South-Carolina

SC leaders applaud Qatar deal for Boeing jets, question raised about $400M gifted plane

Published

7 months ago

May 16, 2025

SC leaders applaud Qatar deal for Boeing jets, question raised about 0M gifted plane

South Carolina leaders reacted to President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Qatar — where he finalized a deal to sell American jets to Qatar’s fleet and was offered a $400 million jet as a gift from the prime minister.

Trump returned to the United States on May 16 after a four-day visit to Middle Eastern countries. Part of the tour included a stop in Qatar, where Trump signed an agreement to create an economic exchange worth $1.2 trillion, according to the White House.

That agreement included a $96 billion agreement to sell hundreds of Boeing jets to Qatar Airways. Boeing will produce 210 777X and 787 Dreamliner jets, which are built in South Carolina, to join Qatar Airways’ fleet.

The White House issued a statement on the sale that claims the agreement is Boeing’s “largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order.”

Boeing built its first South Carolina 787 Dreamliner in April 2012. The North Charleston manufacturing facility became the only producer of the Dreamliner in the United States in 2021, when the company moved production from its Everett, Washington, facility.

Republican U.S. Rep. William Timmons (SC-4th District) said that trade negotiations between the U.S. and foreign nations are going well — and while there are a lot of difficult changes underway, those factors create a “perfect storm” that strengthens the U.S. economy.

“It’s just exciting,” Timmons said. “All the ingredients are getting right in the next few months.”

Boeing Commercial Airplane President Stephanie Pope said the company is honored that Qatar Airways has placed the record-breaking order.

“Our team is looking forward to building 787s and 777s for Qatar Airways into the next decade as they connect more people and businesses around the world with unmatched efficiency and comfort,” Pope said.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster addressed the deal on May 15 while he met with state leaders on storm preparedness for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season.

“We’ve done a lot of business with Qatar,” McMaster said. “The work that he’s (Trump’s) done over there is just remarkable.”

Trump faced criticism from key Republican and Democratic lawmakers earlier this week when he posted on Truth Social that the Department of Defense was offered a Boeing 747 as a gift from Qatari leaders.

“The fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats,” the president said.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was among critics of the president’s potential acceptance of the jet. She also posted about the matter on social media and said that accepting gifts from foreign nations is never a good practice.

“Regardless of how beautiful the plane may be, it opens a door and implies the President and US can be bought,” Haley said. “If this were Biden, we would be furious.

Reporter Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Dec. 19, 2025

Published

6 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Dec. 19, 2025

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 19, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 19 drawing

01-11-27-39-59, Mega Ball: 18

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 19 drawing

Midday: 8-0-3, FB: 2

Evening: 1-0-0, FB: 6

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 19 drawing

Midday: 1-7-3-9, FB: 2

Evening: 7-1-9-3, FB: 6

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 19 drawing

Midday: 01

Evening: 14

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 19 drawing

07-18-20-25-41

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South-Carolina

Teacher salaries could increase under proposed South Carolina budget plan

Published

18 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Teacher salaries could increase under proposed South Carolina budget plan

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Teacher salaries across South Carolina could rise under a new state education funding plan approved this week, as lawmakers are urged to spend more money on pay raises and rethink how teacher recruitment programs are working.

The S.C. Education Oversight Committee voted to approve its Education Improvement Act (EIA) budget recommendations for fiscal years 2026–27, which direct how money from the state’s one-cent education sales tax should be used.

The plan now goes to the General Assembly for consideration during budget talks.

A major focus of the proposal is increasing teacher pay. The committee recommended a $650,454 raise for teachers at special schools, with remaining new funds directed to the statewide EIA line that helps fund teacher salaries.

The plan also boosts the Teaching Fellows scholarship program, which members said is one of the few recruitment efforts producing results.

The committee approved a $640,000 increase to add 20 new four-year scholarships and another $1.76 million to raise the scholarship amount by $4,000, bringing the total award for juniors and seniors to $10,000.

At the same time, the committee cut $5 million in recurring funding from the National Board program, citing a drop in participation.

EIA-funded programs collectively asked for about $210 million in new funding, but available money is limited. The state has about $98.9 million in new recurring EIA funds and $84.1 million in nonrecurring funds to work with.

The committee recommended spending most recurring funds on classroom support, including $77.5 million for instructional support and $10 million for instructional materials.

Other recurring funding includes $1.4 million for the Teacher Career Ladder, $250,000 for Project Read and $150,000 for the S.C. Council on Economics. Nonrecurring funds include $5 million for school safety.

Members also approved changes to rules tied to the Teacher Loan Program and asked that districts in the state’s 4K waitlist pilot not be required to complete a student survey.

During the meetings, committee members raised concerns about the low number of teachers produced by most EIA-funded recruitment programs.

Teaching Fellows was highlighted as an exception, producing 177 teachers last fiscal year.

Members also questioned continued funding for SC Youth Challenge and incentives tied to the Rural Teacher Recruitment program.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 18, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 18, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Midday: 3-8-2, FB: 0

Evening: 1-0-6, FB: 8

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Midday: 9-6-5-7, FB: 0

Evening: 7-9-1-5, FB: 8

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

Midday: 13

Evening: 09

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing

13-19-23-32-35

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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