Airport officials said the pilot noticed the leak shortly after taking off from Raleigh for Chicago around 8:15 a.m. Sunday. The first attempt at an emergency landing was scrapped, but the pilot brought the plane down safely as emergency crews stood by on the second attempt.

Authorities say none of the 138 passengers on the MD-83 jet were injured.

American Airlines was bringing in another plane to take the passengers to Chicago.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported at 5 a.m. EDT Sunday that Alberto, after forming Saturday in the Atlantic, was about 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Charleston, S.C., and a tropical storm watch continues on that state’s coast from Savannah River to the South Santee River.

Alberto was driving maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), with higher gusts, but had changed little in strength during the early hours Sunday, the center said. But it warned coastal interests from Georgia to the North Carolina’s Outer Banks to monitor Alberto’s progress.

Alberto was named a tropical storm Saturday upon forming in the Atlantic. Tropical storms occasionally occur before the official June 1 start of the hurricane season.

The center’s statement early Sunday said the tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area at least for the ensuing 24 hours. It said tropical storm and dangerous surf conditions are possible.

The hurricane center said a decrease in forward speed was expected through Sunday, with the storm forecast to turn toward the northeast sometime Monday. It added that little change in strength was expected over the next 48 hours.

Tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) from the center.

National Weather Service meteorologist Sandy LaCorte in Wilmington said Saturday evening that the storm was not expected to get close to the Carolinas’ coast.

Yet LaCorte said Alberto was expected to produce increased waves at beaches in the Carolinas. There also is a high risk of rip currents along the Outer Banks, and a moderate risk along the southeastern beaches and the entire South Carolina coast.

The weather service said there would also be isolated and scattered rain showers along the coast of the Carolinas in coming days.

A forecast map from the hurricane center predicted that the storm would head toward the open sea off the mid-Atlantic region by midweek, even though it’s difficult to accurately predict a storm’s path days in advance.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

On Thursday a Bedford County, Tenn., judge said Torry Hansen must begin making the child support payments in June and continue to pay until the boy, who is now 10 years old, turns 18. Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell said the $150,000 Hansen must pay includes damages for breach of contract, legal fees and support for the boy.

Hansen sent Artyom Saveliev back to Russia in April of 2010 with a letter saying the child was disturbed, violent and she didn’t want him anymore. The case created an international uproar and prompted Russia to temporarily halt its adoption program with the U.S.

The World Association for Children and Parents, which helped Hansen adopt the child, then filed a lawsuit seeking child support.

Hansen has since moved to Redding, Calif., and has failed to show up at any of the hearings, said Larry Crain, an attorney for the adoption agency. She has hired a series of three Tennessee lawyers to represent her but the most recent one, he said, has been granted permission to leave the case. She did, however, hire a court reporter to attend the hearing.

Hansen filed a lawsuit last month in the Shasta County, Calif., Superior Court against representatives of a Russian orphanage saying the Russian Federation Supreme Court annulled the adoption. “In doing so, it denied defendants the ability to recover a sum of money in the form of child support from plaintiff,” the suit says.

Hansen wants the California court to recognize the Russian decision. Her California attorney did not return calls seeking comment. No home listing for Hansen in California could be found.

Adoption advocates hailed the Tennessee court order as a measure of justice for the boy, and said the judge’s decision would show there are consequences to abandoning adopted children. They have said Hansen never told social workers that she was having problems with the boy.

The agency sued Hansen to deter others from doing anything similar and to show the Russians that “you cannot do this in America and get away with it,” Crain said.

“It has certainly caused concern on the part of Russian officials that unless there are consequences when a parent abandons a child placed in their home, there’s a need for safeguards to make sure this never occurs,” Crain said.

The judge said in his order that when Hanson adopted the boy she signed a contract acknowledging that it was possible the child could have physical, emotional or behavior problems that were unreported and even unknown to the adoption agency.

Lee said $58,000 of the $150,000 will pay for the past two years’ worth of support and medical fees for the boy in Russia.

Court documents say the boy was hospitalized for three weeks after he returned to Moscow, but they don’t say what he was treated for. He was later moved to an orphanage and then sent to another institution.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

In a statement Friday’s family says the pacemaker was placed Thursday in the 91-year-old. They say they appreciate the outpouring of love and support that people have shown, but ask for privacy.

Friday was president of UNC for 30 years, leading the school through integration, the sponsorship of the state education network and its growth into a 16-campus university system. He also helped with the formation of the Atlantic Coast Conference,

Since retiring as president in 1986, Friday has pushed to keep college affordable and supported programs to reduce poverty and illiteracy. He also has his own show on UNC-TV.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

As Joseph Brunson, Tony Pough and Timothy McQueen are serving decades in prison for duping as many as 7,000 clients to invest money in foreign currencies, federal prosecutors have indicated that thousands of investors are beginning to receive some of their investments back. U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles indicated to the Associated Press that the restitution checks represent about 46 cents of each dollar invested.

From 2004 to the time the trio was arrested in 2007, the “Three Hebrew Boys,” dubbed for the biblical tale of men who used their faith to survive an inferno, visited churches and faith gatherings in the Southeast. They proclaimed they were saved from crushing debt thanks to the power of God and investments in foreign currencies, a practice they promised investors would result in double returns. But that wasn’t the case. According to The State, the men put less than $1 out of every $10,000 invested into foreign currency markets, using most of the rest of the money on expensive cars, homes, football game luxury boxes and a Gulfstream jet.

The trio was convicted in 2009 on 58 counts, including mail fraud and money laundering. The sentences, ranging between 27 and 30 years for each man, accounted for the harshest sentences for fraud conviction in the state’s history.

Jurors heard about 17 days of testimony, a lot of focusing on the details of the lurid sex scandal between the Democratic candidate, his mistress Rielle Hunter and his once-trusted aide Andrew Young, who initially claimed he was the father of his boss’ baby.

Edwards is charged with six criminal counts including conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act, accepting contributions that exceeded campaign finance limits, and causing his campaign to file a false financial disclosure report. He faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines if convicted of all charges.

Jurors will not be judging Edwards character. Instead, they will have to weigh whether to believe Edwards, who argued that he didn’t knowingly break the law, or his aide, Andrew Young, who said Edwards recruited him to solicit secret donations in excess of the legal limit for campaign contributions, then $2,300.

The choice before them comes down to choosing which liar to believe.

Young, the prosecution’s star witness, falsely claimed paternity of his boss’s baby in December 2007, after tabloid reporters tracked a visibly pregnant Hunter to a doctor’s appointment.

Edwards repeatedly denied having a relationship with Hunter, only to go on national television in August 2008 to admit having a brief affair with Hunter but that it was physically impossible he was the father of her baby girl. In fact, his relationship with Hunter had lasted more than a year. A recording of that interview was played for the jury last week as the prosecution rested its case.

The bulk of the alleged illegal campaign contributions flowed to Young, including $725,000 in checks from heiress Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, who is now 101 years old. Young spent some of the money to care for Hunter, but financial records introduced at the trial showed the aide siphoned off most of the money to help build his family’s $1.6 million dream home near Chapel Hill.

Another $400,000 in cash, luxury hotels, private jets rides and a $20,000-a-month rental mansion in Santa Barbara, Calif., were also provided by wealthy Texas lawyer Fred Baron to help cover up the affair. Baron served as Edwards’ campaign finance chairman.

Prosecutors say Edwards knew about the money and directed the cover-up, showing the jury phone records indicating he was in constant contact with Hunter and Young while they were in hiding.

The defense countered that it is Young who should be on trial, not Edwards, accusing the aide of using Edwards’ name without his knowledge to bamboozle Mellon out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for his personal use. Young received immunity from prosecutors.

During closing arguments Thursday, lead defense lawyer Abbe Lowell admitted that Edwards had lied to his wife and the American people. But his client didn’t violate federal campaign finance regulations, Lowell said.

“This is a case that should define the difference between a wrong and a crime … between a sin and a felony,” Lowell told the jury. “John Edwards has confessed his sins. He will serve a life sentence for those. But he has pleaded not guilty to violating the law.”

Meanwhile, prosecutor Bobby Higdon used Edwards’ old stump speech against him, saying the presidential candidate violated laws meant to protect “the two Americas” in an attempt to avoid a sex scandal.

“Campaign finance laws are designed to bring the two Americas together at election time,” Higdon said. “John Edwards forgot his own rhetoric.”

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dwight King scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Jonathan Quick made 18 saves, and the Los Angeles Kings rolled to the brink of their first Stanley Cup final in 19 years with a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night.

The Kings lead the Western Conference finals 3-0.

“We wanted to have our own push in front of our owns fans, show our push,” said Kings forward Jarret Stoll, whose hustle set up King’s goal. “It took us a while to get our own game (going), but we did, especially in the third period.”

Jeff Gross/
Getty Images Sport

Anze Kopitar also scored to help the eighth-seeded Kings improve to 11-1 in their improbable postseason run. Despite trailing in a game for the first time since April 28, King scored his fourth goal in three games against the Coyotes, who face a deficit only three teams have overcome in NHL playoff history.

Game 4 is Sunday at Staples Center.

Mike Smith stopped 26 shots in a standout performance for the third-seeded Coyotes, who must win four straight to reach their first Stanley Cup final in club history.

Although the Kings have won eight consecutive playoff games during this rampage through the West bracket, they fell behind for the first time in nearly 18 periods when Daymond Langkow scored on a breakaway for Phoenix early in the second period. That deficit disappeared just over 2 minutes later on Kopitar’s breakaway goal.

King came through again 1:47 into the third, beating Smith high to the glove side. The massive rookie scored two goals in the series opener and added the winner in Game 2.

In front of a long-suffering crowd gratefully enjoying its unexpected good fortune after decades of disappointment, the Kings dominated the third period in front of Quick. They forechecked relentlessly in the final minutes, forcing Smith to play a long stretch without his goal stick because Phoenix couldn’t clear the zone so he could retrieve it.

Los Angeles largely dominated the first two games of the series in Glendale, outshooting the Coyotes 88-51 while winning by a combined 8-2. Phoenix had no more luck than Vancouver or St. Louis against the surprising No. 8 seeds, who finished two points behind the Pacific Division champion Coyotes in the regular season before steamrolling the West’s top two teams in a combined nine games.

Phoenix played Game 3 without forward Martin Hanzal, who served a one-game suspension for boarding Dustin Brown in Game 3. Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who escaped suspension for his own hit, took up the job of agitating Brown, facewashing the Kings’ high-scoring captain with his glove during one scrum.

After Smith came up with several stellar saves during a scoreless first period, Keith Yandle slipped a long pass behind Mike Richards to Langkow, who beat Quick between the legs for his first goal of the postseason 1:03 into the second. Los Angeles hadn’t trailed since the first period of Game 1 in its second-round series with St. Louis 19 days ago.

Staples Center briefly fell silent, but reached full roar moments later when Brown found Kopitar with a long pass behind the Phoenix defense. The Slovenian star beat Smith with a backhand for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

The teams were even in goals and shots heading to the third period, but King quickly put Los Angeles ahead with the latest impressive play of his incredible first NHL playoff run. Moments after Smith made a spectacular point-blank save on Stoll, King collected the puck during a delayed penalty and wired a high shot past Smith’s glove into the top corner of the net.

Phoenix responded to its deficit with more physical play in Game 3, although keeping most of it within legal limits after the borderline goonery of the Game 2 blowout. The Coyotes inserted enforcer Paul Bissonnette into their lineup for the first time since Game 4 of the opening round.

NOTES: The game was the first of six playoff contests in four days at Staples Center, where the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers will host back-to-back second-round playoff games this weekend. The Tour of California — the nation’s largest cycling race — also finishes outside the arena about 30 minutes before the puck drops on Game 4 Sunday. …Marc-Antoine Pouliot took Hanzal’s spot in the Coyotes’ lineup, but Langkow moved up to Hanzal’s place on a line with Taylor Pyatt and Radim Vrbata. Bissonnette replaced Gilbert Brule. D Adrian Aucoin has missed the entire series with an injury. … The Kings have won seven straight road games, and they stuck with coach Darryl Sutter’s scheme to keep the road vibe at home by staying in a hotel across the street from Staples Center on Wednesday night. … USC QB Matt Barkley attended the game.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Tony Parker scored 22 points on his 30th birthday, Tim Duncan had 18 and the San Antonio Spurs beat the fading Los Angeles Clippers 105-88 on Thursday night, pushing their winning streak to 16 and taking a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.

Chris Paul responded to his awful Game 1 with only a slightly better encore, scoring 10 points as the Clippers now head home desperate to steer out of what’s starting to get the feel of a sweep.

Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 20 points. His plan to manage his ailing knee so the All-Star would have enough steam for the fourth quarter proved moot, as both teams emptied their benches with another Spurs blowout assured.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Los Angeles.

The All-Star matchup of Paul vs. Parker went from a Game 1 bust to a lopsided mismatch that may have proved Paul is hurting more than he’s letting on. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro says his star is still struggling with an aching hip and groin, even as Paul insists he’s OK.

He again looked anything but. While Parker — the last of the Big Three to finally hit the big 3-0 — celebrated by more than tripling his seven points and dreadful 1-for-9 shooting in Game 1, Paul shot 4 of 9 and had just five assists.

At halftime, the third-place finisher in league’s MVP voting had more personal fouls (3) than point (2), assists (2) or rebounds (2).

Duncan, on the other hand, stayed in a playoff time warp. At 36 years old and playing in his 182nd postseason game — and with no contract beyond these playoffs — Duncan turned in another solid performance that sometimes recalled the former MVP who was going for his championships in his prime rather than the old-timer who’s chasing a fifth ring now.

He scored 14 points in the first half — almost as much as the rest of the starting lineup — and finished 9-of-14 shooting. Points in the paint weren’t even close: the Spurs had 50, and the Clippers 18.

Boris Diaw added 16 points and Danny Green had 13 for the Spurs. Manu Ginobili scored 10 and was held scoreless in the second half.

Randy Foye was the Clippers’ only other player in double digits, scoring 11.

If this keeps up, a near-historic postseason for the Clippers will end this weekend unless they figure out a plan fast.

This is only the third time in the woeful 41-year history of the franchise that Los Angeles’ long-maligned “other” team has survived to the second round. Their momentum started with a stunning 27-point comeback on the road against Memphis in their playoff opener, but the Clippers haven’t made a rally stick in San Antonio.

A bumbling start had the Clippers already down by 15 in the first quarter before clawing back with a 9-2 burst. Getting to within 46-42 at halftime had the Clippers’ bench heading to the locker room clapping and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich storming off fuming.

Halfway through the third quarter, however, the lead was back to 16.

“There was a refocus of energy at halftime,” Duncan said. “We came out understanding of what we had to do to finish this game.”

It was another methodical Spurs dissection, yet they’re not just sticking to what works. They’re still tinkering. Popovich put Splitter alongside Duncan to begin the second half instead of Diaw, who won the starting job at center once the playoffs began.

As the deficit deepened, so did the Clippers’ frustration.

DeAndre Jordan seethed and slammed the ball when a missed rotation gave Green an uncontested 3-pointer that stretched San Antonio’s lead to back to double digits in the third. Less than a minute later, Foye trotted upcourt shaking his head after Paul’s fumbled dribble gave Kawhi Leonard a clear path for a breakaway dunk.

Following another 3-pointer by Green— this one pushing San Antonio’s lead to 70-60 — the turned-around Clippers looked so disjointed that Green darted back down and knocked the ball out of Paul’s hands on the ensuing inbound.

Notes: The Spurs followed up tying a franchise playoff record with 13 3-pointers in Game 1 with 10 this time… Talk about a pro cut: A 12-year-old Spurs fan suspended from his San Antonio middle school for shaving the face of forward Matt Bonner in his hair scored free tickets to the game and a meeting with his favorite player before tipoff. Bonner, whose mother is a teacher, said he was puzzled by the school’s decision and gave Patrick Gonzalez an autographed pair of shoes and an autographed jersey. “Keep supporting us redheads in the NBA,” the Red Rocket told his biggest fan.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Bosh has an abdominal injury and is currently listed as out indefinitely for the Heat. He stayed in South Florida for more treatment of his lower-abdominal strain, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

While the Heat have listed him as out indefinitely, Bosh hasn’t ruled out a return during this series.

“He’s upbeat as you can be with an injury,” forward LeBron James told the Sun-Sentinel. “He’s just trying to do all the rehab he can. He can’t do much rehabbing right now. He has to rest, but just trying to stay upbeat as much as he can.”

The Heat have been tight-lipped about Bosh’s injury, but one thing has been made abundantly clear, without Bosh in the lineup; the Heat have major problems.

Overlooked during the regular season and given little chance to upset the reigning East champions, the Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Sunday at raucous Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

LeBron James scored 22 — 16 in the first half before wearing down — and Mario Chalmers added 25 for Miami. However, Dwyane Wade scored only 5 on 2-of-13 shooting for the Heat, already missing forward Chris Bosh because of a strained abdominal muscle and not expected to return for this series.

Indiana outscored Miami 51-32 in the second half, when the Pacers could do no wrong.

They made big shots, challenged everything the Heat tossed in the air and didn’t back down from a Miami team that appeared poised to make an easy run to the NBA finals after top-seeded Chicago lost Derrick Rose and was eliminated in the first round.

The Pacers, though, have other plans.

In the second half, Indiana forward David West flung James to the floor in the lane, and Granger later got in the superstar’s face after a foul on a breakaway. After winning Game 2 in South Florida by three points, the Pacers wanted to show they’re for real.

Believe it.

They’re two wins from tilting the balance of power in the East.

With his team down 20 in the closing minutes, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra waved the white flag and pulled out first Wade, then James, who quickly removed his headband as he got to the bench and then pulled out the mouthpiece inscripted with XVI — the Roman numeral for 16 — or the number of wins it takes to get a championship.

When the final horn sounded, the three-time MVP quickly exited the floor.

Indiana busted open a grind-it-out game with a 17-3 run in the third quarter, doing it with an inside-outside attack that had the Heat wondering what was coming next.

Pushed by a rocking home crowd wearing “Gold Swagger” T-shirts and chanting “Beat The Heat” every chance they could, the Pacers pushed their lead to 69-55 after three and then held off one brief run by the Heat in the fourth quarter.

Behind Miami’s bench, owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley stared in disbelief.

Despite playing almost 21 minutes and exerting himself on defense, James had enough energy to throw down a vicious left-handed dunk in the final minute of the first half, pulling the Heat even at 43-all. He looked back at the

Miami bench as if to say, “How about a little help out here?”

He was doing it all.

Wade, on the other hand, was lost.

He missed all five field-goal attempts, made two turnovers and ran around like a first-time rookie and not a superstar playing in his 95th career postseason game. He also appeared to be involved in a heated argument with Spoelstra during a third-quarter timeout.

Wade finally made his first field goal with 10:22 left in the third to put Miami up 47-45, but the Pacers went on a 10-1 run with Granger dropping a 3-pointer in front of the Heat bench to make it 55-48 and then playfully skipping down the sideline as Miami called a timeout.

With Bosh out, rehabbing in Florida and doubtful to be back at any point in this series, Spoelstra said “everything is out on the table. Everyone has to be ready.”

He wasn’t kidding.

Spoelstra made a dramatic change to his starting lineup, putting Shane Battier at power forward and using bench-riding center Dexter Pittman in place of Udonis Haslem and Ronny Turiaf in the first five along with James, Wade and Chalmers — a group he played together for just nine minutes during the regular season.

The moves smelled of desperation and maybe Spoelstra sensed his team was in more trouble than he wanted to admit.

And when the Pacers jumped to an 11-2 lead, amping up an already frenzied Indiana crowd, it appeared Miami was indeed in danger of dropping a second straight game.

However, with James leading the charge, the Heat responded by closing the first quarter on a 24-6 tear.

Chalmers dropped in three soft runners during the spurt and James drilled a 3-pointer — only Miami’s second make from long range in 24 tries in three games — and scored two straight layups as the Heat ended the period with nine consecutive points.

Both James and Wade were relaxed following the Heat’s morning shootatound. There wasn’t a hint of panic in either of their voices and they exuded been-here-done-that attitudes.

James downplayed the idea that he and his teammates would need to maintain some kind of “edge” to be best prepared for a pivotal Game 3 many felt would tilt the series.

“It’s the postseason,” said James, playing in his 100th postseason game. “There’s no secrets about an edge or not having an edge. It’s the postseason. You have to be ready and approach every possession as if it’s the last. I’m always going to have an edge, so that’s not going to change.”

Well, things have changed.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Johnson’s team won the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge on Thursday night, avenging last year’s loss in the finals to Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 team.

Hamlin’s team was the two-time defending champions coming into the event and cruised into the finals again this year, but lost to Johnson’s team by three-tenths of a second.

Johnson’s six-member team changed four tires, put in gas and pushed the car 40 yards in 22.3 seconds without a penalty to earn the $80,675 first-place prize and the front pit stall in Saturday night’s All-Star race for Johnson.

When pit crew coach Greg Morin realized who his team would be facing in the finals he knew there wasn’t much that needed to be said to his highly competitive crew.

“It was sort of like, seriously? Seriously, you’re going to let them beat you again?” Morin said. “When the two numbers went up on the board you couldn’t write a better story.”

Morin said he’s never been a around a crew with better camaraderie. Johnson’s team included gas man Brandon Harder; front tire changer Dave Collins and carrier R.J. Barnette; rear tire changer Calvin Teague and carrier Matt Tyrrell; and jack man T.J. Ford. Their crew chief was Chad Knaus.

NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challengeview gallery

“I think it came down to who wanted it more and we had some stamina at the end,” Barnette said.

Johnson, who sat in on the press conference alongside reporters while his team was up on stage, said he was extremely proud of his guys.

“It’s cool to sit here and watch all of that, and to watch their celebration on the stand,” Johnson said after the press conference. “I know how much this means to them. To see their smiles and their celebration, it’s well deserved. They’ve put in the time.”

Johnson’s team came in as the No. 1 seed and earned a first-round bye.

Johnson said it’s a “big advantage” to have the best pit stall and it could come in handy in the All-Star race.

The indoor pit crew competition kicked off a busy 11-day stretch in the Charlotte area that includes Saturday’s All-Star race, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wednesday and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27.

The top 24 crews in the Sprint Cup standings competed in the standings with the top eight ranked teams earning a bye into the second round. The teams faced each other in a head-to-head, single-elimination tournament.

The event consisted of eight similarly marked NASCAR cars, four on opposite sides of the floor at Time Warner Cable Arena The six-man pit crew teams simultaneously changed tires on two cars, filled the gas tank with water — a lot less cleanup and odor than using real gas — on another and a jack man lifted both sides of the fourth car.

After completing their tasks the jack men hustled to the teams’ regular cars, lined up side-by-side at the corner of the arena floor and began pushing their own car 40 yards to the finish as teammates joined to help after completing their tasks.

Teams received time penalties for loose lug nuts, spilled water and other infractions.

For the pit crews, it was a night of fun and a rare chance to shine.

“They are like the special teams like when a field goal kicker comes on to kick a 38-yarder and we all sit on the couch and say ‘Why can’t you kick that 38-yard field goal?’” said veteran driver Jeff Burton. “When (a car) comes in leading the race and they go out in fifth place that’s when they get noticed. But when the car goes in third and comes out first, for whatever reason, when they race is over they don’t get recognized.”

Burton said that’s not particularly fair, sort of like blaming the game on a kicker’s missed chip shot field goal.

“You almost take it for granted they have great stops just like a guy should make that field goal every time,” Burton said.

Said former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne: “It’s like a field day for them, a chance to showcase their talents both individually and as a team. Although this is a little different than our pit stops in a real race the qualifying is exactly what we’d be doing.”

In the individual competition, Jeff Kerr (jack man); Tom Lampe (gas man); Tim Sheets (front tire changer); JD Holcomb (front tire carrier); Jake Seminara (rear tire changer) and Kenny Barber (rear tire carrier) earned championships.

With the exception of Kerr, all set new individual records.

It was, however, Kerr’s third individual title.

“The biggest thing is to learn to deal with the pressure without making a mistake,” Kerr said. “A pit stop when you’re running first and a pit stop when you’re running 43rd are two completely different things. The people that can do it under pressure are the ones that you want on your team.”

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten

The rate dropped from 9.7 percent in March and a percentage point from April a year ago, according to the figures from the state Division of Labor and Economic Analysis. The rate was stuck at 10.7 percent from July to September, then started a slow decline in October.

More than 11,000 people left the labor force in April compared to May, the figures show. More than 21,000 people have joined the North Carolina labor force since April a year ago.

“The bulk cause of this is the labor force decreased,” division spokesman Larry Parker said of the monthly decrease.

People leave the labor force for many reasons, he said: They quit looking for work; they retire; or they might move. The decrease isn’t related to the demise of extended benefits, which ended last week for about 17,000 people, he said.

The number of unemployed decreased by 12,686 to 439,368 over the month, while the number of employed increased by 1,471 to more than 4.2 million over the month and by 63,513 over the year.

North Carolina’s unemployment continues to be higher than the national rate, which fell slightly to 8.1 percent in April.

“North Carolina’s recovery has been slower than the U.S. on average,” said John Coleman, an economics professor at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. “It’s taken longer for North Carolina to recover, probably, because we’re still making that painful exit from the manufacturing sector, which is not an easy process.”

Nonfarm industry employment decreased by 1,300 from March to April while gaining more than 30,000 jobs over the 12 months. The major industry that had the largest monthly increase was professional and business services, which gained 3,600 jobs.

“The service sector is coming around and pushing North Carolina forward, a trend that’s been in place for over a couple of decades,” Coleman said.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A Gastonia pastor has been indicted after authorities say he had sex with two minors in Haiti while doing missionary work in the country.

Larry Bollinger remained in the Mecklenburg County jail Friday, charged with two counts of having sex with people under age 18.

The federal indictment says the crimes happened in 2009.

Bollinger also has volunteered for House of Mercy, a residential care facility for people seriously ill from AIDS. The CEO of the organization says Bollinger and his wife were wonderful volunteers and others in the program were stunned to hear about the allegations against the 66-year-old pastor.

It wasn’t clear if Bollinger had an attorney.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Sen. Brad Hutto said director Phil Bailey was reprimanded during a caucus lunch Thursday, and his Twitter account was closed. He says Bailey acknowledged he was wrong.

Bailey posted the tweet Wednesday after state GOP leaders voted to put a candidate Haley supports back on June ballots after she scolded them. The tweet went on to say Haley can resurrect an unlawful campaign from the dead.

State GOP Chairman Chad Connelly called for Bailey’s ousting.

Republican political consultant Wesley Donehue says the issue’s being ridiculously overblown. He says people are using a bad joke with no racist intent as political ammunition.

The Indian-American governor was raised Sikh.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey presented Thursday showed 4.3 percent of middle school students and 15.5 percent of high school students smoked cigarettes. That rate has dropped steadily in North Carolina since 2003.

The agency correlated that data with its Tobacco. Reality. Unfiltered non-smoking campaign. When that campaign was launched in 2003, 9.3 percent of middle school students and 43 percent of high school students smoked.

Funding for the program was relocated to the department’s budget last year and is not set to recur.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that the prosecutors were meeting Thursday in Forsyth County to learn how to fight motions filed under the 2009 law. It allows death row prisoners to use statistics and other evidence to try to prove race proved a significant role in their sentences.

If they’re successful, their sentences are reduced to life in prison without parole. One sentence has been reduced so far.

The training session is being held at an undisclosed location and isn’t open to the public. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said he didn’t know the cost, but said the bills will go to the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Each team is comprised of three amateur golfers and one celebrity. Celebrities include Dell and Stephen Curry, Muggsy Bogues, Bimbo Coles, Phil Crosby, Dale Jarrett, Muhsin Muhammad, Eugene Robinson, Tony Womack and local sportscaster and TV personalities. Join us to play or participate as a sponsor for maximum exposure.

Registration will begin at 10:00am with a Noon shotgun start. Boxed lunches will be provided on carts. Following play, dinner and an awards reception will be held in the ballroom. Mulligans and raffle tickets will be available for purchase.

To learn more about the Ada Jenkins Center and all they do within the community visit www.adajenkins.org, call 704-896-0471 or email natisha.rivera@adajenkins.org.

The Celtics captain put in 24 points in Boston’s 101-91 Game 3 victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia, putting his knee injury behind him and getting aggressive when it came to pretty much every aspect of the game.

“Whether I shot the ball well or not, everything I was going to do was being with aggression,” Pierce said.

Aggressive might be an understatement. Pierce was in attack mode early on, even if his shots weren’t falling. Early in the first quarter, he missed four shots from close range, but it was the fact he fought for the three put-backs in the paint that showed he was determined to make a difference after scoring just seven points in Boston’s Game 2 loss.

He continued to go strong to the basket, following up his early misses with two ferocious dunks. Pierce finishing with nine points in the first 12 minutes of the game. He ended up hitting six of his 17 attempts from the floor, but did most of his damage at — and getting to — the free throw line. After just two trips to the charity stripe on Monday, Pierce found his way to the line 14 times in Game 3, scoring 11 of his points at the line.

Special Coverage: NBA Playoffs

He made it known to all of Philly when he was making his way to the line, following each drive to the hoop with an aggressive scream that would make Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” jealous.

“Everything I was going to do was going to be aggressive because they were really collapsing on me on the down-screens, on my jumpers,” said Pierce. “I just tried to get to the hole and I was able to get to the line; able to get to the rim a number of times. It’s something I have to continue to do.”

“Paul is just a grinder,” head coach Doc Rivers said following the win. “He really is. You look at him at times and you wonder, ‘How is this guy getting open?’ He just has great fundamentals. He never does it with speed. He just knows how to play basketball. He’s a throwback guy, that he knows how to play basketball. We jokingly call him our ‘professional scorer’ and that’s what he is in a lot of ways.”

“[Pierce] played great for us tonight,” said point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 23 points of his own while dishing out 14 assists. “Paul has been struggling scoring, but he has been doing the intangibles. On those [first-quarter] drives, he didn’t get some calls early in the game and thought they were fouls, so he went out and was aggressive and finished strong.”

Recap: Thunder Go Up 2-0 On Lakers

Pierce had been just 5-for-20 in the series in the first two games, but helped the Celtics send a message as they took a 2-1 series lead. While he only added four assists, he credited the team’s ball movement for getting the offense going.

“Our offense finally came alive,” Pierce said. “We moved the ball. We knew that’s what we were going to have to do to score 100 points.”

“We just wanted to come out and establish who we are as a team,” Pierce said.

They certainly did that. Now they just need to keep it going on Friday night.

Box Score | Playoffs Schedule

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to take a 2-0 lead.

Game 3 is Friday night in Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynum’s hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

Game 2 Photo Gallery (Photo:Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

After struggling throughout the second half, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Scott Brooks called timeout following Bynum’s basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant’s jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldn’t connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

Steve Blake missed a 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn’t get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play. Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made his first try before missing the second on purpose – failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peace’s long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden.

Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the win.

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers’ last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise’s days in Seattle.

In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, the Lakers started inching away early in the fourth quarter while Westbrook was on the bench.

Bryant drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free throws for a 69-63 advantage with 7:27 remaining – the Lakers’ largest lead to that point.

Westbrook returned then but only provided the briefest of sparks for the struggling Oklahoma City offense, and Bynum’s second straight basket – on a left-handed hook shot at the left block – made it 75-68 with 2:09 to play.

Until that point, Oklahoma City had made only 7 of 27 shots in the second half while committing eight turnovers.

After getting ripped apart by the Thunder’s pick-and-roll attack and giving up 119 points in Game 1, the Lakers made it an emphasis to put up more resistance in the rematch and it showed. Matt Barnes shuffled back and forth around three Nick Collison screens to contest Harden’s jumper and preserve the Lakers’ 22-21 lead after one quarter.

The Lakers’ defense was at its best just after halftime as they got out of a 48-45 deficit by holding Oklahoma City scoreless for the first 4 minutes and allowing just two baskets in the first 8 minutes. But Los Angeles still couldn’t create any sort of a cushion and Westbrook’s wide-open 3-pointer from the left corner – after World Peace airballed a similar shot on the opposite end – had the Thunder back within 57-56 with 3:31 left in the third.

Notes: The NBA on Wednesday fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum, who has had recent disciplinary issues within the team, talked at the Lakers’ morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. “I think he’s learning. Is he going to be a perfect citizen the rest of his career? I don’t know,” coach Mike Brown said. “He’s bound to make mistakes. I think everybody makes mistakes.” … World Peace has said he supported Scott Brooks to become Sacramento’s coach back in 2007, when Brooks had been an assistant under Eric Musselman. “Little does he know, if I would have got the job, I was going to ask for him to be traded,” Brooks joked. He then called World Peace, or Ron Artest at the time, the third-best two-way player at the time behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett. … Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter.

New 2011 census estimates highlight sweeping changes in the nation’s racial makeup and the prolonged impact of a weak economy, which is now resulting in fewer Hispanics entering the U.S.

“This is an important landmark,” said Roderick Harrison, a former chief of racial statistics at the Census Bureau who is now a sociologist at Howard University. “This generation is growing up much more accustomed to diversity than its elders.”

The report comes as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on the legality of Arizona’s strict immigration law, with many states weighing similar get-tough measures.

“We remain in a dangerous period where those appealing to anti-immigration elements are fueling a divisiveness and hostility that might take decades to overcome,” Harrison said.

As a whole, the nation’s minority population continues to rise, following a higher-than-expected Hispanic count in the 2010 census. Minorities increased 1.9 percent to 114.1 million, or 36.6 percent of the total U.S. population, lifted by prior waves of immigration that brought in young families and boosted the number of Hispanic women in their prime childbearing years.

But a recent slowdown in the growth of the Hispanic and Asian populations is shifting notions on when the tipping point in U.S. diversity will come — the time when non-Hispanic whites become a minority. After 2010 census results suggested a crossover as early as 2040, demographers now believe the pivotal moment may be pushed back several years when new projections are released in December.

The annual growth rates for Hispanics and Asians fell sharply last year to just over 2 percent, roughly half the rates in 2000 and the lowest in more than a decade. The black growth rate stayed flat at 1 percent.

The immigrants staying put in the U.S. for now include Narcisa Marcelino, 34, a single mother who lives with her two daughters, ages 10 and 5, in Martinsburg, W.Va. After crossing into the U.S. from Mexico in 2000, she followed her brother to the eastern part of the state just outside the Baltimore-Washington region. The Martinsburg area is known for hiring hundreds of migrants annually to work in fruit orchards. Its Hispanic growth climbed from 14 percent to 18 percent between 2000 and 2005 before shrinking last year to 3.3 percent, still above the national average.

Marcelino says she sells food from her home to make ends meet for her family and continues to hope that one day she will get a hearing with immigration officials to stay legally in the U.S. She aspires to open a restaurant and is learning English at a community college so she can help other Spanish-language speakers.

If she is eventually deported, “it wouldn’t be that tragic,” Marcelino said. “But because the children have been born here, this is their country. And there are more opportunities for them here.”

Of the 30 large metropolitan areas showing the fastest Hispanic growth in the previous decade, all showed slower growth in 2011 than in the peak Hispanic growth years of 2005-2006, when the construction boom attracted new migrants to low-wage work. They include Lakeland, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; Atlanta; Provo, Utah; Las Vegas; and Phoenix. All but two — Fort Myers, Fla., and Dallas-Fort Worth — also grew more slowly last year than in 2010, hurt by the jobs slump.

Pointing to a longer-term decline in immigration, demographers believe the Hispanic population boom may have peaked.

“The Latino population is very young, which means they will continue to have a lot of births relative to the general population,” said Mark Mather, associate vice president of the Population Reference Bureau. “But we’re seeing a slowdown that is likely the result of multiple factors: declining Latina birth rates combined with lower immigration levels. If both of these trends continue, they will lead to big changes down the road.”

William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who analyzed the census data, noted that government debates over immigration enforcement may now be less pressing, given slowing growth. “The current congressional and Supreme Court interest in reducing immigration — and the concerns especially about low-skilled and undocumented Hispanic immigration — represent issues that could well be behind us,” he said.

Minorities made up roughly 2.02 million, or 50.4 percent of U.S. births in the 12-month period ending July 2011. That compares with 37 percent in 1990.

In all, 348 of the nation’s 3,143 counties, or 1 in 9, have minority populations across all age groups that total more than 50 percent. In a sign of future U.S. race and ethnic change, the number of counties reaching the tipping point increases to more than 690, or nearly 1 in 4, when looking only at the under age 5 population.

The counties in transition include Maricopa (Phoenix), Ariz.; King (Seattle), Wash.; Travis (Austin), Texas; and Palm Beach, Fla., where recent Hispanic births are driving the increased diversity among children. Also high on the list are suburban counties such as Fairfax, Va., just outside the nation’s capital, and Westchester, N.Y., near New York City, where more open spaces are a draw for young families who are increasingly minority.

According to the latest data, the percentage growth of Hispanics slowed from 4.2 percent in 2001 to 2.5 percent last year. Their population growth would have been even lower if it weren’t for their relatively high fertility rates — seven births for every death. The median age of U.S. Hispanics is 27.6 years.

Births actually have been declining for both whites and minorities as many women postponed having children during the economic slump. But the drop since 2008 has been larger for whites, who have a median age of 42. The number of white births fell by 11.4 percent, compared with 3.2 percent for minorities, according to Kenneth Johnson, a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire.

Asian population increases also slowed, from 4.5 percent in 2001 to about 2.2 percent. Hispanics and Asians still are the two fastest-growing minority groups, making up about 16.7 percent and 4.8 percent of the U.S. population, respectively.

Blacks, who comprise about 12.3 percent of the population, have increased at a rate of about 1 percent each year. Whites have increased very little in recent years.

Other findings:

—The migration of black Americans back to the South is slowing. New destinations in the South, including Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., and Orlando, Fla., saw sharp drop-offs in black population growth as the prolonged housing bust kept African-Americans locked in place in traditional big cities. Metro areas including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco had reduced declines or gains.

—Nine U.S. counties in five states saw their minority populations across all age groups surpass 50 percent last year. They were Sutter and Yolo in California; Quitman in Georgia; Cumberland in New Jersey; Colfax in New Mexico; and Lynn, Mitchell, Schleicher and Swisher in Texas.

—Maverick County, Texas, had the largest share of minorities at 96.8 percent, followed by Webb County, Texas, and Wade Hampton, Alaska, both at 96 percent.

—Four states — Hawaii, California, New Mexico and Texas — as well as the District of Columbia have minority populations that exceed 50 percent.

The census estimates used local records of births and deaths, tax records of people moving within the U.S., and census statistics on immigrants. The figures for “white” refer to those whites who are not of Hispanic ethnicity.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, will be contested at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday. Six colts who ran in the Kentucky Derby will return for the Preakness including the top two finishers I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister. Also returning are the fourth and fifth place finishers Went the Day Well and Creative Cause as well as also-rans Daddy Nose Best and Optimizer. The remainder of the field will be made up of unproven colts and minor stakes winners that would be a shock should they come anywhere near a winner’s circle on Saturday.

In recent years, the Preakness has been the most predictable of the Triple Crown races with only three winners since 2000 paying more than $10 for a $2 win bet. During that same period the Kentucky Derby has had eleven win payouts over $10 and the Belmont Stakes has had nine. Another thing to consider is colts that compete in the Derby tend to win the Preakness. Since 1997, only three Preakness winners did not run in the Derby. If the trends hold, the winner of this year’s Preakness will be one of the six that ran in the Derby and will go off at odds of less than 4 to 1.

Here is a closer look at the eleven who will line up for the 2012 Preakness Stakes:

Bodemeister
Morning Line Odds: 8-5
While I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby, more attention is being paid to second place finisher Bodemeister. In fact, Bodemeister was made the morning line favorite in this year’s Preakness. From a pace perspective, he ran one of the most impressive Kentucky Derbys in history. He set a blistering pace and only lost by a length and a half. In perusing the past performances of the field for the Preakness, there are no other colts with early speed so Bodemeister should have an easier time of it on the lead. This anticipated pace scenario makes him the one to beat when the gates open on Saturday.

I’ll Have Another
Morning Line Odds: 5-2
I’ll Have Another, the second choice on the morning line, has been perfect in 2012 and enters the Preakness as the only one with a shot at sweeping the Triple Crown. He shipped to Pimlico soon after his Derby win and reports from the scene say he has trained brilliantly over the track. In looking at his past performances, he has the ability to press a fast pace, so watch for him to run close to pacesetter Bodemeister from the start. The question is: Will he have what it takes to make the lead if Bodemesiter is able to set a more reasonable pace in the Preakness?

Went the Day Well
Morning Line Odds: 6-1
While Bodemeister has received all the attention for his valiant but losing effort in the Derby, Went the Day Well also ran a tremendous race to finish fourth. In only his fifth career start, he ran into trouble early in the race and around the first turn. Jockey John Velazquez had to check twice, literally pull back on the reins, when other horses cut into his path. He was eighteen lengths from the leaders with only three beaten when they turned into the backstretch. Just a few hundred yards from the finish, he was moving as fast as any horse in the field, and ended up only two and a half lengths away from the winner in the end. He will get a better trip in the Preakness and could be in a prime position to make a winning move in the stretch.

Creative Cause
Morning Line Odds: 6-1
The California-based Creative Cause is as game a race horse as any among this year’s 3-year-olds. He showed his class in the Derby making it to third in the deep stretch before being passed by Went the Day Well and Dullahan. He finished fifth just three lengths behind the winner. He will run well in the Preakness, as he always does, but it’s hard to figure him turning the tables on the three that finished in front of him in the Derby.

Teeth of the Dog
Morning Line: 15-1
Teeth of the Dog is the lone entry that did not run in the Derby with a chance to fill out the bottom of trifecta and superfecta tickets. He made his graded stakes debut in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial where he finished third at odds of 53 to 1. He comes into this race as a mystery but his trainer Michael Matz has no reason to embarrass himself with an entry in the Preakness that can’t run.

Daddy Nose Best
Morning line: 12-1
After emerging as many racing pundit’s longshot pick leading up to the Kentucky Derby, he ran mid-pack throughout and finished a disappointing tenth. Should he revert to the form he flashed in winning the Sunland Derby in March, he has a chance to fill out the bottom of exotic tickets but he seems a step below the top contenders.

Zetterholm
Morning Line: 20-1
Zetterholm has won three of five career races but all of his wins have come in races restricted to horses bred in New York. The Preakness is a monumental jump in class and it’s hard to comprehend him being competitive against this group.

Optimizer,
Cozzetti,
Tiger Walk,
Pretension
Morning Line: 30-1
The four colts listed on the morning line at 30-1 are all deserving longshots in this year’s field of eleven.

Betting the 2012 Preakness

Knowing the lack of early speed in the race, watch for jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard I’ll Have Another to run close behind Bodemeister from the start. With those two clocking what is sure to be a swift pace on the front-end, look for Went the Day Well to put himself in a stalking position behind the leaders and make a big move to run by them both in the stretch. Creative Cause is the pick to round out the bottom of the superfecta but it might be worthwhile to play some exotic tickets with Teeth of the Dog as well.

1) Went the Day Well
2) I’ll Have Another
3) Bodemeister
4) Creative Cause

For more information, visit the Hello Race Fans Preakness page. For a quick summary for all of this year’s contenders, check out the HRF Preakness Cheat Sheet.

Kevin Martin is the founder of the thoroughbred racing history site Colin’s Ghost and a contributing editor at Hello Race Fans.

Edwards has pleaded not guilty to six criminal counts related to campaign finance violations stemming from nearly $1 million secretly provided by two wealthy donors that helped hide his pregnant mistress during the 2008 Democratic primary. He faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines if convicted of all charges.

Prosecutors likely will argue the payments were intended to influence the outcome of an election by keeping Edwards’ political hopes viable. Defense lawyers will counter that Edwards had limited knowledge of the cover-up and that the payments were gifts intended to keep his cancer-stricken wife from leaning about the out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles set the two-hour limit for closing arguments. The jury is expected to begin deliberating Friday.

On Wednesday, Edwards’ team wrapped up their defense without calling him, his mistress or daughter to testify, a move experts said was intended to shift focus from a political sex scandal to the nitty-gritty of campaign finance law.

“The defense wasn’t sexy, but the defense doesn’t want sexy. It wants an acquittal,” said Steve Friedland, a professor at Elon University School of Law and former federal prosecutor who has attended much of the trial.

Experts said Edwards’ bare-bone defense, which lasted just over two days, may be enough to avoid conviction on charges he authorized more than $1 million secretly provided by two wealthy donors to help hide an affair with pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter as he sought the White House in 2008.

The prosecution presented nearly three weeks of evidence and testimony from a former Edwards aide and campaign advisors that painted Edwards as a frequent liar, but showed no direct evidence he intended to break federal campaign finance laws, the experts said.

Many observers believed Edwards would testify so the jury could hear directly from the former U.S. senator and trial lawyer, who had a reputation for his ability to sway jurors. But putting Edwards and Hunter on the stand would have exposed the defense to withering cross-examination about Edwards’ past lies and personal failings.

“The defense may very well have felt that their case was solid enough to go to the jury without the risk of the personal testimony of these witnesses, which would undoubtedly resurrect the salacious details of the affair for the jury,” said Catherine Dunham, another Elon law professor who has been attending the trial.

The defense also elected not to call Edwards’ oldest daughter, Cate, a 30-year-old lawyer who has sat behind her father nearly every day, as a character witness to help humanize him.

At one point during the trial, Cate Edwards ran out of the courtroom in tears during testimony about her cancer-stricken mother, Elizabeth, confronting her father about his extramarital affair.

The former Democratic presidential candidate has sat quietly at the defense table throughout his trial, whispering with his lawyers and rarely showing reaction to the often emotional testimony from witnesses who were once among his strongest supporters and closest friends.

He has made no public statements since October, following a pre-trial hearing where a judge refused to throw out the case.

At the trial, prosecutors have shown two members of Edwards’ inner circle, campaign finance chairman Fred Baron and once-close aide Andrew Young, engaged in a yearlong cover-up to hide the married presidential candidate’s mistress from the media.

The married Young falsely claimed paternity of his boss’ baby and received $725,000 in secret checks from an elderly heiress, using some of the money to care for Hunter.

Baron, a wealthy Texas lawyer, provided Young and Hunter with more than $400,000 in cash, luxury hotels, private jets and a $20,000-a-month rental mansion in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Prosecutors have introduced phone records, voicemails and other evidence showing Edwards in frequent contact with Baron, Young and Hunter while Hunter was in hiding.

Former members of Edwards’ campaign also testified that Baron spoke of “moving Hunter around” in the candidate’s presence and that Edwards told his speechwriter he knew “all along” what Baron was up to.

But in 14 days of testimony, no witness ever said Edwards knew he was violating campaign finance laws, a key element of criminal intent the government must prove to win a conviction.

“There was no direct evidence that John Edwards knew he was violating campaign contribution laws,” Friedland said. “Juries like smoking guns. There were no smoking guns here.”

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

It worked twice, and the Eastern Conference finals are all even, as a result.

David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique’s shot 2:31 into the third period to break a tie and lift the Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers that squared the series at one game apiece on Wednesday night.

“It’s a very hard building to play in, and 1-1 sounds much better than down 2-0,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We’re happy. We would have liked to have snuck out of here with two wins, but it didn’t happen.

“We’ll take 1-1.”

For the third straight series, the Rangers are wondering what went wrong in Game 2 after they took the opener. They stressed how important it would be to grab a 2-0 lead, which would have been their first two-game edge in this postseason, but didn’t provide the necessary effort to get it done.

New York was riding high after its 3-0 series-opening win on Monday night, but now has relinquished home-ice advantage again.

“You need to improve as a hockey team every game,” said succinct and disappointed coach John Tortorella, who declined to say what areas were deficient.

Game 3 will be Saturday in New Jersey.

Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter’s deflected goal late in the second that tied the game, 2-2. Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for his 108th playoff win.

Clarkson has three goals in this postseason, and every one has been a winner, including the clincher against Philadelphia in Game 5 of the second round.

“Mr. Clutch? I don’t know about that,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to skate up and down and finish the checks and just bounce off people. It’s just a great feeling to be able to contribute. To get a tip on that felt pretty good.”

New Jersey had 26 attempted shots blocked in Game 1, five more than they got through to goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Devils cut the blocks to 16 on Wednesday and managed to get 27 on goal — two more than New York.

“That team blocks so many shots,” Clarkson said. “It’s unbelievable how many. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it, and definitely that was big for us.”

Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored power-play goals in the second for the top-seeded Rangers, who received 24 saves by Lundqvist.

New Jersey got even at 2 when Salvador wound up for a shot at the blue line and fired a drive that Carter — with his back to the net — brilliantly deflected past Lundqvist with 1:51 left in the second. Marian Gaborik stood up straight in front of Salvador, but didn’t drop down as many of his teammates have to try to block the shot. For that, he was pinned to the bench by Tortorella, even through New York’s power play in the third.

Gaborik returned to the ice with 8:40 remaining as the Rangers pressed to tie.

The Devils kept the pressure on the Rangers at the start of the third and wiped out the good work the Rangers displayed in the second.

“It was a much different reaction when we went down by a goal than it was in the first game,” Parise said. “We didn’t change the way we played, and I think that was a big difference. We were comfortable with how we were playing.

“All I think they got was really on their power play.”

After spending much of the first trapped in their own end, the Rangers rebounded to erase their early deficit and briefly take the lead thanks to the previously inept power play.

With Alexei Ponikarovsky off for interference, Staal fired a shot that sailed wide of the net and struck the back boards before popping back in front and pinballing into the net off Salvador and Brodeur at 2:23. The goal was originally credited to Derek Stepan, who was in front, but the puck managed to miss him both on the way toward the net and on the bounce back.

“I saw most of the pucks, but the Rangers came out hard,” Brodeur said. “They were around me a lot, and there were some bad bounces. It’s such a tough place to play sometimes here. There are bad bounces, and the boards are terrible.”

Staal nearly netted another moments later when he ripped a drive that Brodeur had to lunge fully to his left to snare with his glove.

Kreider, the rookie from Boston College, scored for the second straight game to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 12:19. Anton Stralman let go a shot from above the right circle that ticked Kreider’s stick and fluttered past Brodeur for the rookie’s fourth goal. He had to wait to get it because it was first given to Stralman before being changed during a commercial break.

But that was hardly the longest delay of the night. Before Kreider’s power-play goal, the action was stopped for about eight minutes as arena workers struggled to get the door to the Devils’ penalty box opened. Travis Zajac stood patiently as he waited to have a seat in the box. He even managed to laugh as did New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer and the usually stoic and agitated Tortorella.

Zajac, who first was sent to the Rangers’ box, stayed in New Jersey’s sin bin for only 1:47 before Kreider scored the Rangers’ second power-play goal of the night.

New York registered the first six shots of the period before New Jersey had its first about eight minutes in, but the teams were even at 17 through 40 minutes.

Lundqvist had a bit of glove magic of his own midway through the second when a shot by Anton Volchenkov was deflected by Kovalchuk but tracked and grabbed by Lundqvist.

The Devils got their elusive first goal of the series, and the all-important lead in the game, when Kovalchuk connected on the power play late in the first period.

After Brian Boyle was sent off for slashing Parise, the Devils continued their puck-possession prowess in the Rangers’ end. New Jersey moved the puck all around the zone in search of a clean shot that could get past the diving New York defense and perhaps challenge Lundqvist, who made 21 saves in the series-opening win.

Marek Zidlicky curled with the puck to the center of the blue line and slid a pass down to the left circle to Kovalchuk, who calmly and patiently drifted in and snapped a shot up and under the crossbar in the upper corner of the net for his sixth goal of the playoffs and fourth on the power play.

“We had to keep going to the net, and I think we were doing some good things,” Clarkson said. “We’ve been playing some good hockey and we’ve got to continue to do it. That is a big win for us.”

The Devils didn’t record a shot on goal until 6:01 in when Patrik Elias put a wrist shot in on Lundqvist, but New Jersey finished the first period with an 8-5 edge in shots — despite having six more blocked by the Rangers.

Whether Brodeur was kidding or not about wanting Rangers to be injured by blocking shots, the home team wasn’t deterred from getting in front of drives. New York forward Brandon Prust was doing a bit of a dance in front of the dangerous Kovalchuk, trying to deny any potential drive, even though he was defending without a stick.

“We have to try to get in lanes,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “Try to limit their time with the puck. If we do that, they are not going to have time to shoot.”

When Kovalchuk finally scored later in the period, he let out a big yell — part celebration and an exclamation of relief — as he skated in front of the glass behind the net.

“We have built some momentum,” Brodeur said. “And now, we have to try to take that into our building, and make our building a tough place to play.”

NOTES: The Rangers were 10 for 61 (16.4 percent) on the power play in the postseason before Wednesday. This marked the second time they netted a man-advantage goal in consecutive games, but the fourth time they scored two in a game. … The Devils returned defenseman Peter Harrold to the lineup and sat rookie Adam Larsson. Harrold replaced Larsson in the lineup late in the season and started the first nine postseason games. Larsson played in the previous five games.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

South Carolina GOP Chairman Chad Connelly says he’s pledging 1,000 volunteers to work phones, knock on doors and register voters in North Carolina.

He says South Carolina is a solidly red state so they can focus on North Carolina.

Barack Obama carried North Carolina in the 2008 presidential election. But this time it will be tough sledding for the president, even though the Democratic National Convention is in Charlotte this summer.

Labor unions, a core Democratic constituency, are up in arms because the convention is being held in a right-to-work state. The state Democratic Party is in disarray over an explosive sexual harassment scandal. And voters recently approved amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Shane Cranfield and Allen Carlyle, along with police officer James Lambeth, were acquitted of charges Tuesday, putting to rest in court as to whether the men used the Taser on the high school student during the East Spencer fire department’s Christmas party last year. WBTV reports that the Taser was used at least nine times on John Resino, a North Rowan High School student and volunteer fireman.

According to police, Resino allegedly ran out of a room during the department’s Christmas Party on Dec. 10 in an attempt to get away from Cranfield and Carlyle. WBTV reports that Cranfield and Carlyle allegedly broke the handle of the door Resino had shut and stunned the 18-year-old nine times with a Taser of Lambeth, an on-duty police officer at the time of the incident. Police have indicated that the Taser went off 18 times in a three-minute span, about once every 10 seconds.

Cranfield believed that the inconsistencies in Resino’s story throughout the course of the trial led to the verdict.

“I have lost my position as the Chief of the East Spencer fire department, as well as my part time paid position,” Cranfield told WBTV. “My reputation, career, and life have been ran through the mud and destroyed.  I have been blacked balled throughout the county and shunned by people I have known for years and considered to be my brothers. Along with me, two other people, firefighter Alan Carlyle and officer James Lambeth, have also faced the same ridicule and public embarrassment as myself.”

Olsen talked to us about off-season workouts and expressed enthusiasm about starting OTAs next week. After the lockout last year, teams didn’t have ample time to get out on the field and get the physical reps they needed for preseason fine-tuning. This year is a different story.

“I think there’s nothing but optimism amongst the coaches, the players,” said Olsen.  “I think the city feels really good and is really starting to pick up their enthusiasm behind us, and part of that falls on us giving them something to cheer about and be excited about.”

When we asked about his feelings about being traded last year, Olsen had nothing but good things to say. The adjustment was seamless, both professionally and personally. Olsen voiced contentment about living in the Charlotte area, and he went on to explain his reasons that Carolina is a good spot for him professionally as well.

“I wouldn’t trade being on this offense, being on this team for any team. If I could hand pick a place to be, I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to be here,” said Olsen.

Olsen was part of Carolina’s top 7 offense last season, one that is likely to go top 5 this season. We asked him about his thoughts on the Carolina defense in the upcoming season. He commented on last year’s “decimated” defense due to injuries and noted his confidence in several players coming back from injuries—John Beeson, Thomas Davis, and James Anderson.

“It’s a whole offensive philosophy and I think that’s why Chud has been good so good because its not just hey we’re going to force feed the ball to one particular person and one particular spot. It’s a full array of weapons…The more guys you have to throw at defenses the harder it is for them to defend.”

While the House was tasked with offering the first proposed changes to the second year of the two-year state budget, the Senate started work on several other matters within hours of the chamber leader gaveling in the midday floor sessions.

“We’re hitting the ground running,” Senate Rules Committee Chairman Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, said. “We’re here for a purpose and we want to be out of here in six weeks.”

Over in the House, budget writers continued to focus on the $19.9 billion plan set to take effect July 1 and Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue’s proposed changes. But a bipartisan group led by Speaker Thom Tillis also filed separately what was labeled consensus legislation to compensate $50,000 to each living victim of North Carolina’s forced sterilization program from the last century. Tillis said the bill had support from Perdue and the Senate.

“The North Carolina House took a historic step toward a long-awaited resolution to a sad chapter in our state’s past,” Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, said in a statement. A committee meeting on the bill was expected next week.

The Senate moved ahead with other legislation as a committee voted to change laws needed for the Cherokee Indians to offer live dealer games at its casino. Another panel was expected Wednesday afternoon to consider a $206 million plan to eliminate a gap between spending and revenue. Some of the bills were expected to come to the Senate floor Wednesday evening.

Legislators arriving for the session were greeted by more than 100 protesters representing liberal and union groups who banged on pots and pans to express anger with Republican policies over the past year. They also suggested that members of the GOP majority that pushed the conservative agenda after taking control of the Legislature following the 2010 elections would be targeted during this fall’s campaign.

“We’re out here saying it’s time to listen to the people,” said MaryBe McMillan with the state chapter of the AFL-CIO, and “we’re going to continue to build this movement so that we can make our voices heard and our votes count in November.”

Many protesters carried signs expressing their unhappiness with the Legislature allowing a referendum on gay marriage that was passed last week with 61 percent of the vote.

“I’m mad at this Legislature,” said Marianne Carter-Maschal, an organic farmer from Siler City. “I don’t care what they’re talking about today. I’m mad at this Legislature (for) the things that have been going in our state the past year.”

The state chapter of the conservative-leaning Americans for Prosperity handed out earplugs to passers-by and suggested legislators should use them to tune out a vocal minority. State director Dallas Woodhouse said many of the protesters want to raise taxes.

“What I hope is the group that the legislators will listen to is the voters,” Woodhouse said. “We don’t believe these people are representative of their folks back home.”

The Senate Rules Committee voted to change state gambling and other laws needed for an updated gambling compact reached in November between Perdue and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to be carried out.

The tribe would be permitted to offer live dealer gambling at its western North Carolina casino.

The state’s school districts would get a share of revenue from the new games, which Perdue said could also create hundreds of new jobs. A coalition of social conservatives and liberal Democrats opposed to gambling could refuse to pass the gambling law changes.

Senators also pushed through a committee changes to involuntary annexation laws to respond to a Superior Court’s judge decision in March that rejected a new method the Legislature approved in 2011. That method allows landowners to petition to block a municipality’s efforts to expand its borders.

The legislation would replace the petition process with an up-or-down referendum by voters in the area where the proposed annexation would occur. Another bill would cancel nine pending and contentious annexations on the outer edges of towns and cities from Wilmington to Asheville that also were subject to the 2011 petition method that’s now been blocked in court.

The House Rules Committee also met briefly Wednesday to take up a handful of bills, including one that would prevent death-row inmates from watching television. The bill is in response to a letter written by convicted killer Danny Robbie Hembree Jr. predicting how he’d get to watch color TV as a gentleman of leisure while he awaits an execution that’s likely decades away. The rules committee’s action means the bill can be introduced this year.

Dozens of House members spent Wednesday afternoon holding a mock floor session to get acclimated to an electronic system in which members will follow bills and amendments during floor debate on laptops or other devices, not paper.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)