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Milton: Hurricane Milton brought flooding, life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds to much of Florida on Thursday morning after making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday night. The storm that first roared ashore with 120 mph winds in Siesta Key weakened as it moved across the Sunshine State, hitting densely populated areas such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers. Power outages have left millions in the dark and deaths have been reported from the severe weather. Follow NewsNation’s live updates >
‘Please stay inside’: While Milton has passed through Tampa, the city’s mayor, Jane Castor, is urging residents to stay indoors until it is safe for people to leave. As of Thursday morning, downed wires, debris and potential flooding can still bring harm to people. Castor said Tampa evaded the predicted storm surge but added that the effects of the storm aren’t over yet. Rising waters moving inland from the shoreline still pose the risk of a life-threatening storm surge. Video: Milton sucks water out of Tampa Bay >
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Milton heads for ocean: Milton is moving off the east coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center reported early Thursday morning. The storm is still producing damaging winds and heavy rainfall in the eastern and central parts of the state. Milton is expected to barrel northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Bahamas. Live hurricane real-time wobble tracker >
Hurricane spawns tornadoes: As people braced for the hurricane Wednesday, multiple people were killed at a senior community as Milton spawned tornadoes in Fort Pierce, Florida, according to reports. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that at least 19 confirmed tornadoes touched down in the state. Read more >
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Milton: Despite concern from local officials, news crews and social media, TikToker “Lieutenant Dan” said he was staying put on his boat for Hurricane Milton. “I’m not going anywhere because the safest to be is on a boat during a flood,” “Lieutenant Dan,” whose real name is Joseph Malinowski, told NewsNation’s Brian Entin. Malinowski previously rode out Hurricane Helene from the same boat. Read more >
Dog rescued: As Florida residents evacuated ahead of Milton, an abandoned dog was found tied up to a fence and up to its torso in water alongside an interstate near Tampa. Video >
Tropicana Field: High wind gusts from Hurricane Milton tore multiple panels off the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The field was not in use as a storm shelter but functioned as a staging area for storm response crews. Read more >
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Helene: A Tennessee sheriff said visitors coming to flood-torn areas from Helene to look at damage have complicated recovery efforts and are beginning to endanger workers and themselves. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley told NewsNation affiliate WJHL that people were escorted out of the area that were looking around to “see what they could pick up.” Hensley added: “We’re not going to put up with looting and stealing of these flood victims, not for one second.” Read more >
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2024 election: Former President Donald Trump hurled attacks at Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, as Hurricane Milton made landfall. While at a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump said, “You know, somebody said, ‘You should be nicer. Women won’t like it.’ I said, ‘I don’t care.’” Read more >
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Social security: The Social Security Administration will announce a new cost-of-living adjustment Thursday, with the increase expected to be smaller than last year. For 2024, Social Security payments increased 3.2%, but now that inflation has slowed, analysts are predicting a smaller adjustment. More than a third of retirees say their checks are a major source of income, with nearly 68 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits in 2024. Social Security calculator >
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Diddy case: Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs are accusing the Department of Homeland Security of being behind “unlawful leaks that resulted in prejudicial pre-trial publicity” that will damage Combs’ ability to get a fair trial, and they want a judge to suppress any leaked evidence, including the infamous 2016 tape showing Combs assaulting his former girlfriend. What to know >
Diddy trial: Combs wants to go on trial for his sex trafficking charges next spring, lawyers for the hip-hop mogul told a judge Wednesday. His preference for trial is April or May. Combs has been locked up since his Sept. 16 arrest and has pleaded not guilty. He is set to make his first appearance Thursday before the judge expected to preside over the trial. The latest >
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Idaho college killings: The Idaho judge hearing the multiple murder case against Bryan Kohberger has postponed the trial from June to August 2025. The trial is now scheduled to begin Aug. 11, according to the order filed Wednesday. A hearing for arguments on motions challenging the death penalty remains on the court’s calendar for next month. Kohberger is charged with killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. Read the latest >
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Recall alert: Honda is recalling nearly 1.7 million vehicles in the U.S. over a steering issue that could result in a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Wednesday. The company found the assembly of the steering gearbox may have been manufactured improperly, which could lead to difficulty steering. List of affected vehicles >
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We’re keeping an eye on these topics today. Make sure you tune in to our latest coverage and share your thoughts with us on social media!
Here’s everything you need to know about the candidates on the campaign trail today.
The U.S. Labor Department shares consumer price index data. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with UK and NATO leaders as he seeks support for Ukraine. Tesla unveils a new robotaxi vehicle. TV personality Mario Lopez is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Three of the five people accused in the murders of two Kansas women earlier this year are charged with new crimes connected to the deaths. The latest >
Close call: Investigators said air traffic controllers cleared an Alaska Airlines jet to take off from Nashville, Tennessee, last month after telling pilots of a Southwest Airlines flight to cross the same runway. The investigation >
All five people on a small plane that went down on Catalina Island in California on Tuesday night were killed in the crash, officials confirmed. The latest >
More than 100 dogs have been rescued from a hoarding situation in Texas. What we know >
One New York dad is calling for better quality food in schools after describing the meals in his daughter’s school as slimy and unrecognizable. Photos >
A Washington state woman called 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons. Take a look >
A car thief in Tennessee threatened homeowners and pointed a gun at their Ring security camera. Video >
Disneyland in California is increasing prices on most of its theme park tickets. What to know >
Jenna Fischer, the beloved Missouri-raised actress well-known for her role as Pam on “The Office” television sitcom, revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in an emotional Instagram post and told fans she’s now cancer free. Full report >
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For months, Chris McCoy has been out in his community of Grand Rapids, Michigan, giving back in a very unique way. He has turned Heartside Park into a barbershop and salon, giving out free haircuts to any and all who want one. Read more >
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This NewsNation email is written by Caitlyn Shelton and NewsNation staff. |
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