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Weakened but still extremely powerful Hurricane Milton hit Florida's west coast Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm that knocked out power to nearly 3 million homes while also bringing “catastrophic” winds that could cause significant property damage.
The cyclone, described earlier in the day by Joe Biden as the “storm of the century,” made landfall near Sarasota, Florida, just after 8:30 p.m. EST, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm brought storm surge to much of the Florida Gulf Coast, including densely populated areas such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers.
Despite losing some of its power to wind shear as it approached the coast, Milton, which roiled the Gulf of Mexico over the past two days as a Category 5 storm, was still one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the U.S. continent in recent memory. memory. It was also the second direct hit on Florida in 12 days.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued a sobering warning to people in evacuation zones who chose to stay, telling them their homes would be destroyed. become their coffins.
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What do we know about the effects so far? Nearly 3 million Florida homes and businesses were without power. St. Petersburg has seen 16 inches of rain since the storm began, half of which fell in just two hours.
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What is a storm surge? As a hurricane approaches the coast, rough winds push ocean water onto land; Atmospheric pressure from a storm also helps push water ashore. Water is heavy and can move quickly, sweeping people to their deaths, hurling boats and vehicles, and pulverizing structures.
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This is a developing story. Follow our live blog here.
US calls on Israel to urgently address 'catastrophic' conditions in Gaza
Israel must urgently address “catastrophic conditions” among Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and stop “increasing suffering” by restricting aid deliveries, the United States told the UN Security Council.
Speaking to the UN Security Council, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: “These catastrophic conditions were predicted many months ago and yet they have not been addressed. This has to change and it has to change now.
She also warned Israel against attempts to permanently expel Palestinians from Gaza or seize any territory for itself. “There must be no demographic or territorial changes in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce Gaza's territory,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
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What impact is the war having on refugee children in Gaza? The International Rescue Committee has warned that as many as 51,000 children in Gaza may remain unaccompanied or separated from their parents or guardians after a year of conflict.
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What's going on with Israel's invasion of Lebanon? A UN OCHA report shows that a quarter of Lebanon's territory is currently under an Israeli military displacement order. It said “the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon is deteriorating at an alarming rate” as “Israeli airstrikes have not only intensified but also expanded” and are “increasingly targeting critical civilian infrastructure.”
Tim Walz calls for the abolition of the electoral college, which is to decide the US presidential race
Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, called for the electoral college system that elects presidents to be abolished and replaced with the popular vote principle that most democracies use.
His statements are in line with the mood of most American voters, but may destabilize the campaign of Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, who has not taken a position on the issue, even though she has previously expressed similar views.
“I think we all know the electoral college has to go,” Walz told party donors in California. He previously made similar comments at a separate event in Seattle, where he called himself a “national popular vote guy,” qualifying it by saying, “That's not the world we live in.”
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How does the system work again? Presidential polls are not determined by who wins the most votes nationwide, but by which candidate wins a majority of the 538 electoral votes in the 50 states and Washington. A president can win the electoral college while losing the popular vote, as seen most recently with George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016.
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What did the Harris-Walz campaign make of the comments? Campaign representatives emphasized that abolishing the electoral college was not part of its program.
In other news…
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Croatian border police appear to have burned clothes, mobile phones and passports confiscated from asylum seekers trying to enter the European Union – before pushing them back to Bosnia.
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El Salvador comes under scrutiny over the 'political' trial of five environmental activists with the UN experts calling, the case is baseless.
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A Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing at JFK Airport in New York, after its 59-year-old captain died mid-flight.
Stat of the day: Foreign aid for fossil fuel projects quadruples to $5.4 billion in one year
Foreign aid for fossil fuel projects quadrupled in one year, according to a report by the nonprofit Clean Air Fund, rising from $1.2 billion in 2021 to $5.4 billion in 2022. “This shocking The increase in funding for fossil fuel aid is a wake-up call,” said Jane Burston of the Clean Air Fund. CEO.
Don't miss this: Trump's radical plan to transform the presidency
On Thursday Today on the Focus Podcast, Michael Safi and Ed Pilkington take a detailed look at Donald Trump's plans for a second term and how he is seeking to transform the White House to assert unprecedented power.
…or this: Is this the end of the ship that helped us understand life on Earth?
The Joides Resolution contributed to the world's understanding of the climate crisis, the origins of life, earthquakes and eruptions. However, funding cuts mean the ship could make its final voyage.
One last thing: Antarctica welcomes new postmaster in 'coolest job in the world'
George Clarke will soon join the world's ranks as Antarctica's southernmost museum and post office. For five months of sub-zero temperatures and almost constant daylight, they will live alongside the resident Gentoo penguins. “I can't wait to wake up and have my morning coffee, admire Antarctica and hopefully see a whale,” Clarke said.
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