Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Five killed as storm slams Florida, Georgia

Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Five killed as storm slams Florida, Georgia
Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Five killed as storm slams Florida, Georgia
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Debby is roaring across the Southeast after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning.

At least five people have been killed in Florida and Georgia.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Five killed including two kids

At least five people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

A 13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.”

In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

In Moultrie, Georgia, a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by a fallen tree while he was inside a home on Monday, according to Moultrie police.

19-year-old hit by tree dies in Georgia

A 19-year-old died after being hit by a tree in Moultrie, Georgia, a local coroner told ABC News affiliate WALB-TV, bringing the storm’s death toll to five.

More than 150,000 customers without power, tracker says

More than 150,000 customers were without power early Tuesday in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to PowerOutage.us, a tracker of energy providers.

Florida had the highest number of outages, with more than 116,000, followed by more than 26,000 in George and almost 12,000 in South Carolina.

Debby to bring historic 10-20 inches of rainfall: Forecast

Despite weakening since moving over land, Debby is still maintaining its tropical storm status, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 mph.

As of 11 p.m. ET, over 150,000 customers in Florida and Georgia are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

With Debby’s center about 35 miles west of Brunswick, Georgia, much of the heavy rain and showers have since moved out of Florida (except for the extreme northeastern corner of the state closer to the Georgia border). However, with the storm slowing down even more, Debby will stay stuck over the Southeast for the better part of this week, meandering over Georgia and the Carolinas.

Even though the storm is expected to weaken a bit more overnight, Debby is still expected to bring historic rainfall and life-threatening flooding to portions of southeastern Georgia and the coastal areas of the Carolinas over the next few days. Rainfall totals from this event are expected to reach between 10 and 20 inches.

Already, portions of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina have seen between 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, but with rainfall rates of 1.5 to 3 inches per hour possible, flood alerts remain in effect.

A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Charleston, South Carolina, where rainfall rates between 1.5 and 2.5 inches are expected. Ongoing or new flooding is expected, with an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain possible over the next few hours.

As onshore flow continues, storm surge remains an issue in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Storm surge alerts remain in effect up the Georgia and Carolina coastlines.

Rainfall aside, Debby could also generate some spin-up tornadoes as it swirls over the Georgia-South Carolina border tonight. As a result, a Tornado Watch also remains in effect for parts of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina until 1 a.m. ET.

Over the next 48 hours, Debby is expected to meander back over the Atlantic but will continue to hug the coastline before heading back inland over the Carolinas again. Slight strengthening can’t entirely be ruled out as it moves back over water, but ultimately, Debby is expected to weaken once it moves back inland. Strength aside, it will still bring significant rainfall to portions of the Southeast, which will likely lead to catastrophic flooding in some areas.

Debby is expected to eventually drift toward the north/northeast by the end of the week into the weekend. As it heads north, it will likely weaken to a tropical depression or remnant low. Regardless, heavy rainfall is still expected up the I-95 corridor heading into this weekend.

Power returns to some Florida customers as Debby moves northeast

As of Monday evening, 146,034 customers are without power in Florida, according to the latest update from a U.S. power outage map.

This marks an improvement from Monday morning, which saw nearly 300,000 customers without power at 9:50 a.m. ET, the height of outages across the state.

During a press conference in Tallahassee Monday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state’s emergency department had 17,000 linemen working to restore power in the wake of the storm.

“We have a lot of restoration personnel ready to go,” DeSantis said.

Debby weakening, but threats of tornadoes, heavy rain continue

Tropical Storm Debby continues to weaken, with maximum sustained winds down to 45 mph as of 8 p.m. ET. The weather pattern is moving very slowly to the northeast at 6 mph, and the center is currently about 50 miles east of Valdosta, Georgia.

Even though Debby is now inland and continues to weaken, many of the impacts — especially the heavy rainfall and dangerous flash flood threat — will not abate for several days. For many locations in coastal Georgia and South Carolina, the worst is yet to come.

The tornado threat continues along portions of the Georgia and South Carolina coasts this evening and into tonight. A Tornado Watch remains in effect from Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina, until at least 1 a.m. ET.

Parts of Florida, including Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, are reporting over a foot of rain from Debby, and portions of Suwannee County, including Live Oak, are getting around a foot as well.

So far, parts of Georgia, including Savannah, are reporting nearly 4″ of rain. The same can be said for Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Conditions will continue to deteriorate across much of South Carolina overnight Monday into Tuesday, with widespread areas of heavy rain and the potential for dangerous, significant flash flooding during nighttime hours.

Coastal flooding and storm surges will continue to increase in the coming hours as winds increase and more persistent heavy rain moves in, heading into high tide along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.

By late Tuesday afternoon or early evening, the center of Debby will likely be moving off the Southeast coast and into the Atlantic, where it will meander for about 24 hours before likely turning back toward the coast and potentially making another landfall as a tropical storm somewhere along the South Carolina coast by Thursday morning or afternoon.

More than 163,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 163,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Curfew set for Charleston, South Carolina

A curfew will go into effect overnight for Charleston, South Carolina, due to Debby, city officials said Monday.

Thoroughfares leading into the peninsula will be closed from 11 p.m. ET Monday to noon ET Tuesday, the city said, as the region braces for potential impacts such as tropical storm-force winds, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes.

“We urge everybody to stay inside, stay indoors and do not travel,” Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said at a press briefing Monday evening.

Biden approves emergency declaration request from South Carolina

President Joe Biden has approved a request from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster for an emergency declaration in the state due to Debby, the White House said.

The declaration allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mobilize and provide equipment and resources necessary.

“The President continues to urge residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of State and local officials,” the White House said in a statement.

North Carolina governor declares state of emergency

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency ahead of severe weather, including life-threatening flash flooding, expected across the state due to Debby.

“This weather has the potential to bring intense rain and flooding to North Carolina and we are preparing for it,” Cooper said in a statement. “As the weather becomes more severe, I urge everyone to take precautions and stay safe.”

The emergency declaration will allow for the state to mobilize resources to respond to the storm.

Tropical Storm Debby slowing down as it moves across US

Tropical Storm Debby continues to weaken and slow down in forward speed as the center moves near the Florida-Georgia state line as of 5 p.m. ET.

Maximum sustained winds are down to 50 mph, and Debby is moving to the northeast at 6 mph. The center is currently about 30 miles southeast of Valdosta, Georgia.

As of Monday afternoon, all tropical weather and storm surge alerts have been canceled across Florida’s Gulf Coast as conditions improve across much of the state.

Debby will move across southeastern Georgia through Monday evening, with the worst impacts focused there and into the Jacksonville, Florida, area. Heavy rain continues to overspread southern South Carolina as well.

-ABC News meteorologist Daniel Peck

More than 199,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 199,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Latest forecast

Debby is moving inland across north Florida Monday afternoon after dumping more than 1 foot of rain in the state.

Tornadoes are possible Monday afternoon in Florida, including in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, as well as in the coastal cities of Savannah, Georgia, and Beaufort, South Carolina.

The biggest concern this week is flash flooding from the widespread, relentless rain. A flash flood emergency remains in effect in Suwannee County, Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where 10 to 15 inches of rain has fallen so far.

Debby will slowly churn into southeastern Georgia throughout Monday afternoon and evening. Conditions will deteriorate in Savannah, Georgia, throughout the day.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

4 killed including 2 kids

At least four people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.”

In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told ABC News Live. “We really ask everyone, one, to be aware of the weather situations in your area, and then heed the warnings. Especially the high wind and the water.”

In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

Flash flood emergency issued in Suwannee County, Florida

A flash flood emergency has been issued in Suwannee County in north Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where officials are reporting that water is entering structures.

Ten to 15 inches of rain has inundated the county so far and another 3 to 6 inches of rain is expected.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

More than 1,600 flights canceled

More than 1,600 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.

American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.

American Airlines said it canceled operations at airports in Gainesville, Sarasota and Tallahassee until noon on Monday.

Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.

Biden briefed on storm

President Joe Biden was briefed Monday morning on the administration’s ongoing response to Debby, according to a White House official.

On Saturday, Biden approved Florida’s request for an emergency declaration and deployed rescue personnel, meals and water, the official said.

The Biden administration is in touch with officials from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed staff to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina as the storm moves north, the official said.

More than 300,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 300,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

More than 1,200 flights canceled

More than 1,200 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.

American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.

Storm surge, flooding major threats

Storm surge and flooding are major threats to Florida as Hurricane Debby slams the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Monday.

Significant flooding has already impacted the Bradenton and Sarasota County area up to North Florida, he said.

More than 250,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 250,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Debby makes landfall in Florida

Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

More than 135,000 customers without power in Florida, tracker says

More than 135,000 customers were without power in Florida early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Debby approaches landfall with 80 mph winds

Hurricane Debby is “very near” landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said at 5 a.m. ET.

“Expected to bring life-threatening storm surge in portions of Florida and major flooding in the southeastern United States,” the center said in an update.

The Category 1 storm had maximum sustained winds of an about 80 mph as it approached Big Bend, a northern area near the Panhandle, the center said.

Debby strengthens, with maximum sustained winds up to 80 mph

Hurricane Debby continued to strengthen, with maximum sustained winds rising to 80 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

More than 10 inches of rain fell on the west coast of Florida, around the Tampa Bay area, where water rescues have been on going near Clearwater. Significant flooding also has been reported in Fort Myers area.

Storm surge has been rising quickly now along the Big Bend area in Florida, from Cedar Key to Keaton Beach, where up to 10 feet of Gulf water could inundate the coastline. The storm is forecast to make landfall in that area on Monday morning.

Coast Guard rescues two adrift in sailboat off Florida coast

Two people were rescued Sunday from a boat that was adrift in about 20-foot seas off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The boaters were airlifted from their 34-foot sailboat after the vessel lost its sail about 73 miles off shore, the guard said.

The sailboat had been on course for Tarpon Springs from Key West, officials said. A friend of the boaters contacted the Coast Guard at about 5 p.m. Saturday, telling officials they had missed their check-in.

“We received an updated satellite position from the boaters’ friend, which led to them being successfully located,” Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement.

The boaters were rescued by a crew on an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, the Coast Guard said. They had been adrift in seas that were between 15 and 20 feet, with wind speeds at about 50 knots. Visibility was low.

The names of the people on the boat were not released.

Debby strengthens into a hurricane

The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Tropical Storm Debby to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph.

The forecast is still on track for more strengthening overnight as Debby feeds off the warm water in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures running 3 to 5 degrees above average are providing plenty of fuel for this storm to intensify before landfall, which will happen around 7 a.m. ET along the Big Bend region of Florida.

Tropical Storm Debby nearing hurricane strength at 70 mph

While still a tropical storm, Debby is nearing hurricane strength, producing maximum sustained wind speeds up to 70 mph.

Debby will continue to intensify rapidly overnight as it travels northward over the Gulf’s warm waters. It is forecast to become a hurricane tonight. It is expected to strengthen to at least a strong Category 1 hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region Monday morning (around 7 a.m. ET), producing sustained wind speeds near 85 mph and wind gusts reaching over 100 mph possible.

Located about 90 miles southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, the storm continues to impact the Florida Gulf Coast with heavy rainfall, storm surge, powerful winds and even spin-up tornadoes.

A reported wind gust of 56 mph was reported in St. Petersburg, with two tornadoes reported in central Florida.

A 60-mph wind gust was also reported near Sarasota, Florida.

Numerous reports of flooding from heavy rainfall and surges have also been submitted up Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The Tornado Watch covering much of northern and central Florida and southern Georgia has been extended until 6 a.m. ET on Monday.

Once Debby moves over land, it will weaken. However, the lack of a steering current will cause the storm to slow down considerably. While its exact track remains questionable, model guidance suggests the storm will drift over the Atlantic or Southeast coastline late Monday night into Tuesday before meandering back over Georgia and the Carolinas. Interaction with the Atlantic could reenergize Debby, but that will greatly depend on the storm’s path.

Even though Debby’s track and timing remain uncertain later this week, there is high confidence that it will bring historic rainfall and significant flooding across portions of the Southeast.

Rainfall ranging between 6 to 12 inches is possible from Florida’s Big Bend region through southeastern Georgia and into the Carolinas. Parts of coastal Georgia and South Carolina will be in the bullseye for the heaviest rainfall. There, widespread totals between 10 to 20 inches are possible, with some places even seeing up to 30 inches locally. Because of this, significant urban and river flooding is anticipated.

Rainfall aside, hurricane and tropical storm force winds will continue to whip across Florida and will likely intensify Sunday night into Monday as the storm moves closer to the coast — with areas just south and east of the storm’s eyewall seeing the strongest gusts early Monday morning.

Storm surge will also worsen along Florida’s northern and central Gulf coast tonight into Monday morning, with the highest surge expected between Suwannee River and Ochlockonee River (6 to 10 feet).

All tropical alerts remain unchanged from the last update.

Tropical Storm Debby on track to become a hurricane overnight

As of 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Tropical Storm Debby still has winds of 65 mph and is forecast to undergo rapid intensification into a hurricane overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Debby is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday morning around 7 a.m.

Rain is expected to be the most impactful element from this storm, affecting a wide area over an extended period of time.

“Across portions of southeast Georgia and South Carolina, 10 to 20 inches of rainfall, with local amounts to 30 inches, are expected through Friday morning,” the National Hurricane Center said. “This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding.”

Evacuations ordered in Alachua County, Florida, as Debby set to make landfall

An evacuation order was issued Sunday for residents of Alachua County, Florida, residing in mobile homes, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles ahead of the arrival of Debby, which is forecast to be a hurricane when it makes landfall on Monday.

People living in areas close to rivers and lakes, and low-lying areas that tend to flood in Alachua County are also encouraged to evacuate, according to a statement issued by county officials.

Gainesville is the largest city in Alachua County.

“We encourage residents affected to find alternative housing with friends, family or short-term rentals,” according to the county’s statement.

Alachua County is opening three shelters for residents in need.

Tornado watch issued as Debby runs parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast

A tornado watch was issued Sunday afternoon by the National Weather Service as Tropical Storm Debbie moved northward in the Gulf of Mexico parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said Debby was still a tropical storm with winds of 65 mph and forecasted to bring severe weather, including heavy rain, to coastal communities Sunday afternoon.

A tornado watch is in effect for much of Florida through Sunday evening.

Debby is expected to become a hurricane Sunday evening and will likely make landfall sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Monday in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Panhandle.

Once Debby makes landfall, the storm is expected to slow down and essentially stall over the Southeast, dropping potentially historic amounts of rainfall as it moves into Georgia and South Carolina.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from the Ochlockonee River southwest of Tallahassee to the Suwannee River northwest of Gainesville.

More than 1,600 flights canceled due to Debby and Northeast thunderstorms

Tropical Storm Debby and thunderstorms in the Northeast were causing airlines to cancel or delay flights on Sunday.

American Airlines said it canceled 601 flights, or about 16% of its flights, on Sunday, the most of any airline.

Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall around the Big Bend area of the Florida Panhandle on Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.

Also causing delays and cancellations were severe thunderstorms moving up the East Coast. Parts of the mid-Atlantic states are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. ET Sunday, including the cities of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.

The most flights canceled on Sunday were at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where 214 flights were canceled and another 172 were delayed, according to FlightAware.

In New York City, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy international airports reported a combined 363 flights canceled and 258 delayed on Sunday.

Miami International Airport reported 209 canceled flights and 151 delayed fights. Airports in Orlando, Tampa, Philadelphia, Newark, Washington, D.C., and Dallas-Fort Worth all reported more than 100 flight cancellations on Sunday.

Ten million people under tropical storm alert on Florida’s Gulf Coast

About 10 million people along Florida’s west coast and up through Georgia and South and North Carolina were under a tropical storm alert Sunday as Debby took aim at the area and is forecast to make landfall in the Panhandle region on Monday.

Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa, is expected to make landfall sometime between 7 and 8 a.m. in Big Bend on the Florida Panhandle as a Category 1 hurricane, state emergency officials said.

Debby is expected to create a storm surge of 4 to 7 feet in Cedar Key and Crystal River on the Florida west coast and a 2- to 5-foot storm surge farther south in Tampa and Sarasota.

The storm is forecast to move into the cities of Tallahassee and Jacksonville, bringing up to 20 inches of rain to some parts, before causing potential flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

National Guard put on alert for search and rescue: DeSantis

Members of the Florida National Guard have been advised to be prepared to conduct search-and-rescue missions once Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall on Monday, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Widespread flooding is expected for the Florida Panhandle region, particularly in the Big Bend area where Debby is expected to make landfall Monday morning as a category 1 hurricane, DeSantis said during a news conference Sunday morning.

DeSantis said the Florida National Guard and the state’s Emergency Response Team are prepared to conduct search-and-rescue and provide humanitarian assistance.

“The Florida National Guard is standing by with 3,000 service members ready to assist the state Emergency Response Team, which includes search-and-rescue, route clearance, commodity distribution and protection of critical infrastructure,” DeSantis said.

The governor said at least 12 swift boat crews and flat-bottom jon boat crews are also standing by to help with rescues.

He said that more than 30,000 bottles of water, more than 160,000 meals and nearly 14,000 tarps have been pre-staged in parts of Florida that are expected to be hit hard by the storm.

DeSantis said Florida utility companies have notified up to 17,000 linemen to be ready to spring into action once it is safe to repair any damage.

Flooding forecast as Debby expected to bring up to 20 inches of rain

Florida residents in the Big Bend region of the Panhandle were warned Sunday that Debby is going to bring “catastrophic rain to the area” that will cause flooding and power outages.

Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said during a news conference on Sunday that once the Debby makes landfall as a possible Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, winds will subside quickly, but the slow-moving storm will produce an abundance of rain.

“We’re going to be in a catastrophic rain situation where we have situations in Florida that will receive 15, maybe as high as 20 inches of rain,” Guthrie said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told residents who are in the path of the storm to expect widespread power outages.

“It’s possible that you could have serious intensification between now and landfall. It could get up to 85, 90 and 95 mph sustained winds. That is absolutely possible, particularly in parts of the state like here in Tallahassee. There’s going to be a lot of trees that are going to fall down and you’re going to have debris. You are going to have power interruptions,” the governor said.

Gov. DeSantis advises residents to make final preparations for Debby

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis advised residents of the state’s Panhandle region on Sunday that they should be finalizing preparations for when Tropical Storm Debby makes its anticipated landfall Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.

“Now this is a storm that is potentially dangerous. Residents should be finalizing all of their preparations now,” DeSantis said during a news conference at the state’s Emergency Operation Center in Tallahassee.

DeSantis said Tropical Storm Debby was in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa as of Sunday morning with sustained winds of about 50 mph.

“But those are expected to increase,” DeSantis said. “Tropical Storm Debby is likely to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida.”

He said the storm was on a similar track taken by Hurricane Idalia in 2023. Idalia made landfall in Big Bend on Aug. 30, 2023, as a Category 3 hurricane and caused a devastating storm surge of 7 to 12 feet across the coastal Big Bend region in Levy, Dixie and Taylor counties.

“This storm is a similar track,” DeSantis said. “It may be a tick to the west of that. It very well may have greater impacts here in the Tallahassee region than Hurricane Idalia did. Once it crosses landfall and enters the Florida Panhandle/Big Bend Region, wherever it does, it’s going to move very slowly across northern Florida and southeast Georgia.”

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Israel-Gaza live updates: Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire over border

Israel-Gaza live updates: Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire over border
Israel-Gaza live updates: Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire over border
pawel.gaul/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, tensions are escalating after the assassinations of two Hamas and Hezbollah leaders this week.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire, killing at least five in Lebanon and injuring two in Israel

Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets and drones toward northern Israel on Tuesday morning and afternoon, injuring at least two people, after an earlier Israeli airstrike killed at least five people in southern Lebanon, according to authorities on both sides.

The Lebanese militant group said in separate statements that Tuesday’s attacks against Israel — at least four so far — were carried out both in support of the Palestinian people in the war-torn Gaza Strip and in response to recent Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon.

One of those drones was intercepted by Israeli air defense and the falling shrapnel injured “several civilians” south of Nahariya, the northernmost coastal city of Israel, according to the IDF.

Israel’s Magen David Adam rescue service said its first responders were deployed to the scene and treated a 30-year-old man in serious condition and a 30-year-old woman in mild-to-moderate condition with shrapnel injuries to the lower limbs. Both patients were transported to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya.

“We saw the male unconscious in the car with a severe head injury from shrapnel. A female who was fully conscious with shrapnel injuries to her lower limbs was in a parking lot nearby,” paramedic Roi Vishna and senior EMT Noam Levi said in a joint statement released by MDA.” We treated the male including ventilating him and providing medications, and evacuated him by MICU in very serious condition to hospital. The female casualty was evacuated in mild to moderate condition.”

Hezbollah launched the counterattacks after an Israeli airstrike on the town of Mifdoun in southern Lebanon killed at least five people on Tuesday morning, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. It was not immediately clear whether civilians were among the casualties.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months amid the ongoing war in Gaza. But regional tensions have soared following last week’s assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon’s capital.

Israel kills another Hezbollah commander

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Monday they had killed another Hezbollah commander in a strike on Lebanon. Ali Jamal Aldin Jawad, a commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, was killed in the strike.

The death was also confirmed by Hezbollah.

“His elimination significantly degrades the capabilities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization to promote and carry out terror activities from southern Lebanon against northern Israel,” the IDF said.

Israel’s killing of a Hezbollah official in Beirut, Fuad Shukr, and a Hamas official in Iran, Ismail Haniyeh, has pushed the Middle East to the brink of further war.

Remains of about 80 deceased Palestinians returned after being taken by IDF

The deceased remains of an estimated 80 Palestinians — which Israeli forces took from Gazan cemeteries to identify whether hostages had been buried there — were returned by the Israel Defense Forces.

The bodies were decomposed beyond recognition, with Gazan officials saying between three and four bodies were in each bag. They will be reburied in a mass grave in Khan Younis.

A Gazan civil defense official on the ground said there is no data as to who these individuals were.

“I wished I could find him, to be at peace,” Suwa Abu Rajilah, a mother who traveled to the site to see if her son, killed in the war, was there. “To say I buried him, but I couldn’t find him.”

-ABC News’ Dia Ostaz

9 UN employees fired after investigation into ties to Oct. 7 attack

The U.N. has fired nine employees following a lengthy investigation into ties to the Oct. 7 attacks, the organization said.

The U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight Services investigated 19 staff members with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East as part of the probe.

For nine of the staffers, evidence was found that they “may have been involved in the armed attacks,” the U.N. said.

“The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interests of the Agency,” the organization said in a statement.

There was no evidence or insufficient evidence that the other investigated staffers had been involved, they added.

At least 7 Hezbollah attacks Monday

In another active day on the northern Israeli border, Hezbollah launched at least seven attacks on Monday.

The IDF said they “successfully intercepted” the projectiles, and no injuries were reported.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying in a statement they had launched them “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance.”

The IDF also said Monday that they had “identified a terrorist cell operating a drone in the area of Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon.”

“Shortly following the identification, the IAF struck and eliminated the terrorists,” they said.

Israeli officer and soldier injured in aerial attack from Lebanon: IDF

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer and a soldier were injured after an aerial attack in northern Israel’s upper Galilee region near Ayelet HaShahar early Monday morning local time, the IDF said in a statement.

The aerial targets crossed from Lebanon, the IDF said.

“Israel Fire Services are currently operating to extinguish a fire that was ignited in the area as a result of the attack,” the IDF said.

Netanyahu says Israel will strike wherever necessary

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is prepared to stand against attacks from Iran and its proxies.

“Iran and its detractors seek to surround us with a choke ring of terrorism on seven fronts. Their open aggression is insatiable,” Netanyahu said during a state memorial service commemorating the death of Revisionist Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky in 1940.

Netanyahu added, “We are determined to stand against them on every front, in every arena, far and near. “

Netanyahu’s comments came just days after the assassination in Iran of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. He was killed in an explosion on Wednesday at a guest house in Tehran that he was staying in while attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for “revenge” against Israel.

Haniyeh’s assassination followed the death of Mohammed Deif, commander of Hamas’ military wing, in a “precise, targeted strike” in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis on July 13. Deif was allegedly one of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

IDF officials also announced that they killed top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in a precision missile strike Tuesday in Beirut, Lebanon. Officials claim he had been orchestrating drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel, including one on July 27 in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 children and teenagers playing soccer.

“Anyone who murders our citizens, anyone who harms our country, will not be cleared of responsibility,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “He will pay a very heavy price. Our long hand strikes in the Gaza Strip, in Yemen, in Beirut, wherever necessary.”

Netanyahu said Israel’s goals are to “secure our future” and the ensure that hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack in Israel are returned home.

“We will continue to press the pedal,” Netanyahu said. “We did not let up from the pressure in all combat areas. We will take an offensive, creative, persistent initiative — until victory comes.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Four dead, six injured after vehicle crashes into canal

Four dead, six injured after vehicle crashes into canal
Four dead, six injured after vehicle crashes into canal
Piccell/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Four people are dead and six others have been injured after a vehicle crashed into a canal in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Monday evening, authorities said.

At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Monday, authorities began receiving calls reporting a car in a canal on Southwest Conners Highway near Belle Glade, Florida, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Capt. Tom Reyes said in a statement to the media. Once at the scene, authorities found one vehicle upside down with only the wheels visible, Reyes continued.

Ten people were in the vehicle, and four people were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Reyes. The other six victims were transported to hospitals — two by helicopter, and four by ambulance. Police have not yet announced the identities of the dead and injured and were unable to say what kind of vehicle was involved in the crash.

Fire rescue personnel, including divers, along with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, responded to the crash, officials said.

The scene has been turned over to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office who will determine the cause of the crash, Reyes said, and the investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office remains open.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

US personnel injured in rocket attack on Iraqi base: DOD

US personnel injured in rocket attack on Iraqi base: DOD
US personnel injured in rocket attack on Iraqi base: DOD
CT757fan/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Several U.S. personnel were injured following a suspected rocket attack Monday against U.S. and Coalition forces at Al-Assad Air Base in western Iraq, a Department of Defense spokesperson told ABC News.

“Initial indications are that several U.S. personnel were injured,” the spokesperson said. “Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.”

A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that two rockets were launched at the base.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the attack, according to a White House readout of a Situation Room meeting on Monday amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Arctic fossils indicate ice shelf is not as stable as previously thought, scientists say

Arctic fossils indicate ice shelf is not as stable as previously thought, scientists say
Arctic fossils indicate ice shelf is not as stable as previously thought, scientists say
In this aerial view melting icebergs crowd the Ilulissat Icefjord near the mouth to Disko Bay on July 16, 2024 near Ilulissat, Greenland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Scientists are warning of a catastrophic sea level rise if the ice in the Arctic melts — a very real possibility.

The Arctic is the front line for climate change and the melting could have catastrophic effects on the rest of the world, experts say.

Researchers recently analyzed fossils taken from the center of the Greenland ice sheet, widely considered to be the largest annual contributor of water into the ocean. The fossils were found to have organic matter, indicating an ice-free period during the Pleistocene Epoch, about 400,000 years ago, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The soil samples contained fragments of willow and wood, as well as insect parts, spike moss megaspores, fungi and poppy seeds, Halley Mastro, a graduate research assistant at the University of Vermont and co-author of the paper, told ABC News.

Paul Bierman, professor of natural resources and environmental science at the University of Vermont and lead author of the study, added: “There’s just no way around the fact that the ice must have been gone or otherwise you couldn’t have had these plants.”

If the Arctic can become ice-free without human interference, it certainly can do so again in the presence of anthropogenic, or human-caused, warming, Bierman said.

He noted that the fossil samples were derived from a drilling expedition in 1993, extracted from 2 miles beneath the ice shelf in Northwest Greenland, about 100 miles from the ice margin.

The fossilized plants suggest temperatures at Summit, Greenland, were likely about 37 to 44 degrees Fahrenheit when the ice disappeared, Mastro said. The ice was then replaced by a tundra ecosystem about 400,000 years ago. Carbon dioxide levels at that time are estimated to have been about 280 parts per million, compared to about 420 parts per million today, Bierman said.

The vast increase in carbon dioxide levels offer an explanation for current heat trends, Bierman added.

“The best thing we can do is to stop and is to get that carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere,” Bierman said. “That’s why we’re breaking heat records. It’s simply as though you’ve thrown a blanket over the Earth.”

Bierman and Mastro are part of a team of about 40 international researchers funded by the U.S. National Science foundation to look at materials from the bottom of ice cores.

Past marine sediment samples did not offer complete reconstructions of the ice sheet, which is why the analysis of the Arctic fossils is even more valuable, the researchers said. Moreover, the “remarkable preservation” of the macrofossils suggests that the ice sheet was completely ice-free during the Pleistocene period.

Data from NASA’s Grace satellite shows a drastic reduction in the mass of the Greenland ice sheet over the last two decades.

Not only is the ice sheet more unstable than previously thought, a paper published last year in PNAS found that it is also melting faster than scientists predicted — a combination that could quickly accelerate the disappearance of the ice sheet, Bierman said.

A 2019 paper published in Nature found that the melting of the Greenland ice sheet could expose 400 million people to flooding risk. The potential melting in Greenland will have impacts all over the world — coastal cities like Mumbai, Cape Town, New York, Boston and Miami could disappear, Bierman said.

Greenland’s three largest glaciers — Jakobshavn Isbræ, Kangerlussuaq and Helheimcould — could lose more ice than previously predicted if emissions continue as “business as usual,” a 2020 study published in Nature found. These glaciers make up about 12% of the entire ice sheet and hold enough ice to raise sea levels by about 4.3 feet.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Historic 10-20 inches of rainfall expected

Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Five killed as storm slams Florida, Georgia
Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Five killed as storm slams Florida, Georgia
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Debby is roaring across Florida and Georgia as a tropical storm after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning.

At least four people have been killed.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Debby to bring historic 10-20 inches of rainfall: Forecast

Despite weakening since moving over land, Debby is still maintaining its tropical storm status, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 mph.

As of 11 p.m. ET, over 150,000 customers in Florida and Georgia are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

With Debby’s center about 35 miles west of Brunswick, Georgia, much of the heavy rain and showers have since moved out of Florida (except for the extreme northeastern corner of the state closer to the Georgia border). However, with the storm slowing down even more, Debby will stay stuck over the Southeast for the better part of this week, meandering over Georgia and the Carolinas.

Even though the storm is expected to weaken a bit more overnight, Debby is still expected to bring historic rainfall and life-threatening flooding to portions of southeastern Georgia and the coastal areas of the Carolinas over the next few days. Rainfall totals from this event are expected to reach between 10 and 20 inches.

Already, portions of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina have seen between 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, but with rainfall rates of 1.5 to 3 inches per hour possible, flood alerts remain in effect.

A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Charleston, South Carolina, where rainfall rates between 1.5 and 2.5 inches are expected. Ongoing or new flooding is expected, with an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain possible over the next few hours.

As onshore flow continues, storm surge remains an issue in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Storm surge alerts remain in effect up the Georgia and Carolina coastlines.

Rainfall aside, Debby could also generate some spin-up tornadoes as it swirls over the Georgia-South Carolina border tonight. As a result, a Tornado Watch also remains in effect for parts of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina until 1 a.m. ET.

Over the next 48 hours, Debby is expected to meander back over the Atlantic but will continue to hug the coastline before heading back inland over the Carolinas again. Slight strengthening can’t entirely be ruled out as it moves back over water, but ultimately, Debby is expected to weaken once it moves back inland. Strength aside, it will still bring significant rainfall to portions of the Southeast, which will likely lead to catastrophic flooding in some areas.

Debby is expected to eventually drift toward the north/northeast by the end of the week into the weekend. As it heads north, it will likely weaken to a tropical depression or remnant low. Regardless, heavy rainfall is still expected up the I-95 corridor heading into this weekend.

Power returns to some Florida customers as Debby moves northeast

As of Monday evening, 146,034 customers are without power in Florida, according to the latest update from a U.S. power outage map.

This marks an improvement from Monday morning, which saw nearly 300,000 customers without power at 9:50 a.m. ET, the height of outages across the state.

During a press conference in Tallahassee Monday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state’s emergency department had 17,000 linemen working to restore power in the wake of the storm.

“We have a lot of restoration personnel ready to go,” DeSantis said.

Debby weakening, but threats of tornadoes, heavy rain continue

Tropical Storm Debby continues to weaken, with maximum sustained winds down to 45 mph as of 8 p.m. ET. The weather pattern is moving very slowly to the northeast at 6 mph, and the center is currently about 50 miles east of Valdosta, Georgia.

Even though Debby is now inland and continues to weaken, many of the impacts — especially the heavy rainfall and dangerous flash flood threat — will not abate for several days. For many locations in coastal Georgia and South Carolina, the worst is yet to come.

The tornado threat continues along portions of the Georgia and South Carolina coasts this evening and into tonight. A Tornado Watch remains in effect from Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina, until at least 1 a.m. ET.

Parts of Florida, including Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, are reporting over a foot of rain from Debby, and portions of Suwannee County, including Live Oak, are getting around a foot as well.

So far, parts of Georgia, including Savannah, are reporting nearly 4″ of rain. The same can be said for Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Conditions will continue to deteriorate across much of South Carolina overnight Monday into Tuesday, with widespread areas of heavy rain and the potential for dangerous, significant flash flooding during nighttime hours.

Coastal flooding and storm surges will continue to increase in the coming hours as winds increase and more persistent heavy rain moves in, heading into high tide along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.

By late Tuesday afternoon or early evening, the center of Debby will likely be moving off the Southeast coast and into the Atlantic, where it will meander for about 24 hours before likely turning back toward the coast and potentially making another landfall as a tropical storm somewhere along the South Carolina coast by Thursday morning or afternoon.

More than 163,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 163,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Curfew set for Charleston, South Carolina

A curfew will go into effect overnight for Charleston, South Carolina, due to Debby, city officials said Monday.

Thoroughfares leading into the peninsula will be closed from 11 p.m. ET Monday to noon ET Tuesday, the city said, as the region braces for potential impacts such as tropical storm-force winds, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes.

“We urge everybody to stay inside, stay indoors and do not travel,” Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said at a press briefing Monday evening.

Biden approves emergency declaration request from South Carolina

President Joe Biden has approved a request from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster for an emergency declaration in the state due to Debby, the White House said.

The declaration allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mobilize and provide equipment and resources necessary.

“The President continues to urge residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of State and local officials,” the White House said in a statement.

North Carolina governor declares state of emergency

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency ahead of severe weather, including life-threatening flash flooding, expected across the state due to Debby.

“This weather has the potential to bring intense rain and flooding to North Carolina and we are preparing for it,” Cooper said in a statement. “As the weather becomes more severe, I urge everyone to take precautions and stay safe.”

The emergency declaration will allow for the state to mobilize resources to respond to the storm.

Tropical Storm Debby slowing down as it moves across US

Tropical Storm Debby continues to weaken and slow down in forward speed as the center moves near the Florida-Georgia state line as of 5 p.m. ET.

Maximum sustained winds are down to 50 mph, and Debby is moving to the northeast at 6 mph. The center is currently about 30 miles southeast of Valdosta, Georgia.

As of Monday afternoon, all tropical weather and storm surge alerts have been canceled across Florida’s Gulf Coast as conditions improve across much of the state.

Debby will move across southeastern Georgia through Monday evening, with the worst impacts focused there and into the Jacksonville, Florida, area. Heavy rain continues to overspread southern South Carolina as well.

-ABC News meteorologist Daniel Peck

More than 199,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 199,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Latest forecast

Debby is moving inland across north Florida Monday afternoon after dumping more than 1 foot of rain in the state.

Tornadoes are possible Monday afternoon in Florida, including in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, as well as in the coastal cities of Savannah, Georgia, and Beaufort, South Carolina.

The biggest concern this week is flash flooding from the widespread, relentless rain. A flash flood emergency remains in effect in Suwannee County, Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where 10 to 15 inches of rain has fallen so far.

Debby will slowly churn into southeastern Georgia throughout Monday afternoon and evening. Conditions will deteriorate in Savannah, Georgia, throughout the day.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

4 killed including 2 kids

At least four people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.”

In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told ABC News Live. “We really ask everyone, one, to be aware of the weather situations in your area, and then heed the warnings. Especially the high wind and the water.”

In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

Flash flood emergency issued in Suwannee County, Florida

A flash flood emergency has been issued in Suwannee County in north Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where officials are reporting that water is entering structures.

Ten to 15 inches of rain has inundated the county so far and another 3 to 6 inches of rain is expected.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

More than 1,600 flights canceled

More than 1,600 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.

American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.

American Airlines said it canceled operations at airports in Gainesville, Sarasota and Tallahassee until noon on Monday.

Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.

Biden briefed on storm

President Joe Biden was briefed Monday morning on the administration’s ongoing response to Debby, according to a White House official.

On Saturday, Biden approved Florida’s request for an emergency declaration and deployed rescue personnel, meals and water, the official said.

The Biden administration is in touch with officials from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed staff to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina as the storm moves north, the official said.

More than 300,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 300,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

More than 1,200 flights canceled

More than 1,200 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.

American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.

Storm surge, flooding major threats

Storm surge and flooding are major threats to Florida as Hurricane Debby slams the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Monday.

Significant flooding has already impacted the Bradenton and Sarasota County area up to North Florida, he said.

More than 250,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 250,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Debby makes landfall in Florida

Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

More than 135,000 customers without power in Florida, tracker says

More than 135,000 customers were without power in Florida early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Debby approaches landfall with 80 mph winds

Hurricane Debby is “very near” landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said at 5 a.m. ET.

“Expected to bring life-threatening storm surge in portions of Florida and major flooding in the southeastern United States,” the center said in an update.

The Category 1 storm had maximum sustained winds of an about 80 mph as it approached Big Bend, a northern area near the Panhandle, the center said.

Debby strengthens, with maximum sustained winds up to 80 mph

Hurricane Debby continued to strengthen, with maximum sustained winds rising to 80 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

More than 10 inches of rain fell on the west coast of Florida, around the Tampa Bay area, where water rescues have been on going near Clearwater. Significant flooding also has been reported in Fort Myers area.

Storm surge has been rising quickly now along the Big Bend area in Florida, from Cedar Key to Keaton Beach, where up to 10 feet of Gulf water could inundate the coastline. The storm is forecast to make landfall in that area on Monday morning.

Coast Guard rescues two adrift in sailboat off Florida coast

Two people were rescued Sunday from a boat that was adrift in about 20-foot seas off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The boaters were airlifted from their 34-foot sailboat after the vessel lost its sail about 73 miles off shore, the guard said.

The sailboat had been on course for Tarpon Springs from Key West, officials said. A friend of the boaters contacted the Coast Guard at about 5 p.m. Saturday, telling officials they had missed their check-in.

“We received an updated satellite position from the boaters’ friend, which led to them being successfully located,” Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement.

The boaters were rescued by a crew on an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, the Coast Guard said. They had been adrift in seas that were between 15 and 20 feet, with wind speeds at about 50 knots. Visibility was low.

The names of the people on the boat were not released.

Debby strengthens into a hurricane

The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Tropical Storm Debby to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph.

The forecast is still on track for more strengthening overnight as Debby feeds off the warm water in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures running 3 to 5 degrees above average are providing plenty of fuel for this storm to intensify before landfall, which will happen around 7 a.m. ET along the Big Bend region of Florida.

Tropical Storm Debby nearing hurricane strength at 70 mph

While still a tropical storm, Debby is nearing hurricane strength, producing maximum sustained wind speeds up to 70 mph.

Debby will continue to intensify rapidly overnight as it travels northward over the Gulf’s warm waters. It is forecast to become a hurricane tonight. It is expected to strengthen to at least a strong Category 1 hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region Monday morning (around 7 a.m. ET), producing sustained wind speeds near 85 mph and wind gusts reaching over 100 mph possible.

Located about 90 miles southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, the storm continues to impact the Florida Gulf Coast with heavy rainfall, storm surge, powerful winds and even spin-up tornadoes.

A reported wind gust of 56 mph was reported in St. Petersburg, with two tornadoes reported in central Florida.

A 60-mph wind gust was also reported near Sarasota, Florida.

Numerous reports of flooding from heavy rainfall and surges have also been submitted up Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The Tornado Watch covering much of northern and central Florida and southern Georgia has been extended until 6 a.m. ET on Monday.

Once Debby moves over land, it will weaken. However, the lack of a steering current will cause the storm to slow down considerably. While its exact track remains questionable, model guidance suggests the storm will drift over the Atlantic or Southeast coastline late Monday night into Tuesday before meandering back over Georgia and the Carolinas. Interaction with the Atlantic could reenergize Debby, but that will greatly depend on the storm’s path.

Even though Debby’s track and timing remain uncertain later this week, there is high confidence that it will bring historic rainfall and significant flooding across portions of the Southeast.

Rainfall ranging between 6 to 12 inches is possible from Florida’s Big Bend region through southeastern Georgia and into the Carolinas. Parts of coastal Georgia and South Carolina will be in the bullseye for the heaviest rainfall. There, widespread totals between 10 to 20 inches are possible, with some places even seeing up to 30 inches locally. Because of this, significant urban and river flooding is anticipated.

Rainfall aside, hurricane and tropical storm force winds will continue to whip across Florida and will likely intensify Sunday night into Monday as the storm moves closer to the coast — with areas just south and east of the storm’s eyewall seeing the strongest gusts early Monday morning.

Storm surge will also worsen along Florida’s northern and central Gulf coast tonight into Monday morning, with the highest surge expected between Suwannee River and Ochlockonee River (6 to 10 feet).

All tropical alerts remain unchanged from the last update.

Tropical Storm Debby on track to become a hurricane overnight

As of 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Tropical Storm Debby still has winds of 65 mph and is forecast to undergo rapid intensification into a hurricane overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Debby is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday morning around 7 a.m.

Rain is expected to be the most impactful element from this storm, affecting a wide area over an extended period of time.

“Across portions of southeast Georgia and South Carolina, 10 to 20 inches of rainfall, with local amounts to 30 inches, are expected through Friday morning,” the National Hurricane Center said. “This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding.”

Evacuations ordered in Alachua County, Florida, as Debby set to make landfall

An evacuation order was issued Sunday for residents of Alachua County, Florida, residing in mobile homes, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles ahead of the arrival of Debby, which is forecast to be a hurricane when it makes landfall on Monday.

People living in areas close to rivers and lakes, and low-lying areas that tend to flood in Alachua County are also encouraged to evacuate, according to a statement issued by county officials.

Gainesville is the largest city in Alachua County.

“We encourage residents affected to find alternative housing with friends, family or short-term rentals,” according to the county’s statement.

Alachua County is opening three shelters for residents in need.

Tornado watch issued as Debby runs parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast

A tornado watch was issued Sunday afternoon by the National Weather Service as Tropical Storm Debbie moved northward in the Gulf of Mexico parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said Debby was still a tropical storm with winds of 65 mph and forecasted to bring severe weather, including heavy rain, to coastal communities Sunday afternoon.

A tornado watch is in effect for much of Florida through Sunday evening.

Debby is expected to become a hurricane Sunday evening and will likely make landfall sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Monday in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Panhandle.

Once Debby makes landfall, the storm is expected to slow down and essentially stall over the Southeast, dropping potentially historic amounts of rainfall as it moves into Georgia and South Carolina.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from the Ochlockonee River southwest of Tallahassee to the Suwannee River northwest of Gainesville.

More than 1,600 flights canceled due to Debby and Northeast thunderstorms

Tropical Storm Debby and thunderstorms in the Northeast were causing airlines to cancel or delay flights on Sunday.

American Airlines said it canceled 601 flights, or about 16% of its flights, on Sunday, the most of any airline.

Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall around the Big Bend area of the Florida Panhandle on Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.

Also causing delays and cancellations were severe thunderstorms moving up the East Coast. Parts of the mid-Atlantic states are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. ET Sunday, including the cities of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.

The most flights canceled on Sunday were at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where 214 flights were canceled and another 172 were delayed, according to FlightAware.

In New York City, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy international airports reported a combined 363 flights canceled and 258 delayed on Sunday.

Miami International Airport reported 209 canceled flights and 151 delayed fights. Airports in Orlando, Tampa, Philadelphia, Newark, Washington, D.C., and Dallas-Fort Worth all reported more than 100 flight cancellations on Sunday.

Ten million people under tropical storm alert on Florida’s Gulf Coast

About 10 million people along Florida’s west coast and up through Georgia and South and North Carolina were under a tropical storm alert Sunday as Debby took aim at the area and is forecast to make landfall in the Panhandle region on Monday.

Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa, is expected to make landfall sometime between 7 and 8 a.m. in Big Bend on the Florida Panhandle as a Category 1 hurricane, state emergency officials said.

Debby is expected to create a storm surge of 4 to 7 feet in Cedar Key and Crystal River on the Florida west coast and a 2- to 5-foot storm surge farther south in Tampa and Sarasota.

The storm is forecast to move into the cities of Tallahassee and Jacksonville, bringing up to 20 inches of rain to some parts, before causing potential flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

National Guard put on alert for search and rescue: DeSantis

Members of the Florida National Guard have been advised to be prepared to conduct search-and-rescue missions once Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall on Monday, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Widespread flooding is expected for the Florida Panhandle region, particularly in the Big Bend area where Debby is expected to make landfall Monday morning as a category 1 hurricane, DeSantis said during a news conference Sunday morning.

DeSantis said the Florida National Guard and the state’s Emergency Response Team are prepared to conduct search-and-rescue and provide humanitarian assistance.

“The Florida National Guard is standing by with 3,000 service members ready to assist the state Emergency Response Team, which includes search-and-rescue, route clearance, commodity distribution and protection of critical infrastructure,” DeSantis said.

The governor said at least 12 swift boat crews and flat-bottom jon boat crews are also standing by to help with rescues.

He said that more than 30,000 bottles of water, more than 160,000 meals and nearly 14,000 tarps have been pre-staged in parts of Florida that are expected to be hit hard by the storm.

DeSantis said Florida utility companies have notified up to 17,000 linemen to be ready to spring into action once it is safe to repair any damage.

Flooding forecast as Debby expected to bring up to 20 inches of rain

Florida residents in the Big Bend region of the Panhandle were warned Sunday that Debby is going to bring “catastrophic rain to the area” that will cause flooding and power outages.

Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said during a news conference on Sunday that once the Debby makes landfall as a possible Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, winds will subside quickly, but the slow-moving storm will produce an abundance of rain.

“We’re going to be in a catastrophic rain situation where we have situations in Florida that will receive 15, maybe as high as 20 inches of rain,” Guthrie said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told residents who are in the path of the storm to expect widespread power outages.

“It’s possible that you could have serious intensification between now and landfall. It could get up to 85, 90 and 95 mph sustained winds. That is absolutely possible, particularly in parts of the state like here in Tallahassee. There’s going to be a lot of trees that are going to fall down and you’re going to have debris. You are going to have power interruptions,” the governor said.

Gov. DeSantis advises residents to make final preparations for Debby

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis advised residents of the state’s Panhandle region on Sunday that they should be finalizing preparations for when Tropical Storm Debby makes its anticipated landfall Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.

“Now this is a storm that is potentially dangerous. Residents should be finalizing all of their preparations now,” DeSantis said during a news conference at the state’s Emergency Operation Center in Tallahassee.

DeSantis said Tropical Storm Debby was in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa as of Sunday morning with sustained winds of about 50 mph.

“But those are expected to increase,” DeSantis said. “Tropical Storm Debby is likely to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida.”

He said the storm was on a similar track taken by Hurricane Idalia in 2023. Idalia made landfall in Big Bend on Aug. 30, 2023, as a Category 3 hurricane and caused a devastating storm surge of 7 to 12 feet across the coastal Big Bend region in Levy, Dixie and Taylor counties.

“This storm is a similar track,” DeSantis said. “It may be a tick to the west of that. It very well may have greater impacts here in the Tallahassee region than Hurricane Idalia did. Once it crosses landfall and enters the Florida Panhandle/Big Bend Region, wherever it does, it’s going to move very slowly across northern Florida and southeast Georgia.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Kamala Harris earns majority of Democratic roll call votes, achieving historic presidential nomination

Kamala Harris earns majority of Democratic roll call votes, achieving historic presidential nomination
Kamala Harris earns majority of Democratic roll call votes, achieving historic presidential nomination
U.S. Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 30, 2024. (ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris has officially gotten the vast majority of delegate votes in the virtual roll call that nominates her as the Democratic presidential nominee, the Democratic National Committee said in a statement released late Monday.

The roll call, which concluded on Monday evening, still needs to be certified by Convention Secretary Jason Rae, according to the statement, but the announcement makes Harris’s historic nomination effectively official.

“With the support of 99% of all participating delegates in the virtual roll call, Vice President Harris has historic momentum at her back as we embark on the final steps in officially certifying her as our Party’s nominee. We thank the thousands of delegates from all across the country who took seriously their responsibility throughout this process to make their voices – and the voices of their communities – heard,” party chair Jaime Harrison and Democratic National Convention Committee Chair Minyon Moore said in a statement.

Harris received 4,567 votes from delegates, according to the Democratic National Committee.

Harris is the first Black and South Asian woman to lead a major party ticket.

Harris had effectively been the party’s nominee since Friday, when Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison announced on a livestream call that Harris had earned enough Democratic Party delegate votes in a virtual roll call to secure the party’s nomination.

Harris was the only competitive candidate that launched a campaign to succeed President Joe Biden after his withdrawal from the race, and the only candidate that received enough delegate signatures to progress to the virtual roll call.

Convention delegates have been virtually voting by email or phone since 9 a.m. ET on Thursday in a virtual roll call set up by the Democratic National Committee. Delegates had until Monday at 6 p.m. ET to vote in the nomination process.

The DNC initially decided in May to hold a virtual roll call because of uncertainty over deadlines to get on the ballot in Ohio. The state legislature eventually rectified the issue, but the DNC has argued that Republican lawmakers in Ohio are acting in bad faith and that the Democratic candidate needs to be nominated earlier than the convention to avoid legal issues. Ohio leaders have denied this allegation.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Election 2024 updates: Harris campaign grows Pennsylvania volunteers

Election 2024 updates: Harris campaign grows Pennsylvania volunteers
Election 2024 updates: Harris campaign grows Pennsylvania volunteers
Democratic Presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during the Sigma Gamma Rho’s 60th International Biennial Boule at the George R. Brown Convention Center on July 31, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris secured enough Democratic Party delegate votes to become the party’s nominee, according to the Democratic National Committee. She is set to name her running mate soon, with the two scheduled to embark Tuesday on a seven-state trip of some of the biggest battleground state in the election, according to her campaign.

President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance, are set to speak to voters through scheduled rallies and events throughout the week, too. Vance will also be visiting the same battleground states as Harris and her newly minted vice presidential pick.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Harris grows Pennsylvania volunteers

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is touting its robust ground game in Pennsylvania, saying it’s taking “nothing for granted” in the state, ahead of her running mate reveal, which is expected on Tuesday.

About 33,000 people signed up to volunteer for the campaign in Pennsylvania in the last 15 days, according to a campaign memo. The campaign boasts nearly 300 staffers across three dozen offices in the state, the memo said.

The campaign also said it was “doing the work to make inroads in historically-safe Republican areas.”

The campaign sought to contrast Harris’ record with former President Donald Trump’s, citing the vice president’s time as a prosecutor and saying she “is committed to keeping our communities safe and locking up dangerous crooks, criminals, and predators.”

“With only three months until Election Day, Trump’s campaign still lags far behind in the infrastructure needed to win with just three offices in Pennsylvania,” the Harris campaign memo said. “He’s shown he doesn’t want these voters.”

Kamala Harris earns majority of Democratic roll call votes

Vice President Kamala Harris has officially gotten the vast majority of delegate votes in the virtual roll call that nominates her as the Democratic presidential nominee, the Democratic National Committee said in a statement released late Monday.

The roll call, which concluded on Monday evening, still needs to be certified by Convention Secretary Jason Rae, according to the statement, but the announcement makes Harris’s historic nomination effectively official.

Sens. Sanders, Warren join Progressives for Harris Call: ‘We have to beat Trump in November’

On a three-hour organizing call with over 100,000 attendees, numerous high-profile progressive democrats came out to support Vice President Kamala’s Harris’ presidential bid.

Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Joaquin Castro, Ro Khanna, Ilhan Omar and Jamie Raskin and UAW President Shawn Fain all showed up as well as members of the uncommitted movement who had not yet endorsed Harris but strongly hope she’ll win them over in the next few months.

“The energy and the momentum in this election is on our side. And I am so inspired by the organizing in support of Vice President Harris, starting with the win with black women that mobilized a massive zoom call. And now here tonight, we have progressives coming together,” Warren said on the call.

Sanders, who has not officially said he endorses Harris — although he has encouraged voters to go out and support the candidate — told attendees that “Trump must be defeated” and Harris “must be elected.” He noted that it’s “imperative that Democrats gain control over the House and the Senate.”

“And we in the progressive movement must do all that we can to make that happen,” he added.

“I don’t know if I can add to what has already been said tonight, but my message is pretty clear, and that is all of us together must do everything that we can to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris as our next president,” said Sanders.

Harris campaign selling yard signs without revealing running mate’s name

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is promoting pre-orders for a campaign yard sign with a mockup image featuring her last name and tape and question marks over where her yet-to-be-announced running mate’s last name would be.

“Be one of the first to proudly display your support for Kamala Harris and her running mate,” the campaign said on its website.

JD Vance to also give remarks in same states as Harris this week

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is scheduled to give remarks in the same states on the same days as Vice President Kamala Harris this week, the Trump-Vance campaign announced, as Harris embarks on a battleground state tour.

Vance is scheduled to speak at noon ET in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The event comes as Harris is set to hold a rally with her yet-to-be-announced running mate Tuesday night in the city.

On Wednesday, he is scheduled to deliver remarks in the Detroit suburb of Shelby Township, Michigan, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as Harris also campaigns in those states then.

Then on Thursday, he is set to speak in Raleigh and Oakboro in North Carolina, aligning with Harris’ scheduled visit to the state.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Bon Iver to campaign with Harris in Wisconsin

Bon Iver will join Harris and her running mate on Wednesday in Eau Claire, Wisconsin — where the Grammy-winning indie folk band was founded — for a “special performance” as part of the campaign’s battleground state tour, the Harris campaign announced on Monday.

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, Will McDuffie and Isabella Murray

Harris still deliberating on VP pick: Source

At this moment, Vice President Harris has not decided on a running mate and is still deliberating, according to a source.

More than 10K people expected at Harris’ Philly rally: Source

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend Harris’ rally Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where she’ll be joined by her new running mate, according to a source familiar with the plans.

That would make this the biggest event yet for the Harris campaign.

Harris is looking to build off her momentum. Pennsylvania kicks off her swing through seven battleground states in five days.

The pace of her campaign is in stark contrast to Trump’s, which has only one rally scheduled this week — in Montana on Friday.

Usha Vance says husband’s ‘childless cat ladies’ comment was a ‘quip’

In her first interview since her husband was named former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Usha Vance sat down with Fox & Friends where she discussed her husband’s “childless cat ladies” comment that has gained attention recently — calling it a “quip.”

“The reality is, JD made a quote – I mean, he made a quip, and he made a quip in service of making a point that he wanted to make that was substantive,” Usha Vance said of the comments her husband made in 2021. “And I just wish sometimes that people would talk about those things and that we would spend a lot less time just sort of going through this three-word phrase or that three-word phrase.”

She continued, “What he was really saying is that it can be really hard to be a parent in this country, and sometimes our policies are designed in a way that make it even harder.”

She added that her husband “would never ever ever want to say something to hurt someone who was trying to have a family who really was struggling with that.”

JD Vance has called the comments “sarcastic.”

“Let’s try to look at the real conversation that he’s trying to have and engage with it and understand for those of us who do have families, for the many of us who want to have families, and for whom it’s really hard,” Usha Vance said on Monday. “What can we do to make it better? What can we do to make it easier to live in 2024?”

-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim

Pelosi says she spoke with Biden ahead of his withdrawal ‘asking for a campaign that would win’

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in an interview with Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopolous on Monday morning, said that she spoke with President Joe Biden ahead of his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race “asking for a campaign that would win.” She also said Biden was “the only person that I spoke to” about Biden possibly withdrawing.

“The only person that I spoke to about this was the president. Other people called me about what their views were about it, and — but I rarely even returned a call, much less initiated one,” Pelosi said.

Later, she added, “I wasn’t asking him to step down. I was asking for a campaign that would win, and I wasn’t seeing that on the horizon.”

-ABC News’ Oren Openheim

Harris VP pick ‘most important’ decision, Pelosi says

Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice for her running mate is a the “most important” decision she has to make as her campaign gets started, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

All of her choices appear to be good, Pelosi added.

“It’s a difficult decision because they are all so great,” she told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America on Monday. “It is the most important decision for her to make. Not just about who can help win, but who can help serve and lead and whose confidence she trusts.”

Harris and to-be-announced running mate to launch seven-state tour Tuesday

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, who is yet to be named, will go on tour, hitting seven battleground states in five days, the Harris campaign said Monday.

The tour will be an effort to “introduce the new Democratic ticket” and “speak directly with voters in their communities and cement the contrast between our ticket and Trump’s,” campaign said.

The tour, which kicks off Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will feature rallies in cities and stops at college campuses, including HBCUs, union halls, family-owned restaurants and their field offices, the campaign said.

The tour will continue through Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada, the campaign said.

Harris interviewing top VP contenders today at her residence: Source

Vice President Harris is meeting with top running mate candidates Sunday at her residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., according to a source familiar with the matter.

Harris is meeting with at least three leading contenders — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, according to the source.

The meetings were earlier reported by The New York Times.

Sen. JD Vance says he wears VP pick criticism as a ‘badge of honor’

In a Fox News interview Sunday, Sen. JD Vance responded to criticism of him being picked as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, saying he takes it as a “badge of honor.”

“All I can do is go out there and prosecute the case against Kamala Harris to remind people that things were more prosperous and more peaceful when Donald Trump was president,” Vance said. “Look, I recognize there are a lot of folks even in the GOP establishment and certainly on the far left who don’t like the fact that Donald Trump picked me, I actually take their criticism as a badge of honor.”

Vance also hit back at Democrats who’ve called him “weird,” calling it “a lot of projection.”

“They can call me whatever they want to. The middle school taunts don’t bother me,” he said. “What offends me is what Kamala Harris has done to this country over three and a half years.”

Harris campaign launches ‘Republicans for Harris’ outreach program

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign announced Sunday that it would be launching a “Republicans for Harris” program aimed at reaching Republican voters who could be convinced to vote for Harris. The program will include digital advertising, phone banking, events and other initiatives, according to the campaign.

The program — and Harris herself — have been endorsed by a number of Republican figures, including former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.

“I might not agree with Vice President Kamala Harris on everything, but I know that she will fight for our freedom, protect our democracy, and represent America with honor and dignity on the world stage,” Grisham wrote in a statement released by the Harris campaign.

The “Republicans for Harris” program will hold kickoff events starting this week, per the campaign.

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Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis agrees to cooperate in Arizona ‘fake elector’ case

Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis agrees to cooperate in Arizona ‘fake elector’ case
Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis agrees to cooperate in Arizona ‘fake elector’ case
John Bazemore-Pool/Getty Images

(PHOENIX) — Donald Trump’s former attorney Jenna Ellis has reached a cooperation agreement with officials in Arizona as part of the state’s “fake elector” case, the Arizona attorney general’s office announced Monday.

The state is dropping the charges against Ellis in exchange for her cooperation, officials said.

Ellis was facing nine felonies as part of the case.

She pleaded not guilty in Maricopa County court in June for her alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Arizona.

Ellis is one of several former and current key aides to former President Trump who were charged in the case, including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and former Trump attorney John Eastman. All pleaded not guilty.

Trump was not charged in the case.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Google violated antitrust laws to maintain dominance over online search, judge says

Google violated antitrust laws to maintain dominance over online search, judge says
Google violated antitrust laws to maintain dominance over online search, judge says
Jason Marz/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Google violated U.S. antitrust laws in maintaining a monopoly over the online search business, a federal judge ruled Monday, in a landmark ruling for the Justice Department in its efforts to rein in big tech giants.

D.C. District judge Amit Mehta declared Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, finding the company illegally secured its dominance in the search market by paying billions of dollars to smartphone carriers like Apple to make Google the automatic search engine for their phones — effectively locking any rival businesses from being able to compete.

“Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta wrote in his ruling.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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