Southeast
First historically Black university tells Trump admin about desire to participate in academic compact
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EXCLUSIVE: A historically Black university in North Carolina is the first to express interest in joining President Donald Trump’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education after Ivy League and high-profile state universities declined the offer.
Verjanis Peoples, the interim president of St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, sent a letter to David Barker, the Trump administration’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education, confirming the school’s wish to participate in the compact. Sophie Gibson, the chair of the school’s board of trustees, also signed the letter obtained by Fox News Digital, which was sent to the Department of Education on Wednesday.
“On behalf of Saint Augustine’s University, we write to express our desire to participate in and help shape the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” the letter says.
“As one of the nation’s oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities, with a 158-year legacy of expanding educational opportunity and transforming lives, we support the Compact’s broad goal of strengthening academic excellence, accountability, and transparency across American higher education.”
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An aerial view of the St. Augustine’s University campus in Raleigh, N.C. (St. Augustine’s University)
The school representatives added that they “see alignment between this mission and the Compact’s aspirations for excellence and accountability.”
However, the letter lays out a few candid acknowledgments of some unique challenges an HBCU might have upon joining.
President Donald Trump talks to guests after signing the HBCU executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2017. (Reuters/Yuri Gripas)
The compact, which is tied to preferential federal funding for universities that participate, explicitly bars consideration of race, ethnicity and other identity-based characteristics for admissions and scholarship decisions, an obvious potential hurdle for a historically Black school.
“For example, the Compact’s current restrictions on the use of race, ethnicity, or related indicators in admissions or financial support — while well intentioned — conflict with Title III of the Higher Education Act and with the explicit purpose of HBCUs to expand access for Black students and historically marginalized communities,” the letter says.
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The letter also notes that the compact’s tuition freeze, which says schools joining the compact cannot raise tuition for five years after signing, could be a significant hurdle to clear given that HBCUs typically have smaller endowments than private schools and large state universities.
An entrance to the St. Augustine’s University campus in Raleigh, N.C. (St. Augustine’s University)
Another concern for the school is whether the compact, which forbids DEI programs and caps foreign admissions to 15% of the student population and 5% from any single nation, will be compatible with the compact, noting the school’s “global partnerships across the African diaspora,” which is part of a longstanding HBCU tradition.
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The letter ends on a positive note, saying the school “remains eager to participate as a constructive partner and early-engagement institution.”
“We believe that with thoughtful collaboration, the Department and participating institutions can refine the Compact to ensure that its implementation is rigorous, mission-aligned, and inclusive of the Nation’s diverse higher education landscape,” it says.
“Saint Augustine’s University respectfully requests a dialogue process that allows HBCUs to contribute expertise, articulate mission-specific constraints, and help shape the final framework in ways that uphold both the letter and spirit of the Compact while safeguarding our statutory purpose.”
A stone building on the campus of St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, N.C. (St. Augustine’s University)
“Our mission as a Historically Black College/University is not symbolic — it is statutory, purposeful, and essential to the students and communities we were created to serve,” Peoples said in a statement. “We fully support efforts to raise the bar on academic excellence nationwide, but those efforts must recognize the unique role HBCUs play in expanding opportunity. Saint Augustine’s University is eager to collaborate on a grant that is rigorous, mission-aligned, and reflective of America’s diverse higher education landscape.”
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The Trump administration solicited feedback from nine schools, some public and some private, nationwide. A feedback deadline was set for Oct. 20. None of the colleges signed the compact, with MIT, the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California and the University of Virginia declining to participate.
Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas at Austin remain noncommittal on the proposal.
Read the full letter:
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Southeast
NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire
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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared an update on his mother’s condition after she was moved to a burn unit following a house fire in North Carolina that left his father dead earlier this week.
Hamlin thanked those who reached out to him and shared their condolences. Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze that occurred in Stanley.
Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” he wrote on X. “My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”
Officials said Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem to treat her injuries.
Officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
The fire broke out at a home in Stanley around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, which drew emergency responses from Gaston and Lincoln Counties, according to Queen City News.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Both Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were out of the house as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
“We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police,” the Lucia-Bend Fire Department said in a statement to the outlet.
Dennis Hamlin’s death was announced later Monday.
NASCAR released a statement on Tuesday to honor the NASCAR driver’s father.
“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the organization said.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Repeat offender truck driver charged with bank robbery after claiming C-4 explosives, firing on officers: feds
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A North Carolina truck driver, who is a repeat offender, has been federally charged following a bank robbery and a shootout with law enforcement, authorities said.
Willie Edward McGee Jr. is charged with bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to a complaint.
Authorities said that McGee entered a First Citizens Bank in Zebulon, North Carolina, on Dec. 26, and demanded money from a teller while claiming to have C-4 explosives. The teller gave him $3,234, and McGee fled in a semi-truck, they said.
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to an armed bank robbery investigation that led to the arrest of Willie Edward McGee Jr. in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
Deputies with the Rocky Mount Police Department said that McGee’s truck was found in a Hobby Lobby parking lot following the initial robbery.
According to surveillance and officers at the scene, McGee allegedly exited the vehicle armed with a Ruger AR-style 5.56 rifle and fired at officers.
Police returned fire and struck McGee. No law enforcement officers or civilians were injured. While taking McGee into custody, officers recovered the AR rifle he allegedly used to shoot at officers and a handgun from his waistband.
No officers or members of the public were injured as law enforcement safely took the suspect into custody after a coordinated response in Rocky Mount. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
McGee, according to records reviewed by WRAL-News, has a lengthy criminal history. The local outlet said that the suspect has dozens of charges dating back more than 20 years.
WRAL reported that he has offenses spanning from Duplin, Wake and Durham counties.
Federal and local law enforcement recovered guns and evidence following the arrest of a suspect charged with armed bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the incident “domestic terror.”
“As alleged, this defendant didn’t just rob a bank — he threatened innocent civilians with explosives and then opened fire on police officers,” Blanche said. “That is not desperation, it is domestic terror. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and professionalism of our law enforcement partners, he is alive, in custody, and facing decades in federal prison.”
“Let this serve as a warning: if you bring violence into our communities or target the men and women who protect them, this Department of Justice will meet you with the full weight of the federal government and ensure you are removed from the streets for a very long time.”
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The investigation remains active. Anyone with further information about the alleged crimes is asked to please call the FBI at (704) 672-6100. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, for comment.
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Southeast
Homeless drifter accused of killing Barnes & Noble Christmas shopper blamed ‘fight or flight’ outburst: report
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The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman inside a Palm Beach Gardens Barnes & Noble days before Christmas had traveled through several states before entering Florida, authorities said Tuesday.
Palm Beach Gardens police identified the suspect as Antonio R. Moore, 40, and said he is accused of killing 65-year-old Rita B. Loncharich inside the popular bookstore on the evening of Dec. 22.
Investigators said Moore is not a Florida resident and had moved through multiple states, including through Georgia and North Carolina, before coming to Florida. Police said Moore boarded a bus on Dec. 15 from Orlando to Titusville and then traveled onward into Palm Beach County.
Antonio Moore, 40, is facing a murder charge following the alleged stabbing at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Google Maps/Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office)
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According to the arrest affidavit obtained by WFLX Fox 29, Moore entered the bookstore around 7:29 p.m. and Loncharich arrived shortly afterward. Investigators said Moore approached Loncharich in a store aisle and stabbed her in the back with a pocketknife.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Moore allegedly told police a “fight or flight” response overtook him, and he took a fixed-blade knife from his jacket pocket. He reportedly told police that he stabbed Loncharich because she was the closest person to him at the time and said he did not have any prior interaction with her.
A Barnes & Noble location in San Diego, Calif. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Bystanders helped the victim until first responders arrived, the local outlet reported. Loncharich was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she died during surgery.
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Police received a 911 call at 7:52 p.m. and located Moore several blocks from the scene minutes later. He was taken into custody without incident.
Moore, who police say is homeless, told investigators he had no prior relationship with the victim and offered no motive for the attack. According to authorities, he admitted to sitting in the store charging his phone just before the stabbing.
Jail records from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office show that Moore was booked on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder. He is being held without bond.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department said it is searching for a motive in the Barnes & Noble stabbing. (Palm Beach Gardens Police Department)
Local family members and community members described Loncharich as a “kind, gentle” person whose life was cut short during what should have been a routine holiday outing.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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