A woodpecker has invaded a Massachusetts neighborhood. Residents are taking it in stride

A woodpecker has invaded a Massachusetts neighborhood. Residents are taking it in stride

By HOLLY RAMER and RODRIQUE NGOWI Associated Press

ROCKPORT, Mass. (AP) — Rockport residents have a history of fighting off invaders, but not this time.

During the War of 1812, townsfolk in the tiny fishing village hurled rocks at British soldiers using their stockings as slings. Now, they’re slinging trash bags and towels over the side mirrors of their cars to protect them from a destructive and determined pileated woodpecker.

Over the last few weeks, the bird has broken more than two dozen mirrors and at least one vehicle’s side window. But residents are taking the violence in stride.

A mating-season crazed woodpecker had damaged dozens of car mirrors in Rockport, Massachusetts, but residents remain amused rather than angry at their feathered neighbor (AP Video: Rodrique Ngowi)

“Everybody’s having a good laugh about it,” said Ben Favaloro. “Nobody wants harm to the bird. He’s always welcome back.”

Favaloro, who has lived in the neighborhood for nearly four decades, said he’s seen the occasional woodpecker on the side of houses in years past and he removed several trees last summer that were damaged beyond recovery. But the attacking of glass is a new phenomenon.

“Initially, we just noticed that all the mirrors had been adjusted. It looked like maybe there’s a child in the neighborhood that was going around pushing the mirrors down,” he said. But then his sister-in-law spotted the roughly 21-inch (53-centimeter) tall woodpecker on Favaloro’s truck, pecking at the side mirror.

Given their enormous size, piliated woodpeckers are plenty strong enough to break mirrors, but such behavior is “definitely weird,” said Pamela Hunt, senior biologist for avian conservation at the New Hampshire Audubon.

“Lots of birds will be aggressive against reflections in mirrors, but I don’t usually hear about woodpeckers,” she said. “They don’t usually peck at their opponents, they kind of chase them around.”

She said the woodpecker might be “a little stupid” and is trying to defend its territory and scare away what it sees as competition. The damage coincides with the mating season for pileated woodpeckers and resident Barbara Smith said she’d be fine with “lots of little woodpeckers” around, though she hopes they won’t be as destructive.

“Woodpeckers have to do what woodpeckers do,” she said. “Good luck, woodpecker.”

Favalro said the woodpecker and the media attention it has attracted has been a fun distraction from everything else going on in the world.

“This small town of Rockport that I live in is one of the safest communities around,” he said. “I think this is probably one of the biggest crimes in years. It’s kind of funny, but it’s nice as well.”

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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

Carolina Hurricanes advance to 2nd round of NHL playoffs, beating the New Jersey Devils 5-4 in 2OT to win series 4-1

Carolina Hurricanes advance to 2nd round of NHL playoffs, beating the New Jersey Devils 5-4 in 2OT to win series 4-1

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho hammered a one-timer past Jacob Markstrom at 4:17 of the second overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 5-4 on Tuesday night to clinch their first-round playoff series in five games.

Aho’s score off a feed from Shayne Gostisbehere came with the Hurricanes on a four-minute power play on a double-minor high-sticking penalty by Dawson Mercer that sent Jesperi Kotkaniemi skating off to the tunnel with a towel to his face. Aho provided the capper, the only lead the Hurricanes would have in a wild game that pushed them into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They’ll next play the winner of the Montreal-Washington series, with the Capitals leading 3-1 in that one.

The Devils skated out to a 3-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes, only to see Carolina erupt for four goals in a chaos-filled second period to level the game. But things settled down into a tough grinding finish for the third period and extra periods, capped ultimately by Aho’s second goal on the power play on the night.

Aho also had the goal that tied it 4-4 with 8:33 left in the second period with the Hurricanes holding a two-man advantage.

Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for Carolina, which is one of four teams in the playoffs for at least seven straight years. But the Hurricanes are the only one of that group to win at least one postseason series each time.

It also marked the second time in three seasons that the Hurricanes had eliminated the Devils in a five-game series that ended with a sudden-death goal in Raleigh. The other came in the second round in 2023.

Mercer, Timo Meier and Stefan Noesen scored during New Jersey’s game-opening flurry, then Nico Hischier added a second-period goal for a 4-3 lead after Carolina’s rampaging comeback.

Markstrom finished with 48 saves for the Devils, operating as a one-man survival raft in the first overtime as Carolina put shot after shot on the net with a chance to advance riding on each one — including Carolina’s Seth Jarvis ringing the left post with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the first OT.

Carolina finished with a 34-12 edge in shots after the second period to put Markstrom under constant duress. He made 37 consecutive saves between Aho’s tying and winning goals.

Pyotr Kochetkov finished with 31 saves in his first start of the postseason for Carolina.

Wisconsin high court suspends Milwaukee judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

Wisconsin high court suspends Milwaukee judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities, saying Tuesday that it is in the public interest to relieve her of her duties as she faces two federal charges.

The FBI took Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan into custody Friday morning at the county courthouse. She has been charged with concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest and obstructing or impeding a proceeding.

In its two-page order, the court said it was acting to protect public confidence in Wisconsin courts during the criminal proceedings against Dugan. The order noted that the court was acting on its own initiative and was not responding to a request from anyone. Liberal justices control the court 4-3.

“It is ordered … that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah C. Dugan is temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the state of Wisconsin, effective the date of this order and until further order of the court,” the justices wrote.

In a statement, Dugan’s legal team said it was disappointed “that the Court acted in unilateral fashion. We continue to assert Judge Dugan’s innocence and look forward to her vindication in court.”

A state court spokesperson said that a reserve judge began filling in for Dugan on Monday for an indefinite period.

Dugan is accused of escorting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer from her court through the jury door last week after learning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in the building and seeking his arrest. Flores-Ruiz, who court documents say illegally reentered the U.S. after being deported in 2013, was taken into custody outside after a foot chase.

Court documents suggest Dugan was alerted to the agents’ presence by her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that they appeared to be in the hallway.

An FBI affidavit says Dugan was “visibly angry” over the agents’ arrival and called the situation “absurd” before leaving the bench and retreating to her chambers. It says she and another judge later approached members of the arrest team inside the courthouse with what witnesses described as a “confrontational, angry demeanor.”

After a back-and-forth with officers over the warrant for Flores-Ruiz, Dugan demanded they speak with the chief judge and led them away from the courtroom, the affidavit says.

After directing the agents to the chief judge’s office, investigators say, Dugan returned to the courtroom and was heard saying words to the effect of “wait, come with me” before ushering Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through the jury door into a nonpublic area.

The action was unusual, the affidavit says, because “only deputies, juries, court staff, and in-custody defendants being escorted by deputies used the back jury door. Defense attorneys and defendants who were not in custody never used the jury door.”

Dugan’s arrests has sparked outrage among Democrats, who have accused the Trump administration of trying to chill the judiciary. Demonstrators gathered outside the FBI’s Milwaukee field office Saturday to protest her arrest.

She is set to appear in court for arraignment May 15.

Her attorneys include Craig Mastantuono; Paul Clement, a prominent conservative lawyer; and Steve Biskupic, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin who was appointed by President George W. Bush.

Trump marks his first 100 days in office in campaign mode, focused on grudges and grievances

Trump marks his first 100 days in office in campaign mode, focused on grudges and grievances

By WILL WEISSERT, JOEY CAPPELLETTI and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday celebrated the 100th day of his second term — yet spent much of his rally marking it in campaign mode, fixated on past grudges and grievances.

He repeatedly mocked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, attacking his mental acuity and even how he appears in a bathing suit. He again uttered the lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. And he attacked polling and news coverage not favorable to him.

And Trump again and again returned to immigration, his signature issue, at the rally that marked his largest political event since returning to the White House — boasting about his administration’s “mass deportation” efforts that have sent arrests for illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border plummeting.

“Removing the invaders is not just a campaign pledge,” Trump said in his 90-minute speech. “It’s my solemn duty as commander-in-chief. I have an obligation to save our country.”

He paused his remarks to play a video of migrants who Trump asserts are gang members arriving at a notorious prison in El Salvador, with rallygoers cheering as images of deportees having their heads shaved were played. And while Michigan has seen unemployment rise since Trump reclaimed the White House, Trump used his speech to defend his administration’s steep tariffs on cars and auto parts — hours after the White House announced it was softening those.

“We’re here tonight in the heartland of our nation to celebrate the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said, standing before large electronic screens reading “100 Day of Greatness.” He later added: “We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t even seen anything yet.”

His Republican administration’s strict immigration policies have pushed the boundaries of the judiciary, and its protectionist import taxes imposed on America’s trade partners have also sought to reorder a global economy that the U.S. built in the decades after World War II.

Trump has also championed sweeping expansionism, refusing to rule out military intervention in Greenland and Panama, suggesting that American developers could help convert the war-torn Gaza Strip into a Riviera-like resort and even suggesting annexation of Canada. Meanwhile, government-slashing efforts led by billionaire adviser Elon Musk have shaken Washington to its core.

“After a lifetime of unelected bureaucrats stealing your paychecks, attacking your values and trampling your freedoms, we are stopping their gravy train, ending their power trip and telling thousands of corrupt, incompetent and unnecessary deep state bureaucrats, ‘You’re fired!’” Trump said.

Republican President Donald Trump landed in Michigan on Tuesday and shared a podium with a longtime antagonist, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as they appeared together to announce a new fighter jet mission being placed at an Air National Guard base outside Detroit and ease fears that the installation could close. (AP Video)

Yet only about 4 in 10 Americans approve of how Trump is handling the presidency, and his ratings on the economy and trade are lower than that. Additionally, 46% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s immigration policies, with about half of Americans saying he has “gone too far” when it comes to deporting immigrants living in the country illegally.

Just 33% of Americans, meanwhile, have a favorable view of Musk, the Tesla CEO and the world’s richest person, and about half believe the administration has gone too far in working to pare back the government workforce.

“The bottom line for the first hundred days is, lots of damage being done to the fundamentals of our government,” said Max Stier, founding president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit dedicated to better government.

Typically, presidents use the 100-day mark to launch multiple rallies. But Trump is doing only the Michigan stop.

Administration officials say Trump is at his most effective when staying at the White House, having meetings and speaking to reporters nearly every day. Indeed, the speech in Macomb County was one of the few large political crowds he’s addressed since Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

The exceptions have been flying most weekends to golf in Florida or attend sporting events, including the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500. The limited travel to see supporters is a major departure from his first term, when Trump held a series of rallies before celebrating 100 days in office with a Pennsylvania speech in 2017.

Michigan was one of the battleground states Trump flipped in 2024 from the Democratic column. But it’s also been deeply affected by his tariffs, including on new imported cars and auto parts.

Automaker Stellantis halted production at plants in Canada and Mexico after Trump announced a 25% tariff on imported vehicles, temporarily laying off 900 U.S. employees. Industry groups have separately urged the White House to scrap plans for tariffs on imported auto parts, warning that doing so would raise prices on cars and could trigger “layoffs and bankruptcy.”

That seemingly would make the state an odd choice for Trump to hail his accomplishments.

Luis Guevara, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, said outside Trump’s rally that he’s “cautiously optimistic” about Trump’s first 100 days in office but noted that change can be hard.

“We don’t look at our 401(k) or our portfolio on a daily, weekly, monthly basis or even year to year. I think the market is very skittish,” Guevara said. “Now is certainly not the time to mimic the market and be skittish. I think we have to hold tight. It’s going to be a rough ride. Change is difficult for a lot of people.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump issued an executive order relaxing some of his tariffs on cars and auto parts. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the goal remained enabling automakers to create more domestic manufacturing jobs, noting Trump is concerned with “jobs of the future, not of the past.”

Carolyn Martz, of Royal Oak, Michigan, said outside the Trump rally that she supports the president’s tariffs. She said her husband is an auto technician and has noted how parts come from China and elsewhere overseas.

“I’d like to see more stuff made in America, by Americans, for Americans,” Martz said, adding that tariffs could stimulate U.S. manufacturing.

“If we have to eat more in the beginning with higher prices, that might just be part of it,” she said.

Michigan will be important for Republicans in 2026 as their party tries to pick up a Senate seat in the state for the first time in decades and regain control of the governor’s office, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer term-limited. Multiple competitive House races will also be on the midterm ballot, along with control of the state legislature.

Though she can’t run again for the governor’s mansion, Whitmer remains in the spotlight as a potential future Democratic presidential candidate. Long a Trump critic, Whitmer has sought to find common ground with the president lately, appearing with Trump at Selfridge Air National Guard Base earlier Tuesday to announce a new fighter jet mission in the economically valuable base.

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Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington and Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos in Warren, Mich., contributed to this report.

North Carolina Republicans already seek to tighten up 2024 immigration enforcement law

North Carolina Republicans already seek to tighten up 2024 immigration enforcement law

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republicans who last fall enacted their long-sought policy ordering local sheriffs to cooperate with federal agents seeking to locate and deport certain jail inmates already want it tightened further as President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown builds nationwide.

The GOP-controlled state House approved a measure Tuesday that would subject people accused of more categories of crimes in the ninth-largest state to inquiries about their immigration status that could ultimately lead to their deportation.

After then-Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto was overridden, a law took effect in December that directed jails to hold for 48 hours certain defendants whom U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement believe are in the country illegally, allowing time for ICE to pick them up. The alleged offenders are the subject of ICE detainers and administrative warrants to temporarily hold inmates suspected of violating immigration laws.

The latest legislation also would make clear that jail officials must contact federal immigration agents if they are holding someone with these documents and tell them when they would otherwise be released.

Backers of the 2024 law — new House Speaker Destin Hall among them — said it would make communities safer, and that for years several sheriffs in predominantly Democratic counties were disregarding detainers. Cooper, a Democrat, had vetoed successfully similar immigration measures since 2019. calling them unconstitutional and divisive. But the GOP held veto-proof majorities in 2024.

Some behind the new bill say the law needs to be upgraded to align more closely with efforts by Trump and other Republicans in Washington to keep defendants from being released back onto the streets where they could possibly commit more crimes.

State Rep. Carson Smith, a bill sponsor and former Pender County sheriff, pointed recently to the new federal Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes.

Hall said during Tuesday’s floor debate that about five of the state’s 100 sheriffs are still, if not violating the law, “certainly violating the spirit that was behind” the 2024 state law.

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden has been in a public feud with ICE leaders over whether he must alert agents about people in his jail who are subject to detainers. North Carolina sheriffs usually operate county jails.

“This bill fixes any perceived loophole and resolves a dangerous problem in this state,” Hall said before Tuesday’s 70-45 vote.

The 2024 law ordered a jail administrator to attempt to determine the legal residency of those jailed who are accused of the most violent felonies, some misdemeanors and domestic violence order violations. The new measure would expand that list to in part include all felonies and impaired-driving offenses.

The current law and the new proposal states that if the jailer determines that ICE has issued a detainer and administrative warrant, the inmate must be taken before a judicial official before they could be otherwise released.

The current law says that once the judicial official determines the inmate is subject to the detainer, the person must be held up to 48 hours after the detainer’s receipt. Otherwise, the inmate can be released. But under the new bill, the 48-hour period would begin once the time the person otherwise would have been released has come to an end.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Democrats opposed to the bill say the measure is another effort to vilify immigrants who have been accused — but not convicted — of crimes, as well as to embrace the Trump administration’s efforts to scapegoat people from other countries in the U.S.

During committee debate this month, Mario Alfaro with Latino advocacy group El Pueblo told lawmakers the bill “amplifies anti-immigrant narratives” that ignore the “enormous contributions of the immigrant population, increase the risk of racial profiling and only generates fear and distrust in local law enforcement.”

The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association supports the bill, association Executive Vice President Eddie Caldwell told the House committee.

If passed by both chambers, the bill would go to new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. His office did not immediately respond Tuesday to an email seeking comment. Democrats now hold enough General Assembly seats that a Stein veto could be upheld if they remain united.

The state Senate already passed an immigration bill this year that would force some state law enforcement agencies who report to Stein to cooperate with federal immigration agents. The bill now sits in the House.

Why the ninebark shrub deserves a spot in your garden

Why the ninebark shrub deserves a spot in your garden

By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener

How many of you have ever heard of the Ninebark shrub or Physocarpus opulifolius for those of you who like to get technical? I hadn’t until recently! Since then I have learned that the Ninebark is also referred to in horticulture circles as Common Ninebark, Atlantic Ninebark, or Eastern Ninebark and is native to the eastern United States including North Carolina. Most frequently seen growing in the mountains and foothills of North Carolina, but seen less often in the central part of the state. It seems to like rocky hillsides and slopes near rivers. You won’t find ninebark growing very much in eastern North Carolina.

It is easy to grow and will adapt to acid or a bit more alkaline soils and can grow in full sun, six or more hours of sun, or part shade-4 to 6 hours of shade. Ninebark has exquisite peeling bark and legend says it has nine layers of bark. It is always good to have plants in the landscape with year-round interest. I just purchased a “Summer Wine” cultivar, one of the Proven Winner line of shrubs. What makes this variety so special? It has deep maroon-colored leaves. Those leaves are a major reason for buying one. Of course, the small flowers that look like pinky-white buttons are another great attribute. Ninebark blooms in the spring and the “Summer Wine” really puts on a show. A drought-tolerant shrub that really appreciates a little extra water for the first year after planting. The folks at NC State tell me the burgundy varieties lose a little color if the leaves are exposed to too much sun during the day.

Ninebark prefers rich, well-drained acidic soil. When planting, be sure to dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball and deep enough for the top of the root ball to peek over the top of the ground surface. You may choose to place some type of aggregate at the bottom of the hole, add some water, and fill in dirt, compost, or organic matter of some kind good organic matter like Daddy Pete’s. Add two to three inches of hardwood mulch or pine straw.

For those of you with sharp pruners and the overwhelming desire to prune, wait until then ninebark has bloomed. It blooms on old wood as do most flowering plants. Anne Clapp used to remind us to clean the places of our pruning shears with alcohol to prevent the spread of disease.

There are several interesting nine-bark cultivars available. I would consult with your favorite local nursery. As I mentioned above I have recently planted a nine-bark “Summer Wine” with its maroon leaves and white flowers and remains colorful throughout the season. The common ninebark has quite typical green leaves. “Diablo” is a variety that has been around for a while and is quite popular with leaves that emerge as a kind of a copper color that turns a shade of burgundy. There is a stylish variety named “Amber Jubilee” with its amber foliage that transitions to red and then purple. “Tiny Wine” is a dwarf variety with bright red-purple foliage. “Dart’s Gold” and “Festivus Gold” both have bright yellow foliage. Ninebark shrubs like a little feeding once a year with a good organic fertilizer low in nitrogen.

Now that we all know a bit more about Ninebark, I hope you will consider adding one to your landscape. Tony Avent has always preached about growing a variety of plants in your landscape and that really makes a lot of sense. You have fewer chances of developing disease problems from monoculture and your yard will have more character and interest.

ACC and new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick head toward season after spring full of changes

ACC and new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick head toward season after spring full of changes

By PETE IACOBELLI Associated Press

It’s on to fall camp for the Atlantic Coast Conference and new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick was the buzziest offseason addition for the ACC when the six-time Super Bowl championship-winning head coach agreed to take over the Tar Heels — his first time as a college head coach.

Belichick has had plenty of personnel issues to handle. Two of North Carolina’s best pass rushing threats in defensive end Beau Atkinson and linebacker Amare Campbell entered the transfer portal. But Belichick landed South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez, who threw for 2,599 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore last season.

UNC hired Belichick in December in a sign of a stepped-up investment in football. The Tar Heels opened spring drills in early March and had a practice that media was permitted to observe for about 20 minutes, then closed last weekend with a public workout in Kenan Stadium. It was hard to pick up many specifics with players working out with no jersey numbers.

North Carolina general manager Michael Lombardi said long before spring practices that the goal was for Belichick to create an NFL team.

“We want to play to the strengths of our players and that’s what we’ll do,” Belichick said in March. “That part takes a little while to figure that out, but nevertheless we’ll run a pro system on both sides of the ball and the kicking game. That’s where the foundation of it is.

“And all the training videos that we’ve shown them on how to do things, how to do certain techniques, how to run certain things are really from NFL players – the guys who are great at it, the guys who did it better than anybody. I think that’s still a great way to teach, because our players are seeing some of the best guys who have played do what they do.”

UNC’s opener is a Monday night affair, with the Tar Heels hosting TCU on Labor Day to open Belichick’s tenure.

Stanford shakeup

Stanford went through spring drills after coach Troy Taylor was fired in late March amid a report by ESPN he had been investigated twice since taking over before the 2023 season after allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Cardinal general manager Andrew Luck, the school’s former star quarterback, hired Frank Reich as interim coach this season to take over for Taylor. Reich and his staff have done as much listening as teaching with players still processing the abrupt changes.

“The key for us is don’t overwhelm the players,” Reich said. “Find the small pockets where we can make a significant difference.”

CFP teams

Both ACC teams that made the College Football Playoff (league champion Clemson and runner-up SMU) believe they took steps forward after losing first-round playoff games.

The Tigers and Mustangs will have two of the leading quarterbacks in the ACC and perhaps the country in Cade Klubnik of Clemson and Kevin Jennings of SMU.

Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns in leading the Tigers to their eighth league title in 10 seasons and his second in three years. Jennings led SMU to an 8-0 regular season and engineered a fourth-quarter comeback in the title game against the Tigers before Clemson’s dramatic, walk-off, 56-yard field goal gave them a 34-31 victory.

Clemson added former Indiana head coach and Penn State defensive coordinator in Tom Allen to lead the Tigers’ defense. Swinney liked how his defense did better in the red zone spring under Allen’s direction.

“That’s an area that we have to be better at this year is red zone defense. When you win on red zone defense, you hold them to a field goal,” he said.

FSU bounce back

Florida State is looking to get back on top after a disastrous 2-10 season that followed its first ACC title in nearly a decade in 2023. Seminoles coach Mike Norvell liked the fire he saw from his group, working to blend newcomers with returnees hopeful to make a mark this season.

“You felt the players trying to make that positive impact on each other and hold themselves to that standard that’s necessary for us to continue to grow for what we all desire here this fall,” Norvell said.

—-

AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard contributed to this report.

Win a Trip to See Post Malone with Jelly Roll in Orlando!

Win a Trip to See Post Malone with Jelly Roll in Orlando!

The New Pulse FM and Boot Barn are sending you to Orlando to see Post Malone’s Big Ass Stadium Tour with Jelly Roll! Listen for a Post Malone song on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. After the song, we’ll give you a keyword to enter below. Daily winners will receive a Post Malone Oreo Hoodie along with a Jelly Roll prize pack that includes vinyl album, patch, and poster. One grand prize winner will win: flights for two, one-night hotel stay, two tickets to Post Malone’s Big Ass Stadium Tour with Jelly Roll in Orlando on Tuesday, June 10th, and a $200 Boot Barn gift card!

Thanks to Republic Records. MJ will call the daily winners during the 5 p.m. hour on weekdays. The trip will be awarded on Friday, May 23rd.

Decision looming for Trump administration on first PFAS drinking water limits

Decision looming for Trump administration on first PFAS drinking water limits

By MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press

In pain so bad he couldn’t stand, Chris Meek was rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening ruptured gallbladder. When he emerged from surgery, he learned he had kidney cancer that thankfully hadn’t yet spread.

Meek, a social studies teacher in Wilmington, North Carolina, was 47 at the time. But he remained confused for years about why, as someone seemingly not at risk, he had gotten cancer until Emily Donovan, a parent of students at his school, gave a guest talk about high levels of harmful forever chemicals known as PFAS in North Carolina’s environment. When Donovan mentioned kidney cancer, the possible cause of Meek’s diagnosis finally clicked.

Until then, Meek said, he “had no idea what PFAS was.”

Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, finding they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight.

In a decision with consequences for tens of millions of Americans, the Trump administration is expected to soon say whether it intends to stand by those strict standards and defend the limits against a water utility industry challenge in federal court.

PFAS in drinking water created a crisis for many communities

In North Carolina, runoff from a Chemours plant contaminated the Cape Fear River, creating a crisis for cities like Wilmington that use it for drinking water. Amid public outcry, Wilmington effectively eliminated it from tap water.

Other U.S. communities — often near military bases or industrial sites — did the same when test results were frightening and public pressure, local leadership or state law forced PFAS-laden wells offline or prompted installation of expensive filtering systems, according to Mark White, drinking water global practice leader at the engineering firm CDM Smith.

The EPA said the PFAS found in North Carolina, often called GenX chemicals, can be toxic to the kidney. While other types of PFAS may raise kidney cancer risk, little research has focused on the link between kidney cancer and GenX, according to Sue Fenton, director of the Center for Human Health and the Environment at North Carolina State University. Chemours said evidence doesn’t support arguments that GenX at low levels is a health threat. The company has sharply reduced PFAS discharges.

So far, sampling has found nearly 12% of U.S. water utilities are above the recently set EPA limits, but most aren’t above by much. Forcing this group to reduce PFAS more than doubles the rule’s health benefits but roughly triples its costs, the EPA has said.

The Biden administration’s rule set standards for two common types of PFAS at 4 parts per trillion, effectively the lowest level at which they can be reliably detected. Standards for several other PFAS chemicals were set, too, and utilities must meet those levels by 2029.

PFAS have had wide uses over the decades

Manufactured by companies like Chemours and 3M, PFAS were incredibly useful in many applications -– among them, helping clothes to withstand rain and ensuring that firefighting foam snuffed out flames. But the chemicals also accumulate in the body. As science advanced in recent years, evidence of harm at far lower levels became clearer.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has championed fossil fuels and the rollback of major clean air and water rules. His history with PFAS is more nuanced; during his time as a New York congressman, he supported legislation to regulate forever chemicals in drinking water.

“It’s an issue that touches people in a very tangible way across the political spectrum, including in Lee Zeldin’s former district,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

Zeldin has offered clues about what the EPA could do. The agency estimated the rule would cost about $1.5 billion annually and Zeldin said recently that communities struggling to afford a fix for PFAS that are just above the standard might be handled differently than wealthy places with lots of it.

“What we are going to have to be is extremely thoughtful in figuring this out,” he said.

On Monday, the EPA said it will establish an agency lead for PFAS, develop wastewater limits for PFAS manufacturers and investigate sources that pose an immediate danger to drinking water, among other actions.

EPA decision looms on whether to let the rule stay as it is

Soon, the EPA must tell a federal appeals court in Washington whether the rule should stand or be rewritten, although weakening it could be complicated because the Safe Drinking Water Act prevents new rules from being looser than previous ones. The agency could, however, encourage exemptions and deadline extensions, according to Erik Olson, an attorney with the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council supporting the current standards in the court case.

Consider Avondale, Arizona, outside of Phoenix, which produces PFAS results modestly above the limits. Officials have done detailed testing and are planning to enhance water treatment. All told, lowering PFAS may cost Avondale more than $120 million, according to Kirk Beaty, the city’s public utility director.

That’s money a city like Avondale “just doesn’t have sitting in a back room somewhere,” Beaty said, adding he’ll defer to federal experts to dictate what’s acceptable.

“We’re hoping we’re a little further ahead of everybody else. If the regulation changes, well you know, we may let off the gas a little bit, we may not,” he said, adding that it is hard to justify spending extra money to do more than what’s required when the cost falls on residents.

If the government decides higher amounts of PFAS are acceptable, that could confuse people, especially in areas where the public is already concerned.

“If we enter into a gray area over what’s healthy and what’s not healthy, then utilities are at risk of being caught up in a debate for which they have no real responsibility nor expertise to decide on,” said Karine Rougé, CEO for municipal water at Veolia North America, a water operations company.

Industry group says the rule goes too far and is too costly

The American Water Works Association, an industry group, filed the court challenge to the new rule. It agrees that certain PFAS should be regulated but argues the EPA’s standards go too far, underestimate costs and are “neither feasible nor cost-effective.” There are serious consequences for residents’ water bills, it says.

The burden of complying will fall heavily on small utilities that can least afford it. Many water providers already struggle to maintain their existing infrastructure, some experts say. On top of everything else, they face new requirements to replace lead pipes. The AWWA wants the EPA to extend the PFAS and lead deadlines by two years.

There is money available to help. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $9 billion for chemicals like PFAS and utilities have won multibillion-dollar settlements against PFAS polluters that help as well.

Meek, who successfully recovered after surgery from cancer and is now 59, is planning to sue over his illness. He once didn’t second-guess using tap water. Now he reaches for bottled water.

Donovan, who introduced Meek to PFAS and helped start Clean Cape Fear, says if the government’s standards are weakened, it’ll relieve pressure on utilities to effectively treat the water.

Previously, “our local utilities could tell us publicly that the water met or exceeded all state and federal guidelines because there weren’t any,” she said.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

Loss of FEMA program spells disaster for hundreds of communities and their projects

Loss of FEMA program spells disaster for hundreds of communities and their projects

By JACK BROOK Associated Press/Report for America

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The textile mills that once served as the backbone of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, have long been shuttered, and officials believed federal money would be key to the town’s overdue revitalization. They hoped an improved stormwater drainage system and secured electrical wires — funded through a program to help communities protect against natural disasters and climate change — would safeguard investments in new businesses like a renovated historic theater to spur the largely rural economy.

Mount Pleasant was about to receive $4 million when the Federal Emergency Management Agency eliminated the program. Officials say their plans — years in the making — and those of hundreds of communities nationwide supported by the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program have been upended.

“This is a generational set of infrastructure projects that would set us up for the next hundred years and it just — poof — went away,” said Erin Burris, assistant town manager for Mount Pleasant, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Charlotte.

FEMA’s elimination this month of the BRIC program revoked upwards of $3.6 billion in funding earmarked for communities like Mount Pleasant. Though President Donald Trump has openly questioned whether to shutter FEMA completely, local officials said they were blindsided by the move to end BRIC, established during the Republican president’s first term.

Many affected communities are in Republican-dominated, disaster-prone regions. FEMA called the BRIC grants “wasteful” and “politicized” tools, but officials and residents say they were a vital use of government resources to proactively protect lives, infrastructure and economies. Money would have gone toward strengthening electrical poles to withstand hurricane-force winds in Louisiana, relocating residents in Pennsylvania’s floodplains and safeguarding water supply lines in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley.

Disasters affect the vast majority of Americans — 95% live in a county that has had a federally declared weather disaster since 2011, said Amy Chester, director of Rebuild by Design, a nonprofit focused on disaster prevention.

The BRIC program told communities, “We’re going to help your community be stronger ahead of time,” she said. “Cutting one of the sole sources of funding for that need is essentially telling Americans that it’s OK that they’re suffering.”

Officials call FEMA’s program imperfect but important

Across multiple states, officials said the BRIC program was far from perfect — they were often frustrated with the wait for funding.

But in southeastern Louisiana, Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson said despite his issues with FEMA’s bureaucracy, he’s seen firsthand that money invested to fortify homes and infrastructure works.

The hurricane-ravaged state receives the highest rate of federal disaster assistance per capita, with more than $8 billion pouring in since 2011, according to Rebuild by Design. Lafourche Parish has seen more than a dozen federally declared extreme weather disasters since 2011.

Lafourche had been set to receive more than $20 million from several grants to replace wooden electrical poles with steel and take other steps to lower the soaring costs of home insurance.

Chaisson, a Republican whose parish saw 80% of voters support Trump in November, said he backs efforts to streamline federal agencies — as long as funding continues to flow for disaster prevention.

“I’m hopeful that that’s what the president’s trying to do with this,” he said. “Is there some other way to get the money so we can continue to do these projects? … No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, the programs themselves and the dollars allocated make our communities more resilient.”

Research backs him up: A 2024 study funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found every $1 invested in disaster preparation saved $13 in economic impact, damage and cleanup costs.

Democratic officials in states that lost money have publicly expressed outrage. Few Republicans have joined in at a national level, even though about two-thirds of the top 15 states in total FEMA funds received, spending per person and number of federally declared disasters lean heavily Republican.

An exception has been Louisiana’s senior U.S. senator, Bill Cassidy. He took to the Senate floor this month calling for BRIC’s reinstatement, saying it’s “a lifesaver and a cost-saver.”

About $185 million intended for Louisiana evaporated, and officials had to shelve dozens of applications for hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding, according to data compiled by state and federal agencies.

“This isn’t waste,” Cassidy said. “To do anything other than use that money to fund flood mitigation projects is to thwart the will of Congress.”

FEMA says more than $3.6 billion of BRIC funds will be returned to the federal Disaster Relief Fund, for disaster response and recovery, and an additional $882 million is being returned to the U.S. Treasury or reapportioned by Congress in the following fiscal year. Agency officials did not comment further for this story.

Some states fight to restore funds

Twenty-two mostly blue states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit demanding the federal government release obligated funding, including FEMA grants.

The lawsuit highlights Grants Pass in conservative southern Oregon, where FEMA has refused to release BRIC funding awarded for a $50 million water treatment facility.

Flooding could knock out the water supply for 60,000 people for months, said Jason Canady, city public works director. Funding would have been used in part to build a modernized plant on higher ground.

“If you can’t provide drinking water, hospitals, groceries, restaurants are going to have trouble. Economically, it would be devastating,” he said. “It really is the cornerstone on which the community is built.”

In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Mayor Will Joyce spent two years working with FEMA on a BRIC application to overhaul and provide backup supply for a regional water system used by 100,000 people. Its 36-mile (58-kilometer) pipeline is at risk of damage from tornadoes and flooding. If it breaks, Stillwater has less than a day’s worth of reserve drinking water.

“We can’t just hope nothing bad happens,” Joyce said. “This project is a necessity.”

Without FEMA’s support, he said, Stillwater will have to double the cost of water for residents to fund the project.

In an open letter, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr., a northeast Pennsylvania Republican, urged FEMA to revive BRIC, saying communities in his district would struggle to fund disaster adaptation work, including relocating families in flooded homes.

Bresnahan wrote that “programs like BRIC are not wasteful, but well within the purview of federal coordination of disaster relief efforts” and noted that Trump “promised not to leave the forgotten men and women of America behind.”

Some towns fear their needs will be forgotten

In Mount Pleasant, Whit Moose, the fourth-generation owner of a downtown pharmacy, said few of his neighbors seem aware that funding disappeared, though his own business would have benefited.

“It was going to be a wonderful thing,” he said. “Now we just got to start over.”

Republican voters in the town embrace efforts to downsize government, but the perception is that cuts are focused on federal bureaucracy, related waste and redundancy, or diversity, equity and inclusion spending, said Jim Quick, vice chairman of the Cabarrus County Republican Party.

“It would be a surprise for us to learn that those budget cuts would be impacting a local municipality,” Quick said. “The reality is all of us have to trim back.”

Town voters are unlikely to retract their support for Trump, he said, noting that 80% supported him in November.

Burris, the assistant town manager, worries about flooding downtown. And she points to one vulnerable utility pole she’s nicknamed Atlas — after the Greek god carrying the world on his shoulders — holding up the electricity, internet and telecommunications for the town’s 1,700 people.

“It’s a special community, and it deserves good things,” Burris said, choking up. “I don’t know what was political about Mount Pleasant — little, teeny, tiny Mount Pleasant — getting a little bit of help with some stormwater flooding.”

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Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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