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Hurricane Milton reaches Category 4 strength days before it's poised to hit Florida

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Hurricane Milton reaches Category 4 strength days before it's poised to hit Florida

Early models show Milton making landfall in Florida midweek before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean, sparing many of the states hardest hit by Helene.

National Hurricane Center


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National Hurricane Center

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast and wreaked a path of destruction across the southeastern U.S., the state is again on high alert for another rapidly intensifying storm.

Forecasters upgraded Milton from a tropical storm to a hurricane on Sunday, a day earlier than expected, and warn that it is poised to reach Category 4 strength before making landfall in Florida midweek.

It strengthened into a “major” Category 3 hurricane early Monday morning when its maximum sustained winds started nearing 125 mph. It quickly intensified to Category 4 status with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, the National Hurricane Center said just after 9 a.m. ET.

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At that point, the storm was about 150 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 735 miles west-southwest of Tampa. The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula is under a hurricane warning, while hurricane watches, storm surge watches and tropical storm watches and warnings are in effect for parts of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula.

Milton is expected to move just north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday before crossing the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approaching Florida’s west coast by Wednesday.

The NHC says most models agree that Milton will cross the Florida Peninsula, though people “should not focus on the exact track” because models still disagree about the exact location and timing of landfall.

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Even so, forecasters warn that it is likely to be a “large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards along portions of the coastline.”

They say areas of heavy rainfall will impact portions of Florida on Monday, and again on Tuesday through Wednesday night, bringing “the risk of considerable flash, urban and areal flooding,” as well as the potential for moderate to major river flooding.

Parts of the Florida Peninsula and Keys could see 5 to 10 inches of rain through Wednesday night, with localized totals up to 15 inches in some areas.

There is also a growing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for parts of Florida’s west coast beginning late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Forecasters say it could raise water levels to as high as 8 to 12 feet in coastal areas of Florida, including Tampa Bay.

“Residents in that area should follow any advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so,” the NHC said, referring to the west coast of the peninsula.

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Floridians are bracing for evacuations and impact

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already expanded an emergency declaration to cover 51 of the state’s 67 counties and is warning people across the peninsula to prepare.

“Do not get wedded to the cone,” he tweeted on Sunday. “Floridians should prepare now for potential impacts, even if you live outside of the forecast cone. We recommend following all evacuation orders from your local officials.”

Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said on Sunday that the state is preparing “for the largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma,” when nearly 6.8 million Floridians left their homes, resulting in statewide traffic jams.

But he also cautioned inland residents who don’t live in an evacuation zone or depend on electricity for medical needs that “it may be better for you to just stay in place.”

Several Florida counties have ordered evacuations starting as early as Monday morning.

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Manatee County and Pasco County have ordered the evacuation of residents in certain low-lying areas, mobile homes and RVs, while Pinellas County ordered the evacuation of all residential healthcare facilities within certain zones.

Emergency officials are urging Floridians to look up their zone, plan an evacuation route and leave as soon as they’re ordered to do so.

Guthrie also said Floridians should take into account that many are still recovering from Helene: Did they use up their reserves of water, food, pet food? Do they need to buy fresh batteries? Have they restocked their supply kits to last each family member up to seven days?

“Please make sure you’re doing that today,” he said.

Lines started forming at gas stations on Sunday as people stocked up on fuel, water and other supplies, member station WGCU reported.

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It notes that public school districts in many counties will be closed from Monday through at least Wednesday and that Florida Gulf Coast University — near Fort Myers — will close its campus Tuesday and Wednesday, after shifting to remote operations.

The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport has already announced the cancellation of all Allegiant Air flights on Wednesday and Thursday.

Milton is forecast to spare other states submerged by Helene

Milton is poised to strike an area still recovering from Helene’s Category 4 winds and rains.

But it is expected to exit into the Atlantic Ocean, sparing many of the southeastern states that were hit hardest by Helene, including Georgia and the Carolinas.

More than 220 people were killed by Helene, one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005. The Associated Press reports that about half of the victims were in North Carolina, where historic flooding destroyed entire communities.

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Abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, fueled by human-caused climate change, has made it easier for hurricanes to strengthen rapidly and bring even more wind and rain ashore.

Milton is the ninth hurricane to form in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June through November. It’s the fifth to form since Sept. 25 alone, breaking a previous record of two during that period.

And this is officially the first time three simultaneous hurricanes have been recorded in the Atlantic Ocean after September, according to storm researcher Philip Klotzbach. In addition to Milton, Hurricanes Kirk and Leslie are also brewing.

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Video: Our Photographers’ Favorite Campaign Trail Photos

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Video: Our Photographers’ Favorite Campaign Trail Photos

How did they get those photos? Doug Mills, who has been photographing former President Donald J. Trump for The New York Times, and Erin Schaff, who has been photographing Vice President Kamala Harris, tell the stories behind their favorite photos of the candidates.

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Donald Trump victory bets and strong US economy power dollar gains

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Donald Trump victory bets and strong US economy power dollar gains

Unlock the US Election Countdown newsletter for free

The dollar has roared to its biggest monthly gain in more than two years, propelled by bets that strong economic data and a victory for Donald Trump in next week’s presidential election will lead to interest rates staying higher for longer.

An index measuring the dollar against a basket of six other currencies, including the pound and Japan’s yen, jumped 3.2 per cent in October, its best month since April 2022.

Economists and strategists said the greenback’s sharp rise reflected persistent signs of economic resilience, including surprisingly strong September payrolls data and evidence of higher consumer spending.

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“It’s been the perfect storm of dollar-supportive information over the last few weeks,” said Eric Winograd, chief economist at AllianceBernstein. “Our data continues to paint a picture of an economy that isn’t really slowing.”

Market participants said increasing expectations in the market of a Republican election victory had bolstered the dollar’s appeal.

The latest polls put Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris virtually neck and neck, setting the stage for an extremely tight race on November 5.

Investors believe that if Trump wins and trade tariffs and tax cuts are implemented, then inflationary pressures would be compounded and the Federal Reserve would be less likely to cut interest rates rapidly.

“It’s a combination of better than expected economic data. [And] also the growing consensus that Trump is likely to win the election,” said Andrzej Skiba, head of Bluebay US fixed income at RBC Global Asset Management. “With Trump, you could expect greater pressure on inflation than otherwise would be the case.”

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While Trump has stated his preference for a softer dollar, strategists said it is logistically difficult to weaken a currency.

After policymakers lowered rates by an unusually large 0.5 percentage points in September, markets priced in at least one more jumbo-sized cut before the year-end.

But those expectations have been scaled back over the past month. Futures markets are pricing in a quarter-point reduction at next week’s Federal Reserve meeting and those views were cemented after October payrolls came in much lower than expected on Friday, albeit distorted by major hurricanes and worker strikes, while the unemployment rate held steady.

Markets at the end of this week showed rising odds of another quarter-point cut in December.

Still, were Harris to win the election, Mark McCormick, head of FX strategy at TD Securities, does not “think Harris is fundamentally negative for the dollar”.

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Some positions may unwind if Trump loses the election, he said. “But that’s a dip,” he added. “Data, central banks, the economic outlook — all of those things are moving back in favour of the US.”

For AllianceBernstein’s Winograd, “the extent of that [currency] weakening has to be limited by the [recent economic] data being positive . . . I don’t think the dollar will undo an entire month’s worth of gains.”

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Who is Liz Cheney? Trump fantasises her being shot during chat with Tucker Carlson

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Who is Liz Cheney? Trump fantasises her being shot during chat with Tucker Carlson

Donald Trump has the latest violent fantasy days before elections and features Liz Cheney. During a recent campaign appearance, the former president fantasised about the attorney being shot in the face. He also called her a “radical war hawk”. His remark resulted in massive outrage and backlash from the netizens.

Donald Trump recently made violent remarks about Liz Cheney, suggesting she should be shot. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque(REUTERS)

Also Read: US election in numbers: Who won the donation race, Kamala Harris or Donald Trump?

Who is Liz Cheney?

Liz is a 58-year-old attorney and former republican politician. She served as a former congresswoman from Wyoming who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023. She is known for her strong conservative views and for being a vocal critic of Trump. She has been a sore spot for Trump since she switched to Kamala Harris’ side.

Previously she was a supporter of the Republican presidential nominee, however, this support went for a toss after the January 6 Capitol attack. She stated that Trump’s actions during the Capitol riot in 2021 showed he “can never be trusted with power again,” as reported by BBC. In the past month, she has campaigned alongside Harris to connect with disaffected Republicans in key swing states.

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Liz is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney under George W. Bush and was a key architect of the Iraq War. She has often defended her father’s decisions regarding military interventions and has been an advocate for a strong American presence on the global stage. However, she has also faced criticism for her support of the Iraq War and has taken a stand against the withdrawal from Afghanistan. This is another point where she locked horns with Trump because of the latter’s approach to foreign policy and national security.

She has co-authored three books with her father: his autobiography My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir (2011), Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America (2015), and Heart: An American Medical Odyssey (2013), the latter written with her father’s heart surgeon.

In 2023, she published her own memoir, Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning, which details the January 6th attack, its causes, and its aftermath.

Also Read: Melania Trump leaves NYC with son Barron for next ‘big move’ ahead of the US elections

What was Trump’s violent fantasy about Liz Cheney?

Trump joined conservative broadcaster, Tucker Carlson on Thursday night at an event in Glendale, Arizona. He criticised the Iraq war, highlighting Cheney’s decision to pardon Scooter Libby, who was convicted of lying to investigators in 2007.

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He then took a jab at his daughter Liz as he said, “His daughter is a very dumb individual, very dumb. She’s a radical war hawk.” Trump added, “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. Let’s see how she feels about it. You know when the guns are trained on her face,” as reported by The Independent.

He also criticised the government officials before one final blow at Liz. The former president said, “They’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, ‘Oh, gee, well, let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy.” He continued “But she’s a stupid person. And I used to have meetings with a lot of people and she always wanted to go to war with people.”

Netizens were infuriated with Trup’s violent comment as one user wrote on X, “As a woman I do not tolerate threats against other women, I stand with Liz Cheney. Trump is not fit for office.” A second user wrote, “Isn’t it the mark of a true Coward to threaten a Woman?” A third user wrote, “As a man and an American I DO NOT tolerate threats against women…Anyone for that matter!!! I stand with Liz and all who are threatened by weak men who feel they are entitled to make threats and try to exhibit dominance over anyone…”

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