Associated Press

Two years after Hurricane Helene, rivers in western North Carolina are still littered with debris. But in the iconic French Broad River, known for its whitewater rapids, one item stands out: PVC pipes.

President Donald Trump has turned emergency relief into a campaign talking point in the final sprint to the midterm elections, approving disaster declarations in consequential states and coupling endorsements with funding announcements. As the country braces for a major hurricane barreling toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, the moves have revived questions about whether the administration is politicizing disaster recovery.

Senate Republicans’ top campaign spending organization is pulling back in North Carolina and pouring money into Kansas, a striking shift that shows how the party’s plan to keep its majority has turned into an increasingly defensive fight ahead of November's midterms.

NASCAR is embracing its roots again. It passed on punishing drivers Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney for their pit road brawl. This approach recalls the sport's past, when fights and rivalries were common. NASCAR is also returning to traditional tracks and emphasizing grassroots racing. The organization even introduced a "swear jar" for colorful language, further embracing its gritty heritage.

Republicans once saw Georgia and North Carolina as promising pieces of their strategy to keep control of the Senate. But hopes of winning the two states have been fading, and the GOP is increasingly focused on playing defense elsewhere with five weeks until the midterm elections.

Authorities in Florida have arrested N.C. State’s former director of sports medicine, who was accused of sexually abusing former Wolfpack male athletes under the guise of treatment, which previously led to more than 30 athletes outlining allegations in civil lawsuits.

The attorney for a North Carolina girl accused of helping two teens who carried out a deadly attack on a San Diego mosque says prosecutors haven’t provided enough information to allow him to defend his client.

President Donald Trump tested his midterm campaign appeal Wednesday in North Carolina as he tries to help his handpicked Republican Senate hopeful and former national party chairman Michael Whatley shore up his campaign against Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper.

First lady Melania Trump visited an elementary school in northwestern North Carolina Tuesday, where she said the U.S. must lead on artificial intelligence as she spoke with elementary school students, teachers and staff about how they're using technology and AI in the classroom.

Scientists and investors are restoring a 23-square-mile tract of peatland in North Carolina to help curb climate-warming emissions and restore native habitat.