Hurricane Milton is hurtling towards the already hard-hit west coast of Florida

Still reeling from Hurricane HELENE – FLORIDA’S WEST COAST AND SUN COAST LANDS AGAIN AS HURRICANE MILTON – NOW A CATEGORY 4 STORM – CATCHED THAT WAY – GETTING CLOSER.

THE STORM INTENSIFIED TO A MAJOR CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE MONDAY BEFORE BEING DEGRADED TO A CATEGORY 4 STORM THIS MORNING – THREATENING TO BRING HOT RAIN TO ALREADY SOKENED AND FLOODED AREAS OF SUNSHINE.

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER SAID PEOPLE ON FLORIDA’S WEST COAST TO EXPECT “DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE FORCE” AND LIFE-THREATENING STORMS. SOME PREDICTIONS CALL FOR A 50 FOOT SURGE.

EVACUATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ORDERED IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE – INCLUDING THE TAMPA BAY AREA. WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOTIFIED, THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK TO TRY TO RESCUE THOSE WHO DO EVACUATE IN TIME.

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

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

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

NOW COMING TO THE MIDDLE EAST – THE ISRAELI ARMY SAYS IT IS EXPANDING ITS GROUND OFFENSIVE TO SOUTHWEST LEBANON.

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

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

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

US OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE NO LONGER ACTIVELY TRYING TO REVIVE THE POTENTIAL FOR A STATE-FEAR DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH – BUT US DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN WILL MEET WITH THE ISRAELI MINISTER OF DEFENSE AT P ENTAGON.

As the 2024 campaign enters its final four weeks, both presidential candidates are commemorating the anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

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

LEAVING A STONE ON THE TOMBSTONE – WHICH IS A TRADITIONAL JEWISH CUSTOM.

TRUMP LATER HELD A MEMORIAL CEREMONY AT HIS GOLF CLUB IN MIAMI – INCLUDING LEADERS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AND REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

“October. 7 was not only the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, not only was it the worst terrorist attack since September 11, it was an attack on humanity itself. It was horrible, unbelievable cruelty. It was horrifying cruelty. It was a demonic delight and the destruction of innocent life. On October 7, it seemed as if the gates of hell had burst open and unleashed their horrors on the world. And that is exactly what happened.”

DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE – VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND HER HUSBAND – SECOND MR DOUG EMHOFF HELPED PLANTED A POMEGRANATE TREE OUTSIDE THE VP’S RESIDENCE IN WASHINGTON, DC – AND DEDICATED IT TO THE 1,200 PEOPLE KILLED IN ISRAEL A YEAR AGO – INCLUDING 46 AMERICANS.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS

“What is being asked of us at this moment, at the one-year commemoration of October 7? What is asked of us? First of all, I believe we should never forget this. I will never forget October 7 and the world should never forget it. What is asked of us? We must ensure that something like the horrors of October 7 can never happen again. And on this solemn day, I will reiterate my pledge to always ensure that Israel gets what it needs to defend itself, and that I will always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and across the world. world.”

LATER TODAY – VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WILL CONTINUE HER MEDIA BLITZ WITH STOPS ON “THE VIEW,” “THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT” AND “THE HOWARD STERN SHOW.” WHILE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP HOLDS TWO RALLIES TOMORROW IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA.

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

MEXICO’S FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT – INSIGNATED LESS THAN A WEEK AGO – IS REPORTED TO PROVIDE A PLAN THAT EMPHASIZES **LAW AND ORDER** AGAINST INCREASING VIOLENCE RELATED TO DRUG CARTELS AND ORGANIZED CRIME.

HER PLAN COMES DURING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MURDER OF ALEJANDRO ARCOS, THE MAYOR OF A MEXICAN CITY – WHO WAS KILLED SUNDAY JUST SIX DAYS AFTER ATTRACTION.

ARCOS IS THE LATEST POLITICIAN TO BE MURDERED IN THE COUNTRY – WITH 37 CANDIDATES MURDERED IN THE FOLLOWING OF MEXICO’S MOST RECENT ELECTIONS THIS LAST JUNE.

A US 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 ABILITY TO DOWNLOAD AND PAY FOR APPS.

THE RULING COMES IN THE WAKE of a jury verdict last year in favor of the “FORTNITE” GAME MAKER – EPIC GAMES – WHOSE GOOGLE ILLEGALLY BLOCKED COMPETITION.

GOOGLE IS APPEALING THAT DECISION.

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

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

FROM APRIL, TICKETS WILL COST FIVE DOLLARS PER GAME – MORE THAN DOUBLE THE CURRENT PRICE OF $2.

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

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

SINCE ITS LAUNCH OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO, MEGA MILLIONS, PLAYED IN 45 STATES, WASHINGTON, DC AND THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS, HAS SEEN SIX BILLION WINNERS.

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