Schools and businesses closed and shelters Wednesday on several Caribbean islands in the path of Hurricane Omar, which could rev up into a Category 2 storm before coming ashore after nightfall.

A respite in Santa Ana winds allowed firefighters to beat back flames that continued to whirl dangerously close to homes Wednesday morning along the northwestern suburbs of Los Angeles.

South Carolina's attorney general predicted future water wars in the Southeast and said a lawsuit South Carolina brought against North Carolina will set a precedent for settling the disputes.

Former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton are getting a firsthand look at the damage Hurricane Ike left in Galveston.

In Australia, the world's driest inhabited continent, there is simply not enough water to go around. So farmers there rely on a unique trading system to make the most of every drop.