Reported tornado in Lena, Illinois, west of Rockford causes extensive damage; sheriff says town shut down

A tornado touchdown has been reported in Lena, Illinois, about 48 miles west of Rockford, part of a massive storm system that is barreling toward Chicago Friday afternoon. A tornado warning was issued for Lena at 4:45 p.m. CT, the National Weather Service said. Video from a livestream in Lena shows the massive, rotating storm … Read more

Pennsylvania town faces fallout from Trump’s environmental rule rollback

North America’s largest coke plant hugs the west bank of Pennsylvania’s Monongahela River, belching out emissions from turning superheated coal into a carbon-rich fuel. Researchers say the children at Clairton Elementary School about a mile away pay the price. They discovered the students there and at other elementary schools near major pollution sites in Pennsylvania … Read more

New DHS chief Markwayne Mullin visits town devastated by Hurricane Helene, promises reforms to FEMA

Chimney Rock, North Carolina — From the well-worn interior of a fire department in Western North Carolina, Markwayne Mullin reassured local officials that as homeland security secretary, he intends to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency — not eliminate it. Mullin, on his first official visit in his new role, traveled to Chimney Rock, a … Read more

Mysterious donation gives small Kansas town its first public library

 For over 140 years, the small town of Frontenac, Kansas had almost everything its 3,000 residents needed – except a public library.  All that changed when city administrator John Zafuta got an unexpected phone call in 2019.  “It was a surprise,” Zafuta said. “An attorney told us that we were the sole beneficiary of the … Read more

As Americans bear costs of the Iran war and DHS shutdown, politicians leave town

WASHINGTON — George W. Bush gave up golf while he was president during the Iraq War. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. President Donald Trump isn’t about to do the same amid the Iran war, describing his occasional golf outings as a brief reprieve from the … Read more