News sports and weather for Raleigh, NC | The News & Observer & NewsObserver.com

Featured

Wool socks are better in cold weather than cotton socks. Smartwool socks, $20.95.

Dressing to stay warm in the snow

It's freezing cold outside and everything is covered with snow or ice. But you still have to get out – maybe to shovel the walk, build a slushy snowman or run an errand.

Sports

Raleigh native Rodney Purvis is averaging 9.8 points per game for UConn, fourth-best on the team and slightly more than he averaged as a freshman at N.C. State, while pulling down 2.1 rebounds a night.

NC State transfer Rodney Purvis gets last laugh at ECU

ECU fans heckled former NC State guard Rodney Purvis throughout Wednesday night’s game against UConn. But Purvis scored 12 points, including a critical 3-pointer, to help the Huskies win.

The National Weather Service and local officials urged drivers to be cautious Friday morning because of black ice, and Raleigh police closed Wade Avenue at its split with I-40 eastbound and I-40 eastbound at Gorman Street. 29 minutes ago

Business

In this image released by Netflix, Michael Kelly appears in a scene from "House of Cards." The third season of the political drama will be available on Netflix on Friday Feb. 27, 2015.

'House of Cards' dealt Netflix a winning hand

Even if it never wins another award, "House of Cards" already ranks among the most influential series in television history. 2 hours ago

Politics

Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., holds up a copy of the Constitution while talking to reporters as House Republicans emerge from a closed-door meeting on how to deal with the impasse over the Homeland Security budget, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015. GOP lawmakers have been trying to block President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration through the funding for the DHS which expires Friday night. Sounding retreat, House Republicans agreed Thursday night to push short-term funding to prevent a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security while leaving in place Obama administration immigration policies they have vowed to repeal.

Some in GOP say DHS funding lapse not a big deal

Republican leaders eager to avert a partial government shutdown are getting heat from conservative colleagues who ask what the fuss is all about. 1 hour ago

Nation/World News

CAGE research director Asim Qureshi talks during a press conference held by the CAGE human rights charity in London on Thursday. Qureshi said he is not 100 percent sure that Mohammed Emwazi, whom he described as “extremely kind, extremely humble and extremely soft-spoken,” is the masked Islamic State terrorist known as “Jihadi John,” but he sees a resemblance.

Islamic State’s ‘Jihadi John’ is identified as a British citizen

Mohammed Emwazi was 6 when his parents moved to West London from his birthplace in Kuwait, and he seems to have lived a normal life, studying hard and graduating in computer sciences from the University of Westminster in 2009. 32 minutes ago

Living

Children’s musician Laurie Berkner makes her Raleigh debut Saturday at the Duke Energy Center’s Meymandi Concert Hall. Her acoustic guitar-driven music is goofy, bouncy and cheerful.

Family Picks: Carolina Puppet Theatre stages 'Cinderella' in Wake Forest

With the snow hopefully behind us, use the weekend to see a puppet show or some live music, check out a children's career fair, or take your little one's favorite teddy bear in for a checkup.

Entertainment

Gavin Rossdale of the band Bush will play The Ritz in Raleigh on March 4.

Gavin Rossdale brings '90s grunge band Bush to Raleigh

Bush will showcase its latest album, "Man on the Run," Wednesday at the Ritz in Raleigh, but count on the band to also play early hits like "Everything Zen," "Comedown" and "Machinehead."