(WASHINGTON) — After prevailing in a state that went for Republican Donald Trump, Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein said that his service as attorney general gave North Carolina voters confidence and called the Tar Heel state a “bright spot” for Democrats on election night.
Stein told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that Kamala Harris ran a “strong campaign,” but was hindered by a condensed timeline and “tough national mood.”
“It was a unfortunate night for Democrats across this country, but North Carolina was a bright spot,” Stein said. “ And we’re proud of what we accomplished here.”
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) — A massive home explosion in Missouri over Thanksgiving weekend left the residence in rubble and six people inside injured, according to fire officials.
The explosion occurred on St. Louis Road in Jefferson City early Saturday morning at 2:44 a.m., according to a press release from Jefferson City Fire.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, officials said.
Emergency responders said of the six individuals injured in the blast, two were transported to Jefferson City Airport and flown to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri.
The remaining four people were transported by ground to University Hospital.
Three of the victims are listed in critical condition and received critical life support, Cole County EMS Chief Eric Hoy told ABC News’ Missouri affiliate KMIZ.
The other three have moderate injuries and are stable, the outlet reported.
Photos released by officials show the explosion left the home almost completely leveled, with responders saying they discovered the six individuals among the debris upon arrival.
“Rescue operations were particularly challenging due to the extensive structural collapse and significant debris,” Jefferson City Fire said in the release.
“The team had to carefully tunnel through layers of debris to reach the final occupant, who required intensive extrication,” officials added.
All six of the individuals were safely removed from the residence by 5:52 a.m.
Additionally, fire officials said in the release that two pets were rescued from the collapsed home and are now in the care of animal control.
(NEW YORK) — Officials in upstate New York counties have declared a state of emergency as they prepare for a major snowstorm that has already dumped over two feet of snow in the Midwest and is forecast to accumulate more this weekend.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Saturday morning that 11 counties, including Erie County which includes Buffalo, are in a state of emergency and many neighborhoods have already seen a large amount of snowfall.
Lake effect snow will continue through Monday with the heaviest snowfall occurring through early Sunday morning, and an additional period of heavy snow late Sunday night into Monday morning, according to the governor’s office. The highest snow totals this weekend are expected around Watertown, New York, where 3 to 5 feet of snow is in the forecast.
“My administration is working around the clock with our state agencies and over 100 National Guard members on the ground to support local communities,” Hochul said.
Travel advisories were issued for Jefferson and Lewis counties, and portions of Erie County.
The state’s Department of Transportation banned empty and tandem commercial vehicles on I-86 from the Pennsylvania state line to I-390 and on State Route 219 from the Pennsylvania state line to I-90.
In addition to the National Guard members, Hochul said extra personnel has been deployed to help with possible power and road emergencies.
Lake effect snow is common this time of year as colder air moves over the relatively warm water of the lakes, leading to extremely localized bands of heavy snowfall for an extended period of time.
Counties in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania have recorded huge snowfall totals since Friday.
Gaylord, Michigan, picked up 24.8 inches of snow Friday marking their single snowiest calendar day on record and shattering their previous record of 17 inches on March 9, 1942.
(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) — Shots rang out at the Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Black Friday, leaving two people injured, police said in an update Friday evening.
The Little Rock Police Department had initially reported three injuries.
The shooting occurred at 1:44 p.m., according to police.
Two people were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, including one with gunshot wounds, police said.
“Initially reported as a potential active aggressor situation, officers quickly determined it was an isolated incident upon arrival,” the Little Rock Police Department said in an update Friday evening.
Police said the incident appears to have stemmed from a “disturbance” between two individuals, which escalated into gunfire.
Shots rang out at the Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Black Friday, leaving two people injured, police said in an update Friday evening.
The Little Rock Police Department had initially reported three injuries.
The shooting occurred at 1:44 p.m., according to police.
Two people were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, including one with gunshot wounds, police said.
“Initially reported as a potential active aggressor situation, officers quickly determined it was an isolated incident upon arrival,” the Little Rock Police Department said in an update Friday evening.
Police said the incident appears to have stemmed from a “disturbance” between two individuals, which escalated into gunfire.
(HOUSTON) — Teams of firefighters sprang into action in Texas on Friday when staff at the Houston Botanic Garden noticed a tiny Chihuahua was stuck underneath a pedestrian bridge.
Photos posted to Facebook show the small dog sitting on one of the footings of the bridge, which spans the Sims Bayou channel.
It took two Houston fire stations to help bring the Chihuahua safely back on land, with one crew member jumping in the water to bring the pup ashore.
“This Black Friday was one Chihuahua’s lucky day, thanks to our heroes at Houston Fire Department stations 29 and 42,” the Houston Botanic Garden wrote alongside several photos of the puppy rescue.
“We love knowing that everyone and everything in and around the Garden is in good hands with these trained community helpers on the job,” the institution added.
It’s unclear who the dog’s owner is and how it ended up below the bridge.
ABC News has reached out to the Houston Fire Department for a comment.
(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) — Shots rang out at the Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Black Friday, leaving three people injured, police said.
The shooting occurred at 1:44 p.m., according to the Little Rock Police Department. The three people who were hurt have injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, according to police.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. released a statement after the shooting, saying there are two suspects.
“Two individuals today jeopardized the lives and safety of residents and visitors,” Scott Jr. said Friday.
“We are praying for the victims of this incident, and are hopeful they make a full recovery,” he added.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(LOS ANGELES) — The Canyon Crest Fire, which began Thanksgiving evening to the east of Los Angeles, has now reached 250 acres and has sparked evacuation warnings for residents living in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The fire was 0% contained as of 6 a.m. local time, according to Cal Fire. Officials warn of the threat to life and property, calling for those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets or livestock to leave immediately.
Areas under evacuation warnings include those north of California 60, East of County Village Road, South of the Riverside/San Bernardino County Line, and West of Sierra Avenue.
“A large augmentation of fire engines, crews, bulldozers and night flying-water dropping helicopters assisted in the suppression of the fire yesterday,” Cal Fire said in an online statement. “Resources worked on containment throughout the night in challenging terrain with light flashy fuels and east blowing winds.”
Emergency services from San Bernardino County Fire, Cal Fire, Riverside County Fire Department and the Bureau of Land Management are responding to the fire.
(NEW YORK) — A man who went missing for more than five weeks deep in the Canadian wilderness has been found alive, authorities have confirmed.
Sam Benastick was reported missing on Oct. 19 after not returning from a trip to the back country of British Columbia in Canada, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia.
But on Tuesday at approximately 11:30 a.m. — more than five weeks after Benastick was initially reported missing — Northern Rockies RCMP were notified that he had been located by two people who were headed to the Redfern Lake trail for work when they saw a man walking toward them and recognized him to be Sam Benastick when they approached him, officials said.
The two men immediately took Benastick to the hospital where police attended and confirmed him to be the man reported missing, authorities said.
“Sam told police that he stayed in his car for a couple of days and then walked to a creek, mountain side where he camped out for 10-15 days,” according to the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Benastick then reportedly moved down into the valley and built a camp and shelter in a dried-out creek bed before he was fortunate enough to find the two men he flagged down and taken to safety, officials said.
“Finding Sam alive is the absolute best outcome. After all the time he was missing, it was feared that this was would not be the outcome,” said Cpl Madonna Saunderson of British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police Communications.
“The RCMP would like to sincerely thank the Fort Nelson and North Peace and Search and Rescue teams including other Search and Rescue jurisdictions that provided mutual aid support, the Canadian Rangers along with many local volunteers with extensive back country knowledge of the area,” authorities said. “The time, effort and resources put in to locate Sam from the time of notification he was missing was beyond measure. We are thankful for the great outcome.”
(NEW YORK) — Once millions of Americans living in the Northern U.S. have had their fill of turkey, sides and pie, they could be treated with a dazzling event that could light up the night’s sky.
A geomagnetic storm watch has been issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, meaning the northern lights — or aurora borealis — could be visible from parts of the U.S. over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
A G1, or minor, geomagnetic storm watch was issued for Thursday, while a G2, or moderate, geomagnetic storm watch was issued for Friday. NOAA’s space weather predictors calculated the timing of a coronal mass ejection associated with a filament eruption that took place on Sunday. A five-level scale is used to measure geomagnetic storms.
A coronal mass ejection is a burst of plasma and magnetic field that erupts from the sun’s corona — essentially a huge cloud of charged particles ejected into space at high speeds.
This event could also be brighter because the geomagnetic activity has a Kp index of 5, according to NOAA.
The geomagnetic storm could also have minor impacts on radios, satellites, GPS and power grids, according to NOAA.
What are the northern lights
The term northern lights refers to the natural display of pink and green hues in the sky that occurs when charged particles from a coronal mass ejection interact with Earth’s magnetic field — resulting in a geometric storm.
The auroras are normally seen closer to the North Pole but can be seen closer to the equator depending on the strength of the geomagnetic storm. However, the farther south you go, the more red the lights will appear rather than the usual green curtains because the curvature of the Earth causes the particles to interact higher in the atmosphere, where oxygen is less plentiful, resulting in a more reddish hue, according to the National Park Service.
Where the northern lights could be visible
Northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho could be treated to the northern lights, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center’s experimental aurora view line, which predicts the intensity and location of the aurora borealis in North America.
States like Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine could see potential auroras as well.
The geomagnetic storm could bring an encore display of the northern lights to New York City, where auroras were visible last month.
In some cities, the aurora may be visible low on the horizon, according to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
How to see the northern lights
The hours before and after midnight, when the night sky is the darkest, are the best time to see the auroras, according to NOAA.
Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that are not visible to the naked eye, Shawn Dahl, coordinator for NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, told ABC News last month.
Getting away from light pollution, and even the bright light of a full moon, will also enhance the viewing experience
Dahl also reminded star-gazers to keep their eyes dark-adapted and avoid constant interactions with the bright screens of their cell phones.
In addition, a citizen science platform called Aurorasaurus allows people to sign up for alerts that an aurora may be visible in their area
Why northern lights events will be more common over the next year
For the next year or more, the likelihood of seeing the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, will increase as Earth remains in the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 25.
The peak of the current solar cycle occurs one every 11 years, when more sunspots with the intense magnetic activity are expected, according to NOAA.
