Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida’s already hard-hit west coast

STILL REELING FROM HURRICANE HELENE — FLORIDA’S WEST COAST AND SUNCOAST ARE HUNKERING DOWN ONCE AGAIN AS HURRICANE MILTON — NOW A CATEGORY 4 STORM — BARRELS THAT WAY – GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER. 

THE STORM INTENSIFIED TO A MAJOR CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE MONDAY BEFORE BEING DOWNGRADED TO A CATEGORY 4 STORM THIS MORNING — THREATENING TO BRING TORRENTIAL RAIN TO ALREADY SOAKED AND FLOODED PARTS OF THE SUNSHINE STATE. 

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER SAID PEOPLE ON FLORIDA’S WEST COAST SHOULD EXPECT QUOTE “DEVASTATING HURRICANE FORCE WINDS” AND LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGES.  SOME PREDICTIONS ARE CALLING FOR 15 FEET OF SURGE. 

EVACUATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ORDERED IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE — INCLUDING THE TAMPA BAY AREA. WITH PEOPLE BEING TOLD FIRST RESPONDERS  ARE NOT EXPECTED TO RISK THEIR LIVES TO TRY TO SAVE THOSE WHO DO EVACUATE IN TIME. 

THE TAMPA AND ST. PETERSBURG AIRPORTS WILL CLOSE LATER TODAY.  

IN AN UPDATE, ONE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FORECASTER WARNED MILTION QUOTE “HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE ONE OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANES ON RECORD FOR WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA.” 

THE STORM **IS** EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AGAIN BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL EITHER LATE WEDNESDAY OR EARLY THURSDAY AS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE. 

TURNING NOW TO THE MIDDLE EAST — THE ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS IT’S EXPANDING ITS GROUND OFFENSIVE INTO SOUTHWESTERN LEBANON. 

AS THE WORLD MARKED ONE YEAR OF WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL CONTINUES TO EXCHANGE STRIKES WITH HAMAS IN GAZA , AS WELL AS,  HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON. 

HEZBOLLAH HAS BEEN STRIKING ISRAEL SINCE ITS WAR WITH HAMAS BEGAN AS A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY FOR THE OTHER IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP,  BUT THE DEADLY VIOLENCE HAS ESCALATED SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT WEEKS, WITH THE KILLINGS OF TOP HEZBOLLAH LEADERS. 

ISRAEL  ANNOUNCED TUESDAY IT HAD KILLED ANOTHER HEZBOLLAH LEADER IN A STRIKE ON BEIRUT MONDAY. 

AMERICAN  OFFICIALS SAY THEY’RE NO LONGER ACTIVELY TRYING TO REVIVE THE POTENTIAL FOR A CEASE-FIRE DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH — BUT U-S SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN IS SET TO MEET WITH THE ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER AT THE PENTAGON ON WEDNESDAY.

AS THE 2024 CAMPAIGN HEADS INTO THE FINAL FOUR WEEKS,  BOTH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES MARKED THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE OCTOBER 7TH TERRORIST ATTACKS IN ISRAEL. 

ON MONDAY MORNING — REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP VISITED THE NEW YORK GRAVESITE, OF A RENOWNED RABBI, IN THE ORTHODOX JUDAISM COMMUNITY –  

LEAVING A STONE ATOP THE HEADSTONE – WHICH IS A TRADITIONAL JEWISH CUSTOM.  

TRUMP LATER HELD A REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY AT HIS GOLF CLUB IN MIAMI – WHICH INCLUDED JEWISH COMMUNITY LEADERS, HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS, AND REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS.  

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“Oct. 7 was not just the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, it was not just the worst terror attack since 9/11, it was an attack on humanity itself. It was a hideous, incredible cruelty. It was chilling savagery. It was a demonic delight and the destruction of innocent life. On October 7th, it seemed as if the gates of hell had sprung open and unleashed their horrors onto the world. And that’s exactly what happened.” 

DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE  — VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND HER HUSBAND – SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUG EMHOFF HELPED PLANT A POMEGRANATE TREE OUTSIDE THE VP’S RESIDENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. – DEDICATING IT TO THE 1,200 PEOPLE KILLED A YEAR AGO IN ISRAEL – INCLUDING 46 AMERICANS. 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“So in this moment, on the one year commemoration of Oct. 7, what is asked of us? What is asked of us? First and foremost, I believe that we must never forget. I will never forget Oct. 7 and the world must never forget. What is asked of us? We must work to ensure nothing like the horrors of Oct. 7 can never happen again. And on this solemn day, I will restate my pledge to always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself, and that I will always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and around the world.” 

LATER TODAY — VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WILL CONTINUE HER MEDIA BLITZ WITH STOPS AT “THE VIEW,” “THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT” AND “THE HOWARD STERN SHOW.” WHILE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SCHEDULED TO HOLD TWO RALLIES TOMORROW IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA.

IN MEXICO TODAY – PRESIDENT CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM IS EXPECTED TO PRESENT HER STRATEGY TO CONFRONT THE COUNTRY’S SECURITY PROBLEMS. 

MEXICO’S FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT – INAUGURATED LESS THAN A WEEK AGO — IS REPORTEDLY GOING TO PRESENT A PLAN THAT WILL HIGHLIGHT **LAW AND ORDER** AMID THE GROWING VIOLENCE LINKED TO DRUG CARTELS AND ORGANIZED CRIME. 

HER PLAN COMES AMID AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MURDER OF ALEJANDRO ARCOS, THE MAYOR OF A MEXICAN TOWN – WHO WAS KILLED SUNDAY JUST SIX DAYS AFTER TAKING OFFICE. 

ARCOS IS THE LATEST POLITICIAN TO BE MURDERED IN THE COUNTRY – WITH 37 CANDIDATES ASSASSINATED LEADING UP TO MEXICO’S MOST RECENT ELECTIONS THIS PAST JUNE.

A U-S JUDGE HAS ORDERED GOOGLE PARENT COMPANY ALPHABET TO OVERHAUL ITS APP STORE. 

THE FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS GOOGLE MUST UPDATE ITS GOOGLE PLAY STORE TO GIVE ANDROID USERS MORE OPTIONS TO DOWNLOAD AND PAY FOR APPS. 

THE RULING COMES IN THE WAKE OF A JURY VERDICT LAST YEAR IN FAVOR OF “FORTNITE” GAME MAKER — EPIC GAMES — WHICH FOUND GOOGLE WAS ILLEGALLY BLOCKING COMPETITION. 

GOOGLE IS APPEALING THAT DECISION.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – IF YOU PLAY THE LOTTERY – GET READY TO SHELL OUT MORE MONEY FOR A CHANCE AT THAT MEGA JACKPOT. 

MEGA MILLIONS ANNOUNCING SOME BIG CHANGES TO ITS LOTTERY GAME – INCLUDING AN INCREASE IN TICKET PRICES. 

STARTING IN APRIL — TICKETS WILL COST FIVE DOLLARS PER PLAY – MORE THAN DOUBLE THE CURRENT PRICE OF 2 DOLLARS. 

IT’S THE GAME’S SECOND PRICE INCREASE SINCE 2002. 

MEGA MILLIONS SAYS THIS IS ALL PART OF ITS “MEGA” OVERHAUL WHICH WILL SEE IMPROVED ODDS OF WINNING THE JACKPOT AND BIGGER JACKPOTS MORE OFTEN. 

SINCE LAUNCHING MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS AGO, MEGA MILLIONS, WHICH IS PLAYED IN 45 STATES, WASHINGTON, D.C. AND THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS — HAS SEEN, SIX  BILLION-DOLLAR WINNERS. 

SO YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE PAY A LITTLE MORE IF YOU WANT TO WIN BIG.