Rescuers race to free people trapped by Hurricane Helene

CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached at least 35 across four states. Helene has left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall Thursday in Florida, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate and dangerous missions to save people from floodwaters. The damage extended hundreds of miles to the north, with flooding as far away as North Carolina. According to an Associated Press tally Friday, the deaths occurred in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Iranian operatives charged in the US with hacking Trump’s presidential campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has announced criminal charges against Iranian operatives suspected of hacking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and disseminating stolen information to media organizations. The indictment comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran as Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel escalate attacks against each other, raising concerns about the prospect of an all-out war, and as U.S. officials say they continue to track physical threats by Iran against a number of officials including Trump. The Trump campaign disclosed on Aug. 10 that it had been hacked and said Iranian actors had stolen and distributed sensitive internal documents.

A man trying to cremate his dog sparked a wildfire in Colorado, authorities say

NUCLA, Colo. (AP) — Wildfire investigators looking for the cause of blaze in western Colorado last month discovered the partially burned remains of a dog — leading to the conclusion that a man’s attempted cremation of his pet sparked a fire that destroyed one home. Law enforcement arrested the man earlier this month and he is now charged with arson and trespassing, according to court documents. Authorities say the cremation ceremony started the fire on Aug. 1 that caused about $200,000 in damages. An arrest affidavit shows that his dog, named Rocket, had been in a fight with another dog and was euthanized under court order.

Earth will have a temporary ‘mini moon’ for two months

WASHINGTON (AP) — Earth will have a temporary “mini moon” for two months. The mini moon is actually an asteroid about the size of a school bus. When it whizzes by Earth on Sunday, it will be temporarily trapped by our planet’s gravity and orbit the globe _ but only for about two months. The space rock was first spotted in August by astronomers in Madrid using a powerful telescope located in South Africa. It won’t be visible to the naked eye during the two months it circles Earth. It will part ways with Earth by the end of November.