Drought Persists Across Northeast and Southeast U.S. Regions

 

Raleigh: State and local drought agencies this week reported persistent drought conditions across North Carolina, Rhode Island and South Carolina, issuing county-level classifications and updates after months of below-average precipitation. The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council published counts of exceptional, extreme, severe and moderate counties, while Rhode Island's governor...

AAA: Regional Gas Prices Rise After Middle East Attacks

 

Little Rock, Arkansas — AAA reported on Thursday that state and regional gasoline prices rose this week amid renewed Middle East tensions, with Arkansas averaging $3.47 per gallon, Missouri $3.50, and Texas $3.41; the releases noted weekly increases of 3 to 7 cents and year-over-year jumps near 61 to 67...

Los Angeles Tests Transit Ahead of Car-Free Olympics

 

Los Angeles used several 2026 FIFA World Cup matches this month to showcase and test upgraded public transit, city officials said. On July 2, spectators including one rider, Matthew Smith, chose LA Metro to reach the Spain-Austria game, and operators recorded nearly 50,000 rail rides that day during a concentrated...

Top recruit Marcus Spears Jr. reclassifies, commits to Texas

 

Austin, Texas — On Thursday, July 9, Marcus Spears Jr., the No. 1-ranked prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle, announced he reclassified to the 2026 class and committed to the University of Texas, choosing the Longhorns over finalists Arizona, Kentucky and LSU, ESPN reported. The move makes Spears eligible for...

Regulators Secure Right-to-Repair Settlement With Deere

 

LANSING, Mich. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Federal Trade Commission, joined by a coalition of five states, announced this week a settlement with Deere & Company requiring the manufacturer to grant farmers and independent repair providers expanded access to diagnostic tools, software capabilities, and technical manuals to perform...

VA Secretary, Congressman Visit Eaton Rapids For Roundtable

 

Eaton Rapids, Michigan. U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins met Thursday at the Lansing VA community-based outpatient clinic and the VFW National Home for a roundtable with veterans focused on improving VA services; Collins highlighted the department's transition to a standardized electronic health record...

Virginia Climbs to No.3 in CNBC Business Rankings

 

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia rose one spot to No. 3 in CNBC's annual 'Top States for Business' ranking, published Thursday, July 9, 2026, after scoring 1,595 points across ten categories under a methodology that placed greater weight on infrastructure than in the prior year. The commonwealth ranked second in infrastructure,...

Regional hospitals and banks respond to summer blood shortages

 

Waterbury, Connecticut. This week UConn Health Waterbury Hospital launched a Prehospital Blood Program enabling EMS crews to carry and administer blood in the field, with two emergency response vehicles staffed by Naugatuck Ambulance and AMR beginning service Thursday to treat critically injured patients before hospital arrival during the summer trauma...

Former Officer Charged After Handcuffed Suspect Fatally Shot

 

Avondale Estates, Georgia. A former DeKalb County police officer, Derrick Harris Jr., was charged with involuntary manslaughter after his firearm allegedly discharged during an arrest Tuesday evening, fatally wounding 19-year-old Seth Jayden Eccles in a backyard, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation filings; the shooting followed earlier questioning by U.S....

Louisiana towns featured on statewide cheeseburger bucket list

 

LAFAYETTE, La. — A lifestyle website, everafterinthewoods.com, published a statewide "Cheeseburger Bucket List" this week and Lafayette landed the top two spots on that list. The site named Judice Inn, 3134 Johnston St., for its double cheeseburger of two quarter-pound patties seasoned with a proprietary Cajun blend, and Broaddus Burgers,...