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1 Hurricane Idalia Leaves Flood Waters And Thousands Without Power
Hurricane Idalia roared ashore in the Big Bend area of Florida yesterday morning as a Category 3 hurricane after briefly achieving Category 4 status before losing strength, but that was just the start of the problems caused by the system yesterday. Idalia was the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in Apalachee Bay, Florida, but while one death was originally reported as Idalia moved ashore, it was later determined that the death wasn’t storm-related. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called the storm “an unprecedented event,” primarily due to no major hurricanes ever striking Apalachee Bay. Shortly after the storm passed through Florida, authorities reported more than 200,000 customers without electricity in the state. By 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time yesterday afternoon, that number had grown to 280,000 customers, along with around 175,000 customers without power in Georgia. Idalia flooded the streets of Florida from Tampa to Tallahassee, a stretch of more than 200 miles. Petersburg, Florida Mayor Ken Welch said yesterday morning that his city was hit with about four feet of storm surge as the hurricane passed through the state. Hurricane Idalia was still a Category 1 hurricane as it entered southern Georgia, bringing winds of 85 mph. Georgia Brian Kemp said later that the storm’s impacts on the state appeared to be less severe than the aftermath of 2018’s Hurricane Michael.
2 Sen. Mitch McConnell Freezes In Front Of Reporters Again
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze for over 30 seconds yesterday after a reporter asked his thoughts on running for reelection in 2026, the second time he’s recently seemed to freeze in place. McConnell was speaking to reporters in Covington, Kentucky when he froze before answering the question. After less than 10 seconds of silence, an aide stepped forward and asked him “Did you hear the question, senator?” and then repeated it with no response. McConnell spoke for around 20 minutes before the Q&A with reporters with no problems. McConnell froze during a weekly Senate news conference on Capitol Hill in July, going silent for 19 seconds before he was escorted away. A spokesperson said yesterday after the episode that “Leader McConnell felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today,” then said that McConnell “feels fine” but will consult with a doctor before his next event. Asked about the freeze by NBC News yesterday, President Joe Biden said he’d “try to get in touch with him later this afternoon,” adding that “I know people don’t believe that’s the case, but we have disagreements politically, but he’s a good friend.”
3 Rudy Giuliani Sanctioned By Judge In Georgia Defamation Case
A federal judge sanctioned Rudy Giuliani yesterday and sided with two former election workers in Georgia who had filed a defamation lawsuit against the former mayor of New York. Giuliani had claimed the two workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ArShaye “Shaye” Moss, had engaged in an election fraud scheme during the 2020 election. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, awarded a default judgment against Giuliani in the case, saying that he had failed to fulfill his discovery obligations in the case. Howell ordered Giuliani to reimburse the two women more than $89,000 in attorney’s fees and costs, plus covering more than $43,000 in costs tied to trying to force his legal team to respond to requests for documents and depositions. The two women’s lawyers had asked for the sanctions, but Giuliani had asked the court to deny their request. In that same legal filing, he conceded that he made false statements when he claimed that Freeman and Moss engaged in voter fraud. The case isn’t over, either; Howell ordered the two sides to propose three trial dates between November and February to decide the amount of damages Giuliani would be ordered to pay.