Official: Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home

In this Feb. 7, 2020, file photo, Haiti's President Jovenel Moise speaks during an interview at his home in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sources say Moise was assassinated at home, first lady hospitalized amid political instability. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Hatii (AP) — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated after a group of unidentified people attacked his private residence, the country’s interim prime minister said in

Group gives hefty raises to South Carolina agency leaders

A group that considers pay raises for the leaders of state agencies has agreed to give tens of thousands of dollars in pay increases to five directors. There was only one vote Thursday against the raises by the Agency Head Salary Commission with most members agreeing the extra pay is needed to keep talented leaders with increased competition from private industries, The State newspaper reported. “Unfortunately we have been behind the curve

Baby boom forecast busts in North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Predictions of a baby boom during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown have gone bust in North Carolina, according to a team of researchers. Data compiled by Carolina Demography showed that birth rates in North Carolina fell by 3.1% from 2019 to 2020, in line with a national decline of 3.8% over the same period, the News & Observer reports. Carolina Demography is located within the Carolina Population Center

Biden: US ‘coming back together,’ but COVID not yet finished

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling a vaccination “the most patriotic thing you can do,” President Joe Biden on Sunday mixed the nation’s birthday party with a celebration of freedom from the worst of the pandemic. He tempered the strides against COVID-19 with a warning that the fight against the virus wasn’t over. “Today, all across this nation, we can say with confidence: America is coming back together,” Biden declared as he

Temporary Catawba casino opens in North Carolina

 The South Carolina-based Catawba Indian Nation has opened a preliminary, temporary version of its proposed casino just across the border in North Carolina.  Tribal leaders were joined by local and state government officials Thursday for a ribbon-cutting at the modular facility containing 500 slot machines just off Interstate 85 in Kings Mountain, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Charlotte. It’s a key step in ultimately creating the $273 million

‘Blue pill’ overdoses alarm South Carolina health officials

Fake blue pain pills — laced with cocaine, meth or fentanyl — are showing up in alarming numbers in South Carolina, health officials said. About 500 people have overdosed from the little blue pill that’s a counterfeit of Roxicodone, according to South Carolina’s Opioid Emergency Response Team. Many of the cases involved people ages 20 to 29. Roxicodone is an opioid that’s prescribed to treat pain. The pills are also

Bill Cosby freed from prison, his sex conviction overturned

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction and released him from prison Wednesday in a stunning reversal of fortune for the comedian once known as “America’s Dad,” ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case was bound by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge Cosby. Cosby, 83, had served nearly three years of a three- to 10-year sentence after being found guilty of drugging

North Carolina bill aims to stop prosecuting 6-year-olds

By BRYAN ANDERSON Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, poses for a photo in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, June 11, 2021. North Carolina state lawmakers recently advanced a bill that would prevent 6- to 9-year-olds from having to appear before a judge for juvenile justice proceedings. This would end the state's status as being the only one left that subjects such young children to these courtroom appearances. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Initial deal struck to end South Carolina prison riot suits

By MEG KINNARD South Carolina prison officials said Monday they have reached the initial approval phase of a $6 million settlement to resolve dozens of lawsuits the Department of Corrections is facing following a deadly prison riot that killed seven inmates. “We will appear in front of the State Fiscal Accountability Authority tomorrow asking for permission to move forward with a settlement in the Lee riot cases,” Department of Corrections

Juul to pay $40M in N. Carolina teen vaping suit settlement

DURHAM N.C. (AP) — Electronic cigarette giant Juul Labs Inc. will pay $40 million to North Carolina and take more action to prevent underage use and sales, according to a landmark legal settlement announced Monday after years of accusations that the company had fueled an explosion in teen vaping. A state judge accepted the first-of-its-kind agreement with a state. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein had sued Juul, accusing it