Latest news with #AleutianIslands
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Why Alaska's recent 7.3 earthquake has caught the attention of scientists
A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off Alaska's Aleutian Islands on Wednesday, prompting a tsunami warning and calls for coastal residents to seek higher ground, though officials later confirmed no significant damage or injuries. The tremor, which hit a seismically active region that has seen several strong quakes in the past five years, including a similar event almost exactly two years ago, initially triggered fears of a large wave. However, the tsunami warning was downgraded after about an hour. Communities spanning a 700-mile (1,127-km) stretch of Alaska 's southern coast had advised residents to evacuate. The National Tsunami Warning Center reported the maximum wave height at Sand Point, 55 miles (88 kilometres) north of the epicentre, was a mere 3.9 inches (10 centimetres), occurring at low tide. Despite the initial alarm, authorities confirmed on Thursday that there had been no reports of injuries or major damage from the event. Earthquake sparked tsunami warning The earthquake struck at 12:37 p.m. local time, prompting the center's tsunami warning. There are a number of ways people in warning areas can receive notifications, including the sounding of sirens in communities that have them, listening to weather radio or public radio broadcasts, following official accounts on social media, or via push alerts on cellphones. In some places, local officials have relayed warnings door to door, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson with the state's emergency management division. Public safety departments in King Cove and Unalaska sent alerts urging those in coastal areas or those that could see inundation to seek higher ground. The warning issued by the center was downgraded to an advisory before being canceled around 2:45 p.m. Alaska is one of world's most seismically active regions Alaska is the most earthquake -prone state in the U.S. and one of the most seismically active regions in the world, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The state experiences a magnitude 7 earthquake almost annually, and the second-largest earthquake ever recorded was centered about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Anchorage, the agency said. That 1964 magnitude 9.2 earthquake — and the tsunami it triggered — killed about 130 people. The Aleutian arc is no stranger to earthquakes, but the activity in the region where Wednesday's earthquake struck has gotten scientists' attention. The area, within a few hundred miles of the earthquake, has 'lit up' since 2020, with Wednesday's earthquake marking the fifth exceeding magnitude 7.0 since 2020, said state seismologist Michael West. 'I would not call this an isolated earthquake. It appears to be part of a larger sequence spanning the last several years," he said. But West added: 'There's no reason to be alarmist about this.' People should continue to heed warnings, officials say Some communities have buildings designated on higher ground as meet-up points during tsunami warnings, such as a school, while others might simply urge residents to retreat up a hillside, Zidek said. 'That area of Alaska, most areas of Alaska, it gets steep real quick,' he said. Sometimes, the only warning one might have is the shaking ground, Zidek said. 'If it shakes violently for 20 seconds or more, that is your warning sign, and you should head to higher ground if you're in a coastal area,' he said. Zidek and West said people should continue to heed warnings. West said he worries about a 'burnout effect' among residents in the region, some of whom have evacuated numerous times since 2018 in response to larger earthquakes that have not caused significant damage. West said he is reminded of a magnitude 8.6 earthquake in 1946 — west of the location of Wednesday's quake — that generated a deadly tsunami and led to the creation of a U.S. tsunami warning system. The death toll included more than 150 people in Hawaii, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'This area is capable of trans-Pacific tsunamis, and I feel like maybe the best way to stay vigilant ... is maybe to look into our deeper history beyond just the last five years,' he said
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Alaska is the most earthquake-prone state. Here is why Wednesday's earthquake was notable
Alaska-Quake JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Wednesday's magnitude 7.3 earthquake off Alaska's Aleutian Islands chain struck in a region that has experienced a handful of powerful quakes within the last five years — including one that shook communities almost exactly two years earlier. Officials said Thursday they had received no reports of injuries or major damage from the latest event, which triggered a tsunami warning that lasted about an hour before being downgraded and prompted communities along a 700-mile (1,127-km) stretch of Alaska's southern coast to urge people to move to higher ground. The official maximum wave height at Sand Point, a community 55 miles (88 kilometers) north of the epicenter, was about 3.9 inches (10 centimeters), said Kara Sterling, a lead duty scientist at the National Tsunami Warning Center. It occurred at low tide. Earthquake sparked tsunami warnings The earthquake struck at 12:37 p.m. local time, prompting the center's tsunami warning. There are a number of ways people in warning areas can receive notifications, including the sounding of sirens in communities that have them, listening to weather radio or public radio broadcasts, following official accounts on social media, or via push alerts on cellphones. In some places, local officials have relayed warnings door to door, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson with the state's emergency management division. Public safety departments in King Cove and Unalaska sent alerts urging those in coastal areas or those that could see inundation to seek higher ground. The warning issued by the center was downgraded to an advisory before being canceled around 2:45 p.m. Alaska is one of world's most seismically active regions Alaska is the most earthquake-prone state in the U.S. and one of the most seismically active regions in the world, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The state experiences a magnitude 7 earthquake almost annually, and the second-largest earthquake ever recorded was centered about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Anchorage, the agency said. That 1964 magnitude 9.2 earthquake — and the tsunami it triggered — killed about 130 people. The Aleutian arc is no stranger to earthquakes, but the activity in the region where Wednesday's earthquake struck has gotten scientists' attention. The area, within a few hundred miles of the earthquake, has 'lit up' since 2020, with Wednesday's earthquake marking the fifth exceeding magnitude 7.0 since 2020, said state seismologist Michael West. 'I would not call this an isolated earthquake. It appears to be part of a larger sequence spanning the last several years," he said. But West added: 'There's no reason to be alarmist about this.' People should continue to heed warnings, officials say Some communities have buildings designated on higher ground as meetup points during tsunami warnings, such as a school, while others might simply urge residents to retreat up a hillside, Zidek said. 'That area of Alaska, most areas of Alaska, it gets steep real quick,' he said. Sometimes, the only warning one might have is the shaking ground, Zidek said. 'If it shakes violently for 20 seconds or more, that is your warning sign, and you should head to higher ground if you're in a coastal area,' he said. Zidek and West said people should continue to heed warnings. West said he worries about a 'burnout effect' among residents in the region, some of whom have evacuated numerous times since 2018 in response to larger earthquakes that have not caused significant damage. West said he is reminded of a magnitude 8.6 earthquake in 1946 — west of the location of Wednesday's quake — that generated a deadly tsunami and led to the creation of a U.S. tsunami warning system. The death toll included more than 150 people in Hawaii, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 'This area is capable of trans-Pacific tsunamis, and I feel like maybe the best way to stay vigilant ... is maybe to look into our deeper history beyond just the last five years,' he said.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Searching for pennies: With the cut in federal funding public broadcasters are looking to cope
Lauren Adams, general manager for KUCB public radio in Unalaska, Alaska, didn't have much time to reflect on Congress, 4,000 miles away, stripping federal funding for public media this week. She's been too busy working. Sirens blared in the Aleutian Islands community Wednesday warning of a potential tsunami, with a voice over public loudspeakers urging the community's 4,100 residents to seek higher ground immediately and tune into the radio — to Adams' station. At the same time in Washington, the Senate was voting on a measure that would eliminate nearly $1.1 billion that had already been appropriated for NPR and PBS — a process that didn't end until early Thursday morning. The House is expected to complete the process in time for President Donald Trump to sign it before a Friday deadline. Trump had called for the cuts, saying public media's news programming was biased against him and fellow Republicans, and threatened GOP members of Congress with primary challenges if they didn't fall in line. Adams, her news director, a reporter and an intern kept broadcasting and updating KUCB's social media feed until the danger passed. Then she made time for one more task — texting U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and urging her to vote against the bill. Murkowski was one of two Republican senators, along with Susan Collins of Maine, to publicly dissent. 'I thought that it was such a telling story of why her constituents have a different relationship to public radio than maybe some other regions of the United States,' Adams said. Hard decisions ahead for stations across the country The federal money is appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes it to NPR and PBS. Roughly 70% of the money goes directly to the 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country, although that's only a shorthand way to describe its potential impact. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it's likely some won't survive. Katherine Maher, NPR's president and CEO, estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may face closure in the next year. Some stations are already fielding offers from commercial entities to buy their broadcast licenses, she said. 'Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead,' said Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO. 'There is nothing more American than PBS. Despite today's setback, we are determined to keep fighting to preserve the essential services we provide to the American public.' The measure will cost PBS and NPR stations in Mississippi roughly $2 million, about 15% of the budget, said Royal Aills, executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Already, Mississippi Public Broadcasting has decided to eliminate a streaming channel that airs children's programming like 'Caillou' and 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' to the state's youngsters 24 hours a day, said Taiwo Gaynor, the system's chief content officer. 'This is important for families, to have access to content that they don't have to pay for,' Gaynor said. 'That is a sad thought, to think that we ... might not be able to provide that for a generation of children.' Maine's public media system is looking at a hit of $2.5 million, or about 12% of its budget, for the next fiscal year, said Rick Schneider, president and chief executive officer of Maine Public. He said he's not ready to identify specific cuts, but the system is preparing to reinvent itself to make certain it continues serving the state's residents. Maine's rural residents rely heavily on public media for weather updates and disaster alerts, said Molly Curren Rowles, executive director of ACLU of Maine. Rowles said public media was a 'lifeline' to her growing up off the grid. Bracing for trouble at stations that take pride in music discovery NPR's Maher fears what the cuts might mean for the system's journalism, not just in rural areas where local news can be hard to come by, but in telling the rest of the country what is going on there. Less funding will also mean less support for popular television and radio programming, although it's too soon to tell which programs will be affected. NPR stations also use millions of dollars in federal money to pay music licensing fees. Now many will have to renegotiate these deals, which could mean less music, or a more limited variety of music, on outlets where music discovery is a big part of their identity. For example, Maher estimates that some 96% of all classical music broadcast in the United States is on NPR stations. 'That is essentially taking an entire art form out of public access,' she said. The affair transcends violins and piccolos. NPR received support Thursday from the heavy metal band Gwar, whose lead singer Blothar the Berserker posted a call on social media for fans to pay attention to what is going on with public media. Already, public media is seeing an increase in donations from reader and viewers to support its mission, and stations are actively sounding the alarm. In a plea to listeners on its website Thursday, Philadelphia's WXPN radio pointed to its legacy in helping people discover new music. 'The most important thing you can do is support WXPN and the public media system in a way that is meaningful to you,' the station urged on its website. But donations aren't going to fill the hole left by the loss in federal funding, Maher said. The public media leaders have already turned to lobbying Congress to restore some of the funding through the appropriations process for next year's budget. They don't know how much time they have; Maher said it would be inordinately costly, and perhaps prohibitive, to reopen a radio station that is forced to close. Public media isn't getting any help from states, either. At least five states have reduced their own outlays for public media this year, either for budget or political reasons. Gov. Ron DeSantis, for example, vetoed nearly $6 million that Florida lawmakers had set aside for public broadcasters the day before the state's budget took effect on July 1. 'Done in Florida,' DeSantis responded on social media to a Trump post calling public broadcasting a 'monstrosity' that should be defunded. Meanwhile, back in Alaska ... Back in Alaska, KMXT public radio station's general manager, Jared Griffin, called the Senate vote a 'devastating gut punch.' He estimated that the cuts would amount to 22% of KMXT's budget. Griffin said the station's board has already agreed on a plan to furlough staff members one day a month, and he's taking a 50% pay cut. The station covers Kodiak Island, home to one of the nation's largest U.S. Coast Guard bases. 'We have to dip into our savings while we figure out what KMXT is going to look like over the next six months, Griffin said. 'At least for the next year we'll be fine but we're probably going to have to look at leasing space in our building to other organizations to help fill that gap.' Unalaska resident Nikki Whittern said KUCB plays a vital role in the community during emergencies like the tsunami warning. 'They broadcast everything, and they make sure that everybody knows and everybody's safe,' said Whittern, a bartender. She spoke while preparing to open the Norwegian Rat Saloon — known to local fishermen simply as 'the Rat' — on Thursday morning. ___ Bauder reported from New York. AP correspondents Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Poet in Philadelphia; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Searching for pennies: With the cut in federal funding public broadcasters are looking to cope
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Lauren Adams, general manager for KUCB public radio in Unalaska, Alaska, didn't have much time to reflect on Congress, 4,000 miles away, stripping federal funding for public media this week. She's been too busy working. Sirens blared in the Aleutian Islands community Wednesday warning of a potential tsunami , with a voice over public loudspeakers urging the community's 4,100 residents to seek higher ground immediately and tune into the radio — to Adams' station. At the same time in Washington, the Senate was voting on a measure that would eliminate nearly $1.1 billion that had already been appropriated for NPR and PBS — a process that didn't end until early Thursday morning. The House is expected to complete the process in time for President Donald Trump to sign it before a Friday deadline. Trump had called for the cuts, saying public media's news programming was biased against him and fellow Republicans, and threatened GOP members of Congress with primary challenges if they didn't fall in line. Adams, her news director, a reporter and an intern kept broadcasting and updating KUCB's social media feed until the danger passed. Then she made time for one more task — texting U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and urging her to vote against the bill. Murkowski was one of two Republican senators, along with Susan Collins of Maine, to publicly dissent. 'I thought that it was such a telling story of why her constituents have a different relationship to public radio than maybe some other regions of the United States,' Adams said. The federal money is appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes it to NPR and PBS. Roughly 70% of the money goes directly to the 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country, although that's only a shorthand way to describe its potential impact. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it's likely some won't survive. Katherine Maher, NPR's president and CEO, estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may face closure in the next year. Some stations are already fielding offers from commercial entities to buy their broadcast licenses, she said. 'Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead,' said Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO. 'There is nothing more American than PBS. Despite today's setback, we are determined to keep fighting to preserve the essential services we provide to the American public.' The measure will cost PBS and NPR stations in Mississippi roughly $2 million, about 15% of the budget, said Royal Aills, executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Already, Mississippi Public Broadcasting has decided to eliminate a streaming channel that airs children's programming like 'Caillou' and 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' to the state's youngsters 24 hours a day, said Taiwo Gaynor, the system's chief content officer. 'This is important for families, to have access to content that they don't have to pay for,' Gaynor said. 'That is a sad thought, to think that we ... might not be able to provide that for a generation of children.' Maine's public media system is looking at a hit of $2.5 million, or about 12% of its budget, for the next fiscal year, said Rick Schneider, president and chief executive officer of Maine Public. He said he's not ready to identify specific cuts, but the system is preparing to reinvent itself to make certain it continues serving the state's residents. Maine's rural residents rely heavily on public media for weather updates and disaster alerts, said Molly Curren Rowles, executive director of ACLU of Maine. Rowles said public media was a 'lifeline' to her growing up off the grid. NPR's Maher fears what the cuts might mean for the system's journalism, not just in rural areas where local news can be hard to come by, but in telling the rest of the country what is going on there. Less funding will also mean less support for popular television and radio programming, although it's too soon to tell which programs will be affected. NPR stations also use millions of dollars in federal money to pay music licensing fees. Now many will have to renegotiate these deals , which could mean less music, or a more limited variety of music, on outlets where music discovery is a big part of their identity. For example, Maher estimates that some 96% of all classical music broadcast in the United States is on NPR stations. 'That is essentially taking an entire art form out of public access,' she said. The affair transcends violins and piccolos. NPR received support Thursday from the heavy metal band Gwar, whose lead singer Blothar the Berserker posted a call on social media for fans to pay attention to what is going on with public media. Already, public media is seeing an increase in donations from reader and viewers to support its mission, and stations are actively sounding the alarm. In a plea to listeners on its website Thursday, Philadelphia's WXPN radio pointed to its legacy in helping people discover new music. 'The most important thing you can do is support WXPN and the public media system in a way that is meaningful to you,' the station urged on its website. But donations aren't going to fill the hole left by the loss in federal funding, Maher said. The public media leaders have already turned to lobbying Congress to restore some of the funding through the appropriations process for next year's budget. They don't know how much time they have; Maher said it would be inordinately costly, and perhaps prohibitive, to reopen a radio station that is forced to close. Public media isn't getting any help from states, either. At least five states have reduced their own outlays for public media this year, either for budget or political reasons. Gov. Ron DeSantis, for example, vetoed nearly $6 million that Florida lawmakers had set aside for public broadcasters the day before the state's budget took effect on July 1. 'Done in Florida,' DeSantis responded on social media to a Trump post calling public broadcasting a 'monstrosity' that should be defunded. Back in Alaska, KMXT public radio station's general manager, Jared Griffin, called the Senate vote a 'devastating gut punch.' He estimated that the cuts would amount to 22% of KMXT's budget. Griffin said the station's board has already agreed on a plan to furlough staff members one day a month, and he's taking a 50% pay cut. The station covers Kodiak Island, home to one of the nation's largest U.S. Coast Guard bases. 'We have to dip into our savings while we figure out what KMXT is going to look like over the next six months, Griffin said. 'At least for the next year we'll be fine but we're probably going to have to look at leasing space in our building to other organizations to help fill that gap.' Unalaska resident Nikki Whittern said KUCB plays a vital role in the community during emergencies like the tsunami warning. 'They broadcast everything, and they make sure that everybody knows and everybody's safe,' said Whittern, a bartender. She spoke while preparing to open the Norwegian Rat Saloon — known to local fishermen simply as 'the Rat' — on Thursday morning. ___ Bauder reported from New York. AP correspondents Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Poet in Philadelphia; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
Associated Press
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Searching for pennies: With the cut in federal funding public broadcasters are looking to cope
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Lauren Adams, general manager for KUCB public radio in Unalaska, Alaska, didn't have much time to reflect on Congress, 4,000 miles away, stripping federal funding for public media this week. She's been too busy working. Sirens blared in the Aleutian Islands community Wednesday warning of a potential tsunami, with a voice over public loudspeakers urging the community's 4,100 residents to seek higher ground immediately and tune into the radio — to Adams' station. At the same time in Washington, the Senate was voting on a measure that would eliminate nearly $1.1 billion that had already been appropriated for NPR and PBS — a process that didn't end until early Thursday morning. The House is expected to complete the process in time for President Donald Trump to sign it before a Friday deadline. Trump had called for the cuts, saying public media's news programming was biased against him and fellow Republicans, and threatened GOP members of Congress with primary challenges if they didn't fall in line. Adams, her news director, a reporter and an intern kept broadcasting and updating KUCB's social media feed until the danger passed. Then she made time for one more task — texting U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and urging her to vote against the bill. Murkowski was one of two Republican senators, along with Susan Collins of Maine, to publicly dissent. 'I thought that it was such a telling story of why her constituents have a different relationship to public radio than maybe some other regions of the United States,' Adams said. Hard decisions ahead for stations across the country The federal money is appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes it to NPR and PBS. Roughly 70% of the money goes directly to the 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country, although that's only a shorthand way to describe its potential impact. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it's likely some won't survive. Katherine Maher, NPR's president and CEO, estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may face closure in the next year. Some stations are already fielding offers from commercial entities to buy their broadcast licenses, she said. 'Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead,' said Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO. 'There is nothing more American than PBS. Despite today's setback, we are determined to keep fighting to preserve the essential services we provide to the American public.' The measure will cost PBS and NPR stations in Mississippi roughly $2 million, about 15% of the budget, said Royal Aills, executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Already, Mississippi Public Broadcasting has decided to eliminate a streaming channel that airs children's programming like 'Caillou' and 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' to the state's youngsters 24 hours a day, said Taiwo Gaynor, the system's chief content officer. 'This is important for families, to have access to content that they don't have to pay for,' Gaynor said. 'That is a sad thought, to think that we ... might not be able to provide that for a generation of children.' Maine's public media system is looking at a hit of $2.5 million, or about 12% of its budget, for the next fiscal year, said Rick Schneider, president and chief executive officer of Maine Public. He said he's not ready to identify specific cuts, but the system is preparing to reinvent itself to make certain it continues serving the state's residents. Maine's rural residents rely heavily on public media for weather updates and disaster alerts, said Molly Curren Rowles, executive director of ACLU of Maine. Rowles said public media was a 'lifeline' to her growing up off the grid. Bracing for trouble at stations that take pride in music discovery NPR's Maher fears what the cuts might mean for the system's journalism, not just in rural areas where local news can be hard to come by, but in telling the rest of the country what is going on there. Less funding will also mean less support for popular television and radio programming, although it's too soon to tell which programs will be affected. NPR stations also use millions of dollars in federal money to pay music licensing fees. Now many will have to renegotiate these deals, which could mean less music, or a more limited variety of music, on outlets where music discovery is a big part of their identity. For example, Maher estimates that some 96% of all classical music broadcast in the United States is on NPR stations. 'That is essentially taking an entire art form out of public access,' she said. The affair transcends violins and piccolos. NPR received support Thursday from the heavy metal band Gwar, whose lead singer Blothar the Berserker posted a call on social media for fans to pay attention to what is going on with public media. Already, public media is seeing an increase in donations from reader and viewers to support its mission, and stations are actively sounding the alarm. In a plea to listeners on its website Thursday, Philadelphia's WXPN radio pointed to its legacy in helping people discover new music. 'The most important thing you can do is support WXPN and the public media system in a way that is meaningful to you,' the station urged on its website. But donations aren't going to fill the hole left by the loss in federal funding, Maher said. The public media leaders have already turned to lobbying Congress to restore some of the funding through the appropriations process for next year's budget. They don't know how much time they have; Maher said it would be inordinately costly, and perhaps prohibitive, to reopen a radio station that is forced to close. Public media isn't getting any help from states, either. At least five states have reduced their own outlays for public media this year, either for budget or political reasons. Gov. Ron DeSantis, for example, vetoed nearly $6 million that Florida lawmakers had set aside for public broadcasters the day before the state's budget took effect on July 1. 'Done in Florida,' DeSantis responded on social media to a Trump post calling public broadcasting a 'monstrosity' that should be defunded. Meanwhile, back in Alaska ... Back in Alaska, KMXT public radio station's general manager, Jared Griffin, called the Senate vote a 'devastating gut punch.' He estimated that the cuts would amount to 22% of KMXT's budget. Griffin said the station's board has already agreed on a plan to furlough staff members one day a month, and he's taking a 50% pay cut. The station covers Kodiak Island, home to one of the nation's largest U.S. Coast Guard bases. 'We have to dip into our savings while we figure out what KMXT is going to look like over the next six months, Griffin said. 'At least for the next year we'll be fine but we're probably going to have to look at leasing space in our building to other organizations to help fill that gap.' Unalaska resident Nikki Whittern said KUCB plays a vital role in the community during emergencies like the tsunami warning. 'They broadcast everything, and they make sure that everybody knows and everybody's safe,' said Whittern, a bartender. She spoke while preparing to open the Norwegian Rat Saloon — known to local fishermen simply as 'the Rat' — on Thursday morning. ___ Bauder reported from New York. AP correspondents Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Poet in Philadelphia; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
