At least 88 people are believed to have been killed in the wake of Hurricane Helene, as authorities across the southeast of the US struggle to get isolated areas critical supplies.
Days after the Category 4 hurricane struck the coast of Florida, many areas remain flooded, with blocked roads, failing infrastructure and more than two million still without electricity, Sky News’ US partner network NBC reported.
One of the worst affected states is North Carolina, where a third of the deaths caused by the hurricane were reported in the state’s Buncombe County, according to NBC.
Deaths have also been reported in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.
In the mountain city of Asheville, North Carolina, 30 people are reported to have died. State governor Roy Cooper predicted the figure would rise as more than 50 search teams spread throughout the region in search of stranded people.
Supplies were also being airlifted to the region, with county manager Avril Pinder pledging that she would have food and water into Ashville – which is known for its arts, culture and natural attractions – by Monday. Elsewhere in the city, residents waited in line for $15 worth of gas.
One resident told NBC that the last natural disaster she experienced in the city was a snow blizzard in the ’90s, but added: “It wasn’t as bad as this though… this is a disaster.”
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Free meals were also offered in three states: Florida, North Carolina and Georgia by the charity the World Central Kitchen to help communities impacted by Helene.
President Joe Biden described the storm’s impact as “stunning” and said in a post on X that he would make a trip to the area this week, as long as it does not disrupt rescues or recovery work.
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He approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, making federal funding available for affected individuals.
Vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris also plans to visit areas impacted by the hurricane, a White House official said.
While Donald Trump’s campaign announced that he will go to Valdosta, Georgia, to survey the impact Helene has had on the state – which is one of several hotly contested battlegrounds that will be pivotal in November’s election.
Damage caused by Helene is estimated to be between $15bn (£11.2bn) and more than $100bn (£74bn), insurers and forecasters said over the weekend, as water systems, communications and critical transportation routes were affected.
In Horseshoe Beach, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, resident Charlene Huggins said she had lost a lot of memories as she looked through the debris of her destroyed home.
“Five generations lived in this house, from my grandmother, my father, myself, my daughter, son and my granddaughter,” she said, holding a chipped glass cake stand. “So there’s a lot of memories here. It just breaks your heart.”
The storm slammed into the area known as the Big Bend on Thursday, bringing with it 140mph winds, and in some places a storm surge – a wall of seawater pushed ashore by winds – as high as 15ft (4.5m).
It has now been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, the National Hurricane Centre said, but several flood and flash flood warnings remained in effect in parts of the southern and central Appalachians.
High wind warnings also covered parts of Tennessee and Ohio.
Within hours of taking office, president-elect Donald Trump plans to begin rolling out policies including large-scale deportations, according to his transition team.
Sky News partner network NBC News has spoken with more than half a dozen people familiar with the executive orders that his team plans to enact.
One campaign official said changes are expected at a pace that is “like nothing you’ve seen in history”, to signal a dramatic break from President Joe Biden’s administration.
Mr Trump is preparing on day one to overturn specific policies put in place by Mr Biden. Among the measures, reported by sources close to the transition team, are:
• The speedy and large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants
• Ending travel reimbursement for military members seeking abortion care
• Restricting transgender service members’ access to gender-affirming care
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But much of the first day is likely to focus on stopping illegal immigration – the centrepiece of Trump’s candidacy. He is expected to sign up to five executive orders aimed at dealing with that issue alone after he is sworn in on 20 January.
“There will without question be a lot of movement quickly, likely day one, on the immigration front,” a top Trump ally said.
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“There will be a push to make a huge early show and assert himself to show his campaign promises were not hollow.”
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2:23
Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.
But Mr Trump’s campaign pledges also could be difficult to implement.
Deporting people on the scale he wants will be a logistical challenge that could take years. Questions also remain about promised tax cuts.
Meanwhile, his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours would be near impossible.
Even so, advisers based at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort or at nearby offices in West Palm Beach, Florida, are reportedly strategising about ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Following his decisive victory on 5 November, the president-elect has moved swiftly to build a cabinet and senior White House team.
As of Thursday, he had selected more than 30 people for senior positions in his administration, compared with just three at a similar point in his 2016 transition.
Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser in Mr Trump’s campaign, told NBC News: “The thing to realise is Trump is no dummy.
“He knows he’s got two to three years at most to get anything done. And then he becomes a lame duck and we start talking about [the presidential election in] 2028.”
Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.
Mr Gaetz, a controversial pick to be the country’s top legal official, said his selection was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the transition of Mr Trump’s administration into the White House.
The Florida Republican had faced significant scrutiny over a federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl.
He said in a post on the X social media platform: “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as attorney general. Trump’s DOJ (Department of Justice) must be in place and ready on Day 1.
“I remain fully committed to seeing that Donald Trump is the most successful president in history. I will forever be honoured that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”
Mr Trump said in a post on his own social media site, Truth Social, that Mr Gaetz had a “wonderful future”.
“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General,” he wrote.
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“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect.”
Mr Gaetz previously faced a nearly three-year Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl, which ended in February 2023 without him facing any criminal charges.
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He has always denied the allegations.
He has also been under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over wider allegations including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts.
The inquiry was dropped on Wednesday 13 November when Mr Gaetz left Congress – the only forum where the committee has jurisdiction.
The Senate ethics committee is deadlocked on whether their report can be released.
Mr Gaetz’s withdrawal is a blow to Mr Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that he could face resistance from members of his own party.
A 43-year-old man was shot dead by police after calling 911 to report intruders had entered his home in Las Vegas.
Brandon Durham was at home with his 15-year-old daughter when he called the emergency line to report armed intruders were trying to break into his property on 12 November.
Bodycam footage shows Mr Durham struggling with a person over a knife in the moments before he was shot and killed at the scene.
“The loss of life in any type of incident like this is always tragic, and it’s something we take very seriously,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said on Thursday.
The force is investigating the incident.
Mr Durham called 911 to report multiple people were outside shooting at his residence in Las Vegas’ Sunset Park neighbourhood, where he had been staying with his 15-year-old daughter, Sky News’ US partner network NBC reports.
It was one of multiple emergency calls reporting a shooting in the area.
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Mr Durham then said someone had managed to get into his home through the front and back doors of the property and he was locking himself in the bathroom, according to a police statement from 14 November, two days after the incident.
Officers reported to the scene at approximately 12:40am and could hear screaming from inside the residence.
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One of the officers, Alexander Bookman, kicked open the front door and once inside, saw Mr Durham and another individual, later identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux, struggling over a knife in a doorway.
Mr Bookman ordered them to drop the knife and about two seconds later, the officer fired the gun and Mr Durham appeared to be struck, the bodycam footage shows.
Both Mr Durham and Mr Boudreaux fell to the ground and the officer fired another five shots. Roughly three seconds are believed to have gone by between the first and last shot, NBC reports.
Attempts were made to save the 43-year-old but he died at the scene.
Ms Boudreaux was taken into custody and is facing charges of home invasion with a deadly weapon; assault with a deadly weapon domestic violence; willful or wanton disregard of safety of persons resulting in death; and child abuse, neglect or endangerment.