s departure comes after a scathing rebuke of her work by GOP state lawmakers during a Monday hearing. The recovery office is facing a more than $220 million deficit to continue housing projects in parts of eastern North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence. Republican legislators say the office has mismanaged its funds.
US towns plunge into debates about fluoride in water
NEW YORK (AP) — Fights are cropping up nationwide over fluoride in drinking water. Communities in Florida, Texas, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming and elsewhere have debated the idea in recent months. And several have decided to stop adding it to drinking water. In August, a federal agency for the first time reported that there is a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. And in September, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate it in drinking water. The decision to add fluoride to drinking water rests with state and local officials, but advisers to Donald Trump have suggested he would push to remove it.
Republican lawmakers are set to elect a new North Carolina House speaker, Destin Hall
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina House Republicans have carried out a succession plan to choose the chamber’s rules committee chairman to succeed Rep. Tim Moore after 10 years as speaker. Republicans who recently won House elections met Tuesday and chose Rep. Destin Hall of Caldwell County to succeed Moore in the post when the next two-year session opens in January. Moore was elected to Congress this fall and is departing after a record five terms as speaker. Key House GOP leaders backed a plan in which Hall would become the speaker nominee and Bell would succeed Hall as the next rules chairman.
Founder of artificial intelligence company used by schools in Los Angeles, NYC, Atlanta is arrested
NEW YORK (AP) — The founder of an artificial intelligence company that worked with large school districts nationwide has been arrested on fraud charges. Joanna Smith-Griffin had been arrested Tuesday in North Carolina. She is the founder of the AI technology company ALLHere Education Inc. It serviced schools in Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta using a chatbot that created learning plans for each student. Federal authorities say she defrauded investors out of millions of dollars by inflating the company’s financial information to secure investments. It was not immediately clear who would represent her in an afternoon court appearance in North Carolina.
State/Regional
Workers at Charlotte airport, an American Airlines hub, go on strike during Thanksgiving travel week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have gone on strike during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel to protest what they say are unlivable wages. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services authorized the work stoppage in North Carolina that started Monday morning. Union spokesperson Sean Keady says the strike is expected to last 24 hours. The companies contract with American Airlines to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. Airport officials say this holiday travel season is expected to be the busiest on record. The companies have acknowledged the seriousness of a strike during the holiday travel season.
Listeria outbreak tied to Yu Shang Food leaves California infant dead and 10 people sick
U.S. health officials said a California infant has died and at least 10 other people have been sickened in an outbreak of listeria food poisoning tied to ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that include chicken feet, duck neck and pork hock, feet and tongue. Yu Shang Food Inc. of Spartanburg, South Carolina, has recalled more than 72,000 pounds of products. The problem was discovered in October after routine tests detected listeria in the foods and the production environment. The CDC said a California woman who was pregnant with twins was sickened and both infants died but listeria was only found in a sample from one of the infants, so that child and the mother were included in the count.
‘We’re going to get forgotten’: Residents of Swannanoa still reeling after most destructive storm in state history
SWANNANOA, N.C. — Daniel Wright usually wakes up around 4:30 a.m. He purchases $20 worth of gas for his generator and drives from his current rental in West Asheville to his home in Swannanoa. When he arrives at his property, he dumps water collected from a dehumidifier before fueling up the generator that powers it. The dull glow of the sunrise provides the light he needs to continue rebuilding his home. Across from the Swannanoa River lies Beacon Village, a historic neighborhood built in the 1920s for mill workers. It’s now a nearly unrecognizable cluster of homes coated in thick mud and river silt, dried into a fine powder. Piles of ruined belongings sit outside and produce a rotting, damp smell.
CNN wants the North Carolina lieutenant governor’s defamation lawsuit against it thrown out
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — CNN wants a defamation lawsuit against it filed by North Carolina’s lieutenant governor dismissed. Mark Robinson filed the suit against the network for its report saying he once made explicit posts on a pornography website’s message board. The September report nearly led to the collapse of the Republican’s campaign for governor. Robinson ended up losing that race earlier this month. He sued in October and said, in part, the network failed to verify the posts. CNN’s filing on Thursday in federal court said that Robinson presented no evidence that the network believed its story was false or aired it recklessly. The report also detailed how they connected Robinson to a username on the website.
North Carolina elections chief wants senator to take back comment about vote manipulation
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina State Board of Elections’ top administrator wants a powerful legislator to retract a comment that he made suggesting this month’s results were being manipulated. Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell wrote to Senate leader on Thursday, the day after he spoke to reporters. Senate leader Phil Berger sounded unhappy with a lengthy post-election counting process and inferred it was being used to help change a result. Brinson Bell said Berger’s accusation “has absolutely no basis in fact” and that county election boards were duty-bound to examine provisional and absentee ballots. A Republican initially led a state Supreme Court race on election night, but the Democrat is now ahead while there is a recount.
World/National
Special counsel moves to abandon election interference and classified documents cases against Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. In court filings on Monday, the prosecutors cited longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president who firmly won election this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him.
Joe Biden begins final White House holiday season with turkey pardons for ‘Peach’ and ‘Blossom’
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Later Monday, first lady Jill Biden will receive delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens will travel to New York to help serve a holiday meal at a Coast Guard station.
Stock market today: Dow hits another record as stocks rise
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose, with those benefiting the most from lower interest rates and a stronger economy leading the way. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% Monday to pull closer to its record set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 440 points to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. They got a boost from easing Treasury yields after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants hedge-fund manager Scott Bessent to be his Treasury Secretary. Smaller companies can feel a big boost from easier borrowing costs, and the Russell 2000 index of small stocks finished just shy of its record.
‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel
DALLAS (AP) — The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday — most of them by car. Thanksgiving Day falling so late this year has altered traditional travel patterns. At airports, the Transportation Security Administration says it could screen a record number of U.S. air travelers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration says a shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays. Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport went on strike. Transportation analytics company INRIX says roads could be congested on Monday with both commuters and returning holiday travelers.
The Philippine vice president publicly threatens to have the president assassinated
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte says she has contracted an assassin to kill the president, his wife and the House of Representatives speaker if she herself is killed. She made the brazen public threat in an online news conference that she warned was not a joke. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin referred the “active threat” against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to his elite presidential guards on Saturday “for immediate proper action.” It was not immediately clear what actions would be taken against the vice president. Marcos ran with Duterte as his vice-presidential running mate in the May 2022 elections and both won but later had a bitter falling-out. Duterte later told reporters her remarks were not an actual threat.
Entertainment
‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ make gravity-defying theater debuts
NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of ‘Love Connection’ and ‘Scrabble,’ dies at 83
NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.
Comcast to spin off cable networks that were once the entertainment giant’s star performers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Comcast is spinning off into a new company many of its cable television networks that were once at the heart of the entertainment giant, as consumers increasingly swap out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms. Those one-time stars for Comcast’s NBCUniversal cable television networks include USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, as well as CNBC and MSNBC. Peacock will remain with Comcast, as will Bravo, which provides significant content for the Peacock streaming service. How exactly this split will impact customers has yet to be seen, particularly as Comcast aims to complete the transition over the next year. But some analysts speculate that the spun-off networks may have more freedom to bring their content elsewhere.
How a viral, duct-taped banana came to be worth $1 million
NEW YORK (AP) — Walk into any supermarket and you can usually buy a banana for less than $1. But a banana duct-taped to a wall? That might sell for more than $1 million at an upcoming auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The yellow banana fixed to a white wall with silver duct tape is an artwork entitled “Comedian,” by Maurizio Cattelan. It debuted at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair in 2019. “Comedian” is expected to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million at the Nov. 20 auction. Bidders won’t be buying the same fruit that was on display in Miami. Those bananas are long gone. Sotheby’s says the fruit always was meant to be replaced regularly.
Kissing the ring? MSNBC ‘Morning Joe’ hosts say they met with Trump to reopen lines of communication
It was the last thing you might expect if you watched MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” a month ago — hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski asking for a meeting and traveling to Florida to talk with President-Elect Donald Trump. The show’s hosts were fierce critics of Trump the past few years, and throughout his campaign to win back the presidency. But they said Monday they wanted to reopen lines of communication in the hope of providing viewers with insighs about what is going on in the administration. The show’s hosts received some criticism, which they had anticipated, with some likening it to “kissing the ring.”
Sports
From Maui to the Caribbean, college hoops’ Thanksgiving tournaments a beloved part of the sport
College basketball is ready for its Thanksgiving Week closeup. The schedule is full of early season tournaments that could create buzzworthy marquee matchups. And many of those come in warm-weather locations. The Maui Invitational in Hawaii turns 40 years old this year. It opens Monday with a field that includes two-time reigning national champion and second ranked UConn. The Battle 4 Atlantis men’s tournament in the Bahamas opens Wednesday. It has a field topped by No. 3 Gonzaga. There are also multiple women’s events in the Bahamas featuring ranked teams, including the fourth Atlantis women’s tournament.
Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs win at the buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader’s field goal
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. The Chiefs bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. Noah Brown caught two TD passes and DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
BC celebrates 40th anniversary of Doug Flutie’s Miracle in Miami pass with 41-21 win over UNC
BOSTON (AP) — Quarterback Grayson James threw for a touchdown and ran for another Saturday, and Boston College celebrated the 40th anniversary of Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary pass with a 41-21 victory over North Carolina. Ryan Turner added a 78-yard interception return for BC, which became bowl eligible under first-year coach Bill O’Brien. It’s the second straight and eighth in the last nine years the Eagles have a bowl opportunity. Flutie and many of his 1984 teammates were honored on the field before the second quarter. He hit Gerard Phalen with a 48-yard TD as time expired in BC’s Miracle in Miami on Nov. 23, 1984.
Greg Biffle wins Myers Brothers Award for humanitarian aid relief efforts following Hurricane Helene
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle has been named the recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Award for his humanitarian aid efforts earlier this summer in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Before most of the country knew the devastation the hurricane dealt Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, Biffle had already boarded his personal helicopter, delivering aid to the flooded, remote region that was cut off from the rest of the world. Biffle’s unselfish efforts as part of Operation Helidrop spearheaded NASCAR’s mobilization to help those who desperately needed food, water, medicine, clothing and housing.
Shohei Ohtani wins third MVP award, first in NL. Aaron Judge earns second AL honor in 3 seasons
NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points.
