WPTF News

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — U.S. National Guard Capt. Jill Holtz spends much of her free time in Swannanoa, North Carolina, searching for items lost from Hurricane Helene’s severe flooding a few months ago. She hopes to reunite storm victims with their cherished possessions after they lost hope that they’d ever find them again. Holtz finds a variety of items such as photos, family heirlooms and antiques. She keeps them in her trailer and posts her finds to Facebook in hopes that the items’ owners will see. Holtz says hurricane debris isn’t “just trash” and is instead people’s “hearts, their homes, the generations of history.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration believes a renewed emphasis on biosecurity can help in the battle against bird flu and ease egg prices, but the Agriculture Department predicts the current record prices are going to get much worse this year. It’s also not clear how much more farmers can do to keep the virus out. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins offered the first new details about her bird flu plan Wednesday. But USDA predicted this week that egg prices will soar more than 41 percent this year on top of the record average price of $4.95 per dozen.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Another $500 million would be spent toward Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in North Carolina in legislation approved unanimously by the state House. The measure would add to the funds the Republican-controlled General Assembly already approved in late 2024 and help with home and road repairs. The $500 million is less than half the amount that Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has requested. The bill next goes to the Senate, where GOP members have their own spending ideas. House Republicans offered a successful amendment Tuesday to address some Democratic concerns. State officials say Helene caused a record nearly $60 billion in damages and recovery needs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal scholarship aimed at boosting students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities has been put on hold. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended the 1890 Scholars Program, which provided recipients with full tuition and fees for students studying agriculture, food or natural resource sciences at one of 19 universities, known as the 1890 land grant institutions. It’s not clear exactly when the program was suspended, but some members of Congress first issued statements criticizing the suspension of the program on Thursday. A message seeking more detail was left Saturday with the Department of Agriculture.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Snowy roads led to hundreds of crashes throughout Virginia and North Carolina, including a series of crashes on an interstate highway involving more than 50 vehicles. Officials continued to ask people to avoid travel on Thursday to allow crews to work on the roads. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol says it responded to nearly 1,200 collisions statewide on Wednesday. Virginia State Police reported early Thursday that there had been nearly 500 crashes statewide since the storm began, including at least 45 involving injuries. An Arctic air mass is bringing widespread, record-breaking cold to the central United States and forecasters expected some locations to experience their coldest temperatures on record this late in the season.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With egg prices soaring, the Trump administration is planning a new strategy for fighting bird flu that stresses vaccinations and tighter biosecurity instead of killing off millions of chickens when the disease strikes a flock. The director of the National Economic Council said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that officials are moving away from the standard practice of destroying all the birds on a farm when an infection is detected. The culling of millions of chickens per month has caused egg prices to skyrocket. Some retailers are rationing sales. The official, Kevin Hassett, says the administration plans to announce further details this week.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has declared a state of emergency as a major winter storm approaches, expected to bring snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the state starting Wednesday. State agencies, power companies, and local authorities are gearing up for potential power outages and hazardous road conditions. “We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of North Carolinians,” Stein said. He noted that additional power crews are arriving from other states to support Duke Energy, municipal power systems, and cooperatives already preparing for the storm.

The term “polar vortex” usually refers to the gigantic circular upper air weather pattern in the Arctic region, enveloping the North Pole. It is a normal pattern that is stronger in the winter and keeps some of the coldest weather bottled up near the North Pole. But at times some of the vortex can break off or move south, bringing unusually cold weather south and permitting warmer weather to creep up north. This week, parts of the U.S. are experiencing the 10th and coldest polar vortex event this season. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually stays near the North Pole into the U.S. and Europe.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has rolled out his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports. The Republican is possibly triggering a broader economic confrontation with allies and rivals alike as he hopes to eliminate any trade imbalances. Trump said Thursday: “I’ve decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff.’ The prospect of a dramatic hike on tariffs could send shockwaves through the world economy, possibly depressing growth while also causing inflation to intensify. Most economists say the tariffs would effectively be a tax increase on U.S. consumers. Trump says he’s decided “for purposes of fairness” that he’ll charge reciprocal tariffs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brooke Rollins has been confirmed as secretary of agriculture. The Senate confirmed Rollins in a vote Thursday, placing a close ally of President Donald Trump into a key Cabinet position at a time when mass deportation plans could lead to farm labor shortages and tariffs could hit agricultural exports. Rollins acknowledged that Trump’s plans for the mass deportation of people in the country illegally could led to labor shortages on arms. But Rollins said Americans support Trump’s plans and she would work to help the president while also trying to protect farmers. Rollins also promised to “modernize” USDA in line with Trump’s vision for the department.