This recipe is a quick and easy comfort food that makes for a great lunch or dinner. You can customize it with veggies and toppings of your choice to make even tastier.
Ingredients
2 large flour tortillas per quesadilla
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice per quesadilla
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1/2 cup corn (fresh, canned, or frozen work)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp. olive oil or butter
Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Optional: salsa, sour cream, or guacamole for serving
Instructions
1. Heat the veggies Heat the olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the corn, peppers and onions for 3-4 minutes, until slightly soft. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Remove the veggies from the skillet and set aside.
2. Assemble the quesadilla Place one tortilla in the skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the tortilla, then layer some of the cooked veggies and the other half of the cheese. Next, place another tortilla on top.
3. Cook the quesadilla Cook the quesadilla for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the outside is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
4. Serve and enjoy Cut the quesadilla into 4 triangles and enjoy with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or other toppings of choice.
This recipe is a quick and easy comfort food that makes for a great lunch or dinner. You can customize it with veggies and toppings of your choice to make even tastier.
Ingredients
2 large flour tortillas per quesadilla
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice per quesadilla
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1/2 cup corn (fresh, canned, or frozen work)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp. olive oil or butter
Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Optional: salsa, sour cream, or guacamole for serving
Instructions
1. Heat the veggies Heat the olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the corn, peppers and onions for 3-4 minutes, until slightly soft. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Remove the veggies from the skillet and set aside.
2. Assemble the quesadilla Place one tortilla in the skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the tortilla, then layer some of the cooked veggies and the other half of the cheese. Next, place another tortilla on top.
3. Cook the quesadilla Cook the quesadilla for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the outside is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
4. Serve and enjoy Cut the quesadilla into 4 triangles and enjoy with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or other toppings of choice.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican legislators are poised this week to approve criminal justice measures designed to toughen bail rules, restrict magistrates’ powers and evaluate offenders’ mental health after the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte commuter train. The bill also could help get the death penalty carried out again in the ninth-largest U.S. state.
Senate and House Republicans unveiled legislation that their leaders previously signaled would surface when the General Assembly reconvened on Monday after nearly two months away from Raleigh.
The Aug. 22 death of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska — her attack caught on camera — and subsequent charges against a suspect who had previously been arrested more than a dozen times caused public outrage. An array of Republicans, President Donald Trump among them, have attempted to blame Zarutska’s death on Charlotte-area leaders and Democratic state officials for what they call soft-on-crime policies.
The Senate approved the legislation 28-8 late Monday, with many Democrats absent from the otherwise party-line vote. The bill now goes to the House, where a vote is likely Tuesday.
Any final measure would then go to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. Stein, the former attorney general, has suggested pretrial release changes and greater emphasis on mental health are needed in light of Zarutska’s death.
But the measure took a different direction — away from bipartisan support — when Senate Republicans approved an amendment that could in the future open the door to other forms of capital punishment beyond lethal injection, which is currently the state’s sole method. North Carolina last carried out an execution in 2006.
Suspect was released on misdemeanor months before attack
The stabbing suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., could received a death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder in state court or a federal count filed against him.
Brown, whose criminal record included serving more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery using a deadly weapon, had been charged in January in Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, with misusing the 911 system, a misdemeanor, according to court records.
But a magistrate — a nonelected local court official who often determines if a defendant can be released while awaiting trial — released him on a written promise to return for court. And it took more than six months for a court to order a mental evaluation for him. Brown’s mother told Charlotte-area television that she had sought an involuntary psychiatric commitment this year after he became violent at home.
GOP Sen. Ralph Hise said the legislation has nothing to do with winning political points, but rather is a response to the failure of the criminal justice system.
“We need a criminal justice system that protects society from individuals. I believe these are many great steps in this bill,” Hise said.
Bill would end bail for some crimes, reduce magistrates’ discretion
The measure, named “Iryna’s Law,” would prohibit cashless bail for certain crimes and eliminate some of the discretion that magistrates and judges have for pretrial release decisions.
For example, first-time defendants accused of a violent offense could only be released on a secured cash bond or receive house arrest with electronic monitoring. Such house arrest and monitoring would be the only option for some repeat defendants.
The bill also attempts to ensure that more suspects are subject to psychological examinations before their potential release. Defendants accused of a violent crime and committed involuntarily in recent years to a mental health facility would be subject to a psychological evaluation.
The legislation also would give the state Supreme Court’s chief justice the ability to suspend a magistrate from their post and lay out grounds why the official should be removed permanently. Such actions now sit with local judges.
Amendment could lead to new execution methods
Executions in North Carolina have been put on hold in part over legal challenges over the use of the injection drugs and a doctor’s presence at executions.
Senate leader Phil Berger offered a floor amendment — also approved along party lines — that would direct the state Adult Correction Department secretary to determine another form of execution should lethal injection be declared unconstitutional or it’s “not available,” potentially if the lethal drugs can’t be accessed.
The secretary — a member of the governor’s Cabinet — would have to select another method that’s been adopted by another state and has not been found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. That could include the use of a firing squad, a method that’s been used to execute South Carolina inmates twice this year.
The measure already contained language that attempted to speed up death penalty appeals in North Carolina.
“Those provisions do part of the job,” Berger said during Senate floor debate. “This amendment hopefully will do the remainder of the job.”
Some Democrats criticized their GOP colleagues for seeking to expand ways to administer the death penalty for their sheer cruelty, let alone within a bill designed to address problems following last month’s Charlotte attack.
“To put in an express lane to bring the firing squad to North Carolina is beneath the dignity of this body,” Democratic Sen. Michael Garrett said. “That we are exploiting this situation to bring back methods that are truly violent to execute our fellow citizens is, quite frankly, immoral.”
A month later, hundreds attend vigil in Charlotte
Kelli Allen of Charlotte was one of a couple hundred people who attended a candlelight vigil honoring Zarutska near a light rail station in the city on Monday night, organized by some churches and the local Republican Party. Allen said she’s hopeful that “we are on the path to making this a better and safer city. I think that’s what everyone wants here.”
“I just know she wanted a better life and she deserved that,” Allen added. “So I’m here just to honor her tonight.”
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Associated Press video journalist Erik Verduzco in Charlotte contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday used the platform of the presidency to promote unproven ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism without giving new evidence.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said women should not take acetaminophen, also known by the brand name Tylenol, “during the entire pregnancy.” He said the Food and Drug Administration would begin notifying doctors that the use of acetaminophen “can be associated” with an increased risk of autism, but did not immediately provide any medical evidence for the FDA’s new recommendation.
Trump also raised unfounded concerns about vaccines contributing to rising rates of autism, which affects 1 in 31 U.S. children today, according to the CDC. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said that at Trump’s urging he is launching an “all-agency” effort to identify all causes of autism, involving the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Scientists, doctors and researchers have attributed increased rates of autism to greater awareness of the disorder and the newer, wide-ranging “spectrum” used to issue diagnoses for people with milder expressions of autism. It’s hard to tell if there may be additional factors behind the increase.
The Trump administration has been under immense pressure from Kennedy’s diverse Make America Healthy Again movement to provide answers on the causes of the marked increase in autism cases in the U.S. in recent years.
Experts say the rise in cases is mainly due to a new definition for the disorder that now includes mild cases on a “spectrum” and better diagnoses. They say there is no single cause to the disorder and say the rhetoric appears to ignore and undermine decades of science into the genetic and environmental factors that can play a role.
The announcement is the latest step the administration, driven by Kennedy and his supporters, has taken to reshape America’s public health landscape.
Beyond cutbacks at federal health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been roiled by disagreements over Kennedy’s vaccine policies. An influential immunization panel stocked by Kennedy with figures who have been critical of vaccines last week changed shot guidance for COVID-19 and other diseases.
Trump on Sunday evening teased Monday’s announcement as a big one, telling reporters, “I think we found an answer to autism.” Experts say that oversells what would be possible from a presidential administration in its first year. They insist more research is needed to conclusively identify whether and how environmental factors may play a role in the disorder.
Kennedy for years has promoted debunked theories that vaccines could be responsible for rising rates of autism, which affects 1 in 31 U.S. children today, according to the CDC. Scientists, doctors and researchers have attributed that increase instead to greater awareness of the disorder and the newer, wide-ranging “spectrum” used to issue diagnoses for people with milder expressions of autism. It’s hard to tell if there may be additional factors behind the increase.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is moving to a nine-game league schedule for football while having teams play at least 10 games against power-conference opponents, though there will be variables due to the league’s odd number of football-playing member schools.
Commissioner Jim Phillips announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying athletic directors had “overwhelmingly supported” the move after “incredibly intentional” discussions about scheduling options.
Going from an eight- to a nine-game model would align the ACC with its power-conference peers in the Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences. The ACC would join the SEC — which announced its move from eight to nine last month — in playing 10 games against Power Four opponents in a so-called “9+1 model.”
Still, the ACC being the only power conference with an odd number of football-playing members (17) means there are wrinkles.
A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that most league teams will transition to the nine-game slate next year, though multiple teams will play eight league games and two against Power Four opponents — an “8+2 model” — to accommodate nonconference games already on the books.
By 2027, the person said, 16 of the 17 teams will play a “9+1 schedule,” while one team will have to play an “8+2” slate.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t publicized specifics of the model. Phillips said the league will present the plan to its faculty athletic representatives for formal adoption.
“There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but Monday’s decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and for their respective programs,” Phillips said in his statement.
NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials with the network said Monday.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” said a statement from the network.
ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.
Backlash to Kimmel’s comments about Kirk was swift. Nexstar and Sinclair, two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow comedians, came to his defense.
There was no immediate comment from Nexstar and Sinclair in response to messages from The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired.
Kimmel was asked in an interview with Variety this past summer if he was worried that the administration would come after comedians. He expressed concern that a crackdown could be on the way.
“Well, you’d have to be naive not to worry a little bit,” he said. “But that can’t change what you’re doing.”
Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with ABC and CBS over their coverage.
Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC’s local station licenses because of Kimmel’s remarks.
“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.
Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026.
Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their names to an open letter Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Also Monday, ABC’s “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney’s decision.
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Associated Press Media Writer David Bauder and writers Patrick Whittle and James Pollard contributed to this report.
Kara Lawson helped the U.S. women’s basketball team win an Olympic gold medal as a player 17 years ago. Now she’ll have a chance to lead it to another as the coach in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Lawson was announced as the head coach for the women’s team for the next four years by USA Basketball on Monday.
“I mean it’s hard to put everything into words as it’s something I’ve been working towards. I have so much love for USA Basketball and have been so excited to serve in any capacity they ask me to,” Lawson said in a phone interview. “It’s the best job in the sport in our country. To lead the U.S. women’s national team is such an amazing feeling. I felt a great sense of excitement and pride and just am really grateful for the opportunity.”
Naming Lawson coach was the first official move made by Sue Bird, who started as the U.S. national team director earlier this year. In the past, a committee would decide on the coach and roster.
“I think her resume, her experience, it all kind of speaks for itself,” Bird said in a phone interview. “When you start to learn about Kara and what she’s been a part of from a USA Basketball standpoint, that experience specifically made it really clear she’s the right person to lead us into the next cycle.”
Lawson’s first chance to coach the team in a major competition will be at the World Cup next September in Germany. The Americans will play next March in a qualifier for that tournament, but that’s right before the NCAA Tournament, which would make it difficult for Lawson to coach the U.S. because she also leads Duke’s women’s basketball team.
“Assembling a great staff for the national team is of the utmost importance,” said the 44-year-old Lawson. “I’ll lean on that staff a lot through that cycle. … You have to have great coaches around you, have great players around you. We have the ability to do both and that will be our challenge. Find the right group that will fit.”
In addition to the Olympic gold she won as a player at the Beijing Games, Lawson helped the U.S. win gold as an assistant coach at the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics and as head coach at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup in July.
“I know this from playing with her and know this from all the conversations I had with her: I’m hard-pressed to find someone who is as prepared as Kara is,” Bird said.
Lawson also coached the USA Basketball 3-on-3 team to gold at the Tokyo Games, the first time that sport had been contested at an Olympics.
“Kara has been involved with USA Basketball dating back to 1998 as a high school player in the World Youth Games,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said. “Her international basketball experience is extensive, including 13 gold medals. To say her journey with us has been impressive is an understatement. I’m excited to watch Kara and Sue work together to deliver success at the World Cup in Berlin next fall and at the Olympic Games in LA in 2028.”
Lawson’s path to coaching wasn’t similar to the one many others have taken. She went from playing 13 years in the WNBA to becoming a broadcaster. From there, she spent time with the Boston Celtics as an assistant before getting the Duke job in 2020.
She led Duke to its first ACC Tournament championship under her watch last March, and the Blue Devils made a run to the Elite Eight. The team has advanced further in the NCAA Tournament each of the past three seasons.
Lawson was a point guard at Tennessee and credits her time learning under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt as a big reason for her recent success on the sideline. Summitt was the Olympic coach in 1984 when the U.S. won gold at home in Los Angeles.
Lawson looks forward to the opportunity to coach the U.S. on its home soil in an Olympics for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“This appointment wherever the Olympics would be is an incredible honor,” she said. “The opportunity to lead the American side in Los Angeles in a home Olympics is more added icing on the cake. What an incredible opportunity not just for me as a coach, but the other coaches on the staff, the players that get to play in a home Olympics as well. It’s a very unique opportunity that your country doesn’t get very often.”
Happy first day of fall! Celebrate the season with this warm apple cider that will have your kitchen smelling amazing.
Ingredients
10–12 medium-sized apples, quartered
1 orange, quartered
about 10 cups of water, enough to cover the fruit
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar or sweetener (optional)
Instructions
1. Add the ingredients to a pot Place the apples, orange, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and cloves in a large pot on the stove. Cover with the water and be sure there is about 2 inches of water above the fruit.
2. Simmer Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Then, cut the heat down and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the apples are soft.
3. Mash the fruit With a potato masher or large spoon, mash the fruit to release more of the flavors. Then, continue to let the mixture simmer for about another hour.
4. Strain the cider Line a colander with a cheese cloth and strain the cider over a large pot or bowl.
5. Sweeten and serve it up (Optional) mix in the brown sugar or sweetener of choice, then serve and enjoy the fall flavors.
By JONATHAN J. COOPER, EUGENE GARCIA, AAMER MADHANI and MEG KINNARD Associated Press
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance.
The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.
“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”
President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance. (AP Video)
Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.
“For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”
Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set off a fierce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.
Those close to Kirk prayed and the floors at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.
People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.
The 63,400-seat stadium quickly filled with people dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.
The mood in the stadium ebbed and flowed throughout a service that stretched more than five hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was finding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.
“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” said Erika Kirk, who is taking over as Turning Point’s leader. She added, “I forgive him.”
Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his opponents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.
“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”
Comments about Kirk have become a Trump administration target
Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.
Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration officials target comments about Kirk that they deem offensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.
Top officials at the White House and other high profile supporters will pay tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose assassination has intensified political tensions in the United States. (AP Video)
Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.
“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic,” said White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.
A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.
Kirk’s legacy of conservative political influence
Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.
The crowd was a testament to the influence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.
And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.
Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.
Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.
“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio recalled thinking when he first heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?”
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Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Tiffany Stanley in Washington, Silvia Stellacci in Rome; Terry Tang, and Jesse Bedayn contributed to this report.
