Immigration in 2024 drove U.S. population growth to its fastest rate in 23 years as the nation surpassed 340 million residents.

The Associated Press interviewed and photographed dozens of South Koreans for a detailed look at the nation’s stark division over North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s headlong pursuit of nuclear-tipped missiles targeting the South and its major ally and protector, the United States.

No food tour is complete without a stop in H-Town. Louisiana Fish Fry is on a quest to find the best fried chicken sandwich in the country. Houstonian Rashad Jiles competed in their competition last month and came out on top. He's sharing his recipe with us before he takes his sandwich to New York for the national round.

Public health experts from some of the nation’s leading research universities have deployed a massive medical trailer to rural parts of the South as part of an ambitious and unusual new health study.

Dixie Longate is known for her hilarious one-woman shows that bring audiences to their feet. She's back on tour with her newest adventure, 'Cherry Bombs and Bottle Rockets,' and she's sure to leave you feeling good and laughing till it hurts. Check out Dixie's chat with Houston Life's Derrick Shore ahead of her next performances in Galveston, TX.

Experts say planning before a tornado threatens is key for staying safe.

A decisive vote against the United Auto Workers at two Mercedes factories in Alabama sidetracked the union's grand plan to sign up workers at nonunion plants mainly in the South.

At least one person is dead in Florida as powerful storms continue to pummel the South during a week of severe weather across the U.S. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for some north Florida counties.

The United Auto Workers union is celebrating a huge win at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where workers will now be represented by the union.

A major spring storm is hitting parts of the central United States with heavy snow, rain and high winds.

Here is what you need to know about 610 closures this weekend:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said his country would no longer pursue reconciliation with South Korea and called for rewriting the North’s constitution to eliminate the idea of shared statehood between the war-divided countries.

Immigration powered population gains in the United States for a second year in a row.

The United Auto Workers union has announced plans to try to simultaneously organize workers at more than a dozen nonunion auto factories.

This year, El Nino is in place heading into winter for the first time in four years, driving the outlook for warmer-than-average temperatures for the northern tier of the continental United States, according to NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook released last week by the Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National Weather Service.

The upcoming United States winter looks likely to be a bit low on snow and extreme cold outbreaks, with federal forecasters predicting the North to get warmer than normal and the South wetter and stormier.

Warnings and advisories for excessive heat are also in place across the Southwest and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Texas’ power grid operator is asking residents to voluntarily cut back on electricity due to anticipated record demand on the system as a heat wave keeps parts of the state and southern U.S. in triple-digit temperatures.

A pedestrian was fatally struck on IH-45 Gulf southbound at Beltway 8-South Thursday, which caused a complete shutdown, according to the Houston Police Department.

Damaging winds and tornadoes have toppled trees, damaged buildings and left tens of thousands without power as a powerful storm system crosses the South.

Authorities say five people were killed when a tornado tore through an area of rural southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday.

The United States is Earth's punching bag for nasty weather.

Southern states are more frequently turning to pay-to-use express lanes as a way to address highway congestion without raising taxes.

A large storm system is taking aim at the Northeast, threatening heavy snow and coastal flooding after heavy winds and possible tornadoes damaged homes and buildings, left thousands without power and caused 10 deaths in the South.

The U.S. population center is on track this decade to take a southern swerve for the first time in history.

A species of glass frogs found in South and Central America has the rare ability to turn on and off its transparent appearance.

All the northbound lanes on Southwest Freeway near Highway 288 are back open Tuesday after a crash involving a big rig, officers with the Houston Police Department said.

MacKenzie Scott is dedicating an unusually large share of her giving to nonprofits in the South — a region that megaphilanthropy and particularly tech donors have long been criticized for ignoring.

Hurricane Ian hits South Carolina early this afternoon

Following a string of union victories at Amazon and Starbucks, a group of prominent progressive grantmakers is seeking to put a total of $20 million into a coalition with organized labor that will steer funds to organizing and advocacy campaigns in the South.

People are flocking to pools, beaches and cooling centers in a swath of the Midwest and South spanning from northern Florida to the Great Lakes, as a heat wave pushed temperatures into the 90s and beyond and may have caused the deaths of at least two people in the Milwaukee area.

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called the South Korean defense minister a “scum-like guy” for talking about preemptive strikes on the North and warned the South may face “a serious threat.”.

Forecasters say large parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky will be at risk of powerful thunderstorms and possibly tornadoes as a storm system sweeps into the South.

School district leaders are desperately trying to fill vacant roles to stay open and some say they have no choice but to close.

Many schools are pushing through with plans for in-person classes despite a surge in COVID-19 cases as they try to reassure parents and students they are prepared to open safely this week.

COVID-19 deaths and cases in the U.S. have climbed to levels not seen seen since last winter, wiping out months of progress and potentially bolstering President Joe Biden’s argument for sweeping new vaccination requirements.

Home construction fell a sharp 7% in July as homebuilders struggled to cope with a variety of headwinds.

Nanci Griffith, the Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter from Texas whose literary songs like “Love at the Five and Dime” celebrated the South, has died.

The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has crossed 100,000 new confirmed daily infections.

Street racing led to a rollover crash in north Harris County, Harris County authorities said Friday.

When many people think of leather around the country, they usually focus on coats, boots or purses during the winter, but if you’re from the South, then you know the use of leather expands much further and is used year-round.

It looks like something to celebrate: small businesses posting “Help Wanted” signs as the economy edges toward normalcy.

HOUSTON – Houston Life has hit the road South to Galveston and we brought our Houston Life Prize Wheel along for the ride. This is the opportunity for you, our viewers to win BIG prizes when you have your chance to spin to win. Every Friday, Derrick and Courtney will spin the game show wheel and give viewers like you a chance to win prizes. Spinning today is Courtney Long from Katy. Check out the full clip above to see what Courtney won.

HOUSTON – Houston Life has hit the road South to Galveston, and we brought our Houston Life Prize Wheel along for the ride. This is the opportunity for you, our viewers to win BIG prizes when you have your chance to spin to win. Every Friday, Derrick and Courtney will spin the game show wheel and give viewers like you a chance to win prizes. Spinning today is Patricia Ochoa from the Southbelt Ellington area. Check out the full clip above to see what Patricia won.

Republicans argued that the death penalty should remain a sentencing option for especially heinous crimes and to bring justice to victims and their families. In addition to the 23 states that have now abolished the death penalty, three others have moratoriums in place that were imposed by their governors. Jason Miyares, a death penalty supporter, expressed disappointment in the new law. AdRobert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, and a death penalty opponent, said abolishing executions in Virginia could mark the beginning of the end for capital punishment in the South, where the highest number of prisoners are put to death. It is the moral thing to do — to end the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” he said.

Over decades, many white workers have drifted toward Republicans, attracted in part by cultural identity and an anti-establishment posture. Even without that law, labor leaders say the Amazon result could be a springboard for labor organizing nationwide. Merritt, an expert on Southern labor politics, drew a straight line from the pre-Civil War economy to the current climate. Before slavery’s abolition, she said, white workers were threatened -- explicitly or implicitly -- with being replaced by slaves, stripping them of any leverage with employers. Eventually, northern industrialists entered Southern markets, joining white Southern land barons to take advantage of cheap labor in industries including textiles, steel and mining.

Diana Foss, Texas Parks and Wildlife Urban Wildlife Biologist attempts to find any surviving Mexican Free-tailed bats in a pile of dead bats at Waugh Drive in Buffalo Bayou Park, where it was impacted by the winter storm Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Houston. Bats are among numerous wildlife believed to have taken a beating in the South, a region unaccustomed to such a severe and prolonged cold snap. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said it expected casualties among exotic deer and antelope. AdIn South Texas, bur clover, a winter weed crucial for deer in spring, was showing freeze burn. Long-term, the biggest concerns are for birds and bats, both of which had absorbed heavy blows even before the storm.

Joggers run down a street empty of cars Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Nolensville, Tenn. A second winter storm in a week is bringing more snow to much of Tennessee. A rural hospital in Anahuac, Texas, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Houston, lost both water and power. Memphis, Light, Gas & Water issued a boil-water advisory on Thursday out of concern that low water pressure caused by problems at aging pumping stations and water main ruptures could lead to contamination. That hospital has a water purification system for dialysis and has water reserves for tasks such as cooking and bathing patients, he said. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare also reported problems at some of its Memphis-area facilities due to water pressure problems and the boil advisory.

Houston and several surrounding cities are under a boil water notice as many residents are still without running water in their homes. But the crisis was far from over in parts of the South, where many people still lacked safe drinking water. The next phase of the state’s disaster response will be to test drinking water from systems knocked offline by the cold. Power was cut to a New Orleans facility that pumps drinking water from the Mississippi River and generators were used until electricity was restored. Drinking water was made available at fire stations throughout Jackson and officials also planned to set up bottled water pickup sites.

FILE- In this Sept. 14, 2017, file photo, Indian army trucks drive near Pangong Tso lake near the India China border in India's Ladakh area. According to India, Chinese soldiers occupied the area between Fingers 4 and 8 last year. “Reciprocally, the Indian troops will be based at their permanent base” near Finger 3, Singh said. LAC is broken in parts where the Himalayan nations of Nepal and Bhutan border China. According to some Indian and Chinese strategic experts, India’s move exacerbated existing tensions with China, leading to the June border clash.

Just look at cherry blossoms opening several days earlier in Japan and Washington, D.C., he said. The South and southern Midwest are getting pollen season about 1.3 days earlier each year, while it’s coming about 1.1 days earlier in the West, he said. The northern Midwest is getting allergy season about 0.65 days earlier per year, and it’s coming 0.33 days earlier a year in the Southeast. Since 1990, about half of the earlier pollen season can be attributed to climate change — mostly from the warmer temperatures — but also from the plant-feeding carbon dioxide, Anderegg said. But since the 2000s, about 65% of earlier pollen seasons can be blamed on warming, he said.

In this undated photo provided by Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, Dr. Stanley Fineman looks through a microscope at Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Center in Atlanta to examine the pollen. Just look at cherry blossoms opening several days earlier in Japan and Washington, D.C., he said. The South and southern Midwest are getting pollen season about 1.3 days earlier each year, while it’s coming about 1.1 days earlier in the West, he said. The northern Midwest is getting allergy season about 0.65 days earlier per year, and it’s coming 0.33 days earlier a year in the Southeast. But since the 2000s, about 65% of earlier pollen seasons can be blamed on warming, he said.

CONROE, Texas – Two local Firehouse Subs locations hope to bring smiles to nursing home residents isolated during the coronavirus pandemic. Both locations, 235 I-45 South, Suite A in Huntsville and 3021 I-45 North in Conroe are running the Silver Valentine Donation Drive from now until Valentine’s Day, inviting guests to donate traditional Valentine’s gifts and comfort items. “We wanted to continue this support for our local senior citizens especially, and show them they’re cared for even if they are unable to spend quality time with others right now,” said Jill Jackson, Firehouse Subs franchise manager in a news release. Guests can drop off items at either or both restaurant locations during business hours between 10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Items accepted are blankets, activity books, socks, slippers, and traditional Valentine’s Day gifts such as teddy bears.

Here are things to know for Monday, Jan. 25:1. More than 40% of Americans now live in areas running out of ICU space, with only 15% of beds still available. Intensive care units are the final defense for the sickest of the sick, patients who are nearly suffocating or facing organ failure. A Texas Tag system upgrade could cause major problems for your budget if you’re not prepared. The system was still down on Jan. 11, meaning not a single toll had been deducted from any accounts in two months.

FILE- In this Sept. 14, 2017, file photo, Indian army trucks drive near Pangong Tso lake near the India China border in India's Ladakh area. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)SRINAGAR – Indian and Chinese soldiers brawled last week along the countries' disputed border, Indian officials said Monday, as a monthslong standoff between the nuclear-armed rivals continued. Two Indian security officials said at least 18 Chinese soldiers tried to cross into Indian-claimed territory at Naku La last Wednesday night and were blocked by Indian soldiers, leading to clashes with sticks and stones. The two officials said over a dozen Indian soldiers and at least eight Chinese soldiers received minor injuries. The frontier is broken in parts where the Himalayan nations of Nepal and Bhutan border China, and where Sikkim, the site of the latest brawl, is sandwiched.

The NAACP's Legal Defense Fund launched a $40 million scholarship program on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, to create a new generation of civil rights lawyers. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi, left, and Henry Griffin)ATLANTA – The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund launched a $40 million scholarship program on Monday to support a new generation of civil rights lawyers, dedicated to pursuing racial justice across the South. With that whopping gift from a single anonymous donor, the fund plans to put 50 students through law schools around the country. In return, they must commit to eight years of racial justice work in the South, starting with a two-year post-graduate fellowship in a civil rights organization. “The donor very much wanted to support the development of civil rights lawyers in the South.

(AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)Mexico posted a record spike in coronavirus cases on Friday, with 21,366 newly confirmed infections, about double the daily rate of increase just a week ago. The National Health Commission said 90 of those confirmed cases were in Hebei province, adjacent to Beijing, where the country’s biggest recent outbreak occurred. State health officials announced this week that vaccine eligibility would be expanded to educators and seniors beginning Jan. 23. But federal officials have since said the stockpile was exhausted when those promises were made and governors can’t expect any windfall shipments. President Donald Trump had invoked the Defense Production Act to address various aspects of the COVID-19 public health crisis.

People stand in lines to get COVID-19 tests in Samut Sakhon, South of Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. Thailand’s Disease Control Department said Sunday that they found 141 more cases linked to the market outbreak. The new outbreak has been traced to a 67-year-old shrimp vendor at the seafood market. At the Mahachai seafood market, there was a listless atmosphere as idle workers sat around, unable to leave the area. With fewer than 5,000 cases and 60 deaths, Thailand has been able to largely control the virus.

Health workers record migrant workers ahead of collecting nasal swab samples from them to test for COVID-19 in Samut Sakhon, south of Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. Thailand on Sunday reported a few new local infections, a day after identifying more than 500 cases south of Bangkok in a country that had largely brought the pandemic under control. (AP Photo/ Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul)SYDNEY – The outbreak in Sydney’s northern beach suburbs has grown to 70 cases with an additional 30 in the last 24 hours, and authorities say they may never be able to trace the source. A new list of cases, however, shows the virus had spread to greater Sydney and other parts of the state. Thailand’s Disease Control Department said Sunday that they found 141 more cases linked to the market outbreak.

Two-thirds of the United States should get a warmer than normal winter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted. Only Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas and northwestern Minnesota, will get a colder than normal winter, forecasters said. The rest of the nation will likely be closer to normal, NOAA said. Judah Cohen, a winter weather specialist for the private firm Atmospheric Environmental Research, sees a harsher winter for the Northeast than NOAA does. But he said La Nina is the strongest indicator among several for what drives winter weather.

HOUSTON – Here is a list of high water locations being reported in the Houston area by Houston Transtar. SH-87/ Broadway Northbound Between 4TH ST to SH-124 All Mainlanes Closed beginning Monday, September 21, 2020 8:30 PMSH-87/ Broadway Southbound Between SH-124 to 4TH ST All Mainlanes Closed beginning Monday, September 21, 2020 8:30 PMSH-35 Northbound At BELTWAY 8-SOUTH to FUQUA 3 Frontage Lane(s) Closed on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PMIH-45 GULF Northbound At TRAVIS Entrance Ramp Closed beginning Tuesday, September 22, 2020 9:00 AMIH-45 NORTH Southbound At IH-10 East/ Milam Exit Ramp Closed beginning Tuesday, September 22, 2020 9:00 AMIH-10 KATY Eastbound At Smith St/ Louisiana St Exit Ramp Closed beginning Tuesday, September 22, 2020 5:30 PMIH-10 EAST Eastbound At MONMOUTH DR 3 Frontage Lane(s), Frontage Road U-turn Closed beginning Monday, September 21, 2020 9:00 AMIH-10 EAST Westbound At MONMOUTH DR 3 Frontage Lane(s), Frontage Road U-turn Closed beginning Monday, September 21, 2020 9:00 AMCheck the latest traffic conditions here.

“When you see us, you say ‘that’s Desus & Mero from The Bronx’ but once you strip away the New York-specific slang, locations, you’re like 'Yo, That’s Desus & Mero from the Fifth Ward. Every hood has a Desus & Mero because every town has a hood. So, when you see us, you’re like 'those remind me of people I grew up with, '” said Desus Nice, co-host of DESUS & MERO on Showtime. (L-R) Desus Nice and The Kid Mero in DESUS & MERO "Su-Su-Sucio". The duo are now authors with the release of their life advice book called “God-Level Knowledge Darts: Life Lessons from The Bronx,” available for pre-order now.

Of the states yet to vote, Tennessee was the only one where ratification was considered possible under prevailing political conditions. At that time, women in more than half the states could vote in presidential elections. The attitude was, If you ratify the 19th Amendment, youre not a good son of the South,' Spruill said. 'These white radical women from outside are going to insist that Black women get the vote. The 19th Amendment was a starting point, wrote Sharon Harley, a professor of African American Studies at the University of Maryland.

Construction of U.S. homes jumped 17.3% in June as some states reopened, but the pace still lags last year after this spring's massive slowdown in building activity due to the coronavirus outbreak. Even after a second straight month of increases, construction activity remains 4% below last years pace. Applications for building permits, a good indication of future activity, rose 2.1% to 1.24 million units. Home builders had been hopeful that housing would recover as the nation reopens, spurred by the lowest mortgage rates in 50 years. However its unclear whether the rebound is sustainable as infections have spiked, especially in the South, where business have reopened and people have been increasingly venturing outside of their homes.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. A woman taking a jog Tuesday morning discovered a human head on the side of a Florida road, police said. The head was found in St. Petersburg, in a grassy area between the sidewalk and the edge of 38th Ave. South, between 31st and 34th streets South, WKMG reported. St. Petersburg police tweeted, Investigating human head found on the side of the road on 38th Av S between 31st and 34th St. South. The jogger told police she didnt see anything when she passed by the area during a run on Sunday. #stpetepd investigating human head found on the side of the road on 38th Av S between 31st and 34th St. South.

FILE - This June 23, 2015 file photo shows a carving depicting Confederate Civil War figures Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, in Stone Mountain, Ga. But the largest Confederate monument ever crafted colossal figures carved into the solid rock of a Georgia mountainside may outlast them all. And Democratic proposals to strip the protective language from Georgia law have fallen flat with the Republican-controlled Legislature. The group hired sculptor Gutzon Borglum who later would carve Mount Rushmore to design a massive Confederate monument in 1915. Its website highlights miniature golf and a dinosaur-themed attraction while downplaying the Confederate carving, Confederate flags and brick terraces dedicated to each Confederate state.

Rhett and Scarlett are back on HBO Max, along with some criticism of slavery and race relations in the South that was missing from "Gone with the Wind." HBO pulled the film classic "Gone with the Wind" from its new streaming service two weeks ago in the wake of national protests against racism and deaths of African Americans at the hands of police. "Watching 'Gone With the Wind' can be uncomfortable, even painful," says Stewart. "Still, it is important that classic Hollywood films are available to us in their original form for viewing and discussion." HBO Max also included a second feature, an hour-long panel discussion filmed at the Turner Classic Movies film festival in April of 2019, entitled The complicated legacy of Gone with the Wind. Both HBO and TCM are owned by Warner Media, a unit of AT&T, as is CNN.

But this week it appeared to shift speed by suspending purported plans to take unspecified retaliatory action against South Korea. The North may want a South Korean commitment to resume operations at a shuttered jointly-run factory park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong, which was where the liaison office was located, or to restart South Korean tours to the Norths Diamond Mountain resort. However, any action is likely to be measured in a way to avoid a full-scale retaliation by the U.S. and South Korean militaries. They also vowed to restart South Korean tours to Diamond Mountain and operations at the Kaesong factory park when possible, expressing hope that sanctions would end. South Korea needs to quickly shift its focus from developing inter-Korean relations to managing inter-Korean hostilities, said Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute.

(CNN) Officials in states across the South are warning that more young people are testing positive for coronavirus. Those younger groups testing positive are mostly asymptomatic and don't require clinical attention, the governor said. "We're also seeing that not only are they testing positive because they're testing more, they're also testing positive at a higher rate increasingly over the last week," DeSantis said, adding there's evidence of transmission between those younger groups. And Georgia's largest hospital also reported seeing an increase in patients in their 20s and 30s, according to CNN affiliate WSB. And the age of the people testing positive is trending younger, he told the news station.

The car of Bubba Wallace (43) is prepped on pit row prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega Ala., Monday June 22, 2020. Wallace climbed out of his car and wept. The race began with Martin Truex Jr. on the pole in front of a mostly empty venue. Up to 5,000 fans were allowed into Talladega for the race only the second race with fans since NASCAR returned from the pandemic-forced shutdown but attendance was significantly lower Monday after the one-day postponement because of rain. It doesnt matter what your opinion is, its when you cross that line, then your opinion no longer matters.

WASHINGTON US home construction rebounded 4.3% in May after steep declines caused by shutdowns due to the coronavirus. Compared with last year, however, construction activity remains 23.2% below last year's pace. Hot spots are popping up in regions of the country where building activity is increasing, but not in the South, where housing starts slid. The report showed that construction of new single-family homes was up 5.4% while construction of apartments with five units or more increased 16.9%. Construction was up a huge 69.8% in the West and 12.8% in the Northeast but housing starts fell 16% in the South, the biggest market for home construction, and were down 1.5% in the Midwest.

NEW YORK HBO Max has temporarily removed Gone With the Wind from its streaming library in order to add historical context to the 1939 film long criticized for romanticizing slavery and the Civil War-era South. Protests in the wake of George Floyd's death have forced entertainment companies to grapple with the appropriateness of both current and past productions. The BBC also removed episodes of Little Britain," a comedy series that featured a character in blackface, from its streaming service. "These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible, said an HBO Max spokesman in a statement. Gone With the Wind has long been denounced for featuring slave characters who remain loyal to their former owners after the abolition of slavery.

(CNN) US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper are said to be open to holding a "bipartisan conversation" about renaming nearly a dozen major bases and installations that bear the names of Confederate military commanders, according to an Army official. Army installations named after Confederate leaders include Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas and Fort A.P. And on Friday, the US Marine Corps announced it had ordered the removal of all public displays of the Confederate flag from Marine installations. The flag of the Confederacy, its symbols and the statues commemorating Confederate leaders have long divided the country. Still, Army bases across the country have continued to bear the names of Confederate military commanders even amid intense external pressure to rename them.

Scarlet SnakeDistribution: Southeast, Northeast, South, Midwest5. RacerDistribution: Southeast, Southwest, Canada, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South6. Ring-necked SnakeDistribution: Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South, Canada8. Rat SnakeDistribution: Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, South, Canada13. Smooth Earth SnakeDistribution: Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, South

North Korea has threatened to end an inter-Korean military agreement reached in 2018 to reduce tensions if the South fails to prevent activists from flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border. (Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP, File)SEOUL North Korea threatened on Thursday to end an inter-Korean military agreement reached in 2018 to reduce tensions if the South fails to prevent activists from flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border. Sending balloons across the border has been a common activist tactic for years, but North Korea considers it an attack on its government. (South Korean) authorities will be forced to pay a dear price if they let this situation go on while making sort of excuses, she said. After years in her brothers shadow, Kim Yo Jong emerged as part of her brother's diplomatic efforts in 2018.

Then NASCAR will go to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on May 31. NASCAR will then race at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the Truck Series and Xfinity Series on June 6 and the Cup Series on June 7. The Truck Series and Xfinity Series will race June 13, then the Xfinity Series will run again on June 14 in a warm-up for the Cup Series. NASCAR postponed events at Kansas Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, the Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio and the Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway scheduled for June 13 has been moved to Homestead on June 14.

HOUSTON – Houston police said there was a four-vehicle accident involving a dump truck and cement truck on I-45 and Beltway 8-South the Almeda Genoa exit. Police said the accident happened at around 6:45 a.m. The accident has the left lane, center lane, and right lane blocked, officers said. Police said traffic is flowing through the entrance ramp as of now, so drivers should expect delays.

HOUSTON – Crawfish season is upon us here in the South! But did you know that crawfish is known to have more than one name? There are so many names: crayfish, crawdads, mudbugs, ditchbugs, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, and yabbies. The Dictionary of American English, or DARE, surveyed several ways in which different crawfish names were inspired by different dialects of the South. Historically, “crayfish” and “crawfish” come from an old French word “escrevisse”, which was modified over time.