Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton’s arrival

HURRICANE MILTION — WHICH HAS RE-STRENGTHENED TO A CATEGORY 5 STORM — CONTINUES ITS TREK TOWARD FLORIDA. 

IT’S EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. 

STORM SURGE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR ALMOST ALL OF FLORIDA’S WEST COAST WITH THE DANGEROUS **EYE WALL** COMING ASHORE SOMEWHERE NEAR TAMPA.  IT’S MOVING AT 12 MILES AN HOUR WITH WINDS OF UP TO 160 MILES AN HOUR. 

MILTION **IS** EXPECTED TO WEAKEN BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL, BUT ALSO DOUBLE IN SIZE — MEANING IT WILL IMPACT A BIGGER AREA WHILE MAKING ITS TREK FROM COAST TO COAST IN THE SUNSHINE STATE. 

EVACUATION ORDERS ARE ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR THE AREAS EXPECTED TO GET THE WORST OF IT, WHILE ACROSS THE STATE THOSE WHO AREN’T EVACUATING ARE HUNKERING DOWN — PREPARING TO DEAL WITH IMPACTS OF THE STORM, INCLUDING WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES AND DRINKING WATER SHORTAGES.  

IN MANATEE COUNTY,  A POLICE CHIEF TOLD ANYBODY WHO STAYS – “THERE WILL BE NO FIRE, THERE WILL BE NO EMS, THERE WILL BE NO POLICE.”  

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FELT ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE. 

THE STORM IS PREDICTED TO POTENTIALLY BE ONE OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE ON RECORD,  UNLEASHING RECORD, LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE AS WELL, POSSIBLY TEN TO FIFTEEN IN TAMPA ACCORDING TO FORECASTERS. 

HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO ADD TO FLOODING CONCERNS — WITH MORE THAN 15 INCHES FORECAST IN PARTS OF THE STATE.

ORLANDO IS ONE OF THE AREAS EXPECTED TO BE INUNDATED WITH THE MOST RAIN — PROMPTING A RARE MOVE BY DISNEY WORLD TO CLOSE ITS DOORS. 

DISNEY IS CLOSING ITS PARKS AND HOTELS LATER TODAY AND SAYS THEY WILL LIKELY STAY CLOSED THROUGH TOMORROW. THIS WILL MARK THE 12TH TIME IN DISNEY WORLD’S 53-YEAR HISTORY THE PARK WILL SEE A CLOSURE.  

GOLDMAN SACHS ESTIMATES DISNEY WILL MISS OUT ON 150 MILLION DOLLARS DUE TO THE CLOSURES. 

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO IS ALSO CLOSING TODAY — AND CANCELING ITS POPULAR HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS EVENTS TODAY **AND** TOMORROW.  ALSO, THE ORLANDO AIRPORT IS CEASING OPERATIONS LATER THIS MORNING. 

LEGOLAND AND SEAWORLD ARE BOTH CLOSED TODAY AND TOMORROW, AS WELL — AS IS BUSCH GARDENS IN TAMPA.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCING TUESDAY THE ARREST OF AN AFGHAN NATIONAL – ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING TO CONDUCT A TERRORIST ATTACK ON ELECTION DAY IN THE UNITED STATES – ON BEHALF OF THE ISLAMIC STATE. 

ACCORDING TO THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT — 27-YEAR-OLD NASIR TAW-HEEDI  WAS LIVING IN OKLAHOMA WHILE TRYING TO OBTAIN SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION TO CARRY OUT A VIOLENT ATTACK IN THE US.   TAWHEDI ENTERED THE U.S. ON A SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA IN 202.1 

THE FBI UNCOVERED THE ALLEGED PLOT WHICH SAW TAWHEDI TAKING STEPS TO LIQUIDATE HIS FAMILY’S ASSETS AND RESETTLE SOME OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS, BACK IN AFGHANISTAN. 

THE DOJ ALSO MENTIONED A CO-CONSPIRATOR IN THE PLOT WHO IS AN AFGHANISTAN CITIZEN WITH LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS, BUT ALSO A JUVENILE. 

DURING A POST-ARREST INTERVIEW,  THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT  SAYS TAWHEDI CONFIRMED THE PLANNED ATTACK – TARGETING LARGE GATHERINGS OF PEOPLE ON ELECTION DAY. 

HE FACES A BUNCH OF  CHARGES AND DECADES BEHIND PRISON IF CONVICTED.

HEZBOLLAH MILITANTS TARGETED ISRAELI TROOPS NEAR THE LEBANESE BORDER EARLY WEDNESDAY — SAYING IT HAS PUSHED THE TROOPS BACK AS ISRAEL’S GROUND INCURSION INTO LEBANON, ESCALATES. 

YESTERDAY — ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAID AIR STRIKES IN LEBANON HAD KILLED TWO SUCCESSORS TO THE IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP’S ALREADY SLAIN LEADER… AS ISRAELI FORCES EXPANDED THE GROUND INCURSION INTO SOUTHERN LEBANON. 

MEANWHILE, HEZBOLLAH’S TOP OFFICIAL SAYS THE GROUP SUPPORTS EFFORTS AIMED AT ACHIEVING A CEASEFIRE IN LEBANON — MARKING THE FIRST TIME HEZBOLLAH HAS PUBLICLY ENDORSED A TRUCE. 

THIS COMES AS THE ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER HAS CANCELED A TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D-C SET FOR TODAY. 

HE WAS SLATED TO MEET WITH DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN AT THE PENTAGON. 

PENTAGON OFFICIALS DID NOT SAY WHY THE VISIT WAS CANCELED, BUT ISRAELI MEDIA REPORTED PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WANTED TO SPEAK TO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN FIRST.

IT APPEARS THE BOEING FACTORY WORKER STRIKE WILL GO ON FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE – AFTER TALKS BROKE DOWN TUESDAY BETWEEN BOEING AND THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS THE 33-THOUSAND STRIKING WORKERS. 

MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS HAVE BEEN ON STRIKE SINCE SEPTEMBER 13TH AS THEY SEEK HIGHER WAGES AND THE RESTORATION OF A BENEFIT PENSION. 

NO NEW TALKS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED, AFTER TWO DAYS OF FEDERALLY MEDIATED NEGOTIATIONS TURNED UP NO RESOLUTIONS. 

IN A STATEMENT THE I-A-M SAYS BOEING HAS NOT YET MADE AN ACCEPTABLE OFFER WHILE BOEING SAYS THE UNION IS MAKING DEMANDS FAR IN EXCESS OF WHAT CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR THE COMPANY TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE – ADDING QUOTE “FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS DO NOT MAKE SENSE AT THIS POINT.” 

CREDIT ANALYSTS ESTIMATE THE STRIKE IS COSTING BOEING ONE BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH.  THE AIRCRAFT MAKER HAS BEEN DEALING WITH A SLEW OF BAD PUBLICITY FROM 737 MAX CRASHES TO MECHANICAL FAILURES ON PASSENGERS PLANES.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – WHILE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS STILL WEEKS AWAY – WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF ANOTHER HEATED RACE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS HAS BEEN KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON – THIS ONE INVOLVING BEARS. 

FAT BEARS TO BE SPECIFIC.  THIS YEAR MARKED THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAT BEAR WEEK CONTEST IN ALASKA. AND WITH VOTING ENDING LAST NIGHT –  A WINNER IS NOW CROWNED.  ONE-TWENTY-EIGHT GRAZER, A LARGE ADULT FEMALE,  BECAME THE FIRST BEAR TO WIN THE ONLINE TOURNAMENT WHILE CARING FOR A CUB. 

THE VICTORY WAS PERSONAL FOR GAZER – 

WHO ONCE AGAIN DEFEATED HER MALE RIVAL, THIRTY TWO (32) CHUNK, IN THE FINALS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, CHUNK ATTACKED ONE OF GRAZER’S CUBS – AND THE SMALL BEAR ENDED UP DYING FROM THE INJURIES 

IN THE END, GRAZER RECEIVED ABOUT 40,000 MORE VOTES THAN CHUNK TO WIN – WITH THE ON-LINE CONTEST BRINGING MORE ATTENTION TO THE WILD BROWN BEARS OF ALASKA AND WHICH BEARS,  **BEST EXEMPLIFY** WINTER PREPAREDNESS.