Wednesday morning news: October 9, 2024

Hurricane Milton » Hurricane Milton is now bearing down on Florida’s Gulf Coast on track to slam Tampa Bay and surrounding areas late tonight.

The storm surge will begin rolling in today, and Michael Brennan with the National Hurricane Center predicts 10-15 feet of water pushing inland.

BRENNAN: So that's well above the height of any person up to the above a one to even getting into the second story of a building. And the water. It's not gonna be filling up like a bathtub. This is water that's gonna violently be pushed on shore with destructive wave action on top of it.

The Tampa Bay area has avoided a direct hit from a major hurricane for more than a century, but that could change tonight with Milton expected to make landfall as a Category-3.

Central Florida, including Orlando, could see Category-2 winds of around 100 miles per hour.

Gov. Ron DeSantis:

DESANTIS:  This storm is going to go across the Florida peninsula and it's going to exit on the east coast of Florida into the Atlantic Ocean, likely still as a hurricane. Uh, so that is going to bring significant impacts all across the state.

Emergency officials say they have pre-positioned search and rescue teams, power crews and more, to respond immediately when the storm passes.

Biden delays trip, Republicans want to probe Helene response » President Biden has postponed a planned trip to Germany and Angola. He says he’ll stay put to monitor the storm response.

BIDEN:  I'm directing my team to do everything they can to save lives and help communities before, during, and after this hurricane.

Meantime, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee say they want answers about what they say has been a slow federal response in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Committee Chairman James Comer:

COMER:  You know, at the end of the day, I think we need to have a complete review of FEMA, uh, just like we did with the Secret Service.

Republican North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd says National Guard and other Defense Dept. assets were standing by ready to help … well before they were called upon.

BUDD:  I mean, this has been characterized by lack of speed, lack of coordination and misplaced priorities all over.

The White House and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell have brushed off the criticism, accusing Republicans of playing politics with a federal emergency.

Ghost gun arguments » The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday about regulations on so-called ghost guns … guns assembled by the gun owner, often after ordering kits.

Justice Samuel Alito and Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar:

ALITO:  I put out on a counter some eggs, some chopped up ham, some chopped up pepper and onions. Uh, is that a Western omelet?

PRELOGAR: No, because again, those items have well known other uses to become something other than an omelet. The key difference here is that these weapon parts kits are designed and intended to be used as instruments of combat and they have no other conceivable use.

Key conservative justices seemed open to the government’s argument that kits for quickly making guns at home can be regulated like other firearms, with background checks and serial numbers.

The court previously allowed regulations on such weapons to go into effect.

But some Second Amendment rights groups argue the Biden administration overstepped by trying to regulate gun parts that had long been legal with hobbyists.

Israel » Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was expected in Washington today to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. But Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters:

SINGH: We were just informed that Minister Gallant will be postponing his trip to Washington DC. Secretary Austin looks forward to seeing him soon.

When asked WHY Gallant had pushed back the visit...Singh responded:

SINGH: You'd have to speak to the Israelis on that one. I was just told that the the that he postponed this trip.

SOUND: [Strikes on Lebanon]

All of this comes as Israeli airstrikes continue against Beirut, with at least three strikes hitting the Lebanese capital last night.

HAGARI: [Speaking in Hebrew]

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari says Israeli Defense Forces discovered dozens of underground tunnels in southern Lebanon...one of which crossed a few yards into Israel. They were presumably used by the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah.

Hagari said Israeli soldiers found weapons, bombs, and anti-tank missiles in the tunnel.

And less than two weeks after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed...Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has also taken out his potential successors.

Netanyahu addressed the Lebanese people yesterday...offering them a stark choice: Peace...or Hezbollah.

NETANYAHU: You can now take back your country. You can return it to a path of peace and prosperity. If you don't, Hezbollah will continue to try to fight Israel from densely populated areas at your expense.

He also told them that Israel is not Lebanon's conquerors. Iran is.

TikTok lawsuits » The attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia filed independent lawsuits today in state courts against the social media platform.

They accuse TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, of intentionally designing its platform to be addictive and harmful to young people. Officials also allege the company was aware that youth who used the platform regularly were at risk of experiencing an array of harmful effects … including disrupted sleep, depression, and anxiety.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Michigan politics and what they mean for the national election. Plus, questions voters should consider in the ballot box.

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