AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE ARE DEAD AS HURRICANE HELENE HAS NOW WEAKENED TO A CATEGORY 1 STORM AFTER MAKING LANDFALL IN FLORIDA’S BIG BEND AREA AS A MAJOR CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE.
HELENE BRINGING THE ANTICIPATED LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, STRONG WINDS, AND HEAVY RAINS AS IT BATTERS GEORGIA.
AND METEOROLOGISTS SAY JUST BECAUSE THE STORM HAS WEAKENED SIGNIFICANTLY — DOES NOT MAKE IT LESS DANGEROUS.
AUTHORITIES IN FLORIDA HAD TO RESCUE PEOPLE WHO WERE TRAPPED AFTER THE MASSIVE STORM PASSED. THIS MORNING THERE IS HEAVY FLOODING.
AND ONE PERSON WAS KILLED ON I-4 NEAR TAMPA, WHEN A SIGN FELL ON THEIR CAR.
AUTHORITIES IN WHEELER COUNTY, GEORGIA ALSO SAY TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED THERE WHEN AN APPARENT TORNADO OVERTURNED A MOBILE HOME.
RIGHT NOW — MORE THAN ONE-MILLION PEOPLE IN FLORIDA ARE WITHOUT POWER AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MORE IN GEORGIA.
THAT NUMBER IS STEADILY GROWING.
POWER OUTAGES LINKED TO HELENE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH CAROLINA… AND THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER SAYS TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL BE FELT THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST TODAY — WITH STRONG, DAMAGING WINDS LIKELY TO QUOTE “PENETRATE AS FAR INLAND AS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS.”
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE *WILL* MEET WITH UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY TO HEAR HIS VICTORY PLAN.
THIS AFTER THERE WAS SOME DOUBT WHETHER THE MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO WOULD OCCUR… AFTER BOTH TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF EACH OTHER.
THAT MEETING IS SET TO HAPPEN AT TRUMP TOWER IN NEW YORK THIS MORNING.
ON THURSDAY — THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT MET WITH BOTH PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS TO DISCUSS HIS PLAN TO DEFEAT RUSSIA.
BIDEN IS PLEDGING TO SEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE IN MISSILES, DRONES, WEAPONS, AND SUPPLIES… WHILE HARRIS TOLD ZELENSKYY RECENT CALLS FOR UKRAINE TO GIVE OVER SOME OF ITS LAND TO RUSSIA ARE QUOTE “DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE.”
HARRIS REFERRING TO RECENT SUGGESTIONS BY DONALD TRUMP AND HIS RUNNING MATE, OHIO SENATOR J-D VANCE — WHO HAVE SUGGESTED UKRAINE SHOULD CUT A DEAL QUICKLY TO END THE WAR THAT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS NOW.
TRUMP HAS STATED THAT IF HE WINS THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, HE WILL END THE UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR EVEN BEFORE HE TAKES OFFICE.
ZELENSKYY ALSO MET WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS THURSDAY IN AN EFFORT TO SHORE UP AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR THE ONGOING WAR.
TODAY — FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE CRIMINAL CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE RECENT TRUMP CAMPAIGN HACK — WHICH HAS BEEN LINKED TO IRANIAN EFFORTS TO INFLUENCE THE 20-24 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
INVESTIGATORS SAY IRAN GAINED ACCESS TO TRUMP CAMPAIGN EMAILS ** AND** SENT FILES TO VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS AND THE BIDEN-HARRIS CAMPAIGN THIS SUMMER — BEFORE PRESIDENT BIDEN DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE AND VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS TOOK OVER AS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.
REPORTS SAY MULTIPLE IRANIAN HACKERS WILL BE CHARGED.
WITH SOURCES TELLING ABC NEWS THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE CHARGES.
NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS IS SET TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN FEDERAL COURT TODAY.
HE WILL BE ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES INCLUDING BRIBERY, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT WIRE FRAUD AND SOLICITATION OF A CONTRIBUTION BY A FOREIGN NATIONAL.
ACCORDING TO A 57-PAGE INDICTMENT UNSEALED THURSDAY — ADAMS ACCEPTED ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN DONATIONS INCLUDING THOSE FROM TURKISH NATIONALS IN EXCHANGE FOR POLITICAL FAVORS, FOR ABOUT A DECADE, INCLUDING BACKING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TURKISH CONSULATE IN NEW YORK CITY.
ADAMS, A DEMOCRAT, HAS VOWED TO FIGHT THE CHARGES AND CONTINUE AS MAYOR — DESPITE CALLS FROM HIS OWN PARTY TO STEP DOWN.
HE FACES UP TO 45 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED ON ALL COUNTS.
FOR ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN THE COUNTRY’S HISTORY –NITROGEN GAS HAS BEEN USED TO EXECUTE AN INMATE.
THE STATE OF ALABAMA PUT TO DEATH CONVICTED MURDERER ALAN EUGENE MILLER, THURSDAY NIGHT. IT’S THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR THE STATE HAS EMPLOYED THE CONTROVERSIAL METHOD.
MILLER WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN 2000 FOR A 1999 SHOOTING THAT KILLED THREE MEN, HE HAD WORKED WITH – AFTER HE ACCUSED THEM OF SPREADING RUMORS ABOUT HIM.
THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SAID THE PROCEDURE INVOLVED MILLER BEING FITTED WITH A MASK AND NITROGEN GAS FLOWING INTO HIS SYSTEM, FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
ACCORDING TO THE AP – MILLER SAID, “I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO BE HERE” IN HIS FINAL WORDS.
ACCORDING TO THE NONPROFIT DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION CENTER.
MILLER IS ONE OF FIVE INMATES TO BE EXECUTED IN THE SPAN OF ONE WEEK IN THE U.S. – THE FIRST TIME THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 2003.
FINALLY THIS MORNING – IT WAS THE END OF AN ERA IN BASEBALL ON THURSDAY WITH THE ATHLETICS PLAYING THEIR FINAL HOME GAME EVER IN OAKLAND.
IN FRONT OF A SOLD-OUT CROWD OF NEARLY 47 THOUSAND FANS AT THE OAKLAND COLISEUM, THE A’S ENDED THEIR 57-YEAR RUN IN THE EAST BAY WITH A VICTORY – DEFEATING THE TEXAS RANGERS 3 TO 2.
THE GAME HAD PLENTY OF EMOTION AS WELL AS SOME INTERRUPTIONS. SOMEBODY ACTUALLY THREW A SMOKE BOMB ONTO THE FIELD AND A FAN RAN ONTO THE FIELD AND MADE A DASH FOR IT, AS WELL.
IN THE END, A’S FANS SOAKED UP ALL THE MEMORIES – STAYING WELL PAST THE FINAL OUT.
THE TEAM WILL NOW RELOCATE TO SACRAMENTO FOR THE NEXT THREE SEASONS BEFORE MOVING TO THEIR NEW PERMANENT HOME IN LAS VEGAS IN 2028.