Thursday, September 26, 2024
It is Thursday, September 26, 2024. Here are today’s top stories.
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Hurricane Helene becomes Cat. 3 with 120 mph winds
Hurricane Helene became a Category 3 hurricane this afternoon with sustained wind speeds of 120 mph. A Category 3 or above hurricane is considered a major hurricane. It is forecast to hit the Florida panhandle tonight. The National Hurricane Center said there may be a catastrophic storm surge in Florida’s Big Bend, Apalachee Bay, and Nature Coast with surge inundation of 10 to 20 feet above ground level. The Tampa area may also experience significant storm surge flooding. Weather forecasters also warned those living in the Southeast and the southern Appalachians of flash flooding and said most flood fatalities occur in vehicles, telling motorists to turn around and don’t drown. There could be 20 inches of rainfall in North Georgia into the Carolinas.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-helene-path-florida/
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NYC Mayor Eric Adams indicted
Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York City, was indicted in a federal corruption investigation. The New York Times said it’s not known exactly what charge Adams is facing but that there was a federal investigation on whether Adams and his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations. Adams will be the first NYC mayor to face a federal charge while in office. Adams posted a video statement saying that he has done nothing wrong and that he’s being targeted because he’s standing his ground for New Yorkers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/nyregion/eric-adams-indicted.html
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Snowmobiler who crashed into Black Hawk helicopter gets $3M
AP News reported that a snowboarder in Massachusetts who crashed into a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter that was parked on a snowmobiling trail was awarded $3.3 million in damages by a judge who said the federal government was mostly responsible for the incident. The snowmobiler’s name is Jeff Smith and when this happened in March 2019, he was hospitalized and nearly died. The helicopter was camouflaged and did not have any kind of lights to indicate its position when it was dark outside. The judge said the helicopter should not have been parked on a trail but criticized Smith for speeding while wearing tinted goggles.
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Haitian group wants Trump charged
A Haitian organization in Ohio has filed paperwork with a court to ask authorities to press criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance for making claims that the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio was violent and eating residents’ pet cats and dogs. The organization said the comments disrupted public services by causing bomb threats and that the comments caused Haitian immigrants to suffer with fear.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said Trump was right in highlighting the failed immigration system that Vice President Kamala Harris has overseen, bringing thousands of illegal immigrants pouring into communities like Springfield and other places.
A news report explained that many Haitians in Ohio are there legally, having obtained Temporary Protected Status, a legal status.
In separate but related news, U.S. Congressman Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) posted on Twitter (X) that Haiti is the nastiest country in the Western Hemisphere and said immigrants in Springfield need to get out before January 20th. He said they were eating pets. In response, the Congressional Black Caucus moved to censure Higgins for the comments. The House will deal with the request for censure when members of Congress return to the Capitol on Nov. 12. Higgins deleted the tweet.
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U.S. calling for 21-day ceasefire in Israel-Lebanon
CNN reported that the U.S. and several of its allies have called on Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon to have a 21-day ceasefire to prevent a regional war from erupting.
World leaders who are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly have worked over the past 48 hours to create a proposal for a cease-fire.
CNN said Israel and Hezbollah have yet to agree. Israel has been continuing to carry out airstrikes in Lebanon. A Lebanese official said there are many civilians, women, and children who are suffering in the attacks and that there are about half a million people who are forced to flee their homes.
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-lebanon-war-hezbollah-09-26-24-intl-hnk/index.html
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.