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LOS ANGELES (AP) — In an empty lot in Altadena, California, the ground is covered by a soft blanket of small white wildflowers. But before the…
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Crews cleared mud from key California highways as forecasters warned that more thunderstorms were on the way after downpours and high tides caused flooding, prompting road closures and rescues of people trapped in cars. Northern counties remained under a flood watch, with up to three inches of rain possible through Monday night in areas that have been drenched off and on since around Christmas. To the south near the San Francisco Bay Area, waters were slowly receding after roadways were flooded during heavy rain that coincided with record-breaking “King Tides.” While the tides were waning, lingering thunderstorms on Sunday could cause additional problems throughout low-lying areas.
AP Wire
Kenyans are mourning the death of a beloved "super tusker" elephant named Craig. He lived in Amboseli National Park and symbolized Kenya's efforts to protect elephants from poachers. Craig died Saturday at age 54 from natural causes. The Kenya Wildlife Service described him as calm and dignified, often pausing for tourists to photograph him. Craig was one of only a few super tuskers, with tusks weighing over 45 kilograms each. His death highlights conservation successes, as Kenya's elephant population has grown significantly. Craig fathered many calves, ensuring his legacy continues.
AP Wire
A grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson have burned to death in Gaza when their tent caught fire. Thousands of Palestinians are enduring colder weather in makeshift housing. The shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. But the death toll continues to grow and aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza. American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Friday. Rafah is the only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel. And it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
AP
Rain soaks Rose Parade in California and snow squalls hit Midwest and Northeast on first day of 2026
Rained poured down on the iconic Rose Parade for the first time in 20 years. That was as flood warnings and evacuation orders in Southern California joined snow squalls and frigid temperatures in the Northeast and Midwest to mark the first day of 2026. Marching bands, floats and throngs of spectators were soaked by one to two inches of New Year’s Day rain in Pasadena. Across the country, in New York City, temperatures at the New Year's Eve ball drop were the coldest in 100 years. About a quarter of flights out of San Diego and Boston were delayed Thursday.
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Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died after a battle with leukemia. Her family disclosed her death in a statement released Tuesday by the John. F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Schlossberg was 35. The daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, the journalist revealed she had terminal cancer in a November 2025 essay in The New Yorker. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024 at age 34 while in the hospital for the birth of her second child. In the essay titled “A Battle with my Blood,” Schlossberg recounted rounds of chemotherapy, stem cell transplants and clinical trials.
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The Trump administration has ordered another coal-fired power facility to remain open. This time it's telling the owners of the Craig Station in northwestern Colorado to keep running an electricity-generating unit that was slated for retirement Wednesday. The plant's owners will need to fix a broken valve to keep the unit working. The 45-year-old generator is one of three at Craig Station. The Trump administration also has ordered coal-fired power plants in Indiana, Michigan and Washington state to remain operational against their owners' wishes. It’s part of President Donald Trump’s push to revive the U.S. coal industry when many utilities are shifting to cheaper, less-polluting energy sources.
AP Wire
Marching bands, floats and thousands of spectators are bracing for a rare dose of New Year’s Day rain for the prestigious Rose Parade in Southern California. Meanwhile, in New York City, hats and gloves are as necessary as noisemakers Wednesday night for what could be the coldest midnight ball drop in many years. Predictions of rain for the 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena have grown all week. It hasn't rained on the parade since 2006. Organizers so far are making only small changes. The tops will be up on convertibles carrying grand marshal Earvin “Magic" Johnson and other VIPs.
AP
Forecasters are warning of even more frigid weather in the Midwest after a winter storm pummeled parts of that region as well as the Great Lakes and the Northeast this week. Extreme cold with near-zero degree wind chills descended upon parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin Tuesday. Freezing temperatures are expected in parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin. National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Miller says temperatures in northern Wisconsin will hover in the mid-teens but could feel as if they're minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit at night with the wind chill. Temperatures across parts of the Great Lakes and the Northeast will be below normal heading into New Year’s Day,
AP Wire
For the first time in 20 years, rain is expected to intrude on the Rose Parade in Southern California. The beloved New Year’s Day event attracts thousands of spectators and is watched by millions more on TV. Storms caused Christmas flooding, mudslides and other miseries across the region. Forecasters now say there's a 100% chance of rain Thursday in Pasadena. It has rained only 10 times in the Rose Parade's history. The last time was 2006. On New Year's Eve, forecasters are predicting temperatures in the low 30s for New York City when the ball drops in Times Square.