Alabama News

Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin is no stranger to stirring the pot on social media.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was the latest to be targeted by Kiffin, becoming the punching bag for a Sunday evening dig on X (formerly Twitter).

Kiffin quoted a post from Freeze on May 19 that showed him playing golf, writing “Great job Coach!! Game is on,” with a fire emoji.

Freeze’s frequent golf outings have drawn criticism, as he logged 10 rounds of golf from June 1 to June 24, according to the USGA’s Golf Handicap Information Network database.

During that time, Auburn’s 2026 recruiting class had numerous decommitments and now ranks 86th in the country, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Ole Miss’ 2026 recruiting class currently ranks 37th.

That was the second post of the evening from Kiffin aimed at Freeze, following a picture of a young woman standing next to a large fish, with a caption that tagged Freeze.

The Tigers and Rebels won’t meet on the field in 2025, but Kiffin’s trolling of fellow coaches — including Freeze — is nothing new.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

When Jakorian Bennett joined Las Vegas as a fourth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Josh McDaniels served as the Raiders’ head coach. For the former McGill-Toolen Catholic High School star’s second season, Antonio Pierce was at the helm. As the cornerback nears his third campaign, Bennett is working for Pete Carroll as the coach prepares for his first season with Las Vegas and 19th as an NFL head coach.

The coaching changes have meant starting over annually for Bennett and the rest of the Raiders.

“I feel like there’s no other way that you would want it,” Bennett said about the necessity of proving himself annually. “You don’t want nobody to just give you anything, you know? Like, I’m here to work, and I just got to show the coaches, like, who I am, who I know I can be, and just go out there and just continue to compete.”

Carroll’s first NFL job came in 1984 as the secondary coach for the Buffalo Bills, and the defensive backs remain of particular interest to the coach.

“He’s all about just getting the ball,” Bennett said, “and, like, that’s what I want to lowkey kind of implement in my game, because I had a lot of breakups or whatever, but if I could turn those breakups to picks, I could really, like, help change the game, and so he’s really all about just getting the ball back. He’s all about the ball. That’s what we preach each and every day, so him instilling that confidence in us, it means a lot, and it’s going to translate to the field.”

Bennett considers himself “a shutdown corner,” but he has not intercepted a pass in the NFL yet. He had eight pass breakups in 2024, a season cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery.

“I haven’t had both my shoulders since college, you know?” Bennett said. “So, like, man, I go out there during games knowing that my shoulder’s going to pop out. Like, probably last season my shoulder probably popped out like five times because I had, like, a torn labrum, you know? Like a lot of people don’t know that, but I was just thugging it out, you know? They’ll put it back in, go back in or whatever.

“But it feels good to have it back right. Now it’s just kind of time to keep taking that next step.”

As a fourth-round rookie from Maryland, Bennett played in 14 games, with four starts, and had 360 defensive snaps. Last season, Bennett played in 10 games, with seven starts, and had 461 defensive snaps.

Quarterbacks throwing to receivers covered by Bennett in 2023 had a 102.5 passing-efficiency rating as they completed 26-of-38 passes for 316 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Last year, the passing-efficiency rating when targeting Bennett dropped to 67.7 as quarterbacks were 23-of-44 for 233 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

“I was feeling good going into last year,” Bennett said. “Just felt confident. Felt like, you know, when you get that experience, it’s like everything just kind of slows down. And I had a lot of guys that believed in me, so this year I’m going to try to do the same thing. You know, keep my head down, just keep working.”

Three cornerbacks played more defensive snaps for Las Vegas than Bennett during the 2024 season. The Raiders released Jack Jones on April 6 after he played 94 percent of the defensive snaps last season. Nate Hobbs left in free agency after playing 50 percent of the defensive snaps in 2024.

Decamerion Richardson is back after playing 559 defensive snaps, or half of Las Vegas’ total, last season. This offseason, the Raiders added Darien Porter and Eric Stokes to the competition at outside corner. Porter came aboard from Iowa State as a third-round pick in the NFL Draft in April, and Stokes joined from the Green Bay Packers as a free-agent signing.

On their summer break, the Raiders open training camp when the rookies report on July 17 and the veterans come in on July 22. Las Vegas starts its three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 7 against the Seattle Seahawks and kicks off its regular-season slate on Sept. 7 against the New England Patriots.

An All-State sprinter at McGill-Toolen, Bennett and the Yellow Jackets reached the AHSAA Class 7A football championship game in each of his final three seasons at the Mobile school.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Elon Musk said he’s carrying out his threat to form a new political party after his fissure with President Donald Trump, announcing the America Party in response to the president’s sweeping tax cuts law.

Musk, once an ever-present ally to Trump as he headed up the slashing agency known as the Department of Government Efficiency, broke with the Republican president over his signature legislation, which was signed into law Friday.

As the bill made its way through Congress, Musk threatened to form the “America Party” if “this insane spending bill passes.”

“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk said Saturday on X, the social media company he owns. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

Asked about the effort by reporters on Sunday afternoon as he prepared to return to Washington from his home in New Jersey, Trump called Musk’s proposition “ridiculous,” going on to tout “tremendous success with the Republican Party.”

“The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system,” Trump added. “And I think starting a third party just adds to confusion. It really seems to have been developed, but three parties have never worked.”

On Truth Social, Trump posted that Musk had gone “completely “off the rails,” essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”

Trump added that third parties “have never succeeded in the United States…. The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!”

The formation of new political parties is not uncommon, but they typically struggle to pull any significant support away from the Republican and Democratic parties. But Musk, the world’s richest man who spent at least $250 million supporting Trump in the 2024 election, could impact the 2026 elections determining control of Congress if he is willing to spend significant amounts of money.

His reignited feud with the president could also be costly for Musk, whose businesses rely on billions of dollars in government contracts and publicly traded company Tesla has taken a hit in the market.

It wasn’t clear whether Musk had taken steps to formally create the new political party. Spokespeople for Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, didn’t immediately comment Sunday.

As of Sunday morning, there were multiple political parties listed in the Federal Election Commission database that had been formed in the hours since Musk’s Saturday X post with versions of “America Party” of “DOGE” or “X” in the name, or Musk listed among people affiliated with the entity.

But none appeared to be authentic, listing contacts for the organization as email addresses such as ” [email protected] ″ or untraceable Protonmail addresses.

Musk on Sunday spent the morning on X taking feedback from users about the party and indicated he’d use the party to get involved in the 2026 midterm elections.

Last month, he threatened to try to oust every member of Congress that voted for Trump’s bill. Musk had called the tax breaks and spending cuts package a “disgusting abomination,” warning it would increase the federal deficit, among other critiques.

“The Republican Party has a clean sweep of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and STILL had the nerve to massively increase the size of government, expanding the national debt by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS,” Musk said Sunday on X.

His critiques of the bill and move to form a political party mark a reversal from May, when his time in the White House was winding down and the head of rocket company SpaceX and electric vehicle maker Tesla said he would spend “a lot less” on politics in the future.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who clashed with Musk while he ran DOGE, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that DOGE’s “principles” were popular but “if you look at the polling, Elon was not.”

“I imagine that those board of directors did not like this announcement yesterday and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities,” he said.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan became the fifth former South Alabama player picked for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game when he was named a National League reserve on Sunday.

The 95th MLB All-Star Game is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta. FOX will televise the game.

After the starting lineups for the game were revealed last week, the pitchers and reserves were announced on Sunday.

Donovan is going to the All-Star Game for the first time in his fourth season with the Cardinals. St. Louis selected the former Enterprise High School star in the seventh round of the 2018 draft after his third season at South Alabama.

This season, Donovan has a .296 batting average, .367 on-base average and .431 slugging percentage in 82 games. Among National League hitters, he ranks fifth in batting average and fifth in doubles with 22 in 2025.

A versatile glove in the field, Donovan has played in 65 games at second base, 17 in left field, six at shortstop and two at designated hitter for the Cardinals in 2025.

Former South Alabama outfielder Luis Gonzalez represented the Arizona Diamondbacks at five MLB All-Star games – 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005.

Three other USA alumni were picked for one MLB All-Star Game apiece – Cardinals third baseman David Freese in 2012, New York Mets outfielder Lance Johnson in 1996 and Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lieber in 2001.

Fan voting chose the starting lineups for the MLB All-Star Game. Eight pitchers and one reserve at each of the other nine positions for each league’s team were determined by player votes. The Commissioner’s Office then added six players to complete the rosters, using those selections to ensure that every team had at least one representative.

The starting lineups include:

American League

Catcher: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

First baseman: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays

Second baseman: Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers

Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, Athletics

Third baseman: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians

Outfielders: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers; Javier Baez, Detroit Tigers

Designated hitter: Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles

National League

Catcher: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers

First baseman: Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers

Second baseman: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets

Third baseman: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres

Outfielders: Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves; Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs; Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs

Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers

The managers – the New York Yankees’ Aaron Boone for the American League and Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts for the National League – will pick the starting pitchers.

The American League pitchers are the Houston Astros’ Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, Kansas City Royals’ Kris Bubic, Boston Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Crochet, Texas Rangers’ Jacob deGrom, New York Yankees’ Max Fried, Los Angeles Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi, Seattle Mariners’ Andres Munoz and Bryan Woo, Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal and Chicago White Sox’s Shane Smith.

The National League pitchers are the San Diego Padres’ Jason Adam, Chicago Cubs’ Matthew Boyd, New York Mets’ Edwin Diaz, Washington Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Milwaukee Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, San Francisco Giants’ Robbie Ray, Randy Rodriguez and Logan Webb, Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale, Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes and Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler.

The American League reserves include catcher Alejandro Kirk of the Toronto Blue Jays, infielders Jonathan Aranda and Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays, Alex Bregman of the Boston Red Sox, Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees, Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros and Bobby Whitt of the Kansas City Royals; outfielders Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians and Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners; and designated hitter Brent Rooker of the Athletics.

In addition to Donovan, the National League reserves include catcher Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies; infielders Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves and Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks; outfielders Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks, Kyle Stowers of the Miami Marlins, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres and James Wood of the Washington Nationals; and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

A woman from South Carolina has died and another person was injured after a car crash in Cleburne County Sunday morning.

Elizabeth E. Melton, 74, died after her vehicle struck another car and a tractor-trailer hit her car at about 7:23 a.m. Sunday. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, about two miles east of Heflin, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Melton, of Summerville, S.C., was driving a 2024 Buick Encore when she hit a 2019 Land Rover Discovery, driven by James Johnson, 65, of Covington, GA, according to the agency.

“After the initial impact, a 2024 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by Joshua J. Waiters, 36, of Roanoke, Va., struck the Buick,” it said in a press release Sunday.

David Clark, 62, was a passenger in the Buick. He was taken to Tanner Medical Center in Carrolton, GA.

The incident happened on Interstate 20 near the 207 mile marker. An investigation is underway.

A woman has died after her car left the road and hit a tree in Blount County Sunday morning.

Laura D. Bostic, 55, was driving a 2008 Toyota Camry at about 10:55 a.m. when her car drove off the road and into a ditch before hitting a tree, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

“Bostic was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the agency said in a statement Sunday.

The crash occurred about three miles south of Remlap on Mize Road near Rooster Road.

An investigation is underway.

A man has been arrested for a fatal shooting in New Market early Sunday morning.

WAFF reports that Xavier Turner, 31, has been arrested as a suspect in the shooting of Evan Mayomi, 23, in a home in New Market Sunday.

Law enforcement arrived at the home on Bent Creek Lane at about 1:15 a.m. Sunday after getting a call about a shooting, according to WAFF. They found Mayomi, of Birmingham, with a gunshot wound to the chest. Mayomi was pronounced dead at the scene.

Turner is being held in the Madison County Jail without bond, according to WAFF.

An investigation is underway.

By Jim Vertuno and John Seewer, The Associated Press

KERRVILLE, Texas — Families sifted through waterlogged debris Sunday and stepped inside empty cabins at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp ripped apart by flash floods that washed homes off their foundations and killed at least 78 people in central Texas.

Rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain continued their desperate search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the camp. For the first time since the storms began pounding Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.

In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said in the afternoon.

He pledged to keep searching until “everybody is found” from Friday’s flash floods. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. The death toll is certain to rise over the next few days, said Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The governor warned Sunday that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated.

Families were allowed to look around the camp beginning Sunday morning. One girl walked out of a building carrying a large bell. A man, who said his daughter was rescued from a cabin on the highest point in the camp, walked a riverbank, looking in clumps of trees and under big rocks.

A woman and a teenage girl, both wearing rubber waders, briefly went inside one of the cabins, which stood next to a pile of soaked mattresses, a storage trunk and clothes. At one point, the pair doubled over, sobbing before they embraced.

One family left with a blue footlocker. A teenage girl had tears running down her face looking out the open window, gazing at the wreckage as they slowly drove away.

Searching the disaster zone

While the families saw the devastation for the first time, nearby crews operating heavy equipment pulled tree trunks and tangled branches from the water as they searched the river.

With each passing hour, the outlook of finding more survivors became even more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone searched the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so.

Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made.

President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Texas. “These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” Trump posted on social media.

The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as flash flood watches remained in effect and more rain fell in central Texas on Sunday.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours.

Prayers in Texas — and from the Vatican

Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state.

“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said in a statement.

In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History’s first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”

The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.

Harrowing escapes from floodwaters

Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept away and clinging to trees as rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Others fled to attics inside their homes, praying the water wouldn’t reach them.

At Camp Mystic, a cabin full of girls held onto a rope strung by rescuers as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs.

Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road.

Two school-age sisters from Dallas were missing after their cabin was swept away. Their parents were staying in a different cabin and were safe, but the girls’ grandparents were unaccounted for.

Locals know the Hill Country as “ flash flood alley” but the flooding in the middle of the night caught many campers and residents by surprise even though there were warnings.

Warnings came before the disaster

The National Weather Service on Thursday advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.

At the Mo-Ranch Camp in the community of Hunt, officials had been monitoring the weather and opted to move several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference to higher ground. At nearby Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, organizers also had mentioned on social media that they were watching the weather the day before ending their second summer session Thursday.

Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said authorities are committed to a full review of the emergency response, including how the public was alerted to the storm threat.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Cedar Attanasio in New York; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Michelle Price in Bridgewater, N.J.; and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed.

A report from the National Weather Service was issued on Sunday at 3:20 p.m. for strong thunderstorms until 3:45 p.m. for Mobile County.

Wind gusts of up to 40 mph and pea-sized hail (0.25 inches) are probable.

“At 3:20 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm 11 miles southeast of Leakesville. This storm was nearly stationary,” says the weather service. “Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.”

The weather service states, “If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.”

Lightning on the horizon: Expert safety measures for thunderstorms

Each year, lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times, with the majority of these electrifying events occurring during the summer months. Unfortunately, lightning is responsible for claiming the lives of approximately 20 people annually, as reported by the weather service. The threat of lightning becomes more pronounced as thunderstorms draw nearer, peaking when the storm is directly overhead and gradually waning as it moves away.

To ensure your safety during a thunderstorm, consider the following recommendations:

Lightning safety plan:

• When venturing outdoors, it’s vital to establish a clear plan for seeking shelter in case of lightning.
• Monitor the sky for threatening signs and listen for the sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it’s an indication that lightning is nearby.
• Seek shelter promptly in a safe location, preferably indoors.

Indoors safety measures:

• Once you’re indoors, avoid using corded phones, electrical devices, plumbing fixtures, and stay away from windows and doors.
• These precautions help reduce the risk of electrical surges, as lightning can follow conductive pathways.

Wait for the all-clear:

• After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities.
• Lightning can strike even when a storm has seemingly passed, so exercise caution.

When indoor shelter isn’t available:

If you find yourself outdoors without access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety:

• Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, as they expose you to greater lightning risk.
• Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In wooded areas, stay close to lower stands of trees.
• If you’re in a group, ensure that individuals are spaced out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people.
• Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If you have no alternative, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. It’s crucial to note that a tent provides no protection against lightning.
• Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. While water and metal don’t attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks.

In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, vigilance and preparedness are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the chances of lightning-related accidents and prioritize your safety.

Driving through downpours: Safety guidelines for wet roads

Heavy rainfall may lead to flooding if prolonged or if there is excessive runoff. Excessive runoff can be a result of saturated ground and/or rainfall intensity. Follow these recommendations from the weather service to stay safe in heavy rain:

Beware of rapid water flow:

During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.

Maintain safe driving distances:

The two-second rule for following distance is your ally in heavy rain. Extend it to four seconds to ensure safe spacing in adverse conditions.

Slow down and drive with care:

On wet roads, slowing down is paramount. Gradually ease off the accelerator and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.

Choose your lane wisely:

Stick to the middle lanes to minimize the risk of hydroplaning. Outer lanes are more prone to accumulating water.

Prioritize visibility

Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by activating your headlights. Be particularly vigilant for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.

Watch out for slippery roads:

Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins. Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road slippery.

Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:

Don’t follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.

Mind your windshield wipers:

Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely limits your sight, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots.

If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.

In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.