12:30 Report — Milton tears through Florida, destroys western coast

View Online  12:30 REPORT It's Thursday. Can we please get a break from these catastrophic storms?? It's one natural disaster after another. Here's what's happening: Millions of Floridians are without power and at least four people are dead after Hurricane Milton hit the state. The storm ripped the roof off Tropicana Field (where first responders were camping out), and a crane collapsed onto the Tampa Bay Times office. The Hill and Emerson College Polling released a new poll showing Harris and Trump in a virtual tie in the major swing states. The inflation rate is the lowest since February 2021. Rafael Nadal is retiring from tennis. 😢😢   I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.   🌀 Hurricane Milton Milton came, he wreaked havoc, and he quickly left: ©  AP Hurricane Milton blew through Florida on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm. The high winds and rain left millions without power and at least four people dead.   The storm's path: It made landfall in Siesta Key, Fla., and had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.   The number of tornadoes was wild: More than 120 tornado warnings were issued across the state.   🗨️ Live blog of storm updates ➤  STORM FOOTAGE: Milton ripped off the roof of Tropicana Field: This was being used as a shelter for first responders. 📹 Footage of the destroyed roof ; 📹 Watch the roof come off midstorm   ^ Yes, this!: Bulwark's Marc Caputo posted that "it's insane to think hurricane emergency workers were to be staged in a building that didn't have a solid roof. I had no idea the Trop had a roof of fabric and fiberglass."   📹 Flash flooding in downtown Tampa 📹 Flooding in downtown Fort Myers 📹 Peak storm surge in Venice   A crane fell onto the Tampa Bay Times's building: Part of the building shattered. 📸 Photo   Omg, Anderson Cooper! Stay safe!: Here's a clip of CNN's Anderson Cooper in the middle of Milton. 📹 Watch the clip   ^ As many people have pointed out on social media, CNN better let him drink on New Year's Eve this year after doing this!   Holy cow, that's an alligator: WBBH-TV posted a video of a gator jumping from the floodwaters. 📹 Watch   Boats were washed ashore: Here's 📹 drone footage of boats after Hurricane Milton.   This is a wild photo: Here's an 📸 overhead photo of Hurricane Milton making landfall. You can see the sheer size of the storm.   See the blue jagged shapes?: Those are masses of birds caught in the eye of the storm. 📸 Here's a photo ; 📸 The crane when it hit the ground ➤  HAVE YOU HEARD OF FLORIDA MAN 'LT. DAN?': A man nicknamed "Lt. Dan" rode out the storm on his sailboat in Tampa. Local authorities had tried to get him to evacuate. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told reporters Wednesday that he had moved to a shelter, but he made it back to his boat later in the day. He's gone viral on social media.   Thankfully, he is OK. NewsNation's Brian Entin checked on him. 📹 This video has more than 2.8 million views so far.   For reference: 📹 Here's an interview with him before the storm hit. 🚌 On The Campaign Trail To slightly misquote Chandler Bing — Could this *BE* any closer?:  ©  GIPHY/Team Coco Vice President Harris and former President Trump are nearly tied in the major battleground states, according to new polling from The Hill and Emerson College Polling.   Arizona: Trump +2 Georgia: Trump +1 Michigan: Tie Nevada: Harris +1 North Carolina: Trump +1 Pennsylvania: Trump +1 Wisconsin: Tie   For reference: "Harris lost a point in Arizona and North Carolina since the last Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey was conducted three weeks ago, but gained a point in Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Trump, on the other hand, gained a point in Pennsylvania and North Carolina but lost a point in Georgia and Nevada. Harris's support remained unchanged in Michigan and Nevada, while Trump's remained unchanged in Arizona and Wisconsin."   Read more on the polling: 'Harris, Trump in virtual dead heat in major swing states' This intro is a verbal snap-in-a-Z formation: The Atlantic announced its endorsement of Vice President Harris this morning.   Read this excerpt: "For the third time in eight years, Americans have to decide whether they want Donald Trump to be their president. No voter could be ignorant by now of who he is. Opinions about Trump aren't just hardened—they're dried out and exhausted. The man's character has been in our faces for so long, blatant and unchanging, that it kills the possibility of new thoughts, which explains the strange mix of boredom and dread in our politics. Whenever Trump senses any waning of public attention, he'll call his opponent a disgusting name, or dishonor the memory of fallen soldiers, or threaten to overturn the election if he loses, or vow to rule like a dictator if he wins. He knows that nothing he says is likely to change anyone's views." ©  GIPHY/The Office Read the full endorsement: 'The Case for Kamala Harris' ➤  MORE READS FROM THE TRAIL: 'AI tracker charts growth in deepfakes ahead of election': The Hill 'Trump Spreads His Politics of Grievance to Nonwhite Voters': The New York Times 'Is the Trump campaign's male-dominated culture losing women votes?': The Washington Post 'Why Pennsylvania will decide the next president': The Hill '"I am worried about turnout in Detroit": Dems move to shore up Harris' base in Michigan': Politico 📰 Other News Cel-eh-brate the rate, come on!: ©  GIPHY/The Office The annual inflation rate dropped to 2.4 percent over the past year, making it the lowest rate since February 2021 (!)   Yes, but: The Wall Street Journal's Harriet Torry and Nick Timiraos argue that the economy is cooling more slowly than expected. Read: 'Inflation Continues Its Bumpy Decline With Mixed September Reading'   💡 What this means politically: This will be welcome news to Vice President Harris's campaign less than a month away from the election. The economy is one of the top issues for voters and has benefited former President Trump's campaign so far. How much is Social Security going up?: The Social Security Administration announced this morning that recipients will receive a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase beginning in January.   💡 For context: That means an average increase of more than $50 per month. "Recipients received a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, after a historically large 8.7% benefit increase in 2023, brought on by record 40-year-high inflation." 🐝 Internet Buzz 🎂 Celebrate: Today is National Angel Food Cake Day!   🎾 Rafa!!: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal announced that he will retire in November. By the way: He's won 22 Grand Slams, including 14 French Open titles, according to ESPN.   🌌 Because I promise to let you know any time there is a chance of northern lights: Portions of the U.S. could see northern lights tonight. (Nexstar) 📆 On The Agenda The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Washington, and Vice President Harris is in Nevada and Arizona today.  (all times Eastern) 1 p.m.: Former President Trump speaks at the Detroit Economic Club. 💻 Livestream 1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream 4 p.m.: Harris tapes a Univision town hall in Las Vegas. 6 p.m.: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) hosts a town hall in Greensboro, N.C. 💻 Livestream 7 p.m.: Former President Obama campaigns for Harris in Pennsylvania. 💻 Livestream 7:10 p.m.: Harris leaves for Phoenix. 9:30 p.m.: Harris campaigns in Phoenix. 💻 Livestream 👋 And Finally… Because you made it this far, here's a great example of why you shouldn't believe anything you see on the internet. Stay Engaged Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.   View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time! Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  Sign Up for Other Newsletters 400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.