White House preparing for government shutdown as House Republicans lack a viable endgame for funding

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday directed federal agencies to get ready for a shutdown after House Republicans left town for the weekend with no viable plan to keep the government funded and avert politically and economically costly disruption of federal services. A...

Salt water wedge in the Mississippi River threatens drinking water in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Salt water from the Gulf of Mexico is creeping up the drought-stricken Mississippi River and threatening drinking water supplies in some Louisiana communities, including New Orleans, prompting the state's governor to warn Friday he may request federal help. ...

Hawaii economists say Lahaina locals could be priced out of rebuilt town without zoning changes

HONOLULU (AP) — Residents who survived the wildfire that leveled the Hawaii town of Lahaina might not be able to afford to live there after it is rebuilt unless officials alter the zoning laws and make other changes, economists warned Friday. “The risk is very real,″ Carl...

Things to know about California's new proposed rules for insurance companies

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Months after California's home insurance market was rattled by major companies pausing or restricting their coverage, the state's top regulator said Thursday that he would write new rules aimed at persuading insurers to continue doing business in the nation's most...

King Charles III winds up his France state visit in Bordeaux to focus on the climate and sip wine

BORDEAUX, France (AP) — After pageantry and politics in Paris, King Charles III concluded his three-day state visit to France with a trip down south to Bordeaux on Friday to focus on a more personal passion: the environment. As the skies cleared following a morning downpour,...

Wildfire-prone California to consider new rules for property insurance pricing

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will let insurance companies consider climate change when setting their prices, the state's chief regulator announced Thursday, a move aimed at preventing insurers from fleeing the state over fears of massive losses from wildfires and other natural disasters....

Lahaina residents brace for what they'll find as they return to devastated properties in burn zone

HONOLULU (AP) — Soon after one of Maui's Japanese Buddhist temples, the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, burned in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, its resident minister was desperate to go back and see what remained. Six weeks later, he's more hesitant. ...

US ambassador to Japan calls Chinese ban on Japanese seafood 'economic coercion'

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel accused China on Friday of using “economic coercion” against Japan by banning imports of Japanese seafood in response to the release of treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, while Chinese boats continue...

Brazil’s firefighters battle wildfires raging during rare late-winter heat wave

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Firefighters on Thursday were battling flames in Brazil’s northeastern Bahia state, fanned by strong winds and abnormally high temperatures for the season, authorities said. While it is still technically winter in Brazil, with spring due to start in a couple...

California wants to let insurers consider climate risk in pricing in exchange for insuring homes in wildfire-prone areas