Florida evacuating, Nord Stream leaks ‘deliberate,’ Texas AG Paxton accused of fleeing

Mandatory evacuations underway in Florida as Hurricane Ian strengthens – Emergency officials in Florida have issued a mandatory evacuation for residents in some locations near Tampa Bay, as Hurricane Ian continues to approach the area. Heavy traffic jams have occurred in parts of the state as many look to flee the strengthening storm, which has now become a Category 3 hurricane.

“Time is of the essence. Act now,” urged Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise.

Ian made landfall in Cuba early Tuesday morning, bringing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. The hurricane, now in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, is moving north toward Florida at a rate of 10 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Danish Prime Minister says Nord Stream pipeline leaks were “deliberate” – Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that her government believes the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline leaks were caused by “deliberate actions.” Meanwhile, the government of Sweden launched a preliminary probe into possible sabotage of the two Russian pipelines that are currently spewing gas into the Baltic Sea.

“It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident,” Frederiksen said at a press briefing in Copenhagen.

Meanwhile, seismologists have reported that a series of explosions rattled the Baltic Sea just before the leaks were discovered, and added that “there’s no doubt, this is not an earthquake.”

Texas Attorney General accused of fleeing his home to avoid a subpoena – According to an affidavit filed in federal court, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fled his home in a truck driven by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, to avoid being served a subpoena.

“It’s clear that the media wants to drum up another controversy involving my work as Attorney General, so they’re attacking me for having the audacity to avoid a stranger lingering outside my home and showing concern about the safety and well-being of my family,” responded Paxton to media coverage of the subpoena’s service.

Lawyers for Paxton later argued to a Texas judge the that the server “loitered at the Attorney General’s home for over an hour, repeatedly shouted at him, and accosted” him and his wife. The judge ultimately granted Paxton’s request to quash and seal the subpoena.