Abnormally warm water helped Helene rapidly intensify and suck up moisture Helene is dumping rain across the Southeast, after coming ashore as a powerful Category 4 storm. Abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico helped it rapidly intensify and suck up moisture. Read more on NPR

The Coast Guard save a man and his dog from a sinking boat off the coast of Florida Before Helene even made landfall in Florida, authorities conducted a dramatic rescue operation: The U.S. Coast Guard saved a man whose sailboat started taking on water off the coast of Sanibel Island. Read more on NPR

Dockworkers are on the verge of a strike. Here’s what you need to know Some 25,000 dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports may strike as early as October 1 if their union doesn’t reach a contract deal with shipping companies and port operators. Read more on NPR

Sharp tongued, indomitable, and beloved actress Dame Maggie Smith, dies at 89 Oscar, Emmy, and Tony-winning actress Maggie Smith played everything from wistful ingenues in Shakespeare to Harry Potter’s Prof. McGonagall and the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey. Read more on NPR

Her state bans gender-affirming care for teenagers. So she travels 450 miles for it An estimated 110,000 trans teenagers live in states that ban gender-affirming care for minors. Some travel huge distances every few months to keep getting their treatment out-of-state. Read more on NPR

Exactly 66 years ago, another Hurricane Helene rocked the Carolinas Hurricane Helene raked the coast of the Carolinas on September 27, 1958, but did not actually make landfall, according to the National Hurricane Center. Read more on NPR

Hurricane Helene batters the South. And, takeaways from voters in swing state Nevada Hurricane Helene made landfall late last night as a Category 4 storm. It has since weakened but continues to batter the South, causing damage and power outages. And, takeaways from voters in Nevada. Read more on NPR

The BBC’s vast library of sound effects — 33,000 of them — is open to the public Among the 33,000 sound effects, free for anyone to use, are reindeer grunts, frog croaks and crowds at the 1989 FA Cup Final. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Sept. 26, 2024.) Read more on NPR

Severe floods causing health problems in south Bangladesh The worst floods that Bangladesh has seen in decades occurred in August, displacing millions. Many people are still struggling to rebuild their lives and find sources of income. Read more on NPR

Biden’s attorney general wanted to return to normal order; it hasn’t been easy The attorney general pledged to restore the Justice Department to normal order. It hasn’t been easy, and may not last. Read more on NPR