The Pentagon and the Energy Department have airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is the potential for the U.S. to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. The nearly 700-mile flight transported a 5-megawatt microreactor — without nuclear fuel. Officials say it could help meet skyrocketing demand for power from artificial intelligence and data centers, as well as for use by the military. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other officials traveled with the privately built reactor. Skeptics warn that nuclear energy poses risks and say microreactors may not be safe or feasible and have not proved they can meet demand for a reasonable price.

Officials are working to lower the risks of more deadly slides in the area where an avalanche struck in California’s Sierra Nevada. The work on Friday is meant to make it possible for crews to safely recover the bodies of the people killed. Avalanche mitigation work is designed to intentionally release unstable snowpack to reduce the risk when rescue crews go in. Brutal weather and the threat of more avalanches have kept crews from safely recovering the bodies of the eight people killed and another still missing from Tuesday’s avalanche. The Nevada County Sheriff’s office says the work relies on using water to break up snow.

The six women killed in an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada were among a group of eight close friends and experienced backcountry skiers on a trip together. That's according to a statement released by their families Thursday. Tuesday’s avalanche killed eight people. Six survived the disaster. Authorities say it will be at least another day before crews can attempt to recover the bodies and continue the search for a ninth person still missing and presumed dead.

The recovery of skiers killed in the deadliest U.S. avalanche in almost 45 years is dragging out because of what experts say is a prime rule for rescuers: Don’t make yourself a victim. A storm lashing California’s Sierra Nevada remote wilderness Thursday meant more avalanches were possible in the backcountry area where authorities said eight people died and one was still missing two days after the deadly slide. Rescuers faced the same potential perils that killed the backcountry skiers and professional guides as they pursued a sport with inherent risks — compounded by a storm that dropped feet of snow. Recovery efforts were set to resume Friday.

Authorities say the bodies of eight backcountry skiers have been found and one remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California. Search and rescue crews were dispatched to the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada after a 911 call reporting an avalanche Tuesday morning. Six others were found alive. Heavy snow and the threat of additional avalanches slowed the rescue effort in the mountains near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe. Authorities have told the families the mission has moved from rescue to recovery. They say the eight victims were found fairly close together, and that three of them were discovered by the skiers who survived.