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Florida, Alabama and Mississippi declared states of emergency on Saturday as Subtropical Storm Alberto drove north toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, threatening to bring heavy rainfall and flooding to the coastal states by Monday. The first named Atlantic storm of 2018 is expected to intensify and bring wind speeds of up to 65 miles per hour (40 km/h) to the northern Gulf Coast when it approaches on the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest advisory.

Sat, 26 May 2018 22:46:33 -0400

By Jonathan Landay and Angus Berwick WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) - American missionary Josh Holt, held by Venezuela without trial on weapons charges since 2016, returned home with his wife on Saturday after the South American country's socialist government unexpectedly released them. The freeing of the Mormon missionary from Utah came despite deepening U.S.-Venezuelan tensions that in the last week saw tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, Washington's refusal to recognize the May 20 re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the imposition of new U.S. sanctions on Caracas.

Sat, 26 May 2018 22:04:00 -0400

WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) - American missionary Josh Holt, held by Venezuela without trial on weapons charges since 2016, returned home with his wife on Saturday after the South American country's socialist government unexpectedly released him. The freeing of the Mormon missionary from Utah came despite deepening U.S.-Venezuelan tensions that in the last week saw tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, Washington's refusal to recognize the May 20 re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the imposition of new U.S. sanctions on Caracas.

Sat, 26 May 2018 19:58:01 -0400

Florida and Mississippi on Saturday declared states of emergency as Subtropical Storm Alberto moves north toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, threatening to bring heavy rainfall and flooding by Monday. All 67 Florida counties were issued the notice to give state and local governments enough time and resources to prepare, Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a statement. "As we continue to monitor Subtropical Storm Alberto's northward path toward Florida, it is critically important that all Florida counties have every available resource to keep families safe and prepare for the torrential rain and severe flooding this storm will bring," Scott said.

Sat, 26 May 2018 19:54:40 -0400

By Joyln Rosa HONOLULU (Reuters) - A series of summit explosions on Saturday from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano spewed ash up to 11,000 feet (3,353 m) and dusted the grey powdered rock on communities to the southwest, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. The three explosions, which began around 12:42 a.m. (6:42 a.m. ET/1042 GMT)), marked the latest bursts of ash and volcanic smog from Kilauea during the fourth week of what geologists rank as one of its biggest eruption cycles in a century. Residents downwind of Kilauea were advised by County of Hawaii Civil Defense to avoid exposure to ash, which can cause eye irritation and breathing difficulties, particularly in people with respiratory problems.

Sat, 26 May 2018 16:16:06 -0400