Monster storm ravages Florida after striking in the dead of night with 100 mph winds

More than 3 million people are without power and more than 100 rescue missions are underway Thursday in Florida after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key last night as a Category 3 storm, generating tornadoes that left 4 people dead in St. Lucie County.

Milton, which is a Category 1 storm at the time of this report, has currently moved off Florida’s east coast after lashing the state with destructive winds and dangerous flooding.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that 48 people have been rescued so far and that “hundreds of rescuers [are] engaged in over 125 active missions in 26 different counties” this morning.

“The storm was significant, but thankfully, this was not the worst case scenario” DeSantis said. “The storm did bring much destruction and damage. Tornadoes ravaged parts of the east coast of the state. Flooding occurred on the west and east coast, and strong winds lashed the state, especially in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.”

ROOF OF TROPICANA FIELD RIPPED OPEN BY HURRICANE MILTON

“Over the last 24 hours, heavy rainfall totals upwards of 10 to 15 inches has been observed across much of the Tampa Bay area, Nature Coast, and spreading eastward along north of I-4 corridor towards Sanford,” DeSantis added. “Isolated pockets of up to 18 inches of rainfall were observed in Pinellas and coastal Hillsborough counties.”

“Water levels are forecast to continue rising along northeast and west central Florida rivers and waterways, with many forecast to remain within or reach moderate to flood stage over the next day or so,” he continued. “Right now, it looks like Sarasota County had the most significant storm surge, likely somewhere between 8 and 10 feet.” 

Water rescues have been reported in Hillsborough County – where more than 135 people were saved from a flooded assisted living facility – and in Orlando and Clearwater.

Law enforcement in other parts of the state are warning locals to stay off roads to avoid downed power lines. The Tampa International Airport and Orlando International Airport are conducting damage assessments to determine when they can reopen to travelers.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said Thursday that “what we were really worried about was the storm surge. And so, fortunately, we didn’t see the peak of it, but it’s not over.

“This morning when high tide comes in, rivers are going to flood. All over Hillsborough County, not just in the city of Tampa,” she added.

In St. Petersburg, where the roof was torn off the Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field, 18 inches of rain was recorded over a 24-hour span, according to Fox Weather.

HURRICANE MILTON FORCES ST. PETERSBURG CRANE COLLAPSE

“It is imperative that everybody stay inside and do not drive out on the roads. We have hundreds of calls of power lines down,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said Thursday morning. “We have trees down and we are out there actively making the city and the streets safe. So please stay indoors until we give you the all clear.”

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson also confirmed to Fox Weather that there have been 17 tornadoes along with several fatalities in his county, with “a rescue mission ongoing, and hundreds of homes destroyed.”

Some areas of Florida’s western coast have seen up to 10 feet of water surging in from the Gulf, while up to 5 feet of storm surge is expected from Jacksonville to Cape Canaveral.

In Plant City, east of Tampa, City Manager Bill McDaniel said Thursday that “One of the most profound things I’m seeing out there is the flooding. 

“We have flooding in places and to levels that I’ve never seen, and I’ve lived in this community for my entire life,” he added, “It’s absolutely staggering, what we’re seeing out there. Last night, members of our police and fire department performed rescues of 35 individuals from flooded structures here.”

As of 11 a.m. ET Thursday, the storm was currently located about 135 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral.

DeSantis said more than 3.1 million people are without power across Florida.

Duke Energy President Melissa Seixas told ‘Fox & Friends’ that more 800,000 of its customers are without power across 35 counties in the state.

“We are beginning to go out now to conduct damage assessments. We will do this with boots on the ground, we will do it with helicopters and drones, we really need that line of sight to tell us exactly what we are dealing with as far as damage,” she added. “We expect that it will range from significant poles down, wires down, a lot of debris from trees, also contending with the debris that remains from Helene and flooding and storm surge probably in certain places.”

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that “We know some of the bridges in the county are not passable” and “We urge residents and business owners to stay off the roads and give our emergency and utility crews time to work.” 

HURRICANE MILTON SPAWNS DEADLY TORNADO OUTBREAK IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue also said late last night that it has “responded to multiple reports of tornadoes, associated injuries, and trapped people in the Wellington, Acreage, and Loxahatchee areas this afternoon.

“Firefighters located and rescued multiple people from damaged structures and vehicles,” it said. “Some were trapped under rubble or stuck in overturned vehicles tossed by the strong winds.”

Milton’s catastrophic landfall came barely two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which battered Florida before causing devastation in North Carolina. Florida residents have spent the interim boarding up windows and evacuating their homes in preparation for Milton.

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President Biden declared Florida a disaster area ahead of Milton’s landfall to facilitate FEMA’s preparations and response. The White House later said Thursday morning that Biden has spoken with DeSantis and “reiterated that he will provide any support the state needs to speed response and recovery.”

The voting group that could decide the election has found its candidate of choice

Republicans in Michigan are attempting to capitalize on Vice President Kamala Harris’ struggles with blue-collar voters in the state, a demographic that has traditionally supported Democrats but has been trending in the direction of former President Donald Trump.

“Michigan’s working class isn’t fooled by Kamala Harris’ word salads and dog and pony shows. Her policies, like the radical Green New Deal, are anti-worker,” Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita told Fox News Digital. “Her attack on American energy has made the cost of living unaffordable, and her plan to ban gas-powered cars will decimate the backbone of our economy.”

The comments come as the race to win Michigan, a vital swing state in the upcoming election, heats up, with the Real Clear Politics polling average showing Harris with just a slim 0.5 point lead in the state with just under four weeks to go before the election.

Republicans have hit the state repeatedly in recent weeks, with both Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, making several appearances in the state.

KAMALA HARRIS CONFRONTED ON NOT EARNING TEAMSTERS ENDORSEMENT: ‘WHAT WAS THEIR REASONING?’

Those appearances come as Michigan Democrats have begun to worry about the vice president’s prospects in the state, with some imploring her to visit the state more frequently as the race hits the home stretch.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, prominent Michigan Democrats, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have made appeals to the Harris campaign to focus on the state more as the election draws to a close. They have also warned Harris to sharpen her economic messaging, the report notes, with fears spreading that Trump has done well to court the state’s working class voters.

Harris has struggled to distance herself from past positions that remain unpopular in the so-called “Blue Wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, including her previous support for transitioning fully to zero-emissions vehicles by 2035 and a ban on fracking.

Those concerns were also highlighted by an internal poll shared with the Wall Street Journal that was conducted by Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s campaign that showed Harris down by three points in Wisconsin, another key Midwestern state with similar voting habits to Michigan.

“The big thing is people don’t know her—they need to see more of her,” former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, a Democrat, told the Wall Street Journal.

FIREFIGHTERS UNION PRAISED FOR ‘SIGNIFICANT NON-ENDORSEMENT’ AFTER BACKING BIDEN IN 2020: ‘HUGE WIN FOR TRUMP’

Republicans believe that is because Harris has failed in her outreach to the types of workers that have now started gravitating toward Trump.

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital that Harris’ message does not “resonate with working class voters” such as those in the upper Midwest, something that could also help down-ballot Republicans in the critical swing states.

Harris’ struggles have also extended to union members, a group that has long been a stronghold for Democrats in the state. However, an internal poll conducted by Teamsters, one of the country’s largest and most influential unions, found that members in Michigan preferred Trump (61.7%) over Harris (35.2%), while national union leaders declined to make an endorsement in this year’s presidential race, despite supporting President Biden’s campaign in 2020.

Harris also failed to gain the support of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which also supported Biden in 2020, though she did gain the support of both United Auto Workers and the Service Employees International Union.

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“The Teamsters’ own polling shows exactly what we knew – that rank and file Michigan Teamsters are supporting President Trump and his pro-worker policies,” LaCivita said. “While local chapter leadership refuses to disrupt the status quo, the Michiganders who make up these chapters want strong leadership that will protect their jobs, lower inflation, and support American industries – and that’s President Donald J. Trump.”

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

American human rights advocate, widow of Robert F Kennedy dead at 96

Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, has died at the age of 96, her family announced Thursday.

Joe Kennedy III, a former congressman, announced Ethel’s passing in a post on social media.

“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy. She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week. Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly. 

She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted in knowing she is reunited with the love of her life, our father, Robert F. Kennedy; her children David and Michael; her daughter-in-law Mary; her grandchildren Maeve and Saoirse; and her great-grandchildren Gideon and Josie,” he added. “Please keep her in your hearts and prayers.”

Attempted murder charges erased in college student’s stabbing

Charlamagne tha God gives his take on which candidate has the right strategy

The Breakfast Club radio show co-host Charlamagne Tha God said Monday that former President Trump’s rhetoric about putting “America first” is a winning strategy.

Charlamagne was discussing the messaging from both presidential tickets, particularly as America navigates crises at home and abroad. After a co-host played a clip of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Charlamagne highlighted one key way in which Democrats are being outperformed by their opponents.

“You know, one place where I think they mess up in regards to messaging?” Charlamagne asked. “Like, you know, you’ll listen to a lot of reporters and they’ll be talking to Trump or JD Vance and they’ll be talking to them about things that are happening right here in America, because it is an election season right here in America.”

“So it’s always America first. But then you go to Tim Walz and they’re asking him about geopolitical politics, and I think a lot of times that makes them sound, you know, very out of touch. That makes them sound very out of touch to what’s going on right here in America,” he said.

IN ARIZONA SPEECH, VANCE SAYS NEXT PRESIDENT MUST PUT AMERICANS FIRST, SLAMS FEMA MONEY FOR MIGRANTS

When a co-host noted that these are the questions being asked of the candidates, Charlamagne agreed and said that international issues are being “highlighted over what’s happening right here in this country, and when you hear, you know, the Vances and Trumps talking about what’s happening here at home and saying things like ‘America First’ and ‘Make America Great Again,’ that messaging sometimes resonates a lot more.” 

He then corrected himself and said, “Not sometimes, it does resonate a lot more.”

He then noted that as Americans are struggling at home with natural disasters, they have had little tolerance for money being sent abroad.

On Saturday, Harris pledged $157 million in “additional assistance” to Lebanon which, she argued, is “facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.”

BYRON DONALDS SPARS WITH ‘BREAKFAST CLUB’ HOSTS OVER HARRIS’ ECONOMIC RECORD: ‘YOU SURE YOU WANT TO GO THERE?’

“People got outraged. They were like, ‘Yo, what about us right here in North Carolina?’ So, like, that ‘America First’ messaging goes much farther, especially during an election season,” he said.

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Last Thursday, Charlamagne, a Harris supporter, also praised the messaging in a Trump ad, which he called “impactful” and “effective.”

CBS meltdown from far-left staffers mirrors controversies at CNN, NBC, NY Times

CBS News is the latest news organization to face turmoil from its far-left wing of the newsroom after what was widely seen as a tough but civil interview led by “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil. 

Dokoupil, who is Jewish and has children living in Israel, grilled “The Message” author Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose new book is critical of Israel. 

“The content of that section would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist,” Dokoupil told Coates, asking him “why leave out so much” and “What is it that so particularly offends you about the existence of a Jewish state that is a Jewish safe place?” 

What transpired was a spirited conversation between Dokoupil and Coates that, despite its intensity, never boiled over on-air. The same, however, cannot be said inside the network, according to various reports. 

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CBS leadership reassured offended staff members that following a review, they concluded that the interview did not meet the company’s “editorial standards,” the Free Press reported, which obtained audio of the staff meeting. 

While a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Dokoupil would not be punished over the interview, he was forced to meet with the network’s in-house Race and Culture Unit following complaints. According to The New York Times, the conversation “focused on Mr. Dokoupil’s tone of voice, phrasing and body language” during the interview.

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The New York Post also reported that Dokoupil expressed regret to staffers at a meeting, one network insider describing it, “There were tears. [People were] very upset.”

Some have rallied in his defense, like CBS News legal correspondent Jan Crawford, who went to bat for him during a network conference call, and Shari Redstone, chair of CBS News’ parent company Paramount Global, who called the network’s handling of Dokoupil a “mistake.” CBS CEO George Cheeks issued a memo standing by the news network’s leadership. 

The ideological takeover of CBS newsroom appears to be in full swing. And it’s far from the only news outlet impacted by its far-left staffers. 

NBC’s hiring (and firing) of Ronna McDaniel

Earlier this year, NBC News was engulfed in scandal fueled by its own staffers after the network announced it had hired former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor.

The practice of major news organizations hiring ex-lawmakers, government officials and political insiders has existed for decades and has largely been non-controversial, but a chorus of NBC talent, particularly from its staunchly liberal sister network MSNBC, publicly disavowed McDaniel’s hiring, citing her alleged actions in trying to block the certification of Michigan’s election results in 2020.

“We weren’t asked our opinion of the hiring, but if we were, we would have strongly objected to it for several reasons including, but not limited to, as lawyers might say, Miss McDaniel’s role in Donald Trump’s fake elector scheme and her pressuring election officials to not certify election results while Donald Trump was on the phone,” Joe Scarborough said on “Morning Joe.” 

“To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage,” co-host Mika Brzezinski followed. “But it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier. And we hope NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”

NBC’S CHUCK TODD EXPLODES ON NETWORK BOSSES ON THE AIR FOR HIRING RONNA MCDANIEL AS ANALYST, CALLS FOR APOLOGY

Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s biggest star, blasted NBC’s “inexplicable” decision to hire McDaniel and expressed hope that the network would reverse its decision.

“Ronna McDaniel will not appear on MSNBC, so says our boss since Saturday. And it has never been anything other than clear,” Maddow assured viewers.

Several among the network’s liberal talent including Chuck Todd, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid and Jen Psaki also spoke out against the move. 

Just four days after NBC News announced McDaniel’s hiring, she was terminated. 

“There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversial News Group Chairman Cesar Conde told staff in a memo. “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.”

Conde acknowledged McDaniel’s hiring had undermined the goal of a “cohesive and aligned” newsroom and offered an apology to his staff. 

“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde wrote. “While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”

CNN’s meltdown over its Trump town hall

Last year, CNN staff openly revolted when it welcomed former President Trump for a live town hall. 

“It’s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN,” CNN’s then in-house media reporter Oliver Darcy wrote in his “Reliable Sources” newsletter. “Yes, some news was made… But for most of the night, the nation’s eyes were transfixed on Trump’s abuse of the platform that he was given.”

CNN’s Anderson Cooper offered a somber monologue addressing the town hall, telling his viewers “Many of you have expressed deep anger and disappointment. Many of you are upset that someone who attempted to destroy our democracy was invited to sit on a stage in front of a crowd of Republican voters to answer questions and predictably continued to spew lie, after lie, after lie” before attacking Trump’s supporters in the audience and offering a lukewarm defense of the town hall.

CNN FACING ‘FURY’ FROM STAFFERS OVER TRUMP TOWN HALL: ‘IT FELT LIKE 2016 ALL OVER AGAIN’

The most blistering takedown of the Trump town hall came from veteran CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, who went on a tear during a commencement address she gave at the Columbia Journalism School, revealing she had confronted her then-boss Chris Licht directly about her disapproval.

“My management believes they did the right thing, a service to the American people. Some reports have written about important new thoughts and things that we learned from Trump’s very mouth that night… Time could very well prove that Trump’s electroshock therapy to the world jolts the undecided into greater awareness,” Amanpour said. “For me, of course, the fact that the American people voted three times against Trump and Trumpism- 2018, 2020, 2022- also speaks volumes. We’ve done our duty. We have told the story. We have put that in everybody’s awareness and people have had the opportunity to make their choices and they have done.” 

She continued, “I still respectfully disagree with allowing Donald Trump to appear in that particular format,” which sparked applause from the audience.  

Amanpour’s speech was liked and shared on social media by dozens of CNN staffers, including Jake Tapper. The town hall was widely believed to be the moment when Licht lost the trust of CNN’s workforce. He was ultimately fired weeks later. 

The New York Times’ now-infamous Tom Cotton op-ed

Perhaps the first instance in which a news organization faced such public backlash from within the newsroom was in 2020 when The New York Times published the now-infamous “Tom Cotton op-ed.”

The Republican senator argued in a piece titled “Send in the Troops” that the president should deploy the military to quell the George Floyd riots that sparked havoc in cities across the country. 

Dozens of Times employees rushed to social media in a coordinated campaign, many of them echoing the phrase “Running this put Black @nytimes staff in danger.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES REMAINS HAUNTED BY THE TOM COTTON OP-ED ALMOST 4 YEARS LATER

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Days later, the Times updated Cotton’s piece with a lengthy editor’s note declaring it “fell short of our standards and should not have been published.” Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger, who initially defended the op-ed’s publication, later reversed himself, blaming “a rushed editorial process.” 

Two members of the Times Opinion staff, James Bennet and Adam Rubenstein, were pushed out at the Times as a result. Another staffer, James Dao, was reassigned to a different department. 

It was following that meltdown when Bari Weiss declared in her resignation letter as one of the paper’s opinion staff editors, “Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor.”

VP Harris stumbles through hurricane update, appears to send message to staff

Vice President Harris, during a Hurricane Milton update from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Wednesday, covered her mouth and appeared to tell staff she was on a live broadcast after stumbling through a speech to the people of Florida.

President Biden and Harris received a briefing from disaster relief authorities on life-saving preparations for Hurricane Milton. The two also received the latest updates on the forecast and expected impacts for Florida.

While Biden attended the meeting from the White House, Harris and others attended virtually.

At one point during the briefing, Harris covered her mouth and appeared to relay a message to someone else.

FLORIDA TROOPER RESCUES DOG TIED TO POLE IN PUDDLE AS MILTON HEADS TOWARD STATE, DESANTIS CALLS OWNER ‘CRUEL’

“It’s a live broadcast,” she could be heard saying.

The moment came nearly 20 minutes after Harris stumbled through a speech to Floridians. She glanced down multiple times, appearing to reference notes or a script.

“To the people of Florida, and in particular, the people of the Tampa region: We urge you to take this storm seriously,” she said. “As has been said before, this is a storm that is expected to be of historic proportions. And many of you, I know are tough… and you’ve ridden out these hurricanes before. This one’s going to be different.

HURRICANE MILTON EVACUATIONS IN FLORIDA: WHAT TO PACK AHEAD OF THE STORM

“We ask you that by every measure understand it’s going to be more dangerous, more deadly and more catastrophic. So please listen to your local officials,” Harris added. “They know what they’re talking about. They know what they’re doing. And if you are told to evacuate, please evacuate immediately. Do not wait until it is too late.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office for comment on the incident, but has not yet heard back.

Hurricane Milton reached Category 5 storm strength multiple times over the course of the last two days, and made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night in the Tampa, Florida area.

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Forecasters warn that Milton could produce devastating storm surges up to 12 to 13 feet.