NC

President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for six states and tribes following storms and floods this spring and summer. The disaster declarations, announced Thursday, will provide federal funding to Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as tribes in Montana and South Dakota. In most cases, it took Trump over a month to approve the aid requests, continuing a trend of longer waits for disaster relief. An Associated Press analysis shows delays in approving federal disaster aid have grown over time. The White House says Trump is providing a more thorough review of requests.

FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is taking a more collaborative approach with Republican opponents in his first eight months in office despite disagreeing with them on many issues. Stein succeeded fellow Democrat Roy Cooper in January. He aims to work with the GOP-controlled General Assembly and has built dialogue with them. Stein’s approach contrasts with Democratic governors elsewhere who have taken more combative stances against President Donald Trump and the GOP. Republican leaders have said they appreciate the open lines of communication with Stein. Still, the new governor has vetoed 15 bills, with lawmakers so far overriding eight of them.

POWELLS POINT, N.C. (AP) — Republican state Sen. Bobby Hanig has announced his bid for a U.S. House seat in North Carolina. The coastal legislator aims to unseat two-term Democratic Rep. Don Davis. Hanig plans to run for the 1st Congressional District, which is the state’s only swing district and spans 22 counties. Davis has already filed federal candidate paperwork for the 2026 race. Another Republican, Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, has filed as well. The official election filing period is in December, with primaries in early March. Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina will start Gio Lopez at quarterback against TCU in Bill Belichick’s college coaching debut. Belichick announced the decision during a news conference on Wednesday. Lopez transferred from South Alabama and joined the team after spring drills. Belichick praised Lopez’s progress and said he would get most of the practice reps leading up to the game. Lopez threw for over 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns last year while also proving to be a mobile threat. The Tar Heels’ quarterback room also includes veteran Max Johnson and two freshmen.

RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Erin is strengthening again and forecasters say it could re-intensify into a major hurricane. The storm is creeping toward the mid-Atlantic coast and churning up menacing waves that have closed beaches from the Carolinas to New York City. It’s expected to peak over the next 48 hours. Erin is unlikely to make landfall along the East Coast before turning farther out to sea. But authorities are warning that its large swells will cut off roads on North Carolina’s Outer Banks and whip up life-threatening rip currents from Florida to New England. The National Hurricane Center is watching two more clusters of storms to the east of Erin.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Duke Energy Corp. has requested approval to merge its electric utility subsidiaries in North and South Carolina. The company says this move could save customers over $1 billion over a decade. The Charlotte-based utility asked federal and state regulators on Thursday for permission to combine Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. The merger aims to streamline operations and spread infrastructure expenses. Duke Energy says the change would simplify rate structures and reduce the need for resources. The subsidiaries combined produce electricity for 4.7 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. Duke Energy wants the change made effective Jan. 1, 2027.

A beloved tourist attraction in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains will be demolished starting later this month. The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge sustained severe damage from Hurricane Helene last year. It collapsed on one end and buckled in several other sections. The town says two engineering firms concluded the bridge was beyond repair. Demolition will begin Aug. 18. The Flowering Bridge was created in 2013 by a group of volunteers who sought to transform the historic bridge into something beautiful. The group says it will try to use pieces of the bridge in future gardens.

SPRING HOPE, N.C. (AP) — Two people were found dead in central North Carolina after rushing floodwaters pulled them from their submerged car. Another cluster of storms was dumping rain on the region Thursday, the day after the two bodies were found. Authorities say a 24-year-old woman and 55-year-old man from Louisburg were swept away while attempting to escape their vehicle. Flooding had swept the vehicle from the road into a ditch in the town of Spring Hope. An officer who tried to save them was swept into the floodwaters too before escaping unharmed. The storm’s pathway follows Tropical Storm Chantal’s flooding in parts of the region last month.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Residents in several central North Carolina counties affected by last month’s Tropical Storm Chantal can now apply for state-funded financial aid. This assistance follows a state disaster declaration issued Tuesday by Gov. Josh Stein. The storm brought several inches of rain, causing record-breaking river levels and significant damage. At least six storm-related deaths occurred. Stein has also requested a federal disaster declaration to speed up federal aid for rebuilding infrastructure. Public assistance damage estimates have exceeded $42 million. Residents can seek aid for housing, property replacement and medical expenses at local disaster recovery centers.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Residents in the Southeast U.S. are no strangers to hot weather in the summertime, but the sweltering heat this week set at least one record, and forecasters urged residents to limit being outside if possible and to hydrate. The all-time high temperature record at Tampa International Airport was broken on Sunday when the thermometer hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous record had been 99 degrees Fahrenheit set in June 2020. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that the prolonged heat wave was expected to peak in the southeast U.S. at mid-week.