Wildfires in North and South Carolina fueled by drought, wind and fallen trees from Hurricane Helene

Dry conditions, wind and trees downed by Hurricane Helene fueled wildfires in North Carolina and South Carolina, where evacuation orders were in effect Tuesday.

About 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte, North Carolina, officials ordered mandatory evacuations for roughly 165 properties in rural Polk County. Three fires there have burned at least 9 square miles (23 square kilometers). The North Carolina Forest Service says two of the fires are uncontained as of Monday night.

The Black Cove Fire is one of the larger blazes. Officials said a downed power line sparked that fire, but the causes of the other two fires are under investigation.

Neighboring Henderson County issued voluntary evacuation orders and opened an emergency shelter. Volunteer fire departments were on standby, Henderson County spokesperson Mike Morgan told WLOS-TV.

“Especially near some of the homes where if the fire did jump, we can be there to help protect those homes,” Morgan said. “We’re here to monitor the situation very closely.”

Two fires were burning in the mountains of South Carolina. The fires in Table Rock State Park and nearby Persimmon Ridge have burned a combined 2.3 square miles (5.9 square kilometers), the South Carolina Forestry Commission said. Officials said both fires were ignited by human activity and neither were contained as of Monday night.

No injuries were reported, and no structures were imminently threatened as of Monday night, but voluntary evacuations were issued for about 100 homes over the weekend. On Tuesday morning, the forestry commission updated an earlier announcement to say no evacuations were planned near the Persimmon Ridge Fire, but residents were urged to be prepared to leave their homes if an evacuation is suggested in the future.

“The weather over the next few days remains concerning, as relative humidities are expected to remain very low, and the forecasted wind speeds will still be conducive to spreading the fire,” the forestry commission said.

Dry weather and millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year are creating a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, according to North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller. Scheller predicted this busy fire season if the region saw dry weather after the hurricane.

“Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground,” Scheller said. “Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.”

Despite recent rain, most of the Carolinas are abnormally dry or experiencing a moderate drought, according to federal monitors.

___

This story has been corrected to show that officials were not recommending evacuations near the Persimmon Ridge Fire, but residents should be prepared to leave their homes if one is suggested.

Classic Lobster Newburg

Classic Lobster Newburg Recipe from The Suburban Soapbox

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serving size: 4 servings

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups half and half
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 lb cooked lobster meat, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tbsp cognac
1 lemon, juice and zest
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 frozen puff pastry shells, or toast points

Directions

Bake the puff pastry shells according to package instructions or toast bread then cut into triangles. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. The mixture will have the consistency of wet sand.
Slowly whisk in the half and half cooking until slightly thickened. Do not boil.
Add a few tablespoons of the cream mixture to the eggs and whisk to temper the eggs.
Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the cream and turn the heat to low. Continue stirring until smooth and creamy.
Stir in the lobster, cognac, lemon juice, zest, nutmeg and salt.
Serve the lobster newburg in the puff pastry shells or on top of the toast points. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

March 25th 2025

Thought of the Day

Don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent.

Military veterans are becoming the face of Trump’s government cuts and Democrats’ resistance

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — As congressional lawmakers scramble to respond to President Donald Trump’s slashing of the federal government, one group is already taking a front and center role: military veterans.

From layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs to a Pentagon purge of archives that documented diversity in the military, veterans have been acutely affected by Trump’s actions. And with the Republican president determined to continue slashing the federal government, the burden will only grow on veterans, who make up roughly 30% of the over 2 million civilians who work for the federal government and often tap government benefits they earned with their military service.

“At a moment of crisis for all of our veterans, the VA’s system of health care and benefits has been disastrously and disgracefully put on the chopping block by the Trump administration,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, at a news conference last week.

Blumenthal on Monday announced a series of so-called shadow hearings by Senate Democrats to spotlight how veterans are being impacted. Blumenthal invited VA Secretary Doug Collins to the first meeting next week, though the Cabinet secretary is under no compulsion to attend and is unlikely to appear at an unofficial proceeding.

Most veterans voted for Trump last year — nearly 6 in 10, according to AP Votecast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters. Yet congressional Republicans are standing in support of Trump’s goals even as they encounter fierce pushback in their home districts. At a series of town halls last week, veterans angrily confronted Republican members as they defended the cuts made under Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

“Do your job!” Jay Carey, a military veteran, yelled at Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards at a town hall in North Carolina.

“I’m a retired military officer,” an attendee at another forum in Wyoming told Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman before questioning whether DOGE had actually discovered any “fraud.”

Although Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson advised his members to skip the town halls and claimed that they were being filled with paid protesters, some Republicans were still holding them and trying to respond to the criticism.

“It looks radical, but it’s not. I call it stewardship, in my opinion,” Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida said on a tele-town hall. “I think they’re doing right by the American taxpayer. And I support that principle of DOGE.”

Still, some Republicans have expressed unease with the seemingly indiscriminate firings of veterans, especially when they have not been looped in on the administration’s plans. At a town hall on Friday, Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw told the audience, “We’re learning about this stuff at the speed of light, the way you are. I think there’s been some babies thrown out with the bath water here, but we’re still gathering information on it.”

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, added, “If you’re doing a job that we need you to do, you’re doing it well, yeah, we’ve got to fight for you.”

The Republican chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Mike Bost, assured listeners on a tele-town hall last week that he and Collins, the VA Cabinet secretary, are talking regularly. As the VA implements plans to cut roughly 80,000 jobs, Bost has said he is watching the process closely, but he has expressed support and echoed Collins’ assurances that veterans’ health care and benefits won’t be slashed.

“They’ve cut a lot, but understand this: Essential jobs are not being cut,” Bost said, but then added that his office was helping alert the VA when people with essential jobs had in fact been terminated.

Two federal judges this month ordered the Trump administration to rehire the probationary employees who were let go in the mass firings. At the VA, some of those employees have now been put on administrative leave, but a sense of dread and confusion is still hanging over much of the federal workforce.

“We’re all kind of wondering what’s next,” said Dan Foster, a Washington state Army veteran who lost his job when the VA canceled a contract supporting a program that educates service members on how to access their benefits and VA programs.

Others are angry they have been portrayed as deadweight and cut from jobs they felt played a direct role in helping veterans get health care.

“For somebody to go on the news and say we are incompetent or lazy — that is just false,” said Future Zhou, an Army veteran who had a job managing medical supply inventories for operating rooms at the VA facility in Puget Sound, Washington, before she was fired in February.

As Democrats search for their political footing and a rallying point to unify them, they have zeroed in on the cause of protecting veterans. In both the House and the Senate, Democrats have introduced legislation that would shield veterans from the mass layoffs. And when Trump spoke to Congress this month, many lawmakers invited veterans as their guests.

“They are outraged,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who is an Iraq War veteran and former assistant secretary at the VA. “They said Donald Trump promised to watch out for them. And the first thing he does is fire them.”

Democrats are already pressing their Republican colleagues to show their support for veterans. In negotiations to allow passage of a Republican-backed government funding bill this month, Democrats secured a vote to amend the package to include language that would protect veterans from the federal layoffs. But it failed on party lines in part because the last-minute change would have ensured that Congress missed the deadline to avert a shutdown.

With an eye on the midterm elections, VoteVets, a left-leaning veterans’ advocacy group, is already launching video ads that feature veterans sharing their stories of being fired and accusing congressional members of doing “absolutely nothing.” The ads are directed to five potential swing districts held by Republicans who are veterans themselves.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat who is also a veteran, said he was unsure whether veterans would shift their political allegiance.

But he said it is at least clear veterans are “pissed.”

Gallego said there’s an opportunity for Democrats to hammer home the message that “Elon Musk and his buddies would rather just deal with the bottom line and try to save billions of dollars so they can have more tax cuts at the expense of veterans.”

___

This story has been corrected to show the town halls were last week, not this week.

___

Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Chapin, S.C., and Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed.

Trump officials texted war plans to a group chat in a secure app that included a journalist

By TARA COPP, AAMER MADHANI and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top national security officials for President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a story posted online Monday. The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic.”

Trump told reporters he was not aware that the sensitive information had been shared, 2 1/2 hours after it was reported.

The material in the text chain “contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported.

It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security. The U.S. has conducted airstrikes against the Houthis since the militant group began targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023.

Just two hours after Goldberg received the details of the attack on March 15, the U.S. began launching a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The National Security Council is looking into the matter

The National Security Council said in a statement that it was looking into how a journalist’s number was added to the chain in the Signal group chat.

Trump told reporters, “I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time.” He added that The Atlantic was “not much of a magazine.”

Government officials have used Signal for organizational correspondence, but it is not classified and can be hacked. Privacy and tech experts say the popular end-to-end encrypted messaging and voice call app is more secure than conventional texting.

The sharing of sensitive information comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office has just announced a crackdown on leaks of sensitive information, including the potential use of polygraphs on defense personnel to determine how reporters have received information.

Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why the defense secretary posted war operational plans on an unclassified app.

The breach in protocol was swiftly condemned by Democratic lawmakers. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for a full investigation.

“This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a floor speech Monday afternoon.

“If true, this story represents one of the most egregious failures of operational security and common sense I have ever seen,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement.

He said American lives are “on the line. The carelessness shown by Trump’s Cabinet is stunning and dangerous. I will be seeking answers from the Administration immediately.”

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he was “horrified” by the reports.

Himes said if a lower-ranking official “did what is described here, they would likely lose their clearance and be subject to criminal investigation. The American people deserve answers,” which he said he planned to get at Wednesday’s previously scheduled committee hearing.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to learn more about what happened.

“Obviously, we got to to run it to the ground, figure out what went on there,” said Thune, a South Dakota Republican.

There are strict laws around handling defense information

The handling of national defense information is strictly governed by law under the century-old Espionage Act, including provisions that make it a crime to remove such information from its “proper place of custody” even through an act of gross negligence.

The Justice Department in 2015 and 2016 investigated whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke the law by communicating about classified information with her aides on a private email server she set up, though the FBI ultimately recommended against charges and none were brought.

In the Biden administration, some officials were given permission to download Signal on their White House-issued phones, but were instructed to use the app sparingly, according to a former national security official who served in the Democratic administration.

The official, who requested anonymity to speak about methods used to share sensitive information, said Signal was most commonly used to communicate what they internally referred to as “tippers” to notify someone when they were away from the office or traveling overseas that they should check their “high side” inbox for a classified message.

The app was sometimes also used by officials during the Biden administration to communicate about scheduling of sensitive meetings or classified phone calls when they were outside the office, the official said.

The use of Signal became more prevalent during the last year of the Biden administration after federal law enforcement officials warned that China and Iran were hacking the White House as well as officials in the first Trump administration, according to the official.

The official was unaware of top Biden administration officials — such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and national security adviser Jake Sullivan — using Signal to discuss sensitive plans as the Trump administration officials did.

Some of the toughest criticism targeted Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel weekend host. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, said on social media that Hegseth, “the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in history, is demonstrating his incompetence by literally leaking classified war plans in the group chat.”

___

AP writers Stephen Groves and Lisa Mascaro contributed reporting.

Firefighters in the Carolinas battle multiple wildfires as New Jersey crews contain a forest blaze

Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said.

Millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year combined with long stretches of dry weather this spring are making for a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller said.

“Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground,” Scheller said. “Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.”

Both South Carolina and North Carolina have issued statewide bans on outdoor burning.

North Carolina fires

Mandatory evacuations continue for about 165 properties in parts of Polk County in western North Carolina, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon.

Three fires burned at least 7.5 square miles (19.5 square kilometers) in the county and the two larger blazes were completely uncontained, Cannon said in a social media update Monday morning. The Black Cove Fire, one of the larger ones, was moving toward neighboring Henderson County, Cannon said.

Wildfires forced a mandatory evacuation Sunday in a North Carolina county still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and South Carolina’s governor declared an emergency in response to a growing wildfire in that state. (AP Video)

Kim Callaway, who lives near one of the evacuated areas in Polk County, has prepared her home, WLOS-TV reported.

“We’ve already actually evacuated everything that we thought that was important,” Callaway said. “And now we’re just staying at the house and trying to do what we can to get our house prepared if the firemen need to show up and hold the line.”

A downed power line sparked the Black Cove Fire, but the causes of the other two fires in Polk County were under investigation, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop.

A number of other wildfires burning across the state including one that damaged 500 vehicles at a salvage yard in Burke County, officials said.

South Carolina fires

Two fires in the South Carolina mountains have led Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency.

One fire was in Table Rock State Park in Pickens County and the other was on Persimmon Ridge in Greenville County. Winds and difficult mountainous terrain allowed blazes to grow, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said.

The Table Rock Fire expanded to more than 2 square miles (5.3 square kilometers), including several hundred acres that firefighters intentionally burned to try to contain the flames, officials said.

The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which started Saturday, spread to more than 1.25 square miles (3.2 square kilometers) despite many dozens of water drops, the commission said.

Human activity ignited both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires. No injuries had been reported, and while no structures were imminently threatened, voluntary evacuations of about 100 homes remained in place.

How a September hurricane is creating March fires

Scheller, the North Carolina State University professor, predicted this busy fire season if the region saw dry weather following Helene.

Scientists saw something similar in 2022 when a fire burned more than 51 square miles (133 square kilometers) of timberland in the Florida Panhandle. The Bertha Swamp Road Fire almost directly followed the eye pattern from 2018’s Hurricane Michael and the fallen pine trees left behind.

Pines and their waxy needles dry out and become very flammable, Scheller said. The fallen trunks can also block roads and paths used to fight fires, experts said.

The last ingredient to fuel wildfires is dry weather. Despite recent rain, the Carolinas are undergoing an extreme drought, according to federal monitors.

The common denominator for many fires on the East Coast is human activity, whether people burn debris, light a campfire that isn’t well watched or toss out cigarette, Scheller said.

And more people living next to areas that can burn make fires a bigger threat, he said.

New Jersey fire

A forest fire burning in New Jersey’s million-acre Pinelands region was 100% contained on Monday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Services said in a post on X. The fire was first spotted Saturday and burned through about 3.5 square miles (5.8 kilometers).

That blaze led authorities to evacuate two campgrounds in Wharton State Forest, officials said. The cause was under investigation.

Fire forecast

A front moving off the East Coast brought rain and more humidity to the area, helping firefighters Monday.

But not much rain fell and temperatures are expected to get warmer and the air drier as the week goes on, likely meaning another round of wildfires unless people follow burn bans and fire safety.

“It is absolutely paramount that folks respect the statewide ban on all open burning,” North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Philip Jackson. said.

Time To Give Your Cat A Bath

Cats and Baths

It is a common question among new cat owners: do their cats need to take baths? The answer is yes, every so often felines do need to bathe. Though they can clean themselves most of the time, help from humans is necessary.

A few reasons why cats need a bath can come down to external parasites such as fleas and ticks, or even dirt. Some cats have a problem of cleanliness because of their skin type. A hairless cat with no fur will need help to care for their skin or even a long-haired cat might have a clump of kitty litter stuck to their tail.

Some people will take their pets to a professional groomer which is a good idea if the owner does not know how to properly bathe their animal. Cats are not the best of friends with water so a professional might be a best option. The fleas might be a big issue and the owner does not know how to handle them.

If you want to tackle the bath yourself, make sure you are preparing your feline for the bath. Slowly get your cat ready by dripping a little bit of water on their bodies or paws a little bit before the bath. Having a calm demeaner and voice will also help with the circumstance. Another good tip is to trim their nails before the water apocalypse, so you aren’t scratched later.

Purina has a really good step-by-step list on how to bathe your cat, if you want more information!

Philly Cheesesteak with Peppers and Onions

Philly Cheesesteak Recipe with Peppers and Onions Recipe from Valerie’s Kitchen

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serving size: 8 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided (or as needed)
1 sweet yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (2-inch slices)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2½ to 3 pounds petite sirloin, thinly sliced sirloin
1 ½ teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or other all-purpose seasoning, divided
1 teaspoon garlic pepper, divided
8 hoagie rolls
6 tablespoons softened butter
7 ounces sliced Provolone cheese, (7 1-ounce slices) I used Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut

Directions

Before starting, place beef in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will make it easy to slice thinly.
Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a large, deep (14-inch) sauté pan and place over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender. If they are beginning to brown, turn the heat under the skillet down a bit. While the veggies are cooking, prepare the steak, returning to stir every now and then.
Remove steak from freezer and place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim edges of excess fat and then slice it as thinly as possible across the grain. Chop the sliced steak into very small pieces. Keep chopping until you can chop no more! You want little ¼-inch-ish pieces. Check on those veggies periodically while you’re prepping the beef.
When the veggies are tender, transfer them to a dish and return the skillet to the heat. Add additional oil and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add half of the chopped steak and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until no pink remains. Season with ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt and ½ teaspoon garlic pepper while cooking. Transfer the first batch of steak with a slotted spoon to the dish with the onions and peppers, leaving the juice behind in the pan. Add additional oil, if needed and repeat with remaining steak and seasoning.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Split open the hoagies rolls but do not separate them. Spread them with the softened butter and place them on a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted.
Drain off all of the juices from the pan and return to the stove. Add back all of the steak and the onions and peppers. Place 7 provolone slices over the mixture in a circle and cover the pan. Cook on MEDIUM until cheese melts, about 4 to 5 minutes, then stir and use tongs to transfer to the toasted sandwich rolls.

Eat This, Not That!

Bizarre Food Combos People Swear By

Vanilla Ice Cream and Olive Oil

This is a new trend that has popped up recently. Many people are coming to find that it is a great way to make plain ice cream more decadent. The olive oil gives a nutty, almost fruity, rich taste to the neutral flavours of the vanilla in the ice cream.

Orange Juice and Oatmeal

Now, you might be thinking “I’ve had this meal before at breakfast, that isn’t a weird combo.” I understand, this is a stable on our morning tables growing up but have you had them in the same bowl before? One source says to let the oats soak up the oj instead of milk or water to give it a tangy robust taste. Even add a topper of something like coconut to help round out the tropical feel.

Avocado and Chocolate

Adding avocado to your chocolate is actually a very healthy option when making a chocolate mousse. The creaminess of the avocado help elevate the mousse to an indulgent dessert. Just add your favorite toppers afterwards like mint leaves, nuts, or berries.

Milkshake and Fries

This is a weird but classic food combination that just about everyone can swear by. The sweet and delightful taste of the milkshake and the salty, crispy texture of the fries blend so well together. Just dunk a few fries in your milkshake and you won’t be the same, you will keep going back for more. Trust me!

March 24th 2025

Thought of the Day

Even the best weeks start on Monday.

Classic Lobster Newburg

Ingredients

Directions

Thought of the Day

The National Security Council is looking into the matter

There are strict laws around handling defense information

North Carolina fires

South Carolina fires

How a September hurricane is creating March fires

New Jersey fire

Fire forecast

Cats and Baths

Philly Cheesesteak with Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

Directions

Bizarre Food Combos People Swear By

Vanilla Ice Cream and Olive Oil

Orange Juice and Oatmeal

Avocado and Chocolate

Milkshake and Fries

Thought of the Day

Recent News