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The Pentagon identified the U.S. service member killed in action in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on Thursday as Spc. James A. Slape. The 23-year-old from Morehead City, N.C., died of injuries from an improvised explosive device, the Pentagon said in a statement. Slape was assigned to 60th Troop Command, North Carolina Army National Guard, Washington, N.C.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) on Wednesday said that he is hopeful Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will testify before the House Judiciary Committee in the coming days. "We have a task force that has six Republicans, six Democrats, and so I fully anticipate that that's what it'll be, but the Department of Justice has not agreed to that yet, but hopefully, in the coming days that'll happen," he continued. Meadows' comments come after the New York Times reported last month that Rosenstein had openly discussed secretly recording President Trump in the Oval Office, and had discussed the...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Dan McCready is a boyish ex-Marine, a solar energy entrepreneur and a favorite candidate of national Democrats hoping to nab a Republican seat in their battle for the House. His company, Double Time Capital, says its mission is to hasten “our country’s important transition to clean energy” because of climate change. But as a candidate in a conservative-tilting battleground district, Mr. McCready’s environmental message is much more muted. Climate change is not directly named among 13 top issues on his website. And though his latest TV commercial features solar panels and boasts that the 35-year-old, first-time candidate...

Christine Blasey lived in Potomac, Maryland in 1985. Christine was arrested in a traffic stop and ticketd on June 14, 1985 (Friday) in Catawba County North Carlina. She was charged with a traffic misdemeanor – no big deal. It was disposed on Sept 11, 1985. But there’s more. There were two other cases on June 17, 1985 (Monday). They were also in Catawba County on a different day and are under case type – CRIMINAL. This might be the same case, but two different records were given. The interesting thing about these two cases against Christine Blasey Ford is that...

The father of a missing 6-year-old boy with autism says his son ran away from him in a park last Saturday in North Carolina and he couldn't catch him. The FBI and over 300 officers are searching the more than 240-acre park, including a lake. Snip "It didn't look as though, they were that concerned," Foxx said of the boy's father and his girlfriend, who was with him at the park. "I've worked there almost three years and we see everybody come in and out of that park pretty much. I didn't see that kid one time."

The father of a missing 6-year-old boy with autism blamed himself for his son’s disappearance this weekend, as officials continue to canvas the surrounding area of a North Carolina park for any signs of the child. Maddox Ritch, 6, has been missing since Saturday and was last seen at Rankin Lake Park, about 20 miles west of Charlotte, with his father, Ian Ritch, and another adult who was not identified. Ritch told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday his son ran ahead of him and disappeared from his view.

Editor's Note: This story was published prior to allegations Wednesday that Brett Kavanaugh attended parties involving what a third accuser refers to as "gang rape." RALEIGH, N.C. — On the eve of a hearing into allegations of sexual misconduct against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, North Carolina's senators are staking out positions on whether they'll support the nomination. U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, announced Tuesday night that his committee would schedule a vote Friday on Kavanaugh's confirmation. The announcement came two days before the committee will hear from Professor Christine Blasey Ford, a former classmate...

North Carolina resident Tammie Hedges had the impertinence to rescue 27 cats and dogs during Hurricane Florence. Providing round-the-clock care in a makeshift shelter, she provided safety from the storm, food, and medication to those sick or in pain. Apparently Hedges, who runs a non-profit animal rescue organization that relies on foster homes, didn't realize that such a display of humanity and compassion in the midst of an emergency is not the kind of thing the state takes lightly. Common sense and kindness: out. Bureaucratic fools: in. After the worst of the storm passed, Hedges handed the animals over to...

The first remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War and sent from North Korea have been identified as belonging to Army Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel of Indiana and Army Pfc. William H. Jones of North Carolina, President Trump shared through Twitter on Thursday.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SNIP~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Army Pfc. William H. Jones, killed during the Korean War, was identified in September 2018. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEArmy Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel, killed during the Korean War. He was identified in September 2018. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Nearly half of the state’s counties are shutting down polling places, in part because of a law passed in June. In June, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation mandating that all early voting sites in the state remain open for uniform hours on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., a move supporters argued would reduce confusion and ultimately make early voting easier and more accessible. But with the start of early voting only weeks away, county election officials across the state — who previously had control over setting polling hours in their jurisdictions — say the new law...

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. – A North Carolina woman was arrested after providing care for animals during Hurricane Florence without a permit, according to USA Today. Animal rescue volunteer Raina Nyliram said the drugs she administered were all over-the-counter medication. She said the animals needed to be cared for because the veterinarian’s office was closed.

The latest in a string of monster storms of recent years, Hurricane Florence punctuates the fact that the cost of climate pollution is accelerating. Duke Energy executives bear much of the blame for Hurricane Florence’s devastation. The Charlotte-based corporation is one of the world’s largest climate polluters, it’s been aggressively expanding its use of climate-wrecking fracked gas (methane), opposing requirements to curb methane venting and leakage, impeding the cheaper, clean-energy solutions that are ready to replace fossil-fueled electricity, and suppressing attention to these interrelated factors. In short, Duke’s Energy’s “natural” gas expansion is amplifying global heating at the worst possible...

GOLDSBORO, N.C. (WNCN) - A Wayne County woman could face charges after sheltering more than two dozen pets as Hurricane Florence impacted North Carolina. Tammie Hedges runs Crazy’s Claws n Paws, a non-profit group which helps low-income families with veterinary bills, pet supplies and other needs. She’s in the process of converting a warehouse space along Route 581 into a shelter. With the storm approaching last week, she offered it as an option for pets to stay. “The goal was to make sure they were not out there drowning,” Hedges said. “We had an elderly couple, they were evacuating that...

The first people to vote in this year’s midterm elections have already returned their ballots to state elections officials in North Carolina, seven weeks before much of the rest of the country gets to weigh in. Those voters — 181 of whom have voted so far, according to the state Board of Elections — are part of an increasing number of Americans who cast their ballots before Election Day. This year, more than 40 percent of all voters are likely to take advantage of mail-in, absentee or early voting options. “There’s been this revolution in the use of mailed-out ballots...

When Apple released its iPhone XS line, with screens that range from 5.8 inches to 6.5 inches, they became the company’s largest phones yet. But the big screens have triggered a backlash from women who say the device is too large for the average female hand. “Women like me with small hands who need the most secure phone for safety reasons are stuck with something they can’t hold and constantly risk dropping,” tweeted sociology professor Zeynep Tufekci, who teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Some people like the bigger phones. Fine. Keep an alternative for the...

CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday unloaded on Twitter users, including Donald Trump Jr., spreading conspiracy theories about his coverage of Hurricane Florence. Cooper said that in recent days, conspiracy theorists including President Trump's son, have shared a photo from his coverage of 2008’s Hurricane Ike and falsely claimed that it shows him exaggerating the depths of floodwaters in Hurricane Florence. “I usually let conspiracy theorists go unanswered,” Cooper said, and referenced a number of online conspiracy theories accusing him of faking reporting on the Sandy Hook shootings and in Haiti. In a nearly 10-minute segment live on CNN, Cooper...

**SNIP** But for thousands of power crews, the lead-up to the storm is a period of waiting to face the mess it leaves behind. The storm is expected to knock out power to as many as 3 million customers across the two states, utilities officials in the Carolinas said Wednesday afternoon. “I was expecting the call [from the power company] when I saw it on the news,” said Raymond Gallant, a 70-year-old lineman from New Brunswick. He was among a mix of linemen, mechanics, loggers and carpenters on Wednesday who signed up to spend an anticipated three weeks on the...

While thousands of people struggle to overcome the damage left behind by Hurricane Florence, citizens in Wilmington broke into the closed Family Dollar Saturday on Greenfield Street to steal anything they could find, WISTV reported. On Friday dozens upon dozens of people were seen and videotaped carrying items back to the public housing community Houston Moore. Others were taking stolen items to their cars. Looters threw bottles at reporters as they took video. Another reporter, Hannah Brewer of WFMY, posted the following raw footage to youtube.

Police in North Carolina arrested five people Saturday night as looters began to break into stores while Tropical Storm Florence brought chaos to the region. Wilmington Police confirmed the arrests on Twitter but did not immediately release the identities of the five individuals. “Charges are pending and those details will be released as they become available,” police said. Authorities said about 1:30 p.m. they became aware of looting taking place at the Dollar General on 5th and Dawson Streets but were initially asked by management “not to intervene at this time.” They later said on Twitter that they were working...

Complete Headline: 'Cigarettes, beer and junk food ... the essentials': Thousands of Wilmington residents overcrowd supermarket open amid hurricane chaos and COPS have to help with crowd control As the Hurricane Florence clean-up efforts were under way residents turned out to hunt for snacks Cops were called and the lines were said to take up to four hours to get served Shoppers were looking for 'cigarettes, beer and junk food' Thousands remain without power across the state as the storm continues Stores elsewhere in the city are expected to be able to reopen Sunday The residents of Hurricane Florence-stricken Wilmington,...