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  • Police search for man who shot at officers in N.C., officials say

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    A man accused of shooting at deputies in Anson County is still on the loose, according to the Anson County Sheriff’s Office.

    Scotty Hills, of Wadesboro, North Carolina, is considered to be armed and dangerous, officials said.

    Monday morning, authorities in Anson County said Rockingham Police began chasing a car they suspected was driven by a wanted subject.

    After deploying stop sticks on Highway 74 near Harrington, Anson County deputies said the driver, identified as Hills, ran from the vehicle into a wooded area and fired shots at the deputies chasing him.

    Anyone with information on Hills’ whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Anson County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said a reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.


     

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    Justin Pryor

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  • Another season opener, another turnover-filled performance for Panthers QB Young

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    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Carolina’s Bryce Young has yet to play an NFL season opener he would like to remember.

    Young turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions, in a 26-10 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday. He now has two touchdowns and seven turnovers in three openers, all blowout losses.

    “We’re all talking about looking in the mirror,” Young said. “Of course, no one in this locker room, including myself, is looking, ‘What about this person?’ It’s all about what you can control, what you can improve because that’s all as individuals we can control.

    “I’m going to look at the film, see what there is to grow on from my standpoint, and that’s going to be the mentality for everyone.”

    Young completed 18 of 35 passes for 154 yards, with a TD pass to Chuba Hubbard. But the mistakes overshadowed anything he did right against the Jaguars.

    His first interception was thrown into heavy traffic after rolling right. His fumble came at the end of a scramble that included an awkward slide. And his second pick ended any chance the Panthers had of rallying late.

    Young also made a head-scratching throw out of the back of the end zone on a fourth-and-1 play from the 5-yard line and slammed his helmet to the ground afterward.

    “Just competitive nature,” Young said. “That’s all. Probably can do a better job. I’ll definitely do a better job of body language there, but that’s on me. Just competing, and that’s all.”

    He declined to blame the play call or a snap that seemed high.

    “Just something that was going on with not executing,” he said. “Again, when you’re not executing, it sucks. But I have to do a better job as a leader.”

    It was the third time in as many years that Young turned in a dud of a performance to open the season.

    He completed 13 of 30 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-10 loss to New Orleans in 2024. And he completed 20 of 38 passes for 146 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a 24-10 loss to Atlanta in 2023.

    “It’s disappointing. We’re all disappointed,” second-year Carolina coach Dave Canales said. “Felt really good about the work we put in. It did not show up today. That was something I was able to talk to the group about.”

    Canales talked to his team about finishing plays and drives. The Panthers rarely did either in Jacksonville, before or after a lightning delay. Young surely will get much of the blame, but Hubbard was held to 57 yards rushing, and Hunter Renfrow and Xavier Legette combined to catch just five of 13 targets. Carolina’s defense struggled to stop the run again and failed to put much pressure on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

    “Back to work,” Canales said. “Let’s go back to work. Really to Bryce, to the whole group. We have to look in the mirror. This is where we’re at today. The film is the truth. This is where we’re at. Do we have the character to keep pushing forward, to keep getting better at our fundamentals?”

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    Associated Press

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  • Tracking powerful hurricane Kiko as it heads towards Hawaii

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    Kiko formed off the coast of southern Mexico from a tropical wave. It became a tropical storm on Aug. 31, making it the eleventh named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. Kiko intensified into a hurricane on Sept. 2. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Kiko is the eleventh named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season

    • It remains a major, powerful hurricane

    • Models have Hurricane Kiko moving close, but to the north of the Hawaiian Islands next week


    Kiko intensified into a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 3. It weakened to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph during the morning hours on Sept. 5, but by the afternoon it had re-intensified back into a Category 4 hurricane.

    It currently has maximum winds of 140 mph. It is moving west-northwest at 10 mph and is located roughly 1000 miles east-southeast of Hilo, HI.

    It is a much smaller storm than Hurricane Erin. Hurricane-force winds extend only 25 miles out from the center, with tropical storm-force winds extending 70 miles out from the center. 


    Models have Kiko taking a west-northwesterly track over the weekend into next week, coming close to Hawaii. 

    While it’s too soon for impact details, the cooler waters near the Aloha State should weaken Kiko greatly. We’ll continue to monitor the track and provide updates. 


     

    Storms that have come close to Hawaii

    Hurricane Hone passed just to the south of the Big Island of Hawaii in 2024 as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 85 mph. Here are other cyclones that came close to the islands.

    Eastern North Pacific names

    Central North Pacific differences

    The National Hurricane Center monitors tropical activity in the Atlantic and North Eastern Pacific Ocean. If a storm forms between 140° West longitude and the International Date Line, it is the responsibility of the Central North Pacific Warning Center, located in Honolulu, HI. 

    There is a contrast in the names used in the Central Pacific compared to the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic. One list is composed of twelve names. 

    The names are used one after the other. When the bottom of one list is reached, the next name is at the top of the next list. Below is the current list. 

    It is interesting to note that if a storm forms in the Eastern North Pacific and is named in that basin, it will retain its name even if it moves into the Central North Pacific. For this reason, we are tracking Hurricane Kiko, since it formed east of 140° West longitude.

    Tropical Storm Akoni and Tropical Storm Ema formed in the Central North Pacific in 2019. Hurricane Hone brushed past Hawaii in 2024.

    This list will continue to be used until there is a storm named Wale. Three other lists have been generated by the World Meteorological Organization and are at the ready if needed. Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli formed in the Central North Pacific in 2025.

    Just like in the Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific, if storms are impactful, they can be retired. Four storms have been retired in the Central North Pacific. 

    • Iwa (1982): Retired after impacting Hawaii.
    • Iniki (1992): Retired after affecting Hawaii.
    • Paka (1997): Retired after affecting various islands in Micronesia.
    • Ioke (2006): Retired after impacting Micronesia.

    You can track the rest of the tropics here. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • A Democrat governor, a GOP legislature: How Josh Stein navigates N.C. politics

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    FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has taken an unusual approach with Republican political opponents in his first eight months leading a highly competitive state where divided government has become the norm.

    He’s trying to get along with them.

    What You Need To Know

    • Gov. Josh Stein is taking a more collaborative approach with Republican opponents in his first eight months in office despite disagreeing with them on many issues

    • Stein, who succeeded fellow Democrat Roy Cooper in January, aims to work with the GOP-controlled General Assembly and has built dialogue with them

    • His approach contrasts with Democratic governors elsewhere who have taken more combative stances against President Donald Trump and the GOP

    • Republican leaders have said they appreciate the open lines of communication with Stein, but still the new governor has vetoed 15 bills, with lawmakers so far overriding eight of them


    Stein, who succeeded fellow Democrat Roy Cooper in January, has made an effort to work with the GOP-controlled General Assembly on things like storm recovery — still a top priority nearly a year since Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding — and on other issues broadly popular with North Carolinians.

    He’s kept communication lines open with legislative leaders, even as they back President Donald Trump and oppose many Stein policy prescriptions.

    The public, Stein said in an interview with The Associated Press, doesn’t “care whether I’m a Democrat or Republican, or that the legislature is a Democrat- or Republican-led body.”

    “What they want is for whoever are in these positions to get things done that make their lives better, and that’s my job,” Stein said. “So I will work with whoever I need to in order to make progress for the people of North Carolina.”

    His results have been mixed so far. The General Assembly passed storm-relief packages but gave Stein roughly a little over half the money he requested. It overrode several of his vetoes on bills that build up immigration enforcement, weaken transgender rights and assert other GOP priorities — results that Stein laments.

    But Republicans, including some who gathered with Stein at a barbecue in the mountains recently to honor local government workers’ hurricane recovery efforts, have taken notice of the efforts he’s made.

    “We appreciate everything that he’s done for us,” said Larry Chapman, a Transylvania County commissioner and Trump supporter. “I’m encouraged with Stein — he seems to be a lot more interested in getting out with the people and listening to people more.”

    Stein’s approach comes as Democratic governors nationwide struggle to navigate Republican gains and Trump’s sprawling agenda. While some chief executives have taken more combative stances against Trump and the GOP, others have opted for diplomacy.

    Stein told those gathered in Fletcher that he was their ally on Helene, which caused more than 100 deaths in North Carolina and generated $60 billion in damages and needs. He did not mention political affiliation.

    “You and your constituents have been busting your tails to come back, and come back stronger than ever,” Stein said to hundreds at a park submerged during Helene. “I want you to know that I am in your corner.”

    More communication, less confrontation

    Stein, the former attorney general, shares many views with Cooper, who early on clashed with Republicans over the ‘bathroom bill” lawmakers enacted and sued them over laws that eroded his powers. Those clashes set a tone of distrust that wasn’t eliminated during his eight years at the job. Cooper is now running for the U.S. Senate.

    While Stein also has sued over GOP power grabs, he’s needed good relations with Republicans on storm relief and other topics. He’s speaking regularly with new Republican House Speaker Destin Hall, longtime Senate leader Phil Berger and other legislators.

    “We have differences with him on certain policies and certain processes,” Berger said recently. But, he added, “I would say that there’s still what I would consider to be a very good relationship on a personal basis with Gov. Stein.”

    Stein, himself a lawmaker until 2016, has shared credit with Republicans, inviting them to signings of bipartisan bills. Last week, Stein named a GOP legislator to co-chair an energy affordability task force.

    There “was a lot of fatigue from the last eight years, of everything was a battle,” said state Rep. Jake Johnson, another Republican. “It felt like you were just having to fight to get anything done.”

    Partisan divisions remain

    By North Carolina standards, Stein still has used his veto stamp frequently — 15 times so far.

    He rejected measures that would expand gun access and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

    “Because you respect the people you deal with, because you’re civil with the people you deal with, doesn’t mean you don’t have real disagreements,” Stein said. “When they pass legislation that makes the state less safe or less strong, I’ll veto them.”

    Berger said the vetoes prove Stein is more left-leaning than he’s portrayed himself to be.

    Democrats hold the minimum number of seats necessary to uphold Stein’s vetoes if they remain united. But Stein was unable to hold them together on eight vetoes — as one to three House Democrats joined Republicans in voting to override them.

    Another major veto decision looms if there’s a final state budget, now two months overdue.

    “Stein has lost some big-time issues” this year, Meredith College political science professor David McLennan said. “But it doesn’t mean that he’s not a successful governor in his first year.”

    Visiting Helene-damaged areas

    Stein’s latest trip to western North Carolina marked his 34th separate day spent in the region as governor, reflecting a promise to rebuild “a more resilient region for the long haul.”

    “A lot of the job is showing up,” said Chuck McGrady, a former Republican legislator from the mountains. “He is meeting with a wide range of people, and I think he’s gotten very high grades from folks, regardless of their politics.”

    Helene’s recovery began during presidential and gubernatorial campaigns and prompted accusations by Trump and allied Republicans that the response from Democratic administrations was weak.

    Stein included Johnson and McGrady, now an unaffiliated voter, on a recovery committee. And he created a recovery agency separate from a Cooper-era office criticized for housing repair delays after hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Stein met Trump when the president visited the hard-hit region during his first days in office.

    Stein said this week he’s seeking an additional $11.5 billion in aid from Congress. His administration says financial assistance received so far from the federal government as a percentage of total damages and needs is small compared with what was provided after other recent U.S. hurricanes.

    A White House spokesperson responded, saying the “request is evidence that he is unfit to run a state.” Other Republicans previously said Stein’s administration hasn’t converted what money it’s received to repairs fast enough.

    Stein still thinks he can get his messages across without trying to show anybody up.

    “I think you can disagree with folks and still be civil, and so when I have concerns about what the administration is doing, I have no hesitation to say what I believe when it hurts North Carolina,” he said.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Bryce Young’s pivotal Year 3: Panthers QB aims to lead with renewed confidence

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young doesn’t like to talk about last season.

    He says there’s no point, and that all of his attention is focused on 2025.

    And perhaps it should be. There is an undeniable undercurrent in Carolina that Year 3 could be pivotal for Young when it comes to his long-term future with the Panthers, the team that mortgaged plenty of draft capital to move up eight spots to take him No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft.

    Overall, the returns have not been great.

    Young is 6-22 as an NFL starter and has endured his share of struggles, including getting benched by rookie head coach Dave Canales two games into the 2024 season after the Panthers were outscored 73-13. Young looked uncomfortable in the pocket early last season, and Canales recognized it. He turned to veteran Andy Dalton, giving Young a chance to regroup while saying repeatedly that Dalton gave the team the “best chance to win.”

    It’s unclear if Young would’ve received another chance to start had Dalton not injured his thumb in a late-October car crash.

    But Young seized the second opportunity.

    And, slowly but surely, he began to show improvement.

    By the end of last season the poise and confidence that had helped earned him the 2021 Heisman Trophy at Alabama was back. The swagger began to return, too, evidenced by one particular touchdown pass in Week 18 to Tommy Tremble in which the diminutive quarterback turned his back to celebrate the score before his tight end caught the football in the end zone, reminiscent of NBA star Stephen Curry launching a 3-pointer and turning to jog back downcourt knowing it was going in.

    Curry, a lifelong Panthers fan, posted a picture of Young on Instagram with his back to the play and hands raised with his personal message: “Confirmed.”

    Young combined for five touchdowns that day in Atlanta, capping a three-game stretch to close the season with 10 touchdowns and no turnovers. His dramatic improvement over the period gave the Panthers renewed optimism that he could be their franchise quarterback.

    “I wasn’t surprised,” Canales said. “He revealed a lot of his character in that process and showed great leadership. He stayed in front of the team. He did not take a seat in the back and just kind of let this thing play out. He continued to lead. He was sending a message very clearly to me, that this is my team and I respect it.”

    Young and the Panthers open the season Sunday at Jacksonville.

    They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2017, and while they’d like to snap that streak, that won’t necessarily define the season. The Panthers’ roster isn’t one that can realistically compete for a Super Bowl, and general manager Dan Morgan knows that. You don’t trade away your best wide receiver (Adam Thielen) if you have visions of contending for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

    What Morgan and others in the Panthers’ front office want more than anything in Year 3 is continued growth from Young.

    “I want to see him continue ascending as a leader, continue to develop the chemistry with the wideouts,” Morgan said. “It takes time to develop chemistry with wideouts and understand the way they move, the way they come out of the breaks. I think the sooner that he figures that out and who’s out on the field and like just gets that feel, the better off he’s gonna be.”

    Young’s goal is simpler.

    “Ups and downs, good games or bad games, regardless of the situation, I just want to be consistent in my work and my progress,” Young said.

    Make no doubt about it, Young has the support of his locker room.

    Center Austin Corbett said Young’s ability to emerge through dark times and reclaim the starting job said volumes about his character and leadership.

    “Just to take the punch like he did,” Corbett said. “I don’t think there’s many players that would have handled it like he did. The entire situation, he owned it. When he was running the scout team, he attacked that. He was still preparing like he was a starter and to me how he owned it all. So how he emerged from it, to me, is truly incredible.”

    Running back Chuba Hubbard has been one of Young’s staunchest supporters since his arrival.

    He said it’s only a matter of time until Young is winning again, just as he did at Mater Dei High School in California and later at Alabama, where he was 24-3 as a starter.

    “Everything Bryce has shown through it all, I kind of feel like I already knew,” Hubbard said. “I saw that from the beginning. I feel like he’s been resilient, he’s been tough, he’s been a leader since the beginning. So to see him just kind of flourishing now, no, that doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

    Young said through it all he never lost confidence.

    “My confidence comes from God,” he said plainly.

    He leaned heavily on his faith and his family, as well as teammates like Dalton. But now, he said, it is time to move on and put last season behind him. He knows Year 3 is a big one for him but also realizes he can’t succeed if he’s still thinking about the past.

    “Yeah, honestly, I’m not a big look-in-the-rearview-(mirror) kind of guy,” Young said. “I’m excited for this year. I’m excited for this group this year, and I feel great. We all feel great as a team, and we’re excited to compete.”

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    Associated Press

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  • September’s ‘Corn Moon’ rises this week

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    Our next full moon, and the final one of the astronomical summer, is set to rise above the horizon this week on Sunday, September 7th.

    What You Need To Know

    • September’s full moon will rise this weekend

    • It is called the ‘Corn Moon’ this year

    • Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings


    This full moon is called the Corn Moon as opposed to the Harvest Moon which traditionally is the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22nd). It just so happens that the next full moon will occur on October 6th so it gets the name Harvest Moon this year.

    The moon will officially be full at 2:09 pm EDT Sunday, so it won’t be seen until hours later when it rises above the horizon after sunset.

    This year’s Corn Moon will actually coincide with a lunar eclipse for much of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, and Australia), but no eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Other countries can expect a long-lasting “blood moon” similar to what America saw back in March earlier this year.

     

    Potential cloud coverage Sunday evening. (weathermodels.com)

    The name of the moon is a reference to the corn harvest, which typically happens this time of the year across North America.

    The best viewing will be after sunset on Sunday.  To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.

    The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on October 6, 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Harvest Moon is whatever full moon falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Usually that is in September, but every four or five years, it happens in October.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

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  • September’s ‘Corn Moon’ rises this week

    [ad_1]

    Our next full moon, and the final one of the astronomical summer, is set to rise above the horizon this week on Sunday, September 7th.

    What You Need To Know

    • September’s full moon will rise this weekend

    • It is called the ‘Corn Moon’ this year

    • Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings


    This full moon is called the Corn Moon as opposed to the Harvest Moon which traditionally is the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22nd). It just so happens that the next full moon will occur on October 6th so it gets the name Harvest Moon this year.

    The moon will officially be full at 2:09 pm EDT Sunday, so it won’t be seen until hours later when it rises above the horizon after sunset.

    This year’s Corn Moon will actually coincide with a lunar eclipse for much of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, and Australia), but no eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Other countries can expect a long-lasting “blood moon” similar to what America saw back in March earlier this year.

     

    Potential cloud coverage Sunday evening. (weathermodels.com)

    The name of the moon is a reference to the corn harvest, which typically happens this time of the year across North America.

    The best viewing will be after sunset on Sunday.  To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.

    The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on October 6, 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Harvest Moon is whatever full moon falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Usually that is in September, but every four or five years, it happens in October.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

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  • Tar Heels get short turnaround for Charlotte after opening-night flop

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    CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s opening-night show under Bill Belichick was a flop. The only good news is there’s little time to dwell on it.

    Instead, Belichick’s first college team is hurtling straight from a 48-14 loss to TCU on Labor Day to Saturday’s kickoff at Charlotte, a brisk turnaround for a team with a long list of items on the repair list.

    “You can’t particpate in a game like that and not feel like there’s some things you could’ve done better or you’d like to do over again,” Belichick said Wednesday. “Learn from those, move on and get ready for Charlotte. That’s all we can control.

    “We need to learn some lessons from what happened in the TCU game. But at the same time, there’s nothing we can do about that one, it’s over with, and we need to move on.”

    UNC turned to the 73-year-old coach who won six Super Bowls in leading the NFL’s New England Patriots in a bid to elevate a program beyond decades of also-ran status, including paying Belichick a guaranteed $10 million for each of his first three seasons.

    Things began with a brief high point of a crisp season-opening touchdown drive and an immediate defensive stand. What followed was a gamelong descent that picked up speed on the way to a third-quarter crash that emptied out a packed Kenan Stadium well before the final period, all coming with the eyes of the college football world locked on Chapel Hill.

    Belichick said the goal now was to move past the TCU loss “as fast as we can” and sort out what works, what doesn’t and what can improve quickly.

    “I think as a coach you always try to do what’s best for your team, period, whatever that is,” Belichick said. “So you try to put players in the best position you can put them in. That’s your job as a coach.

    “That’s what I’ve always tried to do, is give my players an opportunity to go out there and play well and do things they’re confident in doing and capable of doing. I’d say based on Monday night, I need to do a better job of that.”

    By the end, UNC had given up the most points in an opener in program history. The Horned Frogs also posted the highest score allowed by a Belichick-coached team at any level going back to his 29-year run as an NFL head coach, the previous high being 47 points against the Buffalo Bills in a 2021 wild-card playoff game.

    TCU scored 41 straight points after falling behind 7-0. That also created a rare scenario: there had been only four games in Belichick’s 511 NFL regular-season and playoff games that he had trailed by at least 34 points.

    One of those was a 41-14 loss at Kansas City in September 2014, prompting Belichick’s famous “We’re on to Cincinnati” repeated response to reporters’ questions in a year that ended with the Pats winning title No. 4 under Belichick.

    Belichick wasn’t nearly as terse Wednesday, giving thorough responses to questions about how the Tar Heels can move forward and what’s next. His players were following his lead, too.

    “Man, we just move forward,” linebacker Khmori House said.

    “Just turn that next page,” running back Caleb Hood said. “Put TCU to bed, that was last week, and control what we can control.”

    Belichick shrugged off the question about whether his players could have wounded morale or confidence based on the jarring result, which stood in stark contrast to the buzz teeming through campus in the days leading up to the opener and that night in Kenan.

    He could point to cleaning up problems that led to TCU scoring on a pick-six and a scoop-and-score for a pair of defensive touchdowns as examples of self-inflicted wounds. He could also point to a line of execution failures that compounded as TCU took over, from the Tar Heels managing just 139 yards on 42 plays (3.31 per-play average) after their game-opening TD drive to TCU finishing with 320 more yards (542) overall.

    Rather, he pointed to the idea that every game is “an opportunity.” The test is finding out how this team responds to that message.

    “We’ve spent a lot of time together and practiced a lot together, met together a lot, going back to February and January, whatever,” said Brian Belichick, Belichick’s son and UNC’s defensive backs/safeties coach.

    “We’ve built up a lot of confidence in each other and trust in each other. The game ends up not going the way we want and I said it to some of the guys yesterday: ‘One night doesn’t define any of us.’”

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    Associated Press

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  • September’s ‘Corn Moon’ rises this week

    [ad_1]

    Our next full moon, and the final one of the astronomical summer, is set to rise above the horizon this week on Sunday, Sept. 7.

    What You Need To Know

    • September’s full moon will rise this weekend

    • It is called the ‘Corn Moon’ this year

    • Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings


    This full moon is called the Corn Moon as opposed to the Harvest Moon which traditionally is the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox (Sept. 22). It just so happens that the next full moon will occur on Oct, 6 so it gets the name Harvest Moon this year.

    The moon will officially be full at 2:09 p.m. EDT Sunday, so it won’t be seen until hours later when it rises above the horizon after sunset.

    This year’s Corn Moon will actually coincide with a lunar eclipse for much of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, and Australia), but no eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Other countries can expect a long-lasting “blood moon” similar to what America saw back in March earlier this year.

     

    Potential cloud coverage Sunday evening. (weathermodels.com)

    The name of the moon is a reference to the corn harvest, which typically happens this time of the year across North America.

    The best viewing will be after sunset on Sunday. To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.

    The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on Oct. 6, 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Harvest Moon is whatever full moon falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Usually that is in September, but every four or five years, it happens in October.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

    Source link

  • September’s ‘Corn Moon’ rises this week

    [ad_1]

    Our next full moon, and the final one of the astronomical summer, is set to rise above the horizon this week on Sunday, September 7th.

    What You Need To Know

    • September’s full moon will rise this weekend

    • It is called the ‘Corn Moon’ this year

    • Unobstructed views of the horizon allow for best sightings


    This full moon is called the Corn Moon as opposed to the Harvest Moon which traditionally is the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22nd). It just so happens that the next full moon will occur on October 6th so it gets the name Harvest Moon this year.

    The moon will officially be full at 2:09 pm EDT Sunday, so it won’t be seen until hours later when it rises above the horizon after sunset.

    This year’s Corn Moon will actually coincide with a lunar eclipse for much of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, and Australia), but no eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Other countries can expect a long-lasting “blood moon” similar to what America saw back in March earlier this year.

     

    Potential cloud coverage Sunday evening. (weathermodels.com)

    The name of the moon is a reference to the corn harvest, which typically happens this time of the year across North America.

    The best viewing will be after sunset on Sunday.  To find the best time to view in your area, check out the moonrise calculator. Be sure to find a place with unobstructed horizon views for the best sights.

    The next full moon will be the Harvest Moon, which occurs on October 6, 2025. As mentioned earlier, the Harvest Moon is whatever full moon falls closest to the Fall Equinox. Usually that is in September, but every four or five years, it happens in October.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

    Source link

  • Colorado jury awards $21 million to woman paralyzed in fall from Crested Butte ski lift

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    A Colorado jury on Friday awarded $21 million to a woman who was paralyzed when she fell from a ski lift at Crested Butte Mountain Resort three years ago.

    The jury verdict comes just over a year after the Colorado Supreme Court considered the woman’s case and ruled that liability waivers do not protect ski resorts when resorts violate state laws or regulations. That ruling allowed the lawsuit to go forward and likely ended a push by ski resorts to use such waivers to shield themselves from almost all lawsuits.

    The case and its $21 million verdict may open up new avenues for skiers to sue ski operators, particularly over incidents involving chairlifts, said Brian Aleinikoff, an attorney for Annie Miller, the woman who fell in 2022.

    “For the longest time, ski areas have been so insulated from lawsuits,” he said. “…At the end of the day the ‘inherent dangers’ and risks of skiing aren’t going to change. If you are skiing and you hit a rock or a bare patch or some ice or you go over a cliff, that is on you. But I think how some of the ski lifts operate — that is really where this will have the biggest impact moving forward.”

    Jurors on Friday awarded the family $5.3 million in non-economic damages, $10.5 million in economic damages and $5.3 million in damages for physical impairment and disfigurement, according to an order from 17th Judicial District Court Judge Jeffrey Smith.

    The jury assigned 25% of the fault for the incident to Miller and 75% of the fault to Vail Resorts, which owns Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Vail Resorts expects to pay a total of $12.4 million in damages both because of the jury’s assignment of fault and a statutory cap on non-economic damages.

    “We disagree with the decision and believe that it was inconsistent with Colorado law,” Katie Lyons, communications manager for Vail Resorts, said in an email. “Still, we recognize the personal toll this accident has taken on Ms. Miller and her family, and we wish her continued strength in her recovery. We remain committed to the highest safety standards in our operations.”

    Miller, now 20, was 16 when she fell 30 feet from a four-seat, high-speed chairlift at Crested Butte on March 16, 2022. Miller boarded the Paradise Express lift with her father, but couldn’t get properly seated, and grabbed the chairlift to keep from falling.

    Her father and others began to yell for the lift to be stopped as she was dragged forward, but the lift continued with Miller hanging from the chair and her father trying to pull her back to safety.

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    Shelly Bradbury

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  • Trial nears for N.C. man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida

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    FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida was given clear instructions on Tuesday on how he should behave in court — including a warning against making sudden movement — while representing himself during a trial that begins next week.

    What You Need To Know

    • Jury selection is scheduled to begin next week in Fort Pierce federal court for the case against Ryan Routh

    • The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf

    • Routh’s attorney’s entered a not guilty plea in Sept. 2024 


    Barring any delays, jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in Fort Pierce federal court for the case against Ryan Routh. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to represent himself in July but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel.

    Cannon confirmed during a hearing Tuesday that Routh would be dressed in professional business attire for the trial. She also explained to Routh that he would be allowed to use a podium while speaking to the jury or questioning witnesses, but he would not have free rein of the courtroom.

    “If you make any sudden movements, marshals will take decisive and quick action to respond,” Cannon said.

    Jury selection is expected to take three days, with attorneys questioning three sets of 60 prospective jurors. They’re trying to find 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday, Sept. 11, and prosecutors will begin their case immediately after that. The court has blocked off four weeks for the trial, but attorneys are expecting they’ll need less time.

    Also during Tuesday’s hearing, Routh presented about a dozen additional witnesses that he would like to subpoena, including Trump himself. The court had already approved four character witnesses for Routh, but he requested several more, including a former romantic partner, to testify on his gentleness.

    “That is clearly absurd,” Cannon said.

    Routh also wanted to question several Harvard professors who he believes could testify that his actions were justified, but Cannon previously ruled that she would not allow Routh to use a justification defense.

    Routh made a motion to allow three letters that he supposedly had written into evidence. Prosecutors argued that two of the letters were nothing more than hearsay. They argued that most of a third letter, from which they wanted to include the first three sentences as evidence, was mostly justification and victim blaming.

    Routh argued that prosecutors were trying to use the letter about his alleged attack at a golf course when it was actually about a possible attack on Trump’s plane at an airport.

    Prosecutors said that if Routh was asserting the letter was about a prior assassination attempt, then that might lead to a different discussion at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

    Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.

    Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.

    The judge on Tuesday unsealed the prosecutor’s 33-page list of exhibits that could be introduced as evidence at the trial. It says prosecutors have photos of Routh holding the same model of semi-automatic rifle found at Trump’s club.

    The document also lists numerous electronic messages sent from a cellphone investigators found in Routh’s car. One message dated about two months before his arrest is described as Routh requesting a “missile launcher.” It says that in August 2024, the month before his arrest, Routh sent messages seeking “help ensuring that (Trump) does not get elected” and offering to pay an unnamed person to use flight tracking apps to check the whereabouts of Trump’s airplane.

    The exhibit list cites evidence from Routh’s phone of an electronic “chat about sniper concealment” during President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. And it lists internet searches for how long gunpowder residue stays on clothing and articles on U.S. Secret Service responses to assassination plots.

    Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.

    In the early days of the war in Ukraine, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he had a 2002 arrest for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch-long fuse.

    In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.

    In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

    ___

    AP journalist Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.

     

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Suspects wanted after shooting at trooper during vehicle chase, officials say

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    Authorities are searching for the suspects involved in a vehicle chase Tuesday night where they said several shots were fired at a state trooper.

    What You Need To Know

    •  Authorities are looking for a silver or light blue 2007 Dodge Caliber with a missing rear bumper

    •  Troopers with the NCSHP say the vehicle was involved in a chase Tuesday night where a suspect fired several shots, hitting and disabling the pursuing trooper’s vehicle

    •  The suspect vehicle was last seen exiting I-295 onto McArthur Road and traveling east


    The incident started around 8:22 p.m. on I-295 in Cumberland County when a trooper with the N.C. State Highway Patrol tried to stop the suspect vehicle for speeding, officials said.

    After refusing to stop, the NCSHP said a passenger leaned out of the window and fired several shots at the pursuing trooper. The shots flattened the trooper’s tire, officials said, bringing their chase to an end.

    The suspect vehicle was last seen exiting the interstate onto McArthur Road and traveling east, according to troopers.

    No injuries were reported.

    The vehicle is described as a silver or light blue 2007 Dodge Caliber with a missing rear bumper.

    Anyone with information is asked to call the State Highway Patrol at 910-486-1334. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office are assisting with the investigation.

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    Justin Pryor

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  • Models have Hawaii in Hurricane Kiko’s path

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    Kiko formed off the coast of southern Mexico from a tropical wave. It became a tropical storm on Aug. 31, making it the fourteenth named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. Kiko intensified into a hurricane on Sept. 2. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Kiko is the fourteenth named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season

    • It intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with maximum winds of 130 mph

    • Models have Hurricane Kiko moving close to the Hawaiian Islands next week


    Kiko intensified into a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 3, and currently has maximum winds of 130 mph. It is moving west at 9 mph and is located nearly 1600 miles east of Hilo, HI.


    Models have Kiko taking a west-northwesterly track over the weekend into next week, coming close to Hawaii. 

    While it’s too soon for impact details, the cooler waters near the Aloha State should weaken Kiko greatly. We’ll continue to monitor the track and provide updates. 


     

    Hurricane Hone passed just to the south of the Big Island of Hawaii in 2024 as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 85 mph. Here are other cyclones that came close to the islands.

    You can track the rest of the tropics here. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Thom Tillis on Trump conflict and death threats he’s received

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    On this week’s episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum travels to Cornelius to meet with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis.

    There they talk about his debate with President Donald Trump and his decision to retire. Tillis talks in-depth about the conversations with Trump, his decision not to run for re-election and the death threats he has received in recent years. 

    They also walk the mountain bike path that led to his political career in the first place.

    About the Podcast

    With the speed of the local news cycle, it’s easy to forget that the politicians who represent us and the influencers in our communities are more than just a sound bite. North Carolina’s veteran reporter and anchor, Tim Boyum, loosens his signature bow tie to give listeners a glimpse behind the curtain, showing us who these power players really are and why they do what they do. Through Tim’s candid conversations on “Tying It Together,” his guests reveal their most fascinating life stories, passions, and help all of us get a better grasp on the issues affecting our communities.

    Listen and Subscribe

    Apple | Spotify | Stitcher

    Join the Conversation

    Do you have any thoughts or questions for Tim? Weigh in on X with the hashtag #TyingItTogetherNC. Afterward, rate the podcast and leave a review to tell us what you think!

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Mountain ministry continues helping veterans after Helene

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Veterans in a transitional housing program in Asheville had little time to evacuate during Helene. 

    They were able to leave the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry’s Veterans Restoration Quarters unharmed, but their living quarters suffered severe damage from the storm. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry provides transitional housing for veterans at the Veterans Restoration Quarters 

    • Helene damaged the Veterans Restoration Quarters, prompting an evacuation of the veterans on site

    • The ministry relocated veterans to a nearby hotel after they were separated in three area shelters

    • Kenny McCurry, a former resident of the VRQ, recounts the evacuation and aftermath of the storm


    Kenny McCurry returned to the VRQ this summer after it had been cleaned up from the storm. 

    He called this place home for three years. 

    The ministry is behind the 250-bed facility offering transitional housing for veterans facing homelessness.

    “This was my first home I’ve had since 2010,” McCurry said. 

    The ministry’s chief administrative officer, Tim McElyea, said Team Rubicon removed debris and cleaned off mud for the nonprofit.

    “There was just so much damage. Trees down everywhere, stacked cars turned over and damaged, and certainly we didn’t have the means to, you know, be able to do all that,” McElyea said. 

    The storm damaged rooms, plumbing, electrical and their parking lot. 

    “We had an extreme amount of water come through, and these rooms now, they’re all gutted,” McElyea said. 

    The VRQ neighbors the Swannanoa River, which flooded to unprecedented levels.

    McCurry learned about the evacuation when members of the National Guard and the sheriff’s office knocked on his door. 

    Around 200 people had to evacuate quickly to area shelters. 

    “A lot of guys, they had everything that they owned here, you know, with them, which wasn’t a lot to start with. And then they lost that too,” McElyea said.

    With the evacuation being imminent, he left behind his dentures and other invaluable items. 

    “I wish that I grabbed that box of photographs of my children that are overseas. They live in Britain,” McCurry said. 

    The 65-year-old, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, couldn’t retrieve much after the flood, but he carries with him the memories of the time he spent at this place.

    “I can’t say enough things about this place. They got me through culinary school,” McCurry said. “Then I got my CDLs.”

    McCurry said 18 years ago when he was struggling with addiction, he set an empty house on fire and was convicted of second degree arson. 

    “I did a very horrible thing in 2007. It was probably the darkest time of my life, when I lost control of myself and I burnt my home and my family’s home. That’s been my greatest thing to overcome,” McCurry said. 

    After Helene, when veterans couldn’t return to the VRQ, he went to a PTSD rehabilitation program in Ohio. 

    Meanwhile, the ministry found temporary housing for the rest of the veterans at a nearby hotel.

    “The biggest request that we heard, because they were all three in different locations, is, ‘When can you get us out of here, and when can we get all back together?’” McElyea said. 

    McElyea said the rebuilding process will take up to two years.

    “We are definitely going to need support to get it back to where it was,” McElyea said. 

    McCurry said this place gave him hope during his recovery journey. This summer, he was staying at his sister’s house and started a new job. He still gets support from the ministry with furniture for his rented room.

    “I just have great people all around me,” McCurry said. 

    The ministry said private funding, corporate benefactors and a fundraiser are underway for the rebuild. The nonprofit also purchased a building next door to provide job training for veterans. 

    The program at the VRQ is a partnership through the federal government, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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    Estephany Escobar

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  • Welcome to meteorological fall

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    The astronomical start to the season begins on Sept. 22, 2025, at 2:19 pm EDT. Meteorologists and climatologists look at the seasons a little differently than most.

    What You Need To Know

    • Most people use the traditional astronomical seasons

    • Meteorological seasons are more convenient for weather records

    • Meteorological fall is from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30


    The Earth’s tilt on its axis gives us our seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring and fall equinoxes happen when the sun’s direct rays pass over the Equator. They’re farthest north on the summer solstice as we lean toward the sun. On the winter solstice, they reach their southernmost point while we lean away from the sun.

    (NOAA Office of Education/Kaleigh Ballantine)

    Our planet’s movement is predictable, but it isn’t perfect. Astronomical seasons start around the same time, but the exact date varies. The autumnal equinox occurs anywhere between Sept. 21-23. The winter solstice falls between Dec. 20-22. As a result, each season can be anywhere from 89 to 93 days long.

    That would make record-keeping for weather and climate extremely tricky. Making comparisons between years isn’t quite apples-to-apples if the start and length of a season change each year.

    That’s why we have climatological seasons. They always start on the first day of a particular month and only vary between 90 and 92 days long or 3 months at a time. This makes data and record keeping streamlined for meteorologists and climatologists.

    It also turns out that the warmest and coldest 91-day periods of the year line up better with climatological summer and winter.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Alan Auglis, Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Welcome to meteorological fall

    [ad_1]

    The astronomical start to the season begins on Sept. 22, 2025, at 2:19 pm EDT. Meteorologists and climatologists look at the seasons a little differently than most.

    What You Need To Know

    • Most people use the traditional astronomical seasons

    • Meteorological seasons are more convenient for weather records

    • Meteorological fall is from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30


    The Earth’s tilt on its axis gives us our seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring and fall equinoxes happen when the sun’s direct rays pass over the Equator. They’re farthest north on the summer solstice as we lean toward the sun. On the winter solstice, they reach their southernmost point while we lean away from the sun.

    (NOAA Office of Education/Kaleigh Ballantine)

    Our planet’s movement is predictable, but it isn’t perfect. Astronomical seasons start around the same time, but the exact date varies. The autumnal equinox occurs anywhere between Sept. 21-23. The winter solstice falls between Dec. 20-22. As a result, each season can be anywhere from 89 to 93 days long.

    That would make record-keeping for weather and climate extremely tricky. Making comparisons between years isn’t quite apples-to-apples if the start and length of a season change each year.

    That’s why we have climatological seasons. They always start on the first day of a particular month and only vary between 90 and 92 days long or 3 months at a time. This makes data and record keeping streamlined for meteorologists and climatologists.

    It also turns out that the warmest and coldest 91-day periods of the year line up better with climatological summer and winter.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Alan Auglis, Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Welcome to meteorological fall

    [ad_1]

    The astronomical start to the season begins on Sept. 22, 2025, at 2:19 pm EDT. Meteorologists and climatologists look at the seasons a little differently than most.

    What You Need To Know

    • Most people use the traditional astronomical seasons

    • Meteorological seasons are more convenient for weather records

    • Meteorological fall is from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30


    The Earth’s tilt on its axis gives us our seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring and fall equinoxes happen when the sun’s direct rays pass over the Equator. They’re farthest north on the summer solstice as we lean toward the sun. On the winter solstice, they reach their southernmost point while we lean away from the sun.

    (NOAA Office of Education/Kaleigh Ballantine)

    Our planet’s movement is predictable, but it isn’t perfect. Astronomical seasons start around the same time, but the exact date varies. The autumnal equinox occurs anywhere between Sept. 21-23. The winter solstice falls between Dec. 20-22. As a result, each season can be anywhere from 89 to 93 days long.

    That would make record-keeping for weather and climate extremely tricky. Making comparisons between years isn’t quite apples-to-apples if the start and length of a season change each year.

    That’s why we have climatological seasons. They always start on the first day of a particular month and only vary between 90 and 92 days long or 3 months at a time. This makes data and record keeping streamlined for meteorologists and climatologists.

    It also turns out that the warmest and coldest 91-day periods of the year line up better with climatological summer and winter.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Alan Auglis, Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Fiery texts from Michael Jordan, NASCAR execs disclosed in antitrust battle

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The bitter fight between NASCAR and two of its teams who have filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the stock-racing giant spilled into public view Thursday during an acrimonious hearing that included the disclosure of expletive-laden emails and text messages from team owner Michael Jordan and other high-profile litigants.

    In one exchange, the retired NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of the 23XI Racing Team used disparaging language about Joe Gibbs Racing and the 13 other teams that signed NASCAR’s new charter agreements last September.

    “Teams are going to regret not joining us,” Jordan wrote in a text message to Curtis Polk, his business manager who, along with Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin own 23XI Racing.

    That organization and Front Row Motorsports were the only two that refused to sign extension agreements on charter agreements, the equivalent of franchises in other sports. The two teams then sued NASCAR, accusing it of being a bully and monopoly in a brawl that has played out all year and prompted both teams to say they risk going out of business if the series sells their charters out from under them.

    Nothing, however, has been as explosive as the details that came to light for the first time Thursday as documents related to discovery were disclosed.

    NASCAR is privately owned by the Florida-based France family, with founder Bill France Sr.’s son, Jim, the current chairman. His granddaughter, Lesa France Kennedy, is the executive vice chair and was in court for the first time since the case began.

    Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI, at one point wrote “Jim dying is probably the answer” to teams getting better terms on a charter agreement while Hamlin said “my despise for the France family runs deep… (but) please let’s not sabotage our own business.”

    In a partially redacted text conversation between Jordan and Polk, presumably about the price of charters, Jordan wrote that “I’m not selling even if they were for sale (redacted). What would we do?” Polk replies “This is just a hobby!!!” and Jordan responds “Only can play but so much golf.”

    In a second exchange, Jordan discusses with Polk the cost of signing a driver whose name is redacted.

    “I have lost that in a casino. Lets do it,” Jordan replied.

    NASCAR had its own expletive-laden email exchange among top executives disclosed. Commissioner Steve Phelps in one email wrote that talks had not been productive and argued an early charter proposal offered “zero wins for the teams” and in another message wrote the charters “must reflect a middle position or we are dead in the water — they will sign them but we are (expletive) moving forward.”

    Steve O’Donnell, the president of NASCAR, also didn’t like an early version because it would return NASCAR’s model to 1996 terms with an attitude of “(Expletive) the teams, dictatorship, motorsport, redneck, southern, tiny sport,” he wrote.

    Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney for 23XI and Front Row, contended that the NASCAR exchanges as well as contingency plans on how NASCAR could prevent rival competition prove NASCAR is monopolizing the stock car racing market.

    NASCAR has maintained in legal filings that 23XI and Front Row relinquished any rights they have to six combined charters when they refused to sign the extensions last September. The teams started the season recognized as chartered, which guarantees 36 chartered teams entry into the 40-car field each week. Chartered teams also receive a substantially higher percentage of payouts.

    The order that recognized the six cars as chartered has been overturned and they are currently competing as “open” teams. 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick has a clause in his contract that says he can leave if his car is not chartered; Kessler indicated that Reddick and sponsors have given notice that 23XI is in breach.

    U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell warned during the hearing that NASCAR’s charter system is at stake, depending on the outcome of the case. The arguments before Bell were focused on the teams’ urgent request to restore their status as chartered teams through the end of the season ahead of a trial scheduled for Dec. 1.

    NASCAR has indicated it plans to immediately begin selling off the charters. Bell asked NASCAR’s attorney that if there is indeed such an eager buyer, why couldn’t the series sell one of the four open slots and then figure out how to address it once the case is settled. NASCAR has maintained that it can’t be forced to do business with teams it does not want to work with.

    The judge said he would rule on the request next week after the first playoff race of the season. Reddick and Bubba Wallace are in the playoff field for 23IX and so is Hamlin, who drives for JGR.

    Outside court, Jordan said he has been open to a settlement but is willing to see the case go to trial. Kessler warned if 23XI and Front Row do not receive their charters back they will go out of business in 2026.

    “Look, I’ve been a fan of the game for a long period of time,” Jordan said. “When we first started this whole process I’ve always said I want to fight for the betterment of the sport. Even though they tried to point out that we’ve made some money, we had a successful business. That’s not the point. The point is that the sport itself needs to continually change for the fans as well as for the teams.

    “As well as as for NASCAR, too, if they understand that,” Jordan said. “I feel like we made a good statement today about that and I look forward to going down with fire. If I have to fight this to the end, for the betterment of the sport, I will do that.”

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    Associated Press

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