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An expensive campaign by abortion-rights advocates for state Supreme Court seats has yielded mixed results. One of the most heated and closely watched court races in North Carolina remained too early to call two days after the election.

Officials say a cruise ship rescued four people from a disabled catamaran taking on water hundreds of miles off the coast of Bermuda. U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer 3rd Class Christine Bills says the catamaran's escape hatch blew a gasket, causing the vessel to take on water about 265 miles off the coast of Bermuda.

North Carolina elections officials say that more than 4.2 million voters cast ballots at early in-person voting sites, with turnout in western counties hit by Hurricane Helene outpacing the rest of the state.

Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are zeroing in on Sunbelt states as they embark on one last weekend quest to sway undecided voters in battleground states that will determine the next president.

The debate over abortion rights is leading to expensive campaigns for state Supreme Courts in several states this year. Groups on the left and right are spending heavily on races in North Carolina, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and other states for courts that could play key roles in litigation over abortion, voting rights and redistricting.

The city of Asheville has restored running water to most of its users nearly a month after Hurricane Helene damaged infrastructure and killed more than 200 people around the region. A boil water notice will remain in effect indefinitely as workers clear sediment from reservoirs and run water quality tests. Some residents find the guidelines for daily tasks without potable water lengthy and confusing.

Kamala Harris is calling for Americans to "stop pointing fingers at each other" as she tries to push past comments made by President Joe Biden about Donald Trump's supporters and "garbage." Harris made her pitch in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the first of three rallies she was scheduled to attend Wednesday.

Some hurricane-impacted households in North Carolina and Florida will receive one-time, direct cash payments of up to $1,500 on Friday.

North Carolina officials say the catastrophic flooding and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene is likely to have caused at least $53 billion in damages and recovery needs in the state. Gov. Roy Cooper's administration generated the preliminary figure in a report released Wednesday that also includes Cooper's request to the General Assembly for $3.9 billion.

Surgery schedules around the country may be washed out for several more weeks while a crucial IV and sterile fluids factory remains closed after a hurricane-related shutdown.