Sahara dust cloud heads for southern United States

Sahara dust cloud heads for southern United States

MIAMI -- An enormous cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert is blowing toward the southern United States, but meteorologists do not expect much effect beyond colorful sunsets. The leading edge of the cloud -- nearly the size of the continental United States -- should move across Florida sometime from Monday through Wednesday. Such dust clouds are not uncommon, especially at this time of year. They start when weather patterns called tropical waves pick up dust from the desert in North Africa, carry it a couple of miles into the atmosphere and drift westward.

Tropical Storm Franklin spinning in open water

MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Franklin strengthened as it spun away from the Bahamas on Saturday and moved farther east in the Atlantic, but blasts of warm air from its core were expected to bring extreme heat to the Florida peninsula. Heat index readings along Florida's Atlantic coast could exceed 110 degrees over the weekend, even with Franklin's 70-mph wind and strong rain not forecast to affect land. It was expected to continue strengthening into today.

US Airways/America West merger advances

WASHINGTON -- US Airways and America West are a step closer to merger with approval by a federal panel that oversees a $10 billion loan program for the nation's ailing airlines. The Air Transportation Stabilization Board said Friday the proposed merger "should better both airlines' competitiveness in a challenging industry environment." US Airways Group, based in Arlington, Va., is the nation's seventh largest carrier. America West Holdings Inc. of Tempe, Ariz., is the eighth largest. The deal has been approved by the Justice Department but needs clearance by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Alexandria, Va. The merger with America West will provide the final investment necessary to allow US Airways to emerge from bankruptcy.

TSA to test if screenings can ID terror cells

WASHINGTON -- The government will try to determine whether commercial data can be used to detect terrorist "sleeper cells" when it checks airline passengers against watch lists, the official running the project says. The Transportation Security Administration has been testing the project since November, but it is being criticized on grounds it violates privacy laws. It is supposed to be a more accurate method of checking passenger manifests against terrorist watch lists than the current system, which is run by the airlines. Many people who aren't terrorists have been told they can't board flights because their names are similar to those on the no-fly list.

-- From wire report