Wet Nose Wednesday: Meet Arbys and Levi!

Wet Nose Wednesday: Meet Arbys and Levi!

Hi there, I’m Arbys! I’m a social butterfly who loves getting pets and snuggles, and I’m always ready to charm you with my friendly personality. When I first arrived at the shelter, the staff couldn’t help but notice how sweet and affectionate I am – I totally lean into pets and have a way of melting hearts with my adorable cuddle skills! I’m hoping to find a loving family who wants a companion that’s all about the snuggles and companionship. I came to the shelter with some of my feline friends, which shows I’m pretty good at getting along with others. Whether you’re looking for a lap cat, a cuddle buddy, or just a furry friend to brighten your days, I’m your girl! I promise to bring endless love, warmth, and those irresistible kitty cuddles to my new home. How did I get here? Transferred from Randolph County SPCA. **I am currently living at Purr Cup Cat Cafe in Raleigh. Please set up an appointment to complete the adoption process or make a reservation with the cafe to meet me! Ask an adoption specialist for more details.** ~My adoption fee is $65.00.~

Touchdown, sports fans! I’m Levi, the most energetic rookie looking to join your team. Just like a star quarterback, I’m all about teamwork, playfulness, and bringing joy to the game of life. My playbook is simple: maximum fun, maximum cuddles, and maximum love for my human teammates. Whether we’re practicing fetch or running drills in the backyard, I’m always ready to bring my A-game and make every moment a celebration! I come with a winning attitude and a goofy personality that’ll keep you laughing throughout the season. My pre-game warmup involves lots of tail wagging, silly jumps, and making sure everyone around me is having as much fun as possible. Are you ready to bring home the championship of companionship? Let’s huddle up and make some memories! I am full grown at ~42lbs. How did I get here? Transferred from Stanly County APS where I came in as a stray. ~My adoption fee is $120.00.~

Meet Arbys

Meet Levi

Democrats look to long term as North Carolina GOP redistricting plan seeks another seat for Trump

Democrats look to long term as North Carolina GOP redistricting plan seeks another seat for Trump

By MAKIYA SEMINERA and GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democrats rallying Tuesday against a new U.S. House map proposed by North Carolina Republicans seeking another GOP seat at President Donald Trump’s behest acknowledged they’ll likely be unable to halt the redraw for now. But they vowed to defeat the plan in the long run.

The new map offered by Republican legislative leaders seeks to stop the reelection of Democratic Rep. Don Davis, one of North Carolina’s three Black representatives, by redrawing two of the state’s 14 congressional districts. Statewide election data suggests the proposal would result in Republicans winning 11 of those seats, up from the current 10.

The proposal attempts to satisfy Trump’s call for states led by Republicans to conduct mid-decade redistricting to gain more seats and retain his party’s grip on Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats need to gain just three more seats to seize control of the House, and the president’s party historically has lost seats in midterm elections.

With Republicans in the majority in both General Assembly chambers and state law preventing Democratic Gov. Josh Stein from using his veto stamp against a redistricting plan, the GOP-drawn map appeared headed to enactment after final House votes as soon as Wednesday. The state Senate gave its final approval early Tuesday on a party-line vote. A House redistricting committee debated the plan later Tuesday.

Still, about 300 protesters, Democratic Party officials and lawmakers gathering outside the old state Capitol pledged repeatedly Tuesday that redrawing the congressional map would have negative consequences for the GOP at the ballot box in 2026 and beyond. Litigation to challenge the enactment on the map also is likely on allegations of unlawful racial gerrymandering.

“We know we may not have the ability to stop the Republicans in Raleigh right now … but we are here to show that people across this state and across this nation are watching them,” North Carolina Democratic Party chair Anderson Clayton said to cheers.

The gathering served Democrats to censure state Republicans they accuse of agreeing to kneel to Trump through a corrupt redrawing of district lines to target Davis.

State GOP leaders defended their action, saying Trump has won the state’s electoral votes all three times that he’s run for president — albeit narrowly — and thus merits more potential support in Congress.

The national redistricting battle began over the summer when Trump urged Republican-led Texas to reshape its U.S. House districts. After Texas lawmakers acted, California Democrats reciprocated by passing their own plan, which still needs voter approval in November.

Republicans argue that other Democratic-leaning states had already given themselves a disproportionate number of seats well before this national redistricting fight started.

“It is incumbent upon us to react to this environment, to respond to this environment, and not let these tactics that have happened in blue states dominate the control of Congress,” state Sen. Ralph Hise, the map’s chief author, said during Tuesday’s Senate debate.

Belichick says suspended North Carolina assistant coach is back working with Tar Heels

Belichick says suspended North Carolina assistant coach is back working with Tar Heels

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said suspended cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins has been reinstated and returned to work ahead of Saturday’s visit from No. 16 Virginia.

The school announced Oct. 9 that it had suspended Hawkins for “violating NCAA rules” tied to improper benefits. UNC’s statement didn’t specify a length of the suspension and said he would remain on leave while the school “further investigates other potential actions detrimental” to the team and school.

“Yeah, he’s back,” Belichick said Monday at his weekly news conference. “The university cleared him, they went through their process with him and he’s back, yes.”

Belichick’s Tar Heels (2-4) are coming off a 21-18 loss at California, marking their first close call in a game against a power-conference opponent after losing the first three such meetings to TCU, UCF and Clemson by a combined score of 120-33.

Orange-Glazed Cranberry Scones

Orange-Glazed Cranberry Scones

These scones are the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors that make for a delicious start to your morning.

Ingredients

  • For the scones:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup dried cranberries (or ¾ cup fresh cranberries, chopped)
  • ½ cup heavy cream (plus extra for brushing)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. orange zest
  • For the orange glaze:
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1½ tbsp fresh orange juice
  • ½ tsp orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven
Preheat to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3. Cut in the butter
Add cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Add the cranberries and zest
Next, stir in cranberries and orange zest evenly.

5. Combine the wet ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract.

6. Form the dough
Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and gently mix until combined. Then, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a 1-inch thick circle.

7. Cut and bake
Slice into 8 wedges and transfer to the baking sheet. Then, brush the tops of the scones lightly with cream and bake for 15–18 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.

8. Make the glaze
Whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest until smooth. Add more orange juice as needed for desired consistency.

9. Serve and enjoy
Let scones set for about 10 minutes, then drizzle with glaze and enjoy this delicious and festive treat!

North Carolina GOP advances congressional map to secure another House seat for Trump

North Carolina GOP advances congressional map to secure another House seat for Trump

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s legislature formally began redrawing the state’s congressional district map Monday, plainly stating their intent to help Republicans gain another U.S. House seat under President Donald Trump’s push to retain his party’s grip on Congress next year.

The state Senate gave initial approval along party lines to new boundaries for two eastern North Carolina districts in a move aimed at thwarting the reelection of Democratic Rep. Don Davis, one of the state’s three Black members of Congress. That followed a committee meeting in which dozens of speakers from the public sharply accused Republican lawmakers in the ninth-largest state of bowing to Trump.

The plan’s chief author was direct about the intent to help his party in the 2026 midterm elections.

“The motivation behind this redraw is simple and singular — draw a new map that will bring an additional Republican seat to the North Carolina congressional delegation,” said GOP Sen. Ralph Hise. If Democrats otherwise take back the House, Hise added, they will “torpedo President Trump’s agenda.”

The Republican legislative leaders announced plans a week ago to rework the map as a mid-decade redistricting fight escalates between Democrats and Republicans nationwide. Democrats need to gain just three more seats to seize control of the House, and the president’s party historically has lost seats in midterm elections.

Under the 2024 election map, Republicans won 10 of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats in a state where statewide races are often close. That compared to a 7-7 seat split between Democrats and the GOP under the map used in 2022. Based on past statewide elections, Republicans would stand a decent chance of winning an 11th seat in 2026 should the latest proposal be implemented.

Final vote expected this week, veto can’t block map

After a Senate procedural vote Tuesday, the proposal will head to the House for expected final General Assembly approval later this week. The state Democratic Party plans an outdoor rally Tuesday to oppose it. But Democrats are the minority in both chambers, and state law prevents Democratic Gov. Josh Stein from using his veto stamp on redistricting action. Litigation challenging the map over allegations it dilutes Black voting power is likely.

“This is an attack on Black voters,” Democratic Sen. Kandie Smith, an African American legislator representing a county in Davis’ current district, said during Senate floor debate. “It’s about stealing elections by design, so that the outcomes are predetermined and accountability becomes optional.”

Counties added, removed to make district lean more to right

Under the proposal, Davis’ current 1st District — the state’s only swing seat — would shift to the right as mapmakers remove inland counties, including Davis’ home county, and replace them with several from the coast. Counties removed from the 1st District are placed in a retooled 3rd District held by Republican Rep. Greg Murphy. Election results indicate the 3rd would remain favorable for Murphy.

North Carolina Republicans, equipped with recent legal rulings that permit partisan advantage in drawing boundaries, last redrew the map in 2023, leading to three incumbent Democrats deciding against running in 2024 because lines had shifted rightward. Those changes helped Republicans retain their House majority entering 2025.

Trump is also asking other red states for more seats. He encouraged North Carolina Republican legislators last Friday on Truth Social “to work as hard as they can to pass this new Map so that we can continue our incredible Record of SUCCESS.”

Senate Democrats and their allies also blasted North Carolina GOP legislative leaders for acting on a partisan map while they are still over three months late passing a state budget.

“They are wasting precious time and taxpayer dollars bending the knee to Donald Trump and ripping away the voice of the voters. It is shameful, it is pathetic,” 19-year-old college student Eric Willoughby told the committee.

The national redistricting battle began over the summer when Trump urged Republican-led Texas to reshape its U.S. House districts. After Texas lawmakers acted, California Democrats reciprocated by passing their own plan, which still needs voter approval in November.

Former 1st District reps call proposal “a moral regression”

Voters within versions of the 1st District have elected African Americans to the seat continuously since 1992. Some counties in the current version have majority Black populations.

The proposed map is “not merely a political act — it is a moral regression,” said former 1st District Reps. Eva Clayton and G.K. Butterfield, both Black Democrats, in a news release. “It weakens the representation of Black North Carolinians and undermines the promise of equal voice and fair elections that so many have fought to secure.”

Hise said there’s nothing unlawfully discriminatory about the map. He said race-based data wasn’t used to retool boundaries and the lack of significant evidence of racially polarized voting in the region would make it unconstitutional to draw lines with a chief goal of helping Black voters elect their favored candidates.

Barbashev has goal and assist as Golden Knights beat Hurricanes 4-1

Barbashev has goal and assist as Golden Knights beat Hurricanes 4-1

By W.G. RAMIREZ Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ivan Barbashev had a goal and an assist, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Monday night.

Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev and William Karlsson also scored and Mitch Marner had two assists for Vegas, which still hasn’t lost in regulation (5-0-2).

Akira Schmid stopped 23 shots after relieving Adin Hill, who made four saves before he left the game midway through the first period with an injury. Schmid improved to 4-0-0 this season.

Dorofeyev is tied with Ottawa’s Shane Pinto and Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele for the league lead with seven goals, while Eichel leads the league with 16 points.

Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes, his second of the season. Frederick Andersen (3-1-0) made 21 saves as Carolina lost for the first time after opening the season with five wins.

Eichel opened the scoring in the first period, when he took a pass from Brandon Saad and ricocheted the puck off Carolina defenseman K’Andre Miller’s stick and past Andersen for his sixth goal of the season.

Less than two minutes later, just after Hill left the game, Dorofeyev raced in and deked around Andersen with a forehand-backhand to make it 2-0.

Aho cut the lead in half early in the second period when he beat Schmid from the right circle with a quick wrist shot.

Barbashev extended Vegas’ lead back to two goals when he stripped the puck from Miller and raced in to beat Andersen.

Karlsson’s empty-net goal provided the final margin.

Just before the game, the Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone on injured reserve.

Up next

The Hurricanes continue their season-high six-game trip at Colorado on Thursday, while the Golden Knights open a three-game trip at Florida on Saturday.

Millions of Indians celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights

Millions of Indians celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights

NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali on Monday as lamps illuminated homes and streets across the country to mark the Hindu festival symbolizing the victory of light over darkness.

Diwali, derived from the word “Deepavali,” meaning “a row of lights,” is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts. The dates of the festival are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically falling in late October or early November.

Shoppers crowded markets to buy flowers, lanterns and candles.

Indians began celebrating the annual Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, by symbolically lighting a record 2.61 million clay oil lamps on Sunday in a northern Indian city. (AP Video)

The celebrations were most visible in Ayodhya city in Uttar Pradesh state. Hindus believe the deity Lord Ram was born there and returned after 14 years in exile. People light earthen lamps to mark his homecoming.

As dusk fell Sunday, more than 2.6 million lamps were lit on the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya, retaining the Guinness World Record set last year. At least 2,100 Hindu priests performed prayers in unison, their chants echoing across the shimmering riverfront.

The holy city was also decked with fairy lights, and a laser and fireworks show illuminated its lanes and riverbanks. Thousands of residents lit lamps at houses and temples.

Officials said more than 33,000 volunteers helped light the lamps. Nearly 40 families from nearby villages produced 1.6 million lamps. At least 73,000 liters of oil and 5.5 million cotton wicks were used to light the city.

“It is hard work lighting diyas (oil lamps) one by one,” said 19-year-old volunteer Rachit Singh, his face glowing in the firelight. “But when you see the whole ghat (stairs to the river) light up, every bit of effort feels worth it.”

In recent years, Diwali celebrations in New Delhi have been clouded by concerns over air pollution, as smoke-emitting firecrackers cause toxic smog that can take days to clear.

On Monday, the level of tiniest particulates surged to 347 on the air quality index in parts of the city — about 14 times the World Health Organization’s daily recommended maximum exposure — according to SAFAR, the federal government’s air quality monitoring agency.

Last week, India’s top court eased a blanket ban on firecrackers in New Delhi during Diwali, allowing limited use of “green firecrackers” that emit fewer pollutants. Developed by federal research institutes, they are designed to cut particulate and gas emissions by about 30%.

The court said they could be used during specific hours from Saturday to Tuesday.

___

Associated Press writer Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, India, contributed to this report.

October 21st 2025

October 21st 2025

Thought of the Day

October 21st 2024
Photo by Getty Image

A closed mind is like a closed book; just a stumbling block.

Supreme Court will consider whether people who regularly smoke pot can legally own guns

Supreme Court will consider whether people who regularly smoke pot can legally own guns

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said on Monday that it will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since its 2022 decision expanding gun rights.

President Donald Trump’s administration asked the justices to revive a case against a Texas man charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular pot user. The Justice Department appealed after a lower court largely struck down a law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns.

Last year, a jury convicted Hunter Biden of violating the law, among other charges. His father, then-President Joe Biden, later pardoned him.

Arguments probably will take place early in 2026, with a decision likely by early summer.

The Republican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is a justifiable restriction.

They asked the court to reinstate a case against Ali Danial Hemani. His lawyers got the felony charge tossed out after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the blanket ban is unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s expanded view of gun rights. The appellate judges found it could still be used against people accused of being high and armed at the same time, though.

Hemani’s attorneys argue the broadly written law puts millions of people at risk of technical violations since at least 20% of Americans have tried pot, according to government health data. About half of states legalized recreational marijuana, but it’s still illegal under federal law.

The Justice Department argues the law is valid when used against regular drug users because they pose a serious public safety risk. The government said the FBI found Hemani’s gun and cocaine in a search of his home as they probed travel and communications allegedly linked to Iran. The gun charge was the only one filed, however, and his lawyers said the other allegations were irrelevant and were mentioned only to make him seem more dangerous.

The case marks another flashpoint in the application of the Supreme Court’s new test for firearm restrictions. The conservative majority found in 2022 that the Second Amendment generally gives people the right to carry guns in public for self-defense and any firearm restrictions must have a strong grounding in the nation’s history.

The landmark 2022 ruling led to a cascade of challenges to firearm laws around the country, though the justices have since upheld a different federal law intended to protect victims of domestic violence by barring guns from people under restraining orders.

US envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza truce after violence flares

US envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza truce after violence flares

By SAM MEDNICK, SAMY MAGDY and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Two of U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys traveled to Israel Monday to shore up the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza, a day after the fragile deal was tested by a major flareup of violence.

On Sunday, Israel had threatened to halt shipments of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and its forces killed dozens in strikes there after accusing Hamas militants of killing two soldiers. Israel said late in the day it had resumed enforcing the ceasefire.

The delivery of food and other aid into the devastated territory will begin again Monday through multiple crossings after Israeli inspection, in line with the ceasefire agreement, according to an Israeli security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. By afternoon, it was not immediately clear if the flow of aid had restarted.

Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about developments in the region.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and the second lady, Usha Vance, are scheduled to visit the country Tuesday and meet with Netanyahu, the prime minister said in a speech in which he also warned Hamas that any attacks against Israeli forces would be met with “a very heavy price.”

A fragile truceMore than a week has passed since the start of the U.S.-proposed truce aimed at ending two years of war. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Hamas has been “quite rambunctious” and “they’ve been doing some shooting.”

He also suggested that the violence might be the fault of “rebels” within the organization rather than its leadership.

Since the ceasefire started, Hamas security forces have returned to the streets in Gaza, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gangsters in what the militant group says is an attempt to restore law and order in areas where Israeli troops have withdrawn.

On Sunday, Israel’s military said militants had fired at troops in areas of Rafah city that are Israeli-controlled according to agreed-upon ceasefire lines.

Retaliatory strikes by Israel killed 45 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which says a total of 80 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 11.

Hamas, which continued to accuse Israel of multiple ceasefire violations, said communication with its remaining units in Rafah had been cut off for months and “we are not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas.”

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is still waiting for Hamas to turn over the bodies of 16 remaining hostages. Twelve bodies have already been returned to Israel, and Hamas said it planned to return one more late Monday.

The next stage of ceasefire The next stage is expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawal from additional areas it controls in Gaza, and future governance of the devastated territory. The U.S. plan proposes the establishment of an internationally backed authority.

In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” news program on the weekend, Kushner said the success or failure of the deal would depend on whether Israel and the international mechanism could create a viable alternative to Hamas.

“If they are successful, Hamas will fail, and Gaza will not be a threat to Israel in the future,” he said.

A Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya was in Cairo to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire deal with mediators and other Palestinian groups.

Fears ceasefire may not hold upPalestinians in Gaza are wary that the deal may fall apart after Sunday’s flare-up.

Funeral services were held Monday for some of the dozens of people killed earlier by Israeli strikes across the strip. Associated Press footage showed mourners lining up for funeral prayers behind bodies draped in white sheets.

“There should be concerns as long as the matters have yet to be settled,” said Hossam Ahmed, a displaced person from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

There is also concern about how much aid Israel is letting into Gaza, which is part of the agreement.

In their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war, Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people as hostages.

The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.

Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip.

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