Wall Street hangs near its record as PepsiCo and United Airlines fly and health care stocks sink

Wall Street hangs near its record as PepsiCo and United Airlines fly and health care stocks sink

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street rose to records on Thursday following better-than-expected updates on the economy and a mixed set of profit reports from big U.S. companies.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to top its all-time high set a week ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 229 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.7% to its own record set the day before.

Trading was calmer than Wednesday’s, when President Donald Trump jolted financial markets by saying he had discussed the “concept” of firing the chair of the Federal Reserve but was unlikely to do so. Such a move could help Wall Street get the lower interest rates it loves but would also risk a weakened Fed unable to make the unpopular moves needed to keep inflation under control.

A strong profit report from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. helped drive tech stocks, and its net income soared nearly 61% in the last quarter from a year earlier. The chip maker said it’s seeing strong demand from artificial-intelligence and other customers, and TSMC’s stock that trades in the United States rose 3.4%.

Other stocks involved in AI also climbed, and a 1% gain for Nvidia was one of the strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500.

PepsiCo jumped 7.5% after delivering revenue and profit that topped Wall Street’s expectations. The drink and snack giant also stood by its financial forecasts given in April, which projected lower full-year profit than previous forecasts due to increased costs from tariffs and a pullback in consumer spending.

United Airlines flew 3.1% higher after reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also said it’s seen an acceleration in demand from customers that began in early July, and it’s expecting less uncertainty about the economy to hurt its business in the second half of this year.

Lucid Group’s stock surged 36.2% after it said Uber Technologies is aiming to use 20,000 or more of its vehicles over six years in a robotaxi program. Using an autonomy system by Nuro, it expects to launch “later next year in a major US city.”

Uber, which plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Lucid and Nuro, saw its stock edge down by 0.3%.

On the losing side of Wall Street was Abbott Laboratories, which fell 8.5% despite delivering results for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations. The health care company cut the top end of its forecasted range for revenue growth over 2025.

Elevance Health dropped 12.2% after reporting a weaker profit than analysts expected. It cut its forecast for profit in 2025 because of rising medical cost trends in its Affordable Care Act business, along with other factors.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 33.66 points to 6,297.36. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 229.71 to 44,484.49, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 153.78 to 20,885.27.

In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed following several better-than-expected reports on the economy.

One said that shoppers upped their spending at U.S. retailers by more last month than economists expected. Such spending, along with a relatively solid jobs market, has helped keep the U.S. economy out of a recession.

A separate report said that fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, which could be a signal of limited layoffs. A third suggested unexpectedly strong growth in manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region.

Such solid data could keep the Federal Reserve on pause when it comes to interest rates. The Fed has been keeping rates steady this year, after cutting them at the end of last year. The Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, has been insisting that he wants to wait for more data about how Trump’s tariffs will affect the economy and inflation before the Fed makes its next move.

That’s because while lower interest rates could goose the economy and prices for investments, they would also give inflation more fuel. And prices may already be starting to feel the upward effects of tariffs.

Thursday’s strong economic helped push the two-year Treasury yield, which closely tracks expectations for the Fed, up to 3.91% from 3.88% late Wednesday.

Longer-term Treasury yields held steadier, though, and the 10-year yield edged down to 4.45% from 4.46%. The Fed has less influence over these yields, where investors in the bond market carry more sway.

Bond investors had briefly driven longer-term yields higher on Wednesday, when fears were high that Trump may fire Powell. The president has been angrily calling for Powell to cut interest rates, and a less independent Fed may end up pulling short-term rates lower in the near term. That could allow inflation to run higher in future years. Longer-term yields then relaxed after Trump said he was unlikely to fire Powell.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Prodded by lawsuits, North Carolina seeks to tighten voter ID records for roughly 200,000 people

Prodded by lawsuits, North Carolina seeks to tighten voter ID records for roughly 200,000 people

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina election officials on Thursday launched an online database of voter registration records for 103,000 people who need to add their driver’s license numbers or partial Social Security numbers to the state’s records, a move critics worry could disenfranchise some voters.

The State Board of Elections began the process in an effort to resolve a lawsuit by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department and — conservatives say — to help safeguard elections in the ninth-largest state.

Nearly all of the people whose names are included in the online database have registered to vote since 2004, but didn’t include the numerical identifiers. That’s partially because for many years the state’s registration form didn’t make clear that both state law and the federal Help America Vote Act required registrants to provide the ID information if they had it.

The absence of numerical IDs has muddled election administration and voter eligibility in North Carolina for over a year, and played a prominent part in a very close 2024 judicial race.

The state has more than 7.5 million registered voters and is considered a perpetual battleground. Most recently, Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by about 3 percentage points in the 2024 election.

Sam Hayes, the newly installed executive director of the state election’s board, said he’s discussed the “Registration Repair Project” with Justice Department attorneys and is hopeful it will settle the litigation. While U.S. attorneys haven’t offered evidence of voter fraud related to the absent numerical IDs, they contend accurate registration rolls help ensure fair and reliable election results.

People included in the newly launched online database can provide an ID number through the Division of Motor Vehicles website or by visiting their county election board offices. Registrants who haven’t provided the ID information by early next month will get letters and postage-paid return envelopes allowing them to complete the process.

Hayes said those who don’t will have to vote provisionally the next time they cast a ballot — meaning their ballots may not count in some state and local races without correct ID information. Municipal elections in North Carolina are held starting in September.

A former iteration of the State Board of Elections — led by a Democratic majority instead of the current Republican one — acknowledged the missing ID numbers in late 2023 and updated the voter registration form. The board declined to take further steps to collect the information, pointing out in part that the state’s photo ID mandate for voters would affirm their identity.

Lawsuits followed, first by state and national Republicans last summer who claimed voter rolls contained ineligible voters. Then the Justice Department sued in May, a few weeks after the new GOP-controlled board took office.

“We’re going to fix this problem,” Hayes said. “We must put this issue behind us so we can focus our attention squarely on preparations for accurate and secure municipal elections this fall.”

Several advocacy groups and individuals have raised concerns that the DOJ litigation will result in eligible voters being removed from the rolls. The Democratic National Committee threatened last week to sue the state board this fall, saying its plan violates the National Voter Registration Act.

“The DNC applauds efforts to add identification numbers missing from the North Carolina voter file. But those efforts should not disenfranchise eligible voters,” DNC Litigation Director Dan Freeman said Thursday.

But Hayes told reporters the project won’t remove any eligible voter from the rolls.

“Instead, it will result in more complete voter rolls and full compliance with state and federal law,” he said.

In addition to the 103,000 voters included in the online database of those with missing ID numbers, almost 100,000 more whose records lack the identifiers will be contacted later, election officials said Thursday. Those voters will be allowed to continue casting regular ballots because there’s evidence, for example, that they supplied a number or an alternate ID allowed under the Help America Vote Act, said Paul Cox, a board attorney.

Severe weather in tropical storm’s wake triggers North Carolina state of emergency

Severe weather in tropical storm’s wake triggers North Carolina state of emergency

By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina can seek federal funding to help its overloaded response efforts to Tropical Storm Chantal, which killed at least six people and left damage from flooding in its wake, as Gov. Josh Stein announced a state of emergency Thursday.

A one-two punch from Chantal followed by severe weather in the state’s center has “overwhelmed the response and recovery efforts of local governments,” according to Stein’s executive order.

Some rivers reached record-breaking levels from the storm, including the Eno River in Durham, one of several cities where some residents lost access to safe drinking water because of damage to the water system. In some places, the storm dumped as much as 9 to 12 inches of rain, according to the governor’s office.

Chantal hit at the end of the July Fourth weekend, and several days of severe weather plowed through as people were still picking up the pieces from damage caused by the tropical storm’s remnants.

The emergency declaration, which took effect Wednesday, jumpstarts the process for North Carolina to seek federal recovery assistance if needed. It covers 13 counties in the state’s center, some of which are home to populous cities like Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

Local law enforcement agencies have confirmed at least six deaths from the storm. Businesses were wrecked and many residents were displaced from their homes after emergency responders rescued them from flooding.

A 58-year-old woman called 911 on her way to work after her SUV got caught in floodwaters, but the call disconnected and she was later found dead a little ways from her unoccupied vehicle, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Rescuers searched for days in Chatham County only to find two missing canoers had died, the county sheriff’s office said, while another woman died when floodwaters swept her vehicle off the road, the State Highway Patrol said.

Two people died in Alamance County, including a missing 71-year-old man found dead inside his vehicle covered in flowing water, the sheriff’s office said. The Graham County Police Department said a missing 23-year-old woman was found dead inside a submerged vehicle.

Many people were also rescued during the storm. In one neighborhood north of Durham, the city’s fire department said it did more than 80 water rescues amid the flooding. The fire department in Chapel Hill rescued more than 50 people while teaming up with neighboring agencies, mostly near apartments, officials said.

North Carolina governor doesn’t appeal ruling on who gets say over highway patrol commander

North Carolina governor doesn’t appeal ruling on who gets say over highway patrol commander

By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Josh Stein decided Wednesday against appealing a trial court ruling that did not go in his favor last month, securing a small victory for Republican lawmakers whom the governor was challenging.

The case focused on whether Stein has the authority to choose his own State Highway Patrol commander. The GOP-dominated legislature passed a law in December 2024 — just before Stein was sworn into office — that included a provision stating the governor was required to keep the current incumbent, Col. Freddy Johnson, in the position. Stein then sued.

After hearing arguments in court last month, a panel of Superior Court judges decided unanimously to dismiss the case, saying the provision wasn’t unconstitutional.

Johnson, who was appointed by former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in 2021, was a defendant in the lawsuit. Cooper was also a plaintiff.

Stein believed the provision to be “ambiguous” on whether he would be allowed to remove Johnson from his position if necessary, which is why he initially challenged the provision, according to a Wednesday news release from the governor’s office.

That ambiguity could have led to the interpretation that the commander could keep his post, even if he refused his duties or abused his power, the governor’s office said.

“Making a Commander of the State Highway Patrol unremovable for any reason would threaten public safety, and I am relieved the Court did not endorse such a result,” Stein said in a statement. “I continue to have confidence in Colonel Freddy Johnson’s ability to lead the State Highway Patrol effectively, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to keep people safe.”

Attorneys representing GOP House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger successfully argued in court last month that the governor’s arguments against the provision were largely hypothetical. Additionally, Stein’s legal representation and a lawyer for Johnson both reaffirmed that there was no personal conflict between the governor and the State Highway Patrol commander.

Stein has also challenged various other parts of the sweeping state law that eroded many powers of the governor and several other top Democrats holding statewide office. One of the most consequential changes transferred the power to appoint State Board of Elections members from the governor to the state auditor, who is a Republican.

The governor is still challenging that provision in court. State Auditor Dave Boliek’s appointments to the board — which shifted from a Democratic to Republican majority — have stayed in place as the provision’s constitutionality continues to be debated in courts

Homestyle Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Homestyle Salt and Pepper Shrimp

This dish delivers crispy, flavorful shrimp in just minutes. The secret is a quick toast and grind of peppercorns mixed with salt, a light coat of cornstarch, and a hot pan. Great for a weeknight or an impressive appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound medium shell-on shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup avocado or vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced serrano or jalapeño chili (optional)
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Toast the spices
In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the white and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant and popping slightly. Remove from heat, crush them with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, and mix in the kosher salt.

2. Prep the shrimp
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss them in the cornstarch to coat lightly and evenly.

3. Fry the shrimp
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until nearly smoking. Add the shrimp in a single layer and fry for about two minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. Remove and set on paper towels to drain.

4. Add garlic and chili
Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and chili to the remaining oil in the pan and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5. Finish the shrimp
Return the shrimp to the pan. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper mix and toss everything together for another 30 seconds until well coated.

6. Serve
Transfer the shrimp to a serving plate. Garnish with fresh cilantro if you like. Serve hot for maximum crunch.

An Alaska tsunami warning had residents scrambling for high ground after 7.3 magnitude earthquake

An Alaska tsunami warning had residents scrambling for high ground after 7.3 magnitude earthquake

By MARK THIESSEN and BECKY BOHRER Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Communities along a 700-mile (1,127-km) stretch of Alaska’s southern coast ordered residents to higher ground after a powerful offshore earthquake Wednesday, but officials quickly downgraded and then canceled a tsunami warning for the region. There were no reports of significant damage.

The earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck at 12:37 p.m. local time south of Sand Point, a community of about 600 people on Popof Island, in the Aleutian chain, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.

There were 40 aftershocks detected within the first three hours, the center said.

“We have seen other earthquakes in the area that have not generated significant tsunami waves, but we’re treating it seriously and going through our procedures, making sure communities are notified so they can activate their evacuation procedures,” said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for Alaska’s emergency management division.

The quake was felt as far away as Anchorage, almost 600 miles (966 km) to the northeast.

The National Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for an area stretching from about 40 miles (64.4 km) southwest of Homer to Unimak Pass, a distance of about 700 miles (1,126 kilometers). Among the larger communities in the area was Kodiak, with a population of about 5,200. The warning was downgraded to an advisory about an hour later, and canceled just before 2:45 p.m.

The highest water level generated by the earthquake in Sand Point was not quite 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) above the tide, the center said.

“There’s no damage at the airport, doesn’t appear to be any damage at the harbor, no damage to speak of, really,” Sand Point Police Chief Benjamin Allen said.

There was some damage — in the form of broken bottles — at the Alaska Commercial general store in town. Manager Vickey McDonald said about half of the store’s alcohol aisle had crashed and shattered.

“I’ve got liquid smoke and barbecue sauce and pickles … broken on the floor,” McDonald said. “It smells horrendous in here.”

In Unalaska, a fishing community of about 4,100, officials urged people in possible inundation zones to move at least 50 feet above sea level or 1 mile (1.6 km) inland. In King Cove, which has about 870 residents on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula, officials sent an alert calling on those in the coastal area to move to higher ground.

Tourists Jodie Stevens and her husband, Aaron Park, were looking at the puffins at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward when they heard someone yelling that there had been an earthquake and they needed to evacuate. They walked a few blocks uphill in the rain, with a woman from the center yelling to those they passed to get to higher ground.

They were about halfway to the official high ground spot when they heard a siren signal that all was clear, she said.

The National Weather Service said in posts on social media that there was no tsunami threat for other U.S. and Canadian Pacific coasts in North America, including Washington, Oregon and California.

Alaska’s southern coast is earthquake-prone, and Wednesday’s was the fifth in roughly the same area since 2020 exceeding magnitude 7, state seismologist Michael West said.

“Something’s moving in this area,” he said. “I would not call this an isolated earthquake. It appears to be part of a larger sequence spanning the last several years.”

That has the attention of seismologists, he said.

“This area has been and remains capable of larger earthquakes and earthquakes capable of significant tsunami damage,” he said.

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Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. Associated Press writers Hallie Golden in Seattle and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed.

20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters

20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters

By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press

Twenty Democratic-led states filed suit Wednesday against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, challenging the elimination of a long-running grant program that helps communities guard against damage from natural disasters.

The lawsuit contends President Donald Trump’s administration acted illegally when it announced in April that it was ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. FEMA canceled some projects already in the works and refused to approve new ones despite funding from Congress.

“In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states, it’s clear just how critical federal resources are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, where the federal lawsuit was filed. “By abruptly and unlawfully shutting down the BRIC program, this administration is abandoning states and local communities that rely on federal funding to protect their residents and, in the event of disaster, save lives.”

FEMA did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment. It said in April that the program was “wasteful and ineffective” and “more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters.”

The program, established by a 2000 law, provides grants for a variety of disaster mitigation efforts, including levees to protect against floods, safe rooms to provide shelter from tornadoes, vegetation management to reduce damage from fires and seismic retrofitting to fortify buildings for earthquakes.

During his first term, Trump signed a law shoring up funding for disaster risk reduction efforts. The program then got a $1 billion boost from an infrastructure law signed by former President Joe Biden. That law requires FEMA to make available at least $200 million annually for disaster mitigation grants for the 2022-2026 fiscal years, the lawsuit says.

The suit contends the Trump administration violated the constitutional separation of powers because Congress had not authorized the program’s demise. It also alleges the program’s termination was illegal because the decision was made while FEMA was under the leadership of an acting administrator who had not met the requirements to be in charge of the agency.

The lawsuit says communities in every state have benefited from federal disaster mitigation grants, which saved lives and spared homes, businesses, hospitals and schools from costly damage.

Some communities have already been affected by the decision to end the program.

Hillsborough, North Carolina, had been awarded nearly $7 million to relocate a wastewater pumping station out of a flood plain and make other water and sewer system improvements. But that hadn’t happened yet when the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal damaged the pumping station and forced it offline last week.

In rural Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, town officials had hoped to use more than $4 million from the BRIC program to improve stormwater drainage and safeguard a vulnerable electric system, thus protecting investments in a historic theater and other businesses. While the community largely supports Trump, assistant town manager Erin Burris said people were blindsided by the lost funding they had spent years pursuing.

“I’ve had downtown property owners saying, ‘What do we do?’” Burris said. “I’ve got engineering plans ready to go and I don’t have the money to do it.”

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Associated Press reporters Jack Brook, Michael Casey and Gary D. Robertson contributed to this report.

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Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Trump says he’s ‘highly unlikely’ to fire Fed’s Powell after floating that idea in private

Trump says he’s ‘highly unlikely’ to fire Fed’s Powell after floating that idea in private

By SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he was “highly unlikely” to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a public statement made less than 24 hours after suggesting in a private meeting that he was leaning in favor of dismissing the head of the nation’s central bank.

Trump confirmed that in a White House meeting Tuesday night with about a dozen House Republicans he had discussed the “concept” of dismissing Powell, long a target because of his refusal to lower interest rates as Trump wants.

“Almost every one of them said I should,” Trump said about the lawmakers who had come to talk to him about crypto legislation.

He indicated he was leaning in that direction, according to a White House official. During that session, Trump waved a letter about firing Powell, but a person familiar with the matter said it was essentially a prop drafted by someone else and that the Republican president has not drafted such a letter.

Neither source was authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting and they spoke only on condition on anonymity.

Trump made his comment about being “highly unlikely” to dismiss Powell — ”unless he has to leave for fraud” — during an Oval Office meeting with Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the crown prince of Bahrain.

In recent days, White House and administration officials have accused Powell of mismanaging a $2.5 billion renovation project at the Fed, adding to months of efforts by Trump try to rid himself of the politically independent central banker.

U.S. stocks were shaky as Trump spoke about Powell on Wednesday. The S&P 500’s modest gain in the morning became a drop of 0.7% after initial reports that the president may fire the Fed chair. Stocks then trimmed their losses after Trump’s later comment.

Treasury yields also swiveled in the bond market but remained mostly calm.

Those at the White House meeting were among the more far-right lawmakers, including members of the House Freedom Cause whose views are not always shared by other Republicans. In the Senate, Republicans have taken a more guarded approach. Some have backed Powell’s performance at the Fed as they await an inspector general’s review of the construction project.

In a speech Wednesday, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said if Powell is dismissed, “you are going to see a pretty immediate response”

“If anybody thinks it would be a good idea for the Fed to become another agency in the government subject to the president, they’re making a huge mistake,” said Tillis, who has announced that he is not running for reelection.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said this week that Powell “has done a decent job.”

“I don’t think he’s been perfect,” he said, adding that there have been times they disagreed, but “I do believe that the chairman is calling them like he sees them.”

Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee had been scheduled to meet with Powell on Wednesday evening in a gathering set months ago, but it was abruptly canceled due to votes in the House, according to a committee aide granted anonymity to discuss a private meeting.

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AP Business Writer Stan Choe in New York, AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Black-Eyed Susan: A Cheerful Bloom From North Carolina to Norway

Black-Eyed Susan: A Cheerful Bloom From North Carolina to Norway

MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener

Melissa and I just returned from a trip to Norway where we traveled as far north as Myrdal, which is 3,000 feet above sea level and about 350 miles south of the Arctic Circle. It was like a North Carolina winter with leaves on all the trees and some snow on the higher peaks. You wouldn’t think that central and eastern North Carolina would share some of the same plants, but we certainly do. Consider Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). While Black-eyed Susan is native to the Tarheel State, it is definitely not native to Norway. Introduced long ago to many European countries including Norway, we saw Black-eyed Susan growing in most of the areas we visited. We have been growing this adaptable flower for decades in our landscape. Many Norwegians obviously have too.

I have read that Blackeyed Susan got its name from a popular ballad written in the 1700’s that originated in England called “Sweet William’s Farewell to Black-eyed Susan” and composed by a man named John Gay. The information comes, of all places, from a website called “poison.org”! The song tells the story of a woman named Susan who had dark eyes and boarded a ship to say goodbye to her sailor lover Sweet William. The dark center of the blossom is often thought to resemble an eye. Ironically, the Blackeyed Susan was named for a Swedish family- Rudbeck.

Black-eyed Susan is an annual or biennial or perennial in North Carolina that normally blooms from June through September in our landscape. It sometimes depends on how many hungry rabbits attack our crop. Part of the aster family, it is of course kin to the sunflower. Prefers sun but can deal with part shade conditions and seems to like moist, yet well-drained soil. Fortunately for us, it will grow in clay or sand. You know how it goes around here with our soil and drought conditions. Black-eyed Susan will tolerate drought conditions. Now, they do look better with some regular watering; but, most plants and people do too. Another positive when considering the Black-eyed Susan is that it doesn’t really have any insect pests or disease problems according to the folks at the extension service. You’ll be happy to know Rudbeckia self-seeds and will spread by underground rhizomes that are left indentured by the bunnies. You can plant Rudbeckia in spring and fall.

There are a few varieties of Black-Eyed Susan from which to choose: Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan), R. fulgida (Orange Coneflower), R tripods (Brown-eyed Susan) and R. maxima (giant Coneflower). I saw some of those at the ever eclectic Cary Downtown Park. NC State University recognizes many cultivars including: “Tiger Eye Gold”, “Sonora”, “Indian Summer”, “Autumn Colors” and “Cherry Brandy” among others. Most cultivars usually range in size from 3 to 4 feet tall. There are some dwarf varieties that only reach about a foot which is good for gardeners with limited space.

If you want a flower for your pollinator garden, then Rudbeckia will do the trick. You will find that bees and butterflies will come to your garden in droves. In the fall you are likely to find a finch or two hanging on to a spent bloom looking for seeds.

As I have said many times, I don’t use a lot of store-bought fertilizer unless it is a sponsor’s product of course. Luckily, Black-eyed Susan doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer during the season.

Many plants respond to deadheading and Rudbeckia is no different. Keep an eye on your plants and you will find they respond to this process that will encourage more blooms.

An interesting fact is that Native Americans found medicinal uses for the black-eyed susan. By the way, it is also the official flower of Appalachian State University.

I think it is probably unanimous, “Weekend Gardener” listeners give a big ole wink to Black-eyed Susan and I do too!

Fights over charters loom over NASCAR as teams, series await key court rulings

Fights over charters loom over NASCAR as teams, series await key court rulings

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It’s the summer to sue in NASCAR, the sport where the on-track bumping and banging is in danger of being overshadowed by the action in the courtroom.

Two teams — one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan — are suing NASCAR over antitrust allegations. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are awaiting a federal court ruling before Sunday’s race in Delaware that could impact their ability to compete.

Meanwhile, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is battling tiny Rick Ware Racing and his lawyers at Legacy Motor Club went hard at Ware’s attorneys in a Monday hearing.

What is all the fighting about? Charters, which are at the heart of NASCAR’s business model. Having one is vital to a team’s survival.

The legal wrangling is only making the the charters skyrocket in value. When Spire Motorsports debuted in 2019, it had bought a charter for $6 million. Now, one of Spire’s founders brokered the now-disputed deal for Ware to sell one of his two charters to Legacy for $45 million.

Johnson is not enjoying the legal brawling, including the higher-profile antitrust fight. He called on those parties to settle.

“I’m just sitting back watching it all play out, learning a lot about the legal process and the amount of injunctions and appeals that can take place,” Johnson said. “It’s a big game of chess and I’m watching all the strategy that goes into it all.

“I would love to see a settlement of some kind. I really don’t think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit is good for anybody.”

The NASCAR lawsuit

23XI and FRM filed a federal antitrust suit against NASCAR last year after they were the only two organizations out of 15 to reject NASCAR’s extension offer on charters.

The case has a Dec. 1 trial date, but in the meantime, the two teams are fighting to be recognized as chartered for the current season, which has 16 races left. A charter guarantees one of the 40 spots in the field each week, but also a base amount of money paid out each week.

Jordan and FRM owner Bob Jenkins won an injunction to recognize 23XI and FRM as chartered for the season, but the ruling was overturned on appeal earlier this month. Both teams were set to be stripped of a combined six charters on Wednesday, which would force them to compete as “open cars.”

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin co-owns 23XI with Jordan and said they are prepared to send Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst to the track each week as open teams. But they still filed for a restraining order Monday and claimed that through discovery they learned NASCAR upon revocation planned to immediately begin the process of selling the six charters which would put “plaintiffs in irreparable jeopardy of never getting their charters back and going out of business.”

NASCAR said it has asked multiple times for settlement proposals but heard nothing. NASCAR also has no intention of re-negotiating the charter agreements held by 30 other teams.

Jordan has the money to keep 23XI running without charters, but FRM doesn’t have the same level of funding. Additionally, if the teams aren’t chartered, they will have to qualify on speed each week to make the field.

It won’t be an issue this weekend at Dover as fewer than the maximum 40 cars are entered. But should 41 cars show up anywhere this season, someone slow will be sent home.

“We’re not worried because our cars have the speed. We’ve always said we’re racing no matter what. If we have to race open, we have to race open,” Hamlin said at Sonoma Raceway last weekend. “We worked to get an injunction and obviously feel like Dec. 1 is all that matters.”

Legacy vs. RWR

This case is actually a dispute over agreed-upon terms for Ware to sell one of his two charters to Johnson and his partners at Knighthead Capital Management.

Ware this season is leasing a charter to RFK Racing and was already under agreement with that team to get the charter back in 2026, then lease RFK its second charter next season. He never had a charter to sell for 2026 unless he ceased operations.

Yet when he signed the contract with Legacy, Ware has said, he didn’t read it through and catch that the sale terms were for next season and not 2027, when he’d have both charters in his possession.

RWR is alleging Legacy pulled a bait-and-switch, and if true, it is on Ware for not seeing it in the contract he signed.

The curveball came when T.J. Puchyr, the Spire co-founder who now acts as a consultant and brokered the deal between Legacy and Ware, said last month he plans to buy Ware’s team. Legacy argued in court Monday it was blindsided by the news, that if Ware is selling then the charter rightfully belongs to them, and they urgently needed depositions before Ware sold his race team out from under them.

It didn’t help when Ware’s lawyers couldn’t answer questions about a potential sale: “I think you need to talk to your client,” the judge told them before warning Ware may be in contempt of court and ordering depositions for later this week.

Ware, meanwhile, apparently accepted the Legacy offer for his charter despite a second bid of more than $50 million from another party. With NASCAR indicating through discovery in the 23XI/FRM suit that it has interested buyers for the six charters, it is a seller’s market.

Johnson, with financial backing from Knighthead, is certain he will be getting the Ware charter one way or another to expand Legacy to three full-time Cup Series drivers.

“I’m not sure there is a plan B,” Johnson said of his confidence level at winning the case.

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