Wednesday morning news: August 30, 2023

Hurricane Idalia is blasting Florida’s Gulf Coast this morning bending palm trees and ripping off roofs with winds well over 100 miles per hour.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis:

DESANTIS: Gonna be a lot of branches, a lot of trees — there are going to be a lot of power lines down. Just expect that. It’s definitely something that is going to require a lot of manpower and a lot of attention.

For days, authorities have warned coastal residents to head inland in Florida’s Big Bend region, where the state’s panhandle curves into the peninsula.

Michael Brennan with the National Hurricane Center:

BRENNAN: Catastrophic impacts from storm surge with 10-15 feet of inundation above ground level.

Both state and federal emergency response teams are standing by.

Afghanistan hearing » On Capitol Hill, lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday from family members of U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan two years ago.

Staff sergeant Taylor Hoover was one of 13 U.S. troops killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport during the chaotic U.S. military pullout.

His father, Darin Hoover called out President Biden:

HOOVER: I know he can’t name one of them without a card sitting in front of him or a teleprompter sitting in front of him. I say to him, resign.

Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean defended the president’s leadership.

DEAN: We know that it was a series of decisions over multiple administrations that brought this war to an end, a very tragic end.

The Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee has vowed to continue its investigation into the disastrous withdrawal.

Biden Medicare RX negotiations » Also on Tuesday, President Biden touted the potential cost savings on some prescription drugs for those on Medicare.

BIDEN: Today, I’m proud to announce that Medicare has selected the first 10 additional drugs for negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Biden administration says negotiating the prices of some drugs will mean more money stays in the pockets of Medicare recipients.

The drugs include the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications.

Any lower prices won't take effect for three years. And some of the changes could be further tied up by courtroom battles with drugmakers.

Scalise cancer diagnosis » House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says he has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, but he will remain on the job. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The Louisiana Republican announced that he’s been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

But Scalise said it is a very treatable form of cancer, especially given that they caught it early.

His medical care is expected to last several months, and the majority leader says he’ll continue to work through the treatment.

Colleagues in the House offered their encouragement. Some recalled his faith and determination after being shot in 2017 when a gunman opened fire on lawmakers at a Virginia baseball field.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Prigohzin buried » The late Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has reportedly been buried.

PESKOV: [Speaking Russian]

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said Vladimir Putin would not attend the funeral.

Prigozhin served as a kind of military general for hire for the Kremlin, including in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But he also staged a short-lived mutiny earlier this year, challenging Vladimir Putin’s authority.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the Russian warlord’s death predictable:

JEAN-PIERRE: A cold blooded murderer became so frustrated by the way that the Russian government was waging its unprovoked war against Ukraine that he criticized Russia's failing policies.

He died in a plane crash last week. U.S. intelligence believes an intentional explosion of some kind brought down the private jet over Russia.

Suarez drops out » Just two months after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez made this announcement:

SUAREZ: I have filed paperwork to run for president of the United States of America.

The mayor has announced that he’s suspending his campaign, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to pull the plug.

The two-term mayor’s campaign failed to gain national traction, and he fell short of qualifying for last week’s GOP debate in Milwaukee.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Debate fallout and Congress’s looming budget deadline on Washington Wednesday. Plus, helping kids overcome fears that keep them from talking at school.

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