The News Not Noise Letter: Can Obama Close the Deal?
Obama issues a challenge. Plus: Milton, Helene, and FEMA rumors; Northern Lights; and the war in Gaza, one year later.
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Here are your headlines:
Milton Damage: The threat from Hurricane Milton is not yet over, with forecasters predicting flood waters could still rise in Florida. At least 16 people are dead after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Tampa and cut across Central Florida, spawning dozens of deadly tornadoes and extreme rainfall. Six of those killed were in a Fort Pierce retirement community. The storm turned south and hit below Tampa Bay, averting the massive predicted storm surge. More than 2 million Florida homes and businesses remain without power. Hillsborough County was hit with particularly devastating flooding from rainfall, with sewage overflows at manholes and pump stations. A distressing number of people in Florida are without flood insurance, so the storm could cause financial distress for many of those impacted. According to a new report by climate scientists, the storm generated 10% stronger winds and 20% more rainfall than it would have without the effects of climate change.
FEMA Aid and Accuracy: FEMA is still battling rampant disinformation as it continues bringing aid and assisting recovery efforts in North Carolina and other states impacted by Hurricane Helene. Former President Donald Trump has been claiming that FEMA only provides hurricane victims $750. This is untrue: FEMA gives $750 as an initial cash outlay to help with immediate needs, but impacted people can also apply for more aid. If you or someone you know has been impacted by Helene or Milton, you can apply for aid here. Also, at least two Republicans are warning their constituents not to believe Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s false claims that the government controls the weather. Read Rep Chuck Edwards’ statement here. Many towns in western North Carolina are still without power, and multiple communities expect they won’t have running water for weeks, possibly months. On top of all that, the Wall Street Journal reports neo-Nazi groups are posing as aid workers in affected communities, exploiting peoples’ suffering to film propaganda videos.
Campaign Updates: With weeks until election day, polls are tightening in key swing states. Only 5% of voters say they’re undecided; another 8% say they could change their mind. The campaigns are working to persuade those voters and also to energize “low-propensity” voters (i.e., folks who have made up their minds but may not vote).
The Closer: The Harris campaign is unleashing the Democrats’ most effective closer: former President Barack Obama. He held his first rally in must-win Pennsylvania (now a dead heat). At a pre-rally event he told young Black men reluctant to support Harris that he’s concerned “you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.” Next up: stops in Arizona and Nevada. Bill Clinton will rally rural voters in North Carolina and Georgia.
Harris’s Targeted Media: The Harris campaign is stepping up efforts to woo Black and Latino men. With polls showing Latino voters supporting the Democratic ticket at a lower rate than in past elections, VP Harris joined a Las Vegas Univision town hall and highlighted proposals to bring down healthcare costs and make home ownership more affordable. Next week, she’ll do a Detroit town hall with Charlamagne tha God, a radio host especially popular with Black millennials.
Trump on the Trail: Former President Trump was in Aurora, Colorado today, which he falsely claimed has been overtaken by Venezuelan gang members. He vowed a federal deportation operation. His campaign has reportedly asked for military jets and vehicles to accompany the former president in these final weeks on the campaign trail. He will hold a Univision town hall in Miami — home to Republican-leaning Latino voters — on Wednesday.
Kremlin’s COVID Tests: Former President Trump says legendary reporter Bob Woodward was wrong when he reported in his new book, “War” that the Trump White House sent COVID tests to Vladimir Putin in early 2020 when they were in short supply. Today, the Kremlin disagreed and confirmed that they received the tests from Trump. Woodward also reports Trump had “as many as seven phone calls” with Putin since leaving office in 2021. Both Trump and the Kremlin deny these calls occurred.
Here’s some news that doesn’t suck:
Not-So-Northern Lights: Stargazers as far south as Texas glimpsed gorgeous auroras in the sky last night, thanks to an unusually strong solar storm. Northern lights occur when particles from a solar storm interact with Earth’s atmosphere, producing a colorful glow. The sun has a roughly 11-year cycle of storm activity, and we’re currently at the peak of this cycle, meaning there are more auroras than in other years. More northern lights are forecast for Friday night, though they likely won’t extend as far south.
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Gaza War, One Year Later
Sunday marks one year since Israel launched its ground operation in Gaza. It’s important to take time to understand the impact of the war.
Over the last year, civilians in Gaza have suffered immensely. Tens of thousands have been killed, far more have been injured, and the UN estimates over 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced — many of whom have been displaced more than once. Experts estimate nearly 60% of Gaza’s buildings, 87% of its schools, and 68% of its roads have been damaged or destroyed in the past year. That destruction has created an estimated 37 million+ metric tons of rubble in Gaza, including over 800,000 metric tons of asbestos and over 7,500 metric tons of unexploded ordnance. Meanwhile, with sanitation infrastructure devastated, raw sewage is reportedly spreading through Gaza, bringing with it diseases including polio, cholera, hepatitis A, dysentery, and pneumonia. The international community has sounded the alarm over the killing of aid workers and the extreme difficulty of getting humanitarian aid into Gaza and distributed to those in need. Some on the ground in Gaza have claimed Hamas is stealing at least some of the aid intended for civilians. With the lack of Western reporters on the ground, it remains difficult to confirm much of this information.
97 of the 250 hostages taken on 10/7 remain in Gaza, at least 33 of whom are believed dead.
