Southwestern US states get Jan. 31 deadline for drought deal

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The head of the federal agency controlling the Colorado River said Thursday the U.S. government will impose unprecedented restrictions on water supplies to the seven Southwestern U.S. states that depend on the river unless everyone agrees by Jan. 31 on a plan to deal with an expected...

California fire survivors share lessons of loss, resilience

CHICO, Calif. (AP) — Survivor of a deadly wildfire that last year tore through California's wine country are sharing lessons of loss and pain but also of resilience with those who last month escaped the deadliest U.S. wildfire in at least a century. The Press Democrat reports a group of Sonoma County...

Marine Corps says $3.6B for storm repairs at East Coast base

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Marine Corps leaders say it will cost around $3.6 billion to repair the extensive damage to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from Hurricane Florence. The September storm caused massive flooding, coastal erosion and destroyed hundreds of buildings at the most important Marine Corps base...

Texas report says 'changing climate' intensifying disasters

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Powerful natural disasters in Texas on the scale of Hurricane Harvey's deadly destruction last year will become more frequent because of a changing climate, warned a new report Thursday ordered by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in a state where skepticism about climate change runs deep....

The Latest: US sets Jan. 31 deadline for Colorado River plan

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on efforts for seven Southwestern states to reach agreement on Colorado River drought contingency plans (all times local): 12:40 p.m. Federal water managers are setting a Jan. 31 deadline for the seven Southwestern states that depend on the Colorado River to finalize...

Deadline for Florence aid request in North Carolina extended

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Home and business owners suffering damages from Hurricane Florence are getting a little more time to request federal government aid. Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday's previous deadline to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants or for low-interest small business loans...

Burned bear Cinder shot and killed by hunter in Washington

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — A bear cub found badly burned in a massive 2014 Washington state wildfire has been killed by a hunter. Rich Beausoleil with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said a team in September set out to find the den of the bear nicknamed Cinder because her radio-transmitting...

Work under way to restore access to lava-locked power plant

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — The operators of a Hawaii geothermal power plant have started restoring road access to the property cut off by lava from the Kilauea volcano eruption. Big Island Mayor Harry Kim authorized a vegetation removal and grading permit for Puna Geothermal Venture to clear lava for a road to...

Official: Canadian man missing in China and feared detained is entrepreneur Michael Spavor

Correction: California Wildfires-Cleanup story

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In a story Dec. 11 about California wildfires, The Associated Press reported erroneously that insurance carriers paid $11.8 billion to 2017 Northern California wine country wildfire victims. Insurance companies paid $10 billion. A corrected version of the story is below: California...