Idalia made landfall as one of the more powerful hurricanes in Florida's history. For a second time, Sen. Mitch McConnell froze and struggled to speak during a news conference. And many are still missing as the search for victims of the Maui wildfires nears an end. |
👋 Hey there! Laura Davis here. It's time for Wednesday's news. |
Historic storm pounds Florida, Georgia |
Leaving behind shredded buildings and hundreds of miles of flooding, Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning along Florida's Big Bend as one of the more powerful storms in state history. Radar imagery indicated the eye of Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach around 7:45 a.m. as a Category 3 hurricane, driving sustained winds of 125 mph. 🌀 Follow our live storm coverage. |
| • | Catastrophic storm surge, power outages: In the small town of Perry, near where the storm came ashore, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said some of the hardest-hit areas are laden with debris and severely damaged property. More than 450,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida and Georgia on Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. | | • | Warnings issued for Georgia, Carolinas: By Wednesday evening, Idalia had weakened to a tropical storm, centered about 115 miles west-southwest of Charleston with sustained winds of 70 mph. The storm is forecast to move over the Carolina coastline Wednesday night and into Thursday. | | Chris Bodue paddles through his flooded neighborhood from Hurricane Idalia in Tarpon Springs, Florida on August 30, 2023. GREG LOVETT/THE PALM BEACH POST |
Mitch McConnell freezes, struggles to speak again |
Once again raising concerns about the 81-year-old's health, Sen. Mitch McConnell froze before in the middle of a news conference Wednesday and was escorted away from the microphones. At an event in Kentucky, the Republican Senate minority leader was asked about running for reelection in 2026 and seemed to start to answer before freezing and going silent. It's the second time in less than two months the senator has frozen up in this way. An anonymous McConnell aide said the senator will be consulting a physician prior to his next event. 👉 Here's everything we know. | Fellow senators help Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., away from the podium after the 81-year-old froze at the microphones for a news conference on July 26, 2023. J. Scott Applewhite/AP |
What everyone's talking about |
Officials near end of search for Maui wildfire victims |
More than three weeks after deadly wildfires ripped through Lahaina, Hawaii, officials in Maui say they're nearing the end of the search and recovery phase. The count of confirmed dead has stood at 115 for several days – making it the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. Nobody knows how many people are still missing. Maui County officials said they have covered 100% of the devastated area in Lahaina, and the next step will be to remove hazardous materials from the burn areas so residents can safely return. 👉 The latest on recovery efforts. | The aftermath of the wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 16, 2023. Jae C. Hong, AP |
Giuliani loses defamation lawsuit from 2 election workers |
Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's campaign lawyer for the 2020 election, is liable for defaming two Georgia election workers by repeatedly accusing them of mishandling ballots, a U.S. district judge ruled Wednesday. A month ago, Giuliani conceded he didn't want to dispute that he made false statements about election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss. Since then, Giuliani has said he conceded to get try and get his case dismissed, but the judge ruled that Giuliani's stipulations "hold more holes than Swiss cheese." 👉 Here's what we know. | Rudy Giuliani speaks outside the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Aug. 23. Brynn Anderson, AP | | | | The Department of Health and Human Services has moved to reclassify marijuana as less harmful than cocaine or heroin, according to reports. | | | | Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart and Kroger's plans come after the FDA approved selling the drug, which reverses opioid overdoses, over-the-counter. | | | | Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn opens up about post-retirement health issues and how she hopes her present helps shape her future. | | | | The pandemic not only jolted used car prices, but it shifted the best times to sell or buy a used car. Find out what the new times for each are now. | | | | A man who grew up on the Neches River was searching the low water near Beaumont when he found five sunken ships. | | | | The horrors of USA Gymnastics' history demand that it faces questions. So why did it deny a credential to a reporter for the U.S. championships? | | | | Simone Biles' latest Athleta GIRL collection, geared toward girls ages 6 to 12, features the tagline, "Because I can." | | | | A team investigating alleged sexual assault at the hands of the late Johnny Kitagawa has found the charges credible. | | | | A viral video of a 12-year-old Colorado student being told to remove a patch depicting the "Don't Tread on Me" flag prompted the governor to respond. | | | | Local police believe the drowning of the family's daughter, 4, weeks earlier played a part in the recent deaths. They were buried with her. | | | | | | | Sign up for the news you want | Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. | | | | | | |
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