You know you should develop a regular exercise routine, but you lack motivation. Promises to yourself are quickly broken, and you never establish enough of the workout habit to experience any rewards.
Exercising as you age is important. It’s not only good for physical health to help prevent falls or enable you to do basic tasks — exercise is also superb for the mind.
“If you want to be cognitively active, it is so important to be physically active,” explained Dr. Amy Eyler, a professor of public health at Washington University in St. Louis. “There is a such a strong connection between these two behaviors.”
Why make exercise part of my routine?
First, regular exercise helps maintain bone density and muscle strength. It also lowers the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.
For older people, regular exercise helps maintain strength and balance and allows them to live independently. Research also suggests the immune system may get a bump from physical activity.
There is also a psychological component. Successfully completing a daily exercise can improve one’s mood and sense of self-satisfaction.
How to get started
Getting into the habit of doing regular physical activity can be difficult for some. The motivation to get moving is different for everyone.
Initially you’ll need external motivation — I want to be able to play with my grandkids or keep driving the car — until you see results and the motivation shifts to internal, Eyler said.
“When you set a goal, you should ask yourself on a scale of 1 to 100, how confident am I that I can do this?” Eyler explained. “It has to be over the 90% level of confidence or you’re not going to do it. Lots of people set these goal too high and then fail.”
Build to your goals.
“Just walk whenever you can,” Eyler said. “You can walk for 10 minutes pretty much anywhere — indoors, at work, at home.”
And, if you’re trying to encourage others, look for positive reasons rather than nagging.
“Telling someone they will be more independent if they take their blood pressure medicine is better than — take your blood pressure medicine,” she said.
Here are some tips about how to start — and how to stay with it — from three gym rats between the ages of 77 and 86. All got started late and have stayed with it. All three work out with Dr. Irv Rubenstein, an exercise scientist who runs STEPS Fitness in Nashville, Tennessee.
I always hated gym class
Kathryn Dettwiller, 77, got pushed into exercising 34 years ago by her husband.
“I always hated gym class,” she said. “I always hated getting down on the floor.”
She works out in a gym twice a week with a trainer, which she said gives her added discipline and motivation.
“The external has become internal because I realize I need it,” she said. She cautioned beginners to expect some setbacks — minor injuries — and not to be discouraged.
“Try it as soon as your body starts playing out on you,” she said. “It’s like a game of Whack-A-Mole. One time your leg hurts, the next time it’s your back.”
It added structure to his life
Rick Bolsom, 82, enjoys the structure of having a trainer. In his case, his wife got him started almost two decades ago and he’s into a three-times-a-week routine.
“I kept doing it because I had a sense of feeling better,” he said. “The key to me was probably doing it with a trainer. The structure really helped me to continue with it. Now it’s just become part of my life.”
“I couldn’t imagine quitting it,” he added. “I work out as vigorously as I did 15, 18 years ago. It turned out to be the smart thing to do.”
Bolsom also added in the social aspect to training in a gym or studio.
“I retired a few years ago. You do miss the connectivity with people.”
Flattery will get you everywhere
Dr. Grover Smith, a retired radiologist, is 86 and still going strong. He attributes this partly to training regularly in a gym three times a week, a habit he didn’t start until he was 74 and well into retirement. He was coaxed to go after several visits to his cardiologist.
He said he went after the fourth time his cardiologist suggested it, although he was not having any specific heart problems. His plan was to go once to appease the cardiologist and that would be it. That was more than a decade ago.
“Medicine was basically my life and it was very time consuming,” Smith said. “It was sometimes seven days a week and I didn’t have time for a lot of other things.”
He’s not only fit, but now he also gets flattered.
He tells the story about a recent visit to a doctor who, after looking at his charts, told him: “Dr. Smith, you look 15 years younger than your age.”
Smith laughed as he added the punchline.
“I would have told her to get her eyes examined — except she’s an ophthalmologist,” he quipped.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ceiba Phillips, 11, couldn’t believe what he saw when he returned to his Southern California neighborhood a month after a wildfire reduced it to rubble.
The ruins of his best friend’s house and his beloved school. His house survived, but the backhouse where his grandparents lived and packed him lunch every morning was reduced to ashes and a silver pool of melted aluminum. His favorite cozy diner, Fox’s, was decimated.
Seeing it in person — after seeing it through photos — brought shock and tears.
“There’s not even a word created for it,” Ceiba said. “It’s sad, it’s heavy, somewhat angry. Why did this have to happen?”
The Eaton fire that tore through Altadena on Jan. 7 left parents and children alike to deal with the trauma of one of the most destructive fires in California history. As people return to their neighborhoods, many kids are navigating the grief of losing everything that was familiar. Their parents, meanwhile, are learning how to help them cope.
Children thrive on routine, and reestablishing one as quickly as possible is key to helping kids cope, said Lori Peek, a sociology professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies the impact of natural disasters. It’s essential for kids to stay connected with their friends, and for parents to have honest conversations with them about the difficulty of what they are facing.
“Being honest about our own emotions and opening up, but then being very inviting for children to share what they’re feeling, what they’re grieving, what they’re experiencing, that can be one way to start those really important conversations,” Peek said.
It’s this kind of space that Chiara Angelicola, who works in early childhood education, was trying to create when she organized a Kids Town Hall event for families affected by the fires. Children had the opportunity to share how they felt and participate in art and somatic therapy exercises, which focus on how trauma can affect the body. Ceiba’s 4-year-old sister, Quoia, went with their mother, Alyson Granaderos, along with more than 100 other kids and parents.
“A lot of these kids had a lot to say … and some of it even made the adults uncomfortable,” Angelicola said. “I think that exercise in learning how to be uncomfortable experiencing certain feelings is very necessary for children because we’re modeling for them that feelings won’t hurt us.”
Hundreds of therapists and non-profits also have offered their mental health services for free to victims of the fires.
A last normal day
Ceiba’s home was one of about six on his street that wasn’t destroyed, but it sustained so much smoke damage it’s not livable right now. On a recent day, the family carefully entered wearing respirator masks and protective equipment.
Ceiba looked out his bedroom window and said he didn’t care that his house had survived. “I’d rather have all of Altadena,” he said.
Ceiba remembers every detail of his last normal day.
School let out early due to intense Santa Ana winds that fueled the fires. He and his sister went to Ceiba’s best friend’s house. They played on a trampoline, drew comics, and chucked LEGO figurines off the balcony.
“I’ve probably been to his house more than 2,000 times,” Ceiba said.
That evening, the family received a text message from Ceiba’s grandma asking if they saw the fire that had broken out nearby. They ran to their window and saw the whole mountainside ablaze.
“I was on the floor like praying, please protect my house and my family. And you know, mom’s like, ‘Come on, you got to get up, pack your stuff,’” Ceiba said.
The 11-year-old sprang into action, dumping his clothes and quarters into his bag and packing for his younger sister.
They sheltered in their dad’s office in neighboring Pasadena. Ceiba could barely sleep. By the morning, much of his neighborhood was gone.
Finding a rhythm again
Ceiba’s days have taken on a rhythm again, even at his new school in Pasadena.
When he greeted his mom on a recent afternoon, he shared a fun fact he’d learned that day: In 1846, a future president, Abraham Lincoln, had almost joined the ill-fated Donner Party as it set out from Springfield, Illinois, on its infamous journey out West, only to get trapped in California’s Sierra Nevada.
Ceiba has decided to play the saxophone in band class, and his state project will be on Michigan, where his mom is from. Granaderos said her son already seems to be adapting.
But his conversations with friends now veer into unusual topics for 11-year-olds.
“The insurance isn’t covering us and how’s your house? How’s this person’s house?” Ceiba said, sharing what he and his friends discuss.
He wonders what will become of his community. He’s optimistic though.
“I know Altadena and I know that it’s going to stick together,” Ceiba said.
Beauty, sadness and destruction
Ceiba had clamored right away to go back home after the fire, but Granaderos was hesitant. After the dust settled, she knew that allowing her kids to see and experience what happened was part of the healing process.
“You’re facing this realization of certain conversations you have to start to have with your kid, right?” Granaderos said. “There’s beauty in the world, and there’s also a lot of sadness and destruction.”
Quoia burst into tears when the family drove past what was left of The Bunny Museum in Pasadena dedicated to rabbits. She loved seeing the giant inflatable bunnies that loomed over the street corner nearly every day. Ceiba cried along with her.
“I just couldn’t really take it,” he said.
But not all is lost.
Granaderos named both of her children after trees — Ceiba, the tree of life, and Quoia after the Sequoia. She planted a sapling of the iconic Sequoia — which is extraordinarily resilient to fire, insects and disease — in the home’s backyard when Quoia was a baby.
After the fire, it is still standing.
ROME (AP) — The Vatican carried on with its Holy Year celebrations without the pope Saturday, as Pope Francis battled pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalized for at least another week.
Francis slept well overnight, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a brief early update Saturday.
But doctors have warned that the main threat facing the 88-year-old Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition.
“He is not out of danger,” said his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone. “So like all fragile patients I say they are always on the golden scale: In other words, it takes very little to become unbalanced.”
Francis, who has chronic lung disease, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened.
Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it.
Carbone, who along with Francis’ personal nurse Massimiliano Strappetti organized care for him at the Vatican, acknowledged he had insisted on staying at the Vatican to work, even after he was sick, “because of institutional and private commitments.” He was cared for by a cardiologist and infectious specialist in addition to his personal medical team before being hospitalized.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of medicine and surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said the biggest threat facing Francis was that some of the germs that are currently located in his respiratory system pass into the bloodstream, causing sepsis. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death.
“Sepsis, with his respiratory problems and his age, would be really difficult to get out of,” Alfieri told a press conference Friday at Gemelli. “The English say ‘knock on wood,’ we say ‘touch iron.’ Everyone touch what they want,” he said as he tapped the microphone. “But this is the real risk in these cases: that these germs pass to the bloodstream.”
“He knows he’s in danger,” Alfieri added. “And he told us to relay that.”
Deacons, meanwhile, were gathering at the Vatican for their special Jubilee weekend. Francis got sick at the start of the Vatican’s Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Catholicism. This weekend, Francis was supposed to have celebrated deacons, a ministry in the church that precedes ordination to the priesthood.
In his place, the Holy Year organizer will celebrate Sunday’s Mass, the Vatican said. And for the second weekend in a row, Francis was expected to skip his traditional Sunday noon blessing, which he could have delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it.
“Look, even though he’s not (physically) here, we know he’s here,” said Luis Arnaldo Lopez Quirindongo, a deacon from Ponce, Puerto Rico who was at the Vatican on Saturday for the Jubilee celebration. “He’s recovering, but he’s in our hearts and is accompanying us because our prayers and his go together.”
Beyond that, doctors have said Francis’ recovery will take time and that regardless he will still have to live with his chronic respiratory problems back at the Vatican.
“He has to get over this infection and we all hope he gets over it,” said Alfieri. “But the fact is, all doors are open.”
HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii man who spent 30 years in prison for a murder he long denied committing declared the day “Freedom Friday” and said he was eager to visit his mother after a judge ordered him released because of new DNA evidence.
There were gasps and cries in the courtroom when Judge Kirstin Hamman said, “And the judgement and sentence is vacated and the defendant is ordered to be released from custody,” before a Zoom feed broadcasting the hearing suddenly turned off.
She ruled that new evidence, including DNA test results, would likely change the outcome of another trial against Gordon Cordeiro.
The case involves the 1994 killing of Timothy Blaisdell during a drug deal robbery on the island of Maui.
Cordeiro’s first trial ended in a hung jury, with only one juror voting to convict him. But he was later found guilty of murder, robbery and attempted murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
The Hawaii Innocence Project took up his case, and during a hearing this week it argued that Cordeiro must be released on the grounds of new evidence proving his innocence, ineffectiveness of his previous attorney and prosecutorial misconduct.
Maui County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin said he was disappointed in the ruling and “None of the judge’s findings exonerate him in any way.”
His office intends to appeal and file a motion seeking to impose bail on Cordeiro’s release, Martin added, saying there is a flight risk because a murder charge is involved.
Kenneth Lawson, co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, said it was a very emotional moment.
“He cried, we all cried,” Lawson said. “He believed that he was going to be exonerated … but having gone through two trials, you lose faith in the justice system. To finally hear a judge say, ‘I’m vacating your convictions,’ that’s when it hit him.”
Following his release Cordeiro, now 51, stood outside the Maui Community Correctional Center and talked to reporters, calling it “Freedom Friday.” The Associated Press listened by phone from Honolulu.
He said he felt thankful. He thanked his supporters, the judge and even prosecutors who stipulated to certain facts in the case.
“I’d like to go see my mom,” Cordeiro said. “Would be nice.”
Asked about adjusting to life as a free man after 30 years behind bars, he said, “I got good support.”
According to court documents filed by Cordeiro’s attorneys, he was wrongfully convicted in part because police relied upon four jailhouse informants motivated by promises of reduced sentences and fabricated murder-for-hire plots.
“Unfortunately for Cordeiro, the State’s use of incentivized jailhouse informants and their fabricated evidence and testimony about the murder-for-hire plots, was enough to convince a jury of his guilt in his second trial,” the Hawaii Innocence Project said in a court filing.
However the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to show that the state intentionally used false testimony and rejected a claim of prosecutorial misconduct.
Cordeiro had several alibis for the day Blaisdell was killed, his attorneys said: The then-22-year-old was at home with his parents and sisters, spending the day building a shelving unit in his family’s open-air garage and installing a stereo in his sister’s car — nowhere near the so-called Skid Row area in upcountry Maui where the killing happened.
Blaisdell had gone to Skid Row with a man named Michael Freitas and planned to buy a pound of marijuana with $800 in cash, according to court documents. His body was found at the bottom of a ravine.
Freitas kept changing his story, Cordeiro’s attorneys said, and he shifted the blame onto their client, a friend who he falsely believed had “snitched” on him in an unrelated drug case.
After Cordeiro’s conviction, new testing on physical evidence from the scene excluded him as the source of DNA on Blaisdell’s body and other crime scene evidence, the Hawaii Innocence Project said, and a a DNA profile of an unidentified person was found on the inside pockets of Blaisdell’s jeans.
The judge agreed that the new DNA evidence and new information about gunshot residue would change the results of a later trial.
Cordeiro’s attorneys believe Freitas, who died in 2020, set Blaisdell up to be robbed and was involved in his killing.
“The police botched this case from the beginning and turned the No. 1 suspect into the state’s star witness, resulting in a 30-plus-year nightmare and miscarriage of justice for Gordon and his family,” Lawson said.
SUSONO, Japan (AP) — Woven City near Mount Fuji is where Japanese automaker Toyota plans to test everyday living with robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous zero-emissions transportation.
Daisuke Toyoda, an executive in charge of the project from the automaker’s founding family, stressed it’s not “a smart city.”
“We’re making a test course for mobility so that’s a little bit different. We’re not a real estate developer,” he said Saturday during a tour of the facility, where the first phase of construction was completed.
The Associated Press was the first foreign media to get a preview of the $10 billion Woven City.
The first phase spans 47,000 square meters (506,000 square feet), roughly the size of about five baseball fields. When completed, it will be 294,000 square meters (3.1 million square feet).
Built on the grounds of a shuttered Toyota Motor Corp. auto plant, it’s meant to be a place where researchers and startups come together to share ideas, according to Toyoda.
Ambitious plans for futuristic cities have sputtered or are unfinished, including one proposed by Google’s parent company Alphabet in Toronto; “Neom” in Saudi Arabia; a project near San Francisco, spearheaded by a former Goldman Sachs trader, and Masdar City next to Abu Dhabi’s airport.
Woven City’s construction began in 2021. All the buildings are connected by underground passageways, where autonomous vehicles will scuttle around collecting garbage and making deliveries.
No one is living there yet. The first residents will total just 100 people.
Called “weavers,” they’re workers at Toyota and partner companies, including instant noodle maker Nissin and Daikin, which manufactures air-conditioners. Coffee maker UCC was serving hot drinks from an autonomous-drive bus, parked in a square surrounded by still-empty apartment complexes.
The city’s name honors Toyota’s beginnings as a maker of automatic textile looms. Sakichi Toyoda, Daisuke Toyoda’s great-great-grandfather, just wanted to make life easier for his mother, who toiled on a manual loom.
There was little talk of using electric vehicles, an area where Toyota has lagged. While Tesla and Byd emerged as big EV players, Toyota has been pushing hydrogen, the energy of choice in Woven City.
Toyota officials acknowledged it doesn’t expect to make money from Woven City, at least not for years.
Keisuke Konishi, auto analyst at Quick Corporate Valuation Research Center, believes Toyota wants to work on robotic rides to rival Google’s Waymo — even if it means building an entire complex.
“Toyota has the money to do all that,” he said.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – The post season has arrived! The conference tournaments will conclude after this weekend and by Sunday, the RPI will be finalized.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A push to designate New Hanover High School as a historic landmark is moving forward.
And on Friday, the county’s interim superintendent and the school’s principal spoke about the move, which did not come from the school district.
New Hanover High alum and real estate developer Gene Merritt recently submitted an application to Wilmington’s Historic Preservation Commission to preserve New Hanover High.
Built in 1922, the school is undergoing a $12 million project to fix cracks and stabilize its foundation.
Philip Sutton has been New Hanover High’s principal for 4 years and said the school is already a landmark for many who went there.
“This high school was the only high school in Wilmington for a long period of time,” Sutton said. “And so generations of students have come through and their families have come through and so it means a lot to them that this place is where they grew up.”
Wilmington’s Historic Preservation Commission unanimously approved Merritt’s application to add the building to a study list.
Merritt will submit a more detailed application for the city council to review.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes said it’s too early to determine the impact of a historic designation, but points to an ongoing study that could provide clarity.
“And so the study we commissioned with the help of our county commissioners earlier in the fall was designed to help make sure that we had the best information moving forward as to what we wanted to do,” Barnes said. “Is that going to be to fix the inside of it, is it going to renovate, what choices do we have?”
Sutton said he and the rest of the students and staff are ready for whatever the future has in store for the school.
“2022, that was our centennial year and we said that this is our new 100 and we’re looking to the future and what this place can be and the limitless possibilities that students and families can have at New Hanover High School.”
Barnes said the $300,000 study is expected to wrap up in the coming months and construction is set to finish by early August.
An Open House Community meeting will be held at New Hanover High School in the Princess Street Gym from 5 until 6:30 pm.
The meeting will be where community members can weigh in on the school’s strategic plan.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cameron Art Museum launched a weekend of history with the Veterans Creative Arts Program’s “On the Road to Freedom” event.
In collaboration with the City of Wilmington, the day began with a walk led by the museum’s Cultural Curator, Daniel Jones, at Halyburton Park.
The walk retraced the steps of 1,800 United States Colored Troops who marched along what is now known as Federal Point Road in 1865, a route that leads to the Cameron Art Museum.
Jones explained the historical significance of the longleaf pine trees that line the path. “These trees were essential to the enslaved people’s labor, yet they also provided refuge and a path to escape,” Jones said. “What we see as just pretty trees today had a much deeper meaning for those who fought for freedom.”
After the walk, attendees were invited to the museum to create collages with the Veterans Creative Arts Program.
The museum will continue to host history-related events throughout the weekend, including documentary showings and lectures.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man shares video footage of a masked figure stealing from his backyard shed on Oleander Drive. The theft, which occurred Sunday afternoon, left Greg Jackson and his family with $1,600 worth of stolen items.
Jackson was home with his wife and child when the theft occurred, but they didn’t realize anything was missing until the next day. His security camera captured the masked individual approaching the shed, taking several items, and returning minutes later to grab more.
“We didn’t know until the next day when we filed the police report and started hearing from other neighbors who had also been robbed,” Jackson said. “We know of at least two others, but there are probably more victims who haven’t realized yet. They seem to be targeting outbuildings.”
Jackson, who has serial numbers for his stolen tools, is hoping pawn shops or online platforms like Facebook Marketplace may help recover his items. Despite filing a police report, Jackson said he hasn’t received much information from the Wilmington Police Department (WPD).
Lieutenant Greg Willet from WPD explained how these types of cases are typically handled. “Often, these cases involve multiple victims, not just one person. Once we identify the offender, we may be able to resolve several cases at once.”
Willet also emphasized the importance of keeping track of serial numbers for stolen items. “If your property turns up elsewhere—say in another state—and it has a serial number, that can help us track it down and potentially return it to you.”
To avoid becoming a target, Willet recommends securing your belongings: “Locking up your property makes it a harder target. Opportunistic thieves will usually move on to easier pickings if they encounter locked doors or sheds.”
Though it can take time for property crime reports to be processed, Willet encourages residents to call the front desk for updates on the status of their cases.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A special operations army veteran who lives in New Hanover County, was one of the survivors of the 1993 military operation, Black Hawk Down.
Now, he’s featured in a Netflix documentary, and he’s created a band that gives back to the community.
We caught up with him Friday to discuss his journey.
“Anybody can do it, if I can do it, anybody can do it,” Brad Thomas said.
Special operations army veteran Brad Thomas was a part of the U.S. military mission known as Black Hawk Down in 1993.
“We did 7 operations in total, the last one being what was depicted in Black Hawk Down the movie, so we lost in total 19 service members and 18 hours of fighting,” Thomas stated.
After 20 years of service, Thomas retired but found himself searching for a new purpose.
“What if we put a band together, what if we do something with music and we take the royalties and give them to charitable organizations that help first responders, veterans and people that need help,” Thomas exclaimed.
That idea led to the creation of Silence & Light, an alternative rock band consisting of former military members. The proceeds from streaming, downloads, and music sales are donated to charitable organizations.
“Just because you have something that’s been very dark and very negative in your life. You can turn that around, you can do something healthy, positive, creative to give back to the community and the sense of reward is tremendous,” Thomas shared.
Thomas is also featured in a Netflix documentary — Surviving Black Hawk Down — which tells the story of the Battle of Mogadishu.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be in the documentary or not until it was all done. They said hey you are significant participant in the documentary, we think you are really going to like it and thank you for being a part of it. Honored to be a part of it,” Thomas said.
Thomas adds if you want to support veterans and first responders you can buy their music from any streaming service and buy their merchandise.
RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Gov. Josh Stein and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality announced more than $265 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater projects across the state.
The grants and loans will support 99 projects in 45 counties, including efforts to address emerging contaminants like PFAS and replace aging lead pipes.
“When we invest in our infrastructure, we build a stronger and safer state for every North Carolinian,” Stein said in a statement. “This funding will help ensure more North Carolinians have access to safe and clean drinking water and will strengthen our communities for decades to come.”
Among the projects receiving funding:
- Fair Bluff (Columbus County) will receive $1 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds to construct a new well outside the 500-year floodplain. The well will connect to the water system through 4,000 feet of new waterline, replacing infrastructure damaged by Hurricanes Florence and Matthew.
- New Hanover County will receive $3 million from the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure program to install 1.3 miles of water lines, connecting 50 occupied residential units to the water system.
- Columbus County Water District IV will receive $15 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds to install a 250,000-gallon elevated water tank, a booster pump station, a deep-water supply well, and extend waterlines to serve more than 500 homes in the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Area.
TAMPA. Fla. (AP) — The New York Yankees dropped their ban on beards Friday, 49 years after it was imposed by owner George Steinbrenner, in a move aimed to improve player recruitment as the team tries to win its first World Series title since 2009.
Current owner Hal Steinbrenner, son of The Boss, announced the change Friday before the team’s spring training opener. He called the ban “outdated” and “somewhat unreasonable.”
“This generation, the vast majority of 20, 30s-into-the-40s men in this country have beards,” Steinbrenner said during a news conference, flanked by general manager Brian Cashman. “It is a part of who these younger men are. It’s part of their character. It’s part of their persona. Do I totally relate to that? It’s difficult for me. I’m an older guy who’s never had a beard in his life but it’s a very important thing to them. They feel it defines their character.”
George Steinbrenner announced the facial policy during spring training in 1976, mandating no long hair or beards — mustaches were allowed. Players complied but some pushed boundaries by going unshaven or letting hair fall over their collars.
“My dad was in the military. He believed that a team should look in a disciplined manner,” Hal Steinbrenner said. “Very important to my father, but again (for) my father, nothing is more important than winning and that’s in the back of my mind.”
Hal Steinbrenner, who succeeded his father as controlling owner in November 2008, said he had considered the issue for a decade and discussed the contemplated change recently with Yankees stars Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole in one-on-one meetings. Steinbrenner then issued a statement Friday morning that “we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward.”
Cashman said CC Sabathia hesitated because of the hair policy before signing with the Yankees ahead of the 2009 season and the agent of a player contemplating a minor league contract this offseason wasn’t sure his client would be willing to shave.
Cashman said some current players had told him of the facial hair ban: “It’s not what I want. It’s not my preference, but I will honor the rules of the land.”
As recently as Monday, the Yankees had left reminders on the clubhouse chair of each player to arrive clean shaven the following morning for photo day.
All-Star closer Devin Williams, acquired in an offseason trade from Milwaukee, had hair on his chin for his photo. Williams, eligible for free agency after this season, had a beard when he played for the Brewers.
“The New York Yankees are different,” Cashman said. “This is obviously a special place in baseball history. That logo has a lot of meaning behind it and we want our past and our present players to recognize that, and the future players to recognize that. So ultimately there’s still going to be things that we’re going to hold onto that are important for us, but I think as just Hal said more importantly is always trying to be a championship-caliber franchise and chasing winning.”
Outfielder Alex Verdugo was forced to trim his previously long hair when he was traded to the Yankees ahead of the 2024 season. Clay Holmes and Gleyber Torres arrived at spring training this year with beards after leaving the Yankees.
“It’s somewhat surprising just because of how long the rule’s been around,” Holmes said.
George Steinbrenner, who bought the Yankees in 1973, died in 2010.
“I have nothing against long hair per se,” George Steinbrenner said in 1976, according to The New York Times. “But I’m trying to instill certain sense of order and discipline in the ballclub because I think discipline is important in an athlete.”
The Cincinnati Reds banned facial hair in 1902 and under general manager Bon Howsam started strict enforcement in 1967. The ban was lifted by owner Marge Schott in February 1999 at the behest of outfielder Greg Vaughn, who had just been acquired from San Diego.
RALEIGH, NC (AP) — A North Carolina Supreme Court decision refusing to further accelerate the appeals over an unsettled November election for a seat on the court means an official winner likely won’t be finalized sooner, and the trailing candidate could benefit.
A majority of justices rejected a request by the State Board of Elections to fast-track the case by skipping deliberations at the intermediate-level Court of Appeals and going directly to the state’s highest court.
Thursday’s denial also appears to favor Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin, who seeks to unseat the Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs and opposed the board’s effort. Republicans hold a majority of seats on the Supreme Court and on the Court of Appeals, where Griffin currently serves.
Riggs has a 734-vote lead over Griffin from more than 5.5 million ballots cast and recounted in the race. Griffin filed challenges to over 65,000 early or absentee ballots cast that his lawyers have said should be removed from the tally.
Most of the challenged ballots were cast by voters whose registration records lacked either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Other votes being challenged were cast by overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S., and military or overseas voters who did not provide copies of photo identification with their ballots.
While the Associated Press declared over 4,400 winners in the 2024 general election, the North Carolina Supreme Court election is the only race nationally that is still undecided.
Following weeks of briefs and rulings in federal and state courts, a state trial judge on Feb. 7 upheld the state board’s December dismissals of Griffin’s formal protests over those ballots. Griffin appealed Superior Court Judge William Pittman’s decisions to the Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel has set brief-filing deadlines that end in early March.
Lawyers for the state board this week asked that the case be heard by the Supreme Court now, calling the voting issues presented in the case exceptional and a priority for the court to resolve quickly. While Riggs’ attorneys agreed with the board, Griffin’s legal team wrote that Pittman’s one-paragraph orders lacked explanations of his reasoning in contrast to “the robust judicial review that this case deserves.”
With Riggs recusing herself from deliberations, the Supreme Court’s remaining six justices voted 4-2 to deny the election board’s bypass request.
Associate Justice Trey Allen, in writing an opinion supporting the denial order, said if the justices “were to take this case now, we would do so in the absence of any meaningful examination of those claims by a lower court.” Allen is one of the five registered Republicans on the court hearing the case.
GOP member Associate Justice Richard Dietz and Democratic Associate Justice Anita Earls opposed the denial.
“Further delay at this stage continues to erode trust in our elections and calls into question the ability of the legal system to guarantee that fundamental principles of democracy are capable of being recognized and enforced by a fair and impartial judiciary,” Earls wrote in her own dissenting opinion.
Given Thursday’s ruling, should the Court of Appeals panel next overturn Pittman’s dismissal and favor Griffin’s demand that ballots be removed, then the panel’s decision would prevail at the Supreme Court even if the justices deadlocked 3-3. That would be a lower bar had the Supreme Court agreed to bypass the Court of Appeals: then four of the six justices would have been required to overturn Pittman’s decision and side with Griffin.
Griffin’s lawyers have argued that counting the challenged ballots violates state laws or the state constitution. Lawyers for Riggs and the board have said the ballots were cast lawfully and that Griffin failed to comply with formal protest procedures. A board attorney recently said that at least half of the voters that Griffin challenged over driver’s license or Social Security numbers actually did provide one.
Even if state courts ultimately favor Griffin, Riggs has a backstop: a federal appeals court said earlier this month that she can return to federal court to plead her case on federal elections and voting rights laws.
“No matter how long this drags out, I will continue to defend our state and federal Constitutions and North Carolinians’ fundamental freedoms,” Riggs said in a statement after Thursday’s decision.
Griffin, who has recused himself from Court of Appeals deliberations in the case, has declined to comment on legal issues from his protests, saying it would violate the judicial conduct code.
DUPLIN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) –A former UNCW student wrongfully charged with DWI in a fatal crash on I-40 is suing the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Raylee Grieco was driving east on I-40 around 8:15 pm on Feb. 18, 2024, when she collided with a car that was stopped in the middle of the road. The car was behind a pickup truck and a trailer. The crash killed Mildo Velasquez, who was reportedly underneath the trailer attempting to reconnect it to his pickup truck.
Grieco suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion, nasal bone fractures, and bruising. A trooper performed a portable breath test, which revealed no alcohol present.
Grieco was transported to ECU Health Duplin County Hospital. According to the lawsuit, Nurse Practitioner Sorto, who treated Grieco, determined she was not impaired and that a blood test for intoxicating substances was not necessary.
“Everything about Raylee’s actions seemed very expected and normal. Ms. Sorto did not see any potential signs of impairment. After closely scrutinizing Raylee’s behavior and appearance, Ms. Sorto concluded that Raylee was not under the influence of any drugs or other intoxicating or impairing substances,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges that State Trooper Duff, who was investigating the crash, arrived at the hospital with the intent to only charge Griego with failure to reduce speed. However, he requested a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluation based on a comment from a hospital staff member that Grieco was “acting strangely.” This observation came after she had been given Norco, a narcotic pain medication known to cause drowsiness and cognitive impairment.
“This nurse or nurse assistant was not Raylee’s attending physician and was not Raylee’s attending nurse practitioner. Upon information and belief, this nurse or nurse assistant’s observations were made after Raylee had been administered the NORCO narcotic pain medication,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit claims that DRE Trooper Rich conducted field sobriety tests without considering the effects of the medication or Grieco’s concussion. It further alleges that Trooper Rich falsely stated that a CT scan ruled out a concussion and that his impairment evaluation was flawed.
Based on field sobriety testing, Rich stated to Trooper Duff that Grieco was under the influence of THC at the time of the accident.
In addition to those field tests, Rich took a blood sample to test for impairing substances, with results often taking months to get back.
Grieco was charged with DWI and Underage DWI.
In July of 2024, the blood test results showed no impairing substances, which led to the DWI and Underage DWI charged being dismissed.
Grieco’s lawsuit accuses the NC Highway Patrol of wrongful charges and misconduct in the investigation. She is asking for monetary relief, punitive damages, and a public apology.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With the annual Wilmington Marathon kicking off on Saturday, one local participant is gearing up for the challenge.
UNCW grad Michael Friant will be biking the full 26.4 miles from Wrightsville Beach to downtown Wilmington.
Friant lives with cerebral palsy, a condition that causes stiff muscles and a reduction in motor functions.
Despite those challenges, Friant is no stranger to physical activities. He’s participated in hundreds of trail races and 5ks over the last seven years.
Friant said he is excited to participate in the marathon, and that he refuses to let his disability define him.
“Quite frankly I just like the challenge and not to be seen as a charity case or anything like that,” he explained. “Actually, this is what drew me into running because I have to start at the same start line as everyone else and cross the finish line as everyone else. No participation trophy so-to-speak.”
A self-described go-getter, Friant is often able to push past barriers that others in his position might not be able to, “And that’s fine,” Friant notes.
“I am biking the 26.2 miles tomorrow with just one training session under my belt. Realistically, no one should do something that ambitious and extreme. I do it just because I am crazy and when I do them I feel like I give my cerebral palsy a big juicy middle finger,” he said.
Although in many instances Friant has been able to overcome, he noted we still have long way to go before people with disabilities can navigate the world without daily challenges like finding transportation.
Friant said it’s often frustrating relying on friends who “understandably have their own hectic lives” to get around.
“I would love to see an equal playing field for people with disabilities as there are for able-bodies individuals,” Friant said. “I am trying my hardest to create that space for myself but not everyone has the mental capacity to put up with stuff, nor should they in many instances.”
Friant also would like to give a special thank you to his friend Robby, who will be biking the marathon alongside him.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to temporarily block President Donald Trump’s mass firings of federal workers. He did, however, acknowledge the chaos caused by Trump’s blitz of second-term executive actions.
Here’s the latest:
US envoy praises Zelenskyy after Trump’s censure of the Ukrainian leader
President Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and Russia said on Friday that he held “extensive and positive discussions” with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the three-year war with Russia and praised the Ukrainian leader as an “embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war.”
Retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg — who traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday and whose planned news conference with Zelenskyy on Thursday was changed at the last minute to a simple photo opportunity — struck a positive tone after what he said on the social platform X was “a long and intense day” of talks with Ukraine’s senior leadership.
His comments marked a departure from recent rebukes of Zelenskyy by Trump and other senior U.S. officials that appeared to indicate an abrupt deterioration of relations.
Economic vibes not looking so great for Trump
Consumer confidence fell nearly 10% on a monthly basis in February, a sharp plunge that suggests President Donald Trump’s tariff plans have given his administration a potentially short honeymoon with voters.
The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment came in Friday at a reading of 64.7, down 9.8% on a monthly basis and 15.9% on a yearly basis. The Trump administration has touted other measures of confidence such as the National Federation of Independent Business’ index to suggest there is newfound optimism because of Trump’s return to the White House.
But during President Joe Biden’s tenure, the Michigan numbers often tracked with his loss of public approval. The latest Michigan figures have people expecting on average that inflation will increase 4.3% over the next year, a sharp increase from the January reading. Tariffs are taxes on imports that can raise prices for consumers.
Confidence among Republicans has held steady in the index, but it has fallen sharply among Democrats and political independents.
White House defends DOGE cuts amid complaints about ‘chainsaw’ approach
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration’s sweeping measures when asked about complaints Friday that DOGE is using a “chainsaw” approach to cutting the government’s size and spending, Leavitt told reporters at the White House that there is public support for the administration, and it is “committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse.”
“The president campaigned on that promise. Americans elected him on that promise, and he’s actually delivering on it. And this is something that Democrats promised they would do for decades. President Trump is just the first president to get it done,” she said.
Treasury raises concerns with China’s Vice Premier over fentanyl
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed concerns about China’s counternarcotics efforts, according to a Treasury readout of his first call Friday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
President Donald Trump, who signed an order imposing 10% tariffs against China earlier this month, is aiming at combating the illicit flow of fentanyl into the U.S., where the opioid is blamed for some 70,000 overdose deaths annually.
China is a major supplier of precursor chemicals used for the manufacturing of fentanyl.
The Treasury said the finance ministers also spoke about “economic imbalances, and unfair policies, and stressed the Administration’s commitment to pursue trade and economic policies that protect the American economy, the American worker, and our national security.”
The pair agreed to remain in communication.
▶Read more about the tariffs
Sinn Féin leaders won’t attend St. Patrick’s event at White House to protest US stance on Gaza
Sinn Féin’s President Mary Lou McDonald addresses the media in Dublin, as Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane looks on, in Dublin, Ireland, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. Ireland braced for weeks of political uncertainty Monday after an earth-shaking election that saw the Irish Republican Army-linked party Sinn Fein — long shunned by its bigger rivals — take the largest share of votes. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)
The Irish party’s leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Trump’s administration’s position was “catastrophically” wrong and she was taking “a principled stance against the threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza.”
Trump has proposed removing about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the idea, but it’s been universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, caused concern from other world leaders and thrown a ceasefire into doubt.
She was joined in the boycott by Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill, the party’s vice president, who said she was standing “on the side of humanity.”
▶ Read more about the Irish party’s boycott
Chinese Vice Premier expresses ‘solemn concern’ over tariffs in video call with US Treasury Secretary
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has expressed “solemn concerns” to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the Trump administration’s imposition of an additional 10% tariff on imports from China.
The comments came in a video call that was Bessent’s first contact with a senior Chinese official since assuming his post. Trump said he imposed the tariff because China needs to do more to control the fentanyl trade. China responded with tariffs on select American products and other targeted measures.
Ahead of the call, Bessent told Bloomberg that the first thing he wanted to talk about was curbing fentanyl precursor chemicals coming from China
Federal judge will consider further blocking Trump administration from freezing funds
The judge will consider a request to further block the Trump administration from freezing trillions of dollars of grants and loans that fund everything from clean energy programs to bridge repairs to emergency shelters.
U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island, who already approved a temporary restraining order on the funding freeze, is hearing a request for a permanent injunction from nearly two dozen Democrat states. If approved, it would be the first order since the Trump administration announced a sweeping pause on federal aid, stirring up a wave of confusion and anxiety across the United States.
A second lawsuit over the funding freeze by groups representing thousands of nonprofits and small businesses is being heard by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C. AliKhan is also considering a request to issue a preliminary injunction.
▶ Read more about the lawsuits over funding freezes
Macron says he plans to tell Trump not to “be weak” in the face of Putin amid negotiation talks
Macron is to travel to Washington to meet with Trump on Monday, the White House said.
In a one-hour question and answer session on his social media Thursday, Macron said he’ll tell Trump: “You can’t be weak in the face of President Putin. It’s not you, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you’re weak in the face of Putin?”
Trump’s recent statements that echo Putin’s narrative and plans to have direct negotiations with Moscow have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried. But Macron suggested Trump’s strategy to create “uncertainty” in talks with Russia could actually make Western allies stronger in these talks.
Macron added he would seek to persuade Trump that U.S. interests and Europeans’ interests are the same, telling him: “If you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.”
That means any peace deal must be negotiated with Ukrainians and Europeans around the table, Macron reaffirmed.
▶ Read more about Macron’s comments
Trump holds Black History Month event as some agencies skip recognition after anti-DEI order
President Donald Trump speaks as golfer Tiger Woods listens during a reception for Black History Month in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)
Trump marked Black History Month at the White House on Thursday by making an appearance at a celebratory reception with a surprise guest, golf legend Tiger Woods, while calling out other athletes in attendance and marveling at the size of the crowd.
Trump also announced he planned to bring Alice Johnson, a prison reform advocate whom he pardoned in 2020, into his administration to work on clemency issues.
The White House’s Black History Month reception preserved a tradition, but it comes in the wake of Trump issuing a wide-ranging executive order ending the federal government’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs has disrupted its observance elsewhere.
Trump didn’t mention his anti-DEI crusade as he addressed hundreds of guests in a reception in the East Room, though he did make a brief reference to the The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which highlights the lasting consequences of slavery in America.
▶ Read more about the Black History Month reception at the White House
How Trump’s mass layoffs raise the risk of wildfires in the US West, according to fired workers
The Forest Service firings — on the heels of deadly blazes that ripped through Los Angeles last month — are part of a wave of federal worker layoffs, as Trump’s cost-cutting measures reverberate nationwide.
Workers who maintained trails, removed combustible debris from forests, supported firefighters and secured funds for wildfire mitigation say staffing cuts threaten public safety, especially in the West, where drier and hotter conditions linked to climate change have increased the intensity of wildfires.
“This is 100% a safety thing,” said Tanya Torst, who was fired from her position as a U.S. Forest Service partnership coordinator in Chico, California. She recalled the deadly Paradise blaze that killed 85 people east of Chico in 2018. “That’s why I’m speaking out.”
WINNABOW, NC (WWAY) — Orton will begin its annual prescribed burning between March 1 and May 1, 2025 on more than 6,000 acres to improve forest health and restore longleaf pine habitat, as part of a multi-partner, range-wide forest restoration effort.
According to a news release, trained experts conduct the controlled burns at Orton, and are in close coordination with the North Carolina Forest Service, the North Carolina Department of Air Quality, the Brunswick and New Hanover County fire departments and 911 services.
Orton Property Manager, Dillon Epp, a state-certified controlled burner, will oversee the burn in accordance with an approved plan to ensure the safety of people and property in the area.
Controlled burns are dependent upon optimal weather conditions.
“With its extensive longleaf pine forests and wetlands, Southeastern North Carolina is broadly recognized as one of the most ecologically diverse locations on earth,” said Epp. “Guided by Mr. Bacon’s focus on conservation, we are proud that our annual prescribed fire regimen at Orton, together with the work of our partners, is playing a significant role in a larger, range-wide public-private effort to build resilience in this special habitat.”
Prescribed fire helps reduce the risk of wildfire by reducing dangerous fuel loads that accumulate over the course of the year and also builds resilience by controlling invasive species and encouraging new plant growth. Orton says this preserves the habitats of the many threatened species native only to Southeastern North Carolina, such as the Venus flytrap.
“Fire plays a vital role in maintaining southern pine ecosystems and is a pragmatic management tool to conserve a plethora of endemic plants and animals,” said Orton wildlife biologist and research scientist, Dr. Theron Terhune, PhD, GISp. “Prescribed fire remains the most effective forest management technique to perpetuate longleaf-wiregrass ecosystems – one of the Southeast’s most diverse flora and fauna ecosystems.”
Although the projected burning window stated is two months long, the actual number of days prescribed fire will be applied is around 14 days. Strict criteria such as optimal weather determine when a permitted burn can take place.
Area residents may see or smell smoke, including residents of Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Wilmington, as well as travelers on Highway 133. Area residents should contact the North Carolina Forest Service with concerns.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Genesis Block will host its “Conversation to Contracts” (C2C) event on February 26, 2025, at Union Station at CFCC. The event aims to connect diverse-owned businesses with clients, partners, and resources to foster business growth in the region.
Genesis Block co-founders Tracy and Gerard Newkirk shared details of the upcoming event, which will feature two key components: a tradeshow and a series of workshop sessions.
The tradeshow, which will be open to the public from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, provides an opportunity for attendees to explore new products and services and network with potential partners. “We really encourage everybody to come out because it’s an opportunity to support the local businesses in your community,” said Tracy Newkirk. “We call them our neighborhood community entrepreneurs.”
Following the tradeshow, four interactive workshop sessions will be held from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM, focusing on essential topics for business growth. These workshops include sessions on doing business with the City of Wilmington, QuickBooks for tax season, strategies for closing deals, and how staffing companies can help grow small businesses.
Genesis Block says the C2C event is especially beneficial for diverse-owned businesses seeking to expand their presence in the local economy. “Business networking and connectivity and relationship building is important to building your business,” Gerard Newkirk said. “This gives diverse-owned businesses an opportunity to have a direct touch point with some of the largest businesses in the community, some of the largest organizations, some of the largest employers.”
For those interested in participating, Friday marks the last day to register for a booth or sign up for workshops here. Tracy Newkirk emphasized the low entry point for businesses to showcase their products and services. “So we’re very inclusive to everyone, especially diverse-owned businesses, so a very low entry point to get in to showcase their business.”
The event also aligns with Genesis Block’s mission to support entrepreneurship, especially in underserved communities. “This ties in directly,” Gerard Newkirk said. “It gives everyone access to be a part of a local economy.”
Genesis Block recently received recognition for its efforts, with Tracy and Gerard Newkirk being invited to the Governor’s Mansion for an event honoring Black entrepreneurs.
“We were invited to participate in the Governor Josh Stein and the Black Leadership Caucus’ Black History Month event, and they honored black entrepreneurs,” Tracey Newkirk said. “We were invited to participate and was in the room with some amazing black entrepreneur leaders in our state.”
The “Conversation to Contracts” event will be held on February 26, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Union Station at CFCC, 502 N Front St, Wilmington, NC. Space is limited, and attendees are encouraged to register in advance here.
NAVASSA, NC (WWAY) — A Navassa police officer indicted on multiple charges in New Hanover County has entered a conditional discharge agreement to resolve a case from 2023.
A grand jury indicted Amirabbas Vaziri on charges of willfully failing to discharge duties, assault on a female, and felonious restraint after he arrested a woman outside of Navassa’s jurisdiction on Aug. 17, 2023.
According to the district attorney’s office, Vaziri pleaded guilty to assault on a female and failure to discharge duties, but those charges will be dismissed if he completes 24 hours of community service, obtains a mental health assessment and follows recommended treatment, have no contact with the victim, violate no laws, and permanently surrender his law enforcement certification.
The state dismissed the felony restraint charge as part of the agreement.
“This case centered around allegations that were based upon his jurisdiction to take law enforcement action and not anything other than that,” said Vaziri’s attorney Barry Henline. “Mr. Vaziri believed he was acting under a mutual aid agreement; however, this is an issue that Chief Donnie Williams denied. At the time Mr. Vaziri felt he was acting under the agreement as there were two Wilmington police officers assisting him in placing the female arrestee in his patrol car and he had knowledge of an active warrant against this individual.”
“While the Navassa Police Department and the Wilmington Police department did have a mutual aid agreement in place, that agreement clearly did not cover Mr. Vaziri’s unlawful actions and his unlawful arrest of the victim,” the district attorney’s office said.
The district attorney’s office also provided what was read in court during the plea. It reads in part:
The terms of the agreement are very specific and were not in play during the arrest of Ms. Noble. The assistance requested must be made in writing. According to WPD Chief Donnie Williams, the agreement is typically used in situations with DWI checkpoints, special team operations, natural disasters and unique events. For emergencies, it can be verbal communication but must be followed later in writing. The arrest of Ms. Noble was not an emergency situation, nor did WPD ever request the assistance of Navassa or this defendant in writing for the service of a misdemeanor warrant on Ms. Noble. Additionally, all requests made under the agreement have to be executed by the Chief of the requesting agency or his designee if he’s not available. Chief Williams said he was working at the time and that he knew nothing about what had taken place until after this was under investigation. No mutual aid request was ever made by anybody at WPD during this incident.
Henline said Vaziri has accepted responsibility and is expected to complete the conditional discharge requirements.
Washington (CBS NEWS) —Unlawful crossings at the U.S. southern border are down 94% from the same period last year, Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks told CBS News in his first sit-down interview, crediting the Trump administration’s government-wide crackdown on illegal immigration.
Over the past seven days, Banks said, Border Patrol agents have apprehended an average of 285 migrants per day along the entire southern border, compared to roughly 4,800 during the same time last year.
Banks attributed the dramatic drop in illegal immigration to a slew of executive actions taken by President Trump. They include an order that has effectively closed the U.S. asylum system and allowed for summary deportations, as well as the cancellation of Biden administration policies that allowed some migrants to enter the country with the government’s permission.
Formerly Texas’ border czar, Banks also cited the Trump administration’s deployment of additional troops to the southern border and a decision to deputize Texas National Guard soldiers as immigration officers, to help Border Patrol agents in the field.
Taken together, Banks said, the actions have virtually halted releases of migrants into the U.S. interior and sent a strong warning to those thinking about traveling to the American border that they will most likely be deported if they enter the country without permission.
“The greater the punishment, the larger the deterrent,” Banks said during an interview at Customs and Border Protection’s headquarters in Washington.
Since Mr. Trump took office, Banks added, only two migrants have been released from Border Patrol custody after crossing the southern border unlawfully. He said they were released to assist with criminal prosecutions as witnesses.
“I can tell you this: anyone that has crossed the border between the ports of entry since this administration has taken office has not been released,” Banks noted.
One of the Biden-era policies the Trump administration rescinded allowed prospective asylum-seekers in Mexico to use a phone app, known as CBP One, to request a time to enter the U.S. at a legal border entry point.
Asked if asylum is no longer an option for migrants at the U.S. southern border given the policy changes, Banks responded, “At the border, right, crossing in between the ports of entry, which is what the Border Patrol focuses on? No.”
“You do not cross the border illegally and then make an asylum claim,” he said. “You can go to the port of entry, or you can go to one of the embassies in your country and make your claim for asylum.”
While illegal crossings along the border with Mexico have dropped precipitously since Mr. Trump’s inauguration, they had been on a downward trend over the past year, since soaring to record highs in late 2023. Officials at the time credited Mexico’s increased efforts to interdict migrants, and a Biden administration policy, enacted in June 2024, that restricted asylum, though not as broadly as the current rules.
In fact, in December, the Biden administration’s last full month in office, Border Patrol recorded 47,000 migrant apprehensions, down 81% from December 2023, during a record-breaking surge in unlawful crossings, government figures show. That number dipped to just over 29,000 last month.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators pushed a $340 billion budget framework to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the Trump administration says it needs for mass deportations and border security that top their agenda.
The hours-long “vote-a-rama” rambled along in a dreaded but crucial part of the budget process, as senators considered one amendment after another, largely from Democrats trying to halt it. But Republicans used their majority power to muscle the package to approval on a largely party-line vote, 52-48, with all Democrats and one GOP senator opposing it.
“What we’re doing today is jumpstarting a process that will allow the Republican Party to meet President Trump’s immigration agenda,” Senate Budget Committee chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said while opening the debate.
Graham said President Donald Trump’s top immigration czar, Tom Homan, told senators that the administration’s deportation operations are “out of money” and need more funding from Congress to detain and deport immigrants.
With little power in the minority to stop the onslaught, Democrats instead used the all-night debate to force GOP senators into potentially embarrassing votes — including the first one, on blocking tax breaks to billionaires. It was turned back on procedural grounds. So were many others.
“This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York warned. Hours later, Schumer said it “was only the beginning” of what could become a months-long debate.
The package is what Republicans view as a down payment on Trump’s agenda, part of a broader effort that will eventually include legislation to extend some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and other priorities. That’s being assembled by House Speaker Mike Johnson in a separate budget package that also seeks up to $2 trillion in reductions to health care and other programs.
Trump has preferred what he calls one “big, beautiful bill,” but the White House is open to the Senate’s strategy of working on the border package first, then turning to tax cuts later this year.
As voting began, the president signaled his go-ahead, posting a thank you to Senate Majority Leader John Thune “and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda.”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky cast the lone GOP vote against the framework.
What’s in the Senate GOP package
The Republican Senate package would allow up to $175 billion to be spent on border security, including money for mass deportation operations and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in addition to a $150 billion boost to the Pentagon and about $20 billion for the Coast Guard.
But there won’t be any money flowing just yet, as the process has several steps ahead. The budget resolution is simply a framework that sends instructions to the various Senate committees — Homeland Security, Armed Services, Judiciary — to hammer out the details. Everything will eventually be assembled in another package, with another vote-a-rama down the road.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the No. 2-ranking Senate Republican, said GOP lawmakers are acting quickly to get the administration the resources they have requested and need to curb illegal border crossings.
“The budget will allow us to finish the wall. It also takes the steps we need toward more border agents,” Barrasso said. “It means more detention beds. … It means more deportation flights.”
Republicans insist the whole thing will be paid for, rather than piled onto debt, with potential spending cuts and new revenues.
The committees are expected to consider rolling back the Biden administration’s methane emissions fee, which was approved by Democrats as part of climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act, and hoping to draw new revenue from energy leases as they aim to spur domestic energy production.
One amendment that was accepted after several hours of debate was actually a Republican effort to fend off criticism that the package would be paid for by cutting safety net programs. The amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Medicaid and Medicare would be strengthened during the budget process.
Democrats brought a slew of amendments
First up from Democrats was a vote to prevent tax breaks for billionaires — an amendment that was repeated in various forms throughout the night.
Democrats argue that the GOP tax cuts approved in 2017 flowed to the wealthiest Americans, and extending them as Trump wants Congress to do later this year would prolong the giveaway. Even though the billionaire amendments failed, they picked up some Republican support. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted for several of them, and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted for another.
Schumer launched a strategy earlier this week to use the budget debate to focus on both the implications of the tax policy and the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, which is slashing across the federal government.
It’s a better approach for Democrats than arguing against tougher border security and deportations, which divides the party.
All told, senators processed almost three dozen amendments on reversing DOGE cuts, protecting federal workers from being fired, ensuring U.S. support for Ukraine as it battles Russia and others.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the single biggest driver of the national debt since 2001 has been a series of Republican-led tax cuts.
“And you’ll never guess what our Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focused on right now, nothing to lower the cost of eggs, it’s actually more Republican tax cuts,” Murray said.
She called the budget plan a “roadmap for painful cuts to programs families count on each and every day, all so they can give billionaires more tax cuts.”
Congress is racing itself
The budget resolution is setting up what’s called the reconciliation process, which used to be rare, but is now the tool often used to pass big bills on party-line votes when one party has control of the White House and Congress, as Republicans do now.
But Republicans are arguing with themselves over how to proceed. The House is marching ahead on its “big, beautiful bill,” believing they have one chance to get it right. The Senate views its two-bill strategy as more practical, delivering on border security first, then turning to taxes later.
Budget rules allow for passage by a simple majority vote, which is key in the Senate, where it typically takes 60 votes to break a filibuster on big items. During Trump’s first term, Republicans used the reconciliation process to pass GOP tax cuts in 2017. Democrats used reconciliation during Joe Biden’s presidency to approve COVID-19 relief and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Trump appears to be stirring the fight, pitting Republicans in the House and Senate against each other to see which one delivers fastest.
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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York on Thursday sued some of the country’s biggest distributors of electronic cigarettes, accusing the companies of violating state laws that prohibit the sale of vaping flavors and designs that appeal to children.
Attorney General Letitia James announced the lawsuit targeting middlemen that distribute fruit- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes like Puff Bar and Elf Bar to hundreds of convenience stories and gas stations across the state. The approach differs from past litigation by New York and other states, which targeted vaping manufacturers, such as Juul Labs.
Widely blamed for sparking the teen vaping trend, Juul has paid more than $1 billion to settle dozens of state and local lawsuits and investigations into its early marketing practices, which included launch parties and product giveaways. The company stopped selling flavors like mango and mint in 2019 and is no longer popular with teens.
Instead, Chinese-made disposable e-cigarettes like Elf Bar have become the top choice among high school and middle school students. None of the products are approved by federal health regulators but they continue shipping into the U.S., often mislabeled as batteries, cell phones or other products.
The state’s nearly 200-page legal complaint points to “widespread evidence of illegal conduct, including documents showing illegal shipments of flavored vapes to New York.” The filing also includes photos of brightly colored e-cigarettes that resemble soft drinks and candy and come in flavors like “fruity bears freeze,” “cotton candy,” and “strawberry cereal donut milk.”
New York banned all vaping flavors other than tobacco in 2020.
“For too long, these companies have disregarded our laws in order to profit off of our young people, but we will not risk the health and safety of our kids,” James said in a statement.
The lawsuit seeks hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from the companies, as well as a permanent ban on their sales of flavored vapes in New York.
Companies named in the lawsuit include Demand Vape of New York, Evo Brands of California, Safa Goods of Florida and Midwest Goods of Illinois.
Calls and messages to the companies were not immediately returned Thursday morning.
According to the lawsuit “Demand Vape maintains close ties with international manufacturers, such that its co-founder routinely travels to China where Demand Vape’s products originate to direct flavor development and marketing.”
In 2022 litigation, the co-founder of Buffalo-based Demand Vape told a federal judge that his company had sold more than $132 million worth of Elf Bar e-cigarettes in the past year. The company that makes Elf Bar is based in Shenzhen, China, and sells flavors including “strawberry mango” and “lemon mint.”
Despite the continued availability of disposable e-cigarettes, the vaping rate among U.S. teens has fallen to a 10-year low of under 6%, according to federal figures released last year. Government health officials attribute the drop to more aggressive U.S. enforcement, including hundreds of warning letters sent to retail stores selling unauthorized vaping products.
Washington (CBS News) — Unlawful crossings at the U.S. southern border are down 94% from the same period last year, Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks told CBS News in his first sit-down interview, crediting the Trump administration’s government-wide crackdown on illegal immigration.
Over the past seven days, Banks said, Border Patrol agents have apprehended an average of 285 migrants per day along the entire southern border, compared to roughly 4,800 during the same time last year.
Banks attributed the dramatic drop in illegal immigration to a slew of executive actions taken by President Trump. They include an order that has effectively closed the U.S. asylum system and allowed for summary deportations, as well as the cancellation of Biden administration policies that allowed some migrants to enter the country with the government’s permission.
Formerly Texas’ border czar, Banks also cited the Trump administration’s deployment of additional troops to the southern border and a decision to deputize Texas National Guard soldiers as immigration officers, to help Border Patrol agents in the field.
Taken together, Banks said, the actions have virtually halted releases of migrants into the U.S. interior and sent a strong warning to those thinking about traveling to the American border that they will most likely be deported if they enter the country without permission.
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(CBS News) — Delta Air Lines has revealed information about the crew on board a flight from Minneapolis that crashed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
CBS News learned the first officer graduated from a university with an accredited and well-respected aviation program, and so was able to start working with fewer than 1,500 hours under a Restricted Air Transport Pilot certificate. She crossed the 1,500-hour mark and earned her full ATP certificate in January 2023, which is the highest-level pilot certification in the U.S., before completing training last April, and has been flying for Endeavor since then.
Delta says her flight experience “exceeded the minimum requirements” set by federal regulations.
She passed all of her check rides and there were “no red flags” about her pilot skills, a source familiar told CBS News.
Delta added that claims spreading online alleging the captain and first officer had failed training events were false, and both crew members are Federal Aviation Administration certified for their positions.
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