Roughly 20 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina reopened to traffic Wednesday, though many more miles remain closed as cleanup and damage repairs tied to Hurricane Helene continued along the iconic route.

Legislation that would underwrite grants for the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sea turtles is languishing in the U.S. Senate with the clock running down on the current session of Congress.

Despite the iconic image of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad that was sealed with a golden spike hammered into a laurel railroad tie, the closing weeks of the engineering feat were frenzied.

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in North Carolina remains closed due to impacts from the closing fury of Hurricane Helene. The closure includes all trails, park grounds, and facilities. The park will re-open once damage assessments have been made and the park is deemed safe for visitation.