South
Political storm: On Trump 'onslaught of lies,' Biden urges former president to 'get a life man'
There’s no let up in the war of words between President Biden and former President Trump over the federal government’s response to back-to-back devastating hurricanes that slammed into the southeast.
After Trump continued to charge that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been slow and ineffective in steering the government’s storm efforts, the president once again fired back.
Biden told reporters on Thursday that Trump needed to “get a life man, help these people.”
And he argued that “the public will hold him [Trump] accountable” for making false claims regarding the capabilities of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to assist storm victims.
BACK-TO-BACK HURRICANES ROCK PRESIDENTIAL RACE
President Joe Biden speaks and gives an update on the impact and the ongoing response to Hurricane Milton, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
But the former president’s son, Eric Trump, posted on X on Wednesday that the family has opened up one of its Florida hotels to house over 200 linemen who are helping in the storm’s aftermath.
Trump has also launched a GoFundMe campaign for victims of Hurricane Helene in Georgia, which has raised more than $7 million so far.
The president spoke as millions in Florida remained without power after Hurricane Milton tore a path of destruction across the central and northern parts of the state late Wednesday into Thursday.
Meanwhile, cleanup and recovery efforts continue across the southeast, which was hit hard by Helene nearly two weeks ago.
With less than four weeks to go until Election Day in November, Harris and Trump are locked in a narrow margin-of-error showdown in the race to succeed Biden in the White House, and with two of the hardest-hit states from Helene — North Carolina and Georgia — among the seven key battlegrounds that will likely determine the outcome of the 2024 election, the politics of federal disaster relief are again front and center on the campaign trail.
CLICK HERE FOR UP-TO-DATE FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE STORMS
“Vice President Harris and I have been in constant contact with the state and local officials. We’re offering everything they need,” Biden emphasized on Thursday.
Among those the president spoke with was Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.
While DeSantis and Harris have traded verbal fire this week over whether he ignored hurricane-related calls from her, the governor and Biden have worked together on storm response and relief efforts.
“I spoke with the president this morning,” DeSantis said during one of his numerous briefings on Thursday. “He said he wants to be helpful. And so if we have a request, he said, send them his way, and he wants to help us get the job done. So I appreciate being able to collaborate across the federal, state and local governments and work together to put the people first.”
Despite those comments and others from DeSantis as well as other leading Republican officeholders in the storm-struck southeast, Trump has continuously slammed Biden and Harris.
DESANTIS AND HARRIS TRADE FIRE OVER HURRICANE CALL
“THE WORST RESPONSE TO A STORM OR HURRICANE DISASTER IN U.S. HISTORY,” Trump claimed in a social media post on Tuesday.
“The worst hurricane response since Katrina,” the former president charged on Wednesday as he pointed to the much-maligned initial federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which was heavily criticized for being slow and ineffective.
Trump, speaking at a campaign rally in battleground Pennsylvania, lobbed another political bomb at Harris, arguing that “She just led the worst rescue operation in history in North Carolina…the worst ever, they say.”
And the former president once again made false claims that FEMA diverted money intended for disaster relief and spent it on undocumented migrants in the U.S. as he turned up the volume on his inflammatory rhetoric over the combustible issue of illegal immigration.
HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS WEATHER UPDATES ON HURRICANE MILTON
“You know where they gave the money to: illegal immigrants coming,” Trump said as the crowd of MAGA supporters loudly booed.
Hours later, Biden pushed back, accusing the Republican presidential nominee of leading an “onslaught of lies.”
Biden charged that the rhetoric from Trump and other Republicans was “beyond ridiculous” and that “it’s got to stop.”
But on Thursday at a campaign event in Michigan, Trump kept up the attacks. He praised southern Republican governors for doing a “fantastic job” reacting to the storms and argued that “the federal government, on the other hand, has not done what you’re supposed to be doing, in particular, with respect to North Carolina. They’ve let those people suffer unjustly, unjustly.”
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets people who were impacted by Hurricane Helene in Augusta, Ga., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson watches at right. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Harris, in a Wednesday interview with the Weather Channel, also chided Trump.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This is not a time for us to just point fingers at each other as Americans,” the vice president said. “Anybody who considers themselves to be a leader should really be in the business right now of giving people a sense of confidence that we’re all working together and that we have the resources and the ability to work together on their behalf.”
Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt, responding to the criticism, said in a statement to Fox News on Thursday, “is this the same Joe Biden who President Trump knocked out of the race with the most dominant debate performance in history? Maybe he should keep quiet and go back to the beach. President Trump has a great life and it entails working hard every day to save this country from the mess Biden and Kamala got us into.”
Fox News’ Kirill Clark and Matteo Cina contributed to this report
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Delaware
Wilmington’s first homicide of 2026 claims life of 19-year-old
How to report a crime to Delaware Crime Stoppers
This video details what Delaware Crime Stoppers is and how to report a crime. 8/25/23
A 19-year-old man was shot dead in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood in the early hours of Jan. 9, police said.
Wilmington officers arriving to the 200 block of S. Claymont St. about 3:30 a.m. found the teen there.
The teen, whom police have not named, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anyone with information about this shooting should contact Wilmington Police Detective Derek Haines at (302) 576-3656. People can also provide information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com.
Violence by the numbers
This is the first homicide reported this year in Delaware, which last year saw a slight drop in all violent killings.
Delaware police reported 52 people being killed in violent crimes in 2025, a drop of nearly 12% when compared with 59 people killed in 2024, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal database.
While the number of people killed in homicides statewide is down, the number of people killed by gunfire in Delaware was up in 2025 for the third year in a row.
According to the Delaware Online database, 47 were shot dead in Delaware last year. That was one more victim (46) than in 2024, three more (44) than in 2023 and nine more (38) than in 2022.
Despite the increase in gun-related deaths, there were fewer people shot last year in Delaware for the second year in a row.
Police reported 164 people being shot last year in Delaware. The previous year saw 195 people shot and police reported 210 people being shot in 2023.
This was the fewest people shot in Delaware since 2018, when police reported 146 people being shot statewide.
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.
Florida
Protest photos in Florida after ICE shooting in Minneapolis
ICE shooting: After Renee Nicole Good was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, millions of Americans are protesting — including in Trump’s home state.
A week ago, President Donald Trump rang in the new year like a king — in grandeur and opulence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Following this week’s deadly shooting by a federal immigration officer in Minnesota, millions of Americans frustrated with his administration are protesting — including in his home state.
Groups in Orlando, Tallahassee and Miami have held vigils and peaceful protests after Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot in the head while attempting to use a vehicle to flee authorities. The incident was captured on camera, and multiple videos posted on social media have gotten millions of views.
The nationwide protests are the latest in a year of Trump’s second term, which is coming up on a one-year anniversary later this month. Most cite Trump’s:
- immigration crackdowns
- ICE and National Guard deployments
- on-again-off-again tariffs
- his perceived control over all three branches of the U.S. government
More than 25 Trump protests and vigils for Renee Nicole Good were scheduled Wednesday, Jan. 7, to Sunday, Jan. 11, in his home state of Florida, and at least one was scheduled in Palm Beach County − about 30 miles down the road from his private club.
Last week, Donald and Melania Trump hosted their annual New Year’s Eve gala at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. He returns there Friday, Jan. 9, amid the ICE protests and vigils for Renee Good in Minneapolis.
USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network will provide live coverage of the anti-Trump administration protests.
Below are photos of the ICE protests in Florida, which occurred as Trump returned home to his private club, Mar-a-Lago.
Photos of ICE protest in Gainesville, Florida
Photos of ICE protest in Palm Coast, Florida
Photos of ICE protest in Stuart, Florida
Photos of ICE protest in Tallahassee, Florida
US protests after Renee Nicole Good is shot dead by an ICE agent
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.
Georgia
Georgia ‘super flu’ activity hits ‘extremely high’ levels: When to call 911
Got the flu? When should you call 911?
Georgia remains in the “extremely high” flu activity category, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even as some indicators show signs of leveling off nationwide.
ATLANTA – Georgia remains in the “extremely high” flu activity category, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even as some indicators show signs of leveling off nationwide.
Emergency crews in the Atlanta area say they’re feeling the impact firsthand, with a sharp spike in flu-related 911 calls.
Flu cases in Georgia
What we know:
EMTs and paramedics at American Medical Response in DeKalb County report handling more flu-related calls than usual this season.
“This is one of the most difficult flu seasons that I’ve seen in a long time,” said Israel Contreras, AMR EMS transformation and innovation manager in the South Region.
Contreras said crews in DeKalb are busier than last flu season.
“We had an increase of about 60% of flu-like symptoms, cause, that’s including, you know, whatever range of flu-like symptoms, fevers, headaches,” he said.
The surge in calls in DeKalb reflects broader trends reported by the CDC. In its latest report, the agency estimates at least 15 million people have gotten sick this season, resulting in 180,000 hospitalizations and 7,400 deaths.
While some indicators have decreased or remained stable this week, the CDC cautioned that it is too early to say whether the flu surge has peaked, noting that the holidays may have affected the numbers.
Super flu symptoms
What they’re saying:
In DeKalb County, Contreras said the increase in calls is straining resources.
“We have to be ready for any kind of emergency that’s happening and so when we have an increase of this nature, we get delayed because we tax the hospital. So now we’re delayed at the hospitals,” he said.
Contreras added that many flu-related calls are for non-emergencies that could be treated at home.
He urged residents to call 911 only for life-threatening situations, such as trouble breathing or chest pain, or if symptoms return with a high fever after initially improving.
“I’m not trying to discourage people from calling 911 when they feel like they have an actual life-threatening emergency. I just want people to evaluate whether they actually are having a life-threatening emergency,” he said.
The CDC also attributed the difficult season to a new variant, sometimes called the “super flu.” Doctors are urging everyone to get a flu shot to protect against severe complications and to stay home if they are sick.
Fighting influenza at home
What you can do:
Based on guidance from AMR and public health officials, DeKalb County encourages residents to:
- Get vaccinated. Annual flu vaccines remain the most effective way to prevent severe illness. Residents at higher risk should also ask their healthcare provider about the pneumococcal vaccine.
- Practice good hygiene. Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue or your elbow to reduce the spread of airborne viruses.
- Stay home when sick. Avoid exposing others by remaining home until symptoms improve.
When to call 911 for the flu
AMR advises residents to call 911 or seek emergency medical attention if they experience:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest pain or persistent pressure
- Sudden dizziness, confusion, or severe weakness
- Severe or prolonged vomiting
- Flu symptoms that improve but then return with a high fever or worsening cough
The Source: The article cites data from the CDC and Georgia Department of Public Health, alongside an interview between Israel Contreras of AMR and FOX 5’s Tyler Fingert.
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