National News

By JONATHAN DREW , Associated Press WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina early Friday, pushing a life-threatening storm surge of floodwater miles inland and ripping apart buildings with screaming wind and pelting rain. More than 60 people had to be pulled from a collapsing motel at the height of the…

By JONATHAN DREW , Associated Press WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Florence was making landfall in North Carolina early Friday with a life-threatening storm surge that pushed water inland for miles, pelting rains and screaming winds that destroyed buildings in its path. More than 60 people had to be pulled from a collapsing motel at…

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Florence already has inundated coastal streets with ocean water and left tens of thousands without power, and forecasters say that "catastrophic" freshwater flooding is expected over portions of the Carolinas as Hurricane Florence inches closer to the U.S. East Coast. Screaming winds bent trees toward the ground and raindrops flew…

By JONATHAN DREW WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — The big slosh has begun, and the consequences could be disastrous. Hurricane Florence's leading edge battered the Carolina coast Thursday, bending trees and shooting frothy sea water over streets on the Outer Banks, as the hulking storm closed in with 100 mph (155 kph) winds for a drenching…

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST , Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Elizabeth Smart said Thursday the news that one of her kidnappers will be released next week was "a big shock," but while she urged authorities to reconsider the decision she also conceded there is no viable, legal recourse for her to pursue. Wanda Barzee…