Federal infrastructure funding is fueling a push to remove dams and restore Watauga River habitat

Federal infrastructure funding is fueling a push to remove dams and restore Watauga River habitat

BOONE, N.C. (AP) — An infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal infrastructure law is helping expedite efforts to remove dams around the country. Advocates expect the law will provide more than $2 billion for the repair and removal of dams and other barriers. Many groups are already using that money to remove mostly small dams from North Carolina to California. Advocates argue removing these structures, many that have outlived their usefulness and are in desperate need of repair, can return rivers to their natural state and bolster biodiversity. Others are being removed to reduce the risk of floods and revive river economies.… Continue Reading

Tropical Storm Debby drenches Southeast with rain, high water as it drifts along the Atlantic coast

Tropical Storm Debby drenches Southeast with rain, high water as it drifts along the Atlantic coast

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Tropical Storm Debby has drenched coastal cities in Georgia and South Carolina and is not finished bringing heavy rain to region. Debby was centered just south of Savannah on Tuesday afternoon. The system has already stirred up tornadoes and submerged streets in waist-high floodwaters. The storm was forecast to move relatively slowly across southern states, with staggering totals of rain possible in some areas. The latest forecast says Debby could restrengthen over the Atlantic Ocean and then move inland again near Charleston, South Carolina, by Thursday. Debby made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Monday as a hurricane. At least five people have died.… Continue Reading

Wall Street rallies to bounce back from its worst day in nearly 2 years, as Japanese stocks soar

Wall Street rallies to bounce back from its worst day in nearly 2 years, as Japanese stocks soar

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are bouncing back, and calm is returning to Wall Street after Japan’s market soared earlier to claw back much of the losses from its worst day since 1987. The S&P 500 was rallying by 1.7% Tuesday and on track to break a brutal three-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 485 points, and the Nasdaq composite was up 1.8%. Strong profit reports from Uber and others helped support the market. The vast majority of stocks were climbing in a mirror opposite of the day before. Treasury yields rose as fear in the market subsided.… Continue Reading

Harris selects Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate, aiming to add Midwest muscle to ticket

Harris selects Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate, aiming to add Midwest muscle to ticket

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate. That’s according to three people familiar with the selection who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The Midwestern governor, military veteran and union supporter has helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and aid to families. Walz has taken on greater national visibility since a 2023 legislative session that he calls one of the most consequential in state history. He was elected chair of the Democratic Governors Association in December… Continue Reading

The Latest: A downgraded Debby still threatens with heavy rain and flooding

The Latest: A downgraded Debby still threatens with heavy rain and flooding

Debby has been downgraded from a tropical storm but continues to lash the coasts of the Carolinas with rain. Into the weekend, forecasters say parts of the East Coast can expect heavy downpours, flash flooding and possible tornadoes. The mid-Atlantic states and parts of New York and New England will see significant rainfall that could cause dangerous flooding. Interstate 95 near bigger cities could be affected.… Continue Reading

Dow drops 1,000, and Japanese stocks suffer worst crash since 1987 as markets quake around the world

Dow drops 1,000, and Japanese stocks suffer worst crash since 1987 as markets quake around the world

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly everything on Wall Street is tumbling as fear about a slowing U.S. economy worsens and sets off another sell-off for financial markets around the world. The S&P 500 sank 3.1% in late trading Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,009 points, and the Nasdaq composite slid 3.8%. That followed a 12.4% plunge for Japan’s Nikkei 225, its worst day since 1987. Treasury yields pared their losses after a report showed U.S. services businesses are continuing to grow. But worries are still high after a report on Friday showed U.S. employers pulled back on hiring last month by more than expected.… Continue Reading

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a prank

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a prank

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once retrieved a bear that was killed by a motorist and left it in New York’s Central Park with a bicycle on top, sparking a mystery that consumed the city a decade ago. Kennedy describes the incident in a video that was posted to social media Sunday, adding it will be included in a forthcoming New Yorker article that he expects to be damaging. It’s the latest bizarre incident in Kennedy’s quixotic campaign that has divided his famous family and left Republicans and Democrats alike concerned about his potential impact on the presidential contest.… Continue Reading

Senior economics aide Gene Sperling is leaving the White House to work on the Harris campaign

Senior economics aide Gene Sperling is leaving the White House to work on the Harris campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House senior adviser Gene Sperling is leaving his administration position to work with Vice President Kamala Harris’ election campaign as the Democrats step up efforts to challenge Donald Trump on policy issues in November’s election. The shift was revealed by White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Sperling served both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama as director of the White House National Economic Council. Biden tasked him with managing his $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package. Sperling has also been something of a troubleshooter on inflation and a White House liaison to the union and car companies during the auto strikes.… Continue Reading

Israel-Hamas War Latest: Hezbollah Says It Launched a Drone Attack on Northern Israel

Israel-Hamas War Latest: Hezbollah Says It Launched a Drone Attack on Northern Israel

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah says it launched a drone attack early Monday on northern Israel that the Israeli military said wounded two Israeli troops. The violence came amid fears of an all-out regional war following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran. The attack did not appear to be the more intense retaliation that’s expected from Iran and its allied militias. The head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened Israel over the assassination of the Hamas leader, warning that Israel was “digging its own grave” with its actions.… Continue Reading

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