Associated Press

North Carolina's highest court has ruled over some insurance claims filed by businesses that were harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting 2020 government orders limiting commerce and public movement. The state Supreme Court on Friday ruled unanimously in favor of some restaurants and bars in their claims, but against clothing store chain Cato Corp.

A giant salamander that evolved on the supercontinent Pangaea and outlived the dinosaurs has been proposed for federal protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The eastern hellbender would be protected under the Endangered Species Act if Friday's submission is adopted.

The woman who in 2006 falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her has admitted publicly for the first time that she made up the story. The accusations made national headlines at the time, stirring tensions about race, class and the privilege of college athletes. Crystal Mangum, who is Black, said in an interview with the "Let's Talk with Kat" podcast that she "made up a story that wasn't true" about the white players who attended a party where she was hired to perform as a stripper "because I wanted validation from people and not from God." The former Duke players were declared innocent in 2007 after Mangum's story fell apart under legal scrutiny.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Gov.-elect Josh Stein have challenged a portion of a law just enacted by the Republican-dominated General Assembly that erodes Stein's powers and those of other top Democrats elected last month.

UNC-Chapel Hill's board of trustees have approved terms of the deal to hire Bill Belichick as the Tar Heels' new football coach.

North Carolina House Republicans have enacted legislation that erodes some powers of several statewide offices newly-elected Democrats are slated to hold next month. Lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto.

North Carolina’s elections board has dismissed protests filed by several Republican candidates trailing narrowly in their races last month who have questioned well over 60,000 ballots cast this fall. The Democratic-majority board agreed Wednesday to throw out the protests of GOP Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin and three legislative candidates.

Associate Justice Allison Riggs maintained a 734-vote lead over Jefferson Griffin following a machine recount completed last week. Griffin then asked for partial hand recount. That wrapped up Tuesday and actually had Riggs picking up more votes than Griffin. So the State Board of Elections won't order a complete hand recount.

Olivia Thomas scored on a free kick in the 62nd minute for her fourth goal of the NCAA Tournament and North Carolina beat Wake Forest 1-0 on Monday night for the program’s first national championship since 2012.

Voters in some parts of the country are discovering that having their say at the ballot box is not necessarily the final word, even though this year's election was over a month ago.