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

Featured

TOPSHOTSUS President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks before signing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplace executive order on July 31, 2014 in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGANMANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Day's Best | 08.01.14

See some of the best photographs from around the world

An Apple employee holds up the new iPad Air on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013, in San Francisco. Apple unveiled a new, thinner, lighter tablet called the "iPad Air" along with a slew of new Macs Tuesday at an event in San Francisco. The iPad Air weighs just 1 pound, compared with 1.4 pounds for the previous version. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

You could win a 16GB iPad Air

Just like us on Facebook, and you’re in the running. Click here to enter.

Sports

UNC quarterback Marquise Williams runs the offense during the Tar Heels' opening day of football practice for the 2014 season on Friday at Navy Field in Chapel Hill. Williams will compete with redshirt fresham quarterback Mitch Trubisky throughout the preseason.

UNC starts anew with first preseason football practice

Returning QB Marquise Williams opens the practice taking snaps with the projected starters, while challenger Mitch Trubisky worked with the second team. 19 minutes ago

Allen Rogers of Raleigh considers Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald a friend. After Rogers read last Saturday that MacDonald's murder conviction had been upheld again, Rogers said he hopes MacDonald will get controlled release from prison.

NC budget pays for teacher raises from reserves, lottery, cuts to programs
UNC-Chapel Hill biologists enlist help of anglers in fisheries research project 31 minutes ago
McCrory says he will sign budget; issues coal ash order 31 minutes ago
Chapel Hill doctor Billy Fischer is on the front lines of the fight against Ebola 38 minutes ago

Business

In this June 23, 2014 photo, job seekers wait in line to meet with recruiters during a job fair in Philadelphia. The government issues the July jobs report on Friday, Aug. 1, 2014.

US job growth eases but tops 200K for a 6th month

A sixth straight month of solid 200,000-plus job growth in July reinforced growing evidence that the U.S. economy is accelerating after five years of sluggish expansion. 2 hours ago

Politics

Gov. Pat McCrory, center, backed by his cabinet members, gives his response to the North Carolina Legislature’s budget bill during a press conference held on August 1, 2014. He said he would not veto the budget bill.

McCrory says he will sign budget; issues coal ash order

Gov. Pat McCrory on Friday said he would sign the budget that the legislature has tentatively approved, explaining that it met his demands. He also said he will take initial steps to eventually close all the coal ash ponds in the state. 31 minutes ago

Nation/World News

Members of the Red Cross arrive with the body of Marie Conde, 14, who died from Ebola, for burial in Koundony, Guinea, on July 9, 2014. Health workers in Guinea are now battling two enemies: the unprecedented Ebola epidemic and fear, which has produced growing hostility toward outside help.

WHO: Outbreak of Ebola virus is outpacing control efforts

In an ominous warning as fatalities mounted in West Africa from the worst known outbreak of the Ebola virus, the head of the World Health Organization said Friday that the disease was moving faster than efforts to curb it, with potentially catastrophic... 38 minutes ago