Hurricane Milton leaves a trail of destruction in Florida. An Afghan man arrested and accused of plotting an Election Day attack was a CIA guard. And an iconic Las Vegas casino goes out with a bang.
Here’s what to know today.
Milton sweeps through Florida after a destructive landfall
Florida communities are waking up to destruction left by Hurricane Milton as the storm tore through the state — the second major hurricane to hit in two weeks. Milton was a Category 3 storm when it moved ashore near Siesta Key yesterday but weakened to a Category 1 storm as it crossed over the state, though the threat of flash floods remains. More than 3 million customers in the state are without power.
A picture of the damage began to emerge overnight: Part of the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was ripped off, and a crane collapsed at a construction site in St. Petersburg. Video taken in West Palm Beach showed the moment strong winds and debris shattered a window. Gasps could be heard in the background.
A tornado outbreak touched down in the state hours before landfall. In St. Lucie County, where at least two people died, members of the Florida National Guard and local law enforcement officers were in “100% rescue mode” to help victims. Sheriff Keith Pearson estimated 100 residences were destroyed in the county after roughly 17 tornadoes touched down.
“There were cars lifted and flipped upside down, moved hundreds of yards,” Pearson said. “I can tell you that there was nothing left to some of these places but foundations.”
Follow our live blog for the latest updates from Milton.
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More Hurricane Milton coverage:
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Milton intensified at one of the fastest rates in recorded history. Here’s how.
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“We gotta go!”: Watch NBC News’ Tom Llamas and his crew run for cover as a transformer blows.
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Some U.S. hospitals are postponing elective surgeries amid an IV fluid supply crunch triggered by hurricanes Milton and Helene.
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A Tampa resident dubbed “Lieutenant Dan” after going viral during Hurricane Helene planned to ride out Milton on his boat, worrying local officials and his TikTok fans.
Inflation expected to steady, but economic worries persist
The latest monthly inflation rating will be released this morning and is expected to show that costs have remained largely unchanged in September, according to Dow Jones estimates. But with prices more than 21% higher on average compared to 2020, with some goods and services surging even more, consumers are still adjusting to a new normal.
Today’s inflation figures could cause Wall Street traders to pare back expectations of an interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve’s next meeting in November. After an unexpectedly strong jobs report last week, Wall Street traders virtually erased the odds of another half-point cut.
Despite the economy’s apparent health, Americans’ perceptions of it are starkly divided, and higher costs are a top-ranked concern for voters heading into November’s elections.
Afghan accused of plotting terror attack was a CIA guard
The Afghan man arrested this week on charges of planning an Election Day terror attack worked as a security guard in Afghanistan for the CIA, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. However, the FBI said it is still investigating whether Nasir Ahman Tawhedi, 27, was radicalized before or after he came to the U.S. in 2021, about a month after the U.S. military completed its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Court documents revealed that Tawhedi contributed to an ISIS charity in March and accessed online propaganda.
At the time of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, members of Congress and other U.S. officials raised concerns that tens of thousands of Afghan nationals were not properly scrutinized before they were evacuated. Now, the question of how and why Tawhedi was in the U.S. has become politically charged, with Republican figures laying blame on the Biden administration.
Trump ramps up attacks on Harris
Former President Donald Trump riled up a crowd in Scranton, Pennsylvania, by attacking Vice President Kamala Harris, painting a grim picture of country if Harris wins and rejecting calls to be “nice.”
Among the insults Trump lobbed at Harris: “a horrible person,” “a liar,” a “radical left Marxist” and “not a smart person.” And he gave no indication that he’d quiet the harsh rhetoric. “I don’t want to be nice,” Trump said. “Somebody said, ‘You should be nice sir, women won’t like it. The women want safety.”
Read more about the Scranton rally.
More election coverage:
➡️ Trump is embarking on a blue state extravaganza, with events scheduled in Colorado, California, Illinois and New York. Some think the unorthodox campaign strategy could benefit down-ballot races.
➡️ An NBC News poll found Harris and Trump voters see their candidates representing “change” but in very different ways.
➡️ Harris’ presidential campaign operation crossed the $1 billion fundraising threshold in September, two months after taking over as the Democratic Party’s nominee, two sources said.
➡️ Harris’ revelation that she owns a Glock unleashed a wave of criticism.
➡️ Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed he spoke with tech mogul Elon Musk last weekend, as both Trump and Harris ramp up their efforts in the battleground state, but said politics never came up.
➡️ Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego faced off in a feisty Arizona Senate debate that covered the border, abortion, tax policy and more.
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Read All About It
Staff Pick: Goodbye, casino. Hello, stadium.
The iconic Tropicana casino was imploded to make way for a proposed $1.5 billion stadium to house the Oakland Athletics ahead of the team’s planned move to Sin City in 2028. The 2:30 a.m. implosion party included a drone and a fireworks display. Once the ritziest property on the Strip, the Tropicana spent its final decades serving more budget-friendly guests. As one expert put it, Vegas has “moved away from being a value-based destination.” Now, the city is chasing higher-end customers with sports and entertainment options beyond casino card tables, associate producer Maya Huter reports. — Rich Bellis, senior business editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Prime Big Deal Days may be officially over, but some deals are still live. See them here. If you’re not done shopping, Target Circle Week and Walmart Holiday Deals are still going strong, which means NBC Select’s editors are still scoping out the best products at the best prices.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
