(NEW YORK) — Sen. Mark Kelly is projected to win reelection, ABC News reports, securing a full six-year term to the Senate after pitching himself as an independent-minded candidate with bipartisan success. Kelly cast his opponent, Republican Blake Masters who was backed by former President Donald Trump, as too extreme for Arizona.
With Kelly’s win, Democrats are closer to maintaining their slim majority in the Senate, and Arizona keeps its purple hue.
“Thank you to the people of Arizona for re-electing me to the United States Senate,” Kelly said in a release Friday, after a large drop of votes from Maricopa County in his favor. “From day one, this campaign has been about the many Arizonans – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – who believe in working together to tackle the significant challenges we face. That’s exactly what I’ve done in my first two years in office and what I will continue to do for as long as I’m there.”
“It’s been one of the great honors of my life to serve as Arizona’s Senator,” he said. “I’m humbled by the trust our state has placed in me to continue this work.”
Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and Navy combat pilot, who is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords, ran a well-funded campaign with nearly $80 million fundraised to Masters’ $12 million. In a tranche of TV ads, the junior senator told Arizonans he’s focused on job creation, protecting abortion rights, and securing the southern border, supporting barriers on the southern border “when appropriate.” He said he stands up to President Joe Biden and Democrats “when they’re wrong.”
“I stand up for Arizona,” Kelly told ABC News on the stump. “When they’re making what I think is a poor decision, I tell them, and in some cases, I drop legislation to prevent them from doing the thing that is the mistake.”
He ran on legislative victories in the Senate, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS Act, and explained measures in the Inflation Reduction Act that would help Arizonans such as drought relief measures and capped prescription drugs costs for seniors.
Masters, a 36-year-old venture capitalist from Tucson backed by Trump and tech billionaire Peter Thiel, went after Kelly on loyalty to Biden, record-high border crossings, fentanyl deaths and inflation. With Trump’s endorsement in June, he had beat out five other Republican candidates in the August primary, but after swinging far-right to stand out in the bunch, Masters faced criticism for an apparent pivot, including changing his website to soften stances on key issues.
Kelly often used Masters’ words from the primary trail against him, arguing he would support a federal abortion ban, privatizing social security, and spread baseless doubts about American elections since he has alleged, without evidence, that the 2020 presidential race was corrupt.
“I think Trump won in 2020,” Masters said in a campaign ad last year. He changed that stance publicly during the Arizona Senate debate to say he hadn’t seen widespread voter fraud but believes “Trump would be in the White House today if big tech and big media and the FBI didn’t work together to put the thumb on the scale to get Joe Biden in there.”
Kelly warned, on the same debate stage, that the “wheels” could “come off our democracy” if candidates like Masters, who continue questioning the integrity of American elections, rose to power.
Kelly also argued that Masters would be beholden to Trump, who Arizonans notably rejected in 2020, though by his slimmest of losing margins. In the final days of Kelly’s campaign, he added into his stump speech a mention of a phone call Trump made to Masters after their Senate debate, when Trump told him he should’ve gone harder on the “rigged” election conspiracy theory. The scene aired in Tucker Carlson’s documentary’s “The Candidate: Blake Masters.”
Masters told supporters Thursday that he would “come back and win,” but seemed disappointed with vote drops as early as Election Night, seeing as he didn’t take the stage before supporters once.
Arizonans, ultimately, stuck with the incumbent.
“No matter how the rest of the results shake out, our government will remain closely divided with a lot more to do. That can feel daunting. But that’s democracy,” Kelly said Tuesday at a watch party in Tucson. “The way to solve these problems isn’t by pointing fingers and dividing people. It’s by listening and finding common ground.”
Kelly was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 2020, flipping the late Republican Sen. John McCain’s seat, and giving Democrats control of both of Arizona’s Senate seats for the first time in nearly 70 years.
“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about the fact that I am sitting in the former Senator John McCain’s Senate seat,” Kelly said Monday at a campaign event with Republicans. “Senator McCain’s legacy is one that we should all strive to live up to — because Arizona deserves nothing less than a leader committed to always putting country first.”
It’s a message of unity that clearly resonated with Arizona’s electorate, who also pride themselves on being willing to split a ticket. And it’s another blow to Trump’s ticket.
An outstanding race in Nevada and runoff in Georgia will now determine the balance of power in the Senate.
(NEW YORK) — A Michigan pediatric hospital is reporting it is completely full due to a surge of cases linked to respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor — which is about 44 miles west of Detroit — said it has seen 259 children sick with RSV this season, a 46% spike from the same number seen this time last year.
Hospital officials said they are worried that this surge — coupled with an earlier flu season and a potential new COVID-19 wave — could put more stress on the health care system.
“We have been 100% full, I think we’re going on our sixth week, and RSV seems to have emerged earlier this year and in higher numbers this year,” Luanne Thomas Ewald, chief operating officer at Mott Children’s Hospital, told ABC News. “And the fact that we’re already full is concerning to us because we’re just starting to see flu in our emergency room.”
She continued, “Some reports have told us that we will also see an increase in COVID in kids during this flu season. So we haven’t really even seen the full impacts of the flu and COVID — and we’re already at capacity.”
The situation in Michigan is just the latest example of some hospitals across the country reporting they have reached capacity due to a high number of RSV cases.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, weekly RSV cases nationwide have risen from 5,872 the week ending Oct. 1 to 8,597 the week ending Nov. 5.
In Michigan, the 5-week average of positive RSV tests has increased from 95.7 the week ending Oct. 1 to 257 the week ending Oct. 29, the latest date for which CDC data is available.
Because of this, officials say wait times in the emergency department at Mott Children’s Hospital are much longer than usual.
To ease the burden on emergency room staff, Ewald said she and other hospital officials are asking parents to call their children’s primary care physician first to determine whether they need such treatment.
“Most pediatricians can diagnose RSV and can treat RSV, and most kids recover really, really well with rest and hydration,” Ewald said. “We’re really trying to tell the community throughout the state of Michigan, please partner with your pediatrician. Let’s use our urgent cares as well and only come to the emergency room when absolutely necessary.”
Although it’s rare, between 100 and 500 pediatric deaths occur from RSV every year, according to the CDC. Deaths among children from RSV have already been reported in states including Michigan and Virginia.
Ewald said the hospital is working to increase capacity by treating children in rooms traditionally used to draw blood and in stretchers lined up in the hallway, and they’re doubling up stretchers in private rooms. The hospital is also looking at transferring patients to local medical centers.
“We are working very closely with our community hospitals. Some of our community hospitals do have some pediatric beds available,” Ewald said. “So we’re really trying to take a statewide approach to make sure we’re taking care of these kids in our state.”
She also encouraged parents to make sure their children are up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines, practice good hand hygiene and to consider masking indoors.
(NEW YORK) — The Jewish community has been reeling from recent anti-Semitic comments made by Ye, formerly known as Kayne West, that have brought the rapper and designer into a storm of controversy.
Ye has been outspoken and controversial for decades. Yet his recent actions, including a string of anti-Semitic remarks and a stunt in which he showed up to a fashion show wearing a shirt that read “White Lives Matter,” have led to even his most devoted fans and collaborators, including designers Balenciaga and Adidas, taking a step back.
The rapper has also been spreading misinformation about the murder of George Floyd, leading the family to consider filing a lawsuit against the artist earlier this fall.
“Since this has happened, it’s been very, very tough for me,” Israel-based rapper Nissim Black told ABC News correspondent Ashan Singh.
The rapper, who is an orthodox Jewish Black man, spoke with Singh on the latest episode of “IMPACT x Nightline” about Ye’s downfall.
“It’s been very tough for me because he was one of my favorites, all-time,” said Black. “I felt very let-down.”
A number of activists within the Jewish community spoke in a roundtable discussion about the intersections of Jewish identity, Black identity and the impact of Ye’s inflammatory comments.
“I would say that I was a fan of Kanye West and I grew up on his music,” said Israeli-rights activist Rudy Rochman.
“I’m not wearing his shoes anymore and I’m not listening to his music,” said Rochman. “That is my personal choice. I think there’s a certain level where you have to decide how much respect you have for yourself.”
“I think it’s really important for us to call out hurtful, anti-Semitic rhetoric and then look at the individual as well,” said Yolanda Savage-Narva, assistant vice president of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Union for Reform Judaism.
“We have to understand how these things manifest themselves,” she said, “and how as activists at this table, we do what we need to do to root them out and to move our communities, our collective communities, in the right direction.”
Kosha Dillz, a Jewish rapper known for his appearances on MTV’s Wild ‘n Out, released a diss track last month in response to Ye’s comments called “Death Con 3.”
“It was a big bummer,” Dillz told ABC News about the remarks. “Cause– I play Kanye. You know?” And now, he said, “he’s gone.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. are at an all-time high, up 34% from 2020 to 2021 with more than 2,700 incidents happening last year.
“Did I ever hear him say racist things about people? Never,” Jason Lee, one of his former employees who quit this fall, told ABC News. Lee was the head of media and partnerships for Ye’s latest album.
But, Lee said, he noticed the rapper “didn’t have a regard for the impact of his words on social media because he was blinded with emotion from his divorce or for other things.”
Beth Kean, the CEO of the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles, pointed out that “Kanye has over 30 million social media followers. That is twice as many Jews living on this Earth.”
“How can you use your platform to fuel hatred like that?” she said.
The Holocaust Museum extended an invitation for Ye to visit and to “understand just how words can incite horrific violence and genocides,” they wrote in a public statement. Ye declined the invitation publicly on a podcast.
Participants in the roundtable recounted the ongoing impact of the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the deadliest antisemitic attack on U.S. soil.
“My brother and my niece and nephew live down the street from the Tree of Life Synagogue,” said arts and culture journalist Justin Joffe. “I remember in the aftermath of that shooting it felt very real to me.”
“To know at that age that a sector of the country hates you and doesn’t think you have a right to exist,” he said, referring to his young nieces, “is not something anybody in this country should have to grow up with.”
(NEW YORK) — Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday before weakening to a tropical depression later that night.
It was the second-latest hurricane landfall in a calendar year on record in the United States.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Latest headlines:
-Remnants of Nicole race up East Coast
-Nicole weakens to tropical depression
-Evacuations ordered of ‘unsafe’ buildings in Florida county
-Four dead in Orange County, Florida
Here’s how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Nov 11, 3:31 PM EST
Artemis rocket suffered minor damage
NASA’s new moon rocket Artemis suffered minor damage when Nicole’s powerful winds blew through Cape Canaveral, Florida, Wednesday night, according to Jim Free, associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA.
Free said the damage can be repaired easily.
NASA is targeting Nov. 16 at 1:04am ET for the launch. The uncrewed mission to the moon will last 25 days, with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
ABC News’ Gina Sunseri
Nov 11, 3:20 PM EST
Remnants of Nicole race up East Coast
The remnants of Nicole are racing up the East Coast, bringing rain to the central Appalachian Mountains, the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Flash flooding is possible from the central Appalachians into western Pennsylvania and New York state.
A tornado watch remains in effect for parts of eastern Virginia and North Carolina until 6 p.m.
The heavy rain will persist in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through the night. Winds will be gusty at times, especially along the coast.
The rain will mostly wrap up Friday night, lingering into early Saturday morning across New England.
ABC News’ Dan Peck
Nov 11, 6:45 AM EST
Nicole churns over Georgia with ‘heavy’ rain
Tropical Depression Nicole was churning over Georgia early Friday morning, wielding maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour with higher gusts, according to the National Weather Service.
The center of Nicole is forecast to move across central and northern Georgia on Friday morning and over the western Carolinas later in the day. Nicole is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later Friday, then dissipate overnight as it merges with a frontal system over the eastern United States.
In a public advisory early Friday, the National Weather Service said that Nicole will continue to bring “heavy” rainfall to portions of the southeastern U.S. There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Nov 10, 11:28 PM EST
Here’s where Nicole is headed next
Areas of heavy rain and gusty winds will continue to impact parts of the Southeast overnight as the system begins its move up the East Coast.
A tornado threat continues for portions of Georgia, South Carolina and now southern North Carolina as of Thursday night.
A tornado watch is in effect until at least 1 a.m., including in Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
(PHILADELPHIA) — Philadelphia police are investigating an armed home robbery involving Temple University students that occurred Friday morning at an off-campus apartment, school officials said.
Some of the victims recounted the harrowing experience to ABC Philadelphia station WPVI-TV, which they said started when one of the roommates responded to a knock at the door.
The roommate let the two young men in the apartment, believing they knew someone inside, the students told the station.
Several of the roommates were then woken up by an armed man, who took one of them to wake up the rest, the students said.
Eleven people were in the home at the time, including six female residents, three boyfriends and two female friends who had stayed over, WPVI-TV reported. They were all locked in the apartment’s basement for over an hour, the students said.
While in the basement, some of the victims were able to get their laptops and messaged anyone they could think of to call 911 and report that they were being held up, they told WPVI-TV.
The victims told WPVI-TV they believe the suspects were at the wrong address because the two men repeatedly asked, “Where are the drugs?”
The students were ultimately forced to hand over their cellphones, car keys and debit cards along with their PINs, they told WPVI-TV. Police said the pair also stole a 2015 Infinity minivan, according to WPVI-TV.
Police responded to the apartment building around 7 a.m. and are looking for the suspects. Investigators were canvassing the area for surveillance footage, according to WPVI-TV.
No injuries were reported, though the students were left shaken.
“You never think it’s going to happen to you, but when it does, it’s like a shock,” one student told WPVI-TV.
“I think the sad part is, we all talked in the room — we all realized that once they came in the room, everyone was kind of, ‘Oh, it’s our time now,'” another student told the station.
The university confirmed in a statement to ABC News that Temple students “were robbed at gunpoint at an off-campus property,” located outside of the patrol zone of the Temple University Police Department.
“The most important thing is that no one was reported hurt or injured during this incident,” the university said. “The safety of the Temple community remains the university’s top priority.”
The Philadelphia Police Department did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
(NEW YORK) — Twitter Blue, the newly revamped subscription service that allows users to access verification if they pay a monthly fee of $8, appeared to be unavailable on the company’s Apple iOS app for at least some users on Friday. A rise of fake accounts on the platform had coincided with the rollout of Twitter Blue two days earlier.
The flood of fake accounts impersonating public figures and brands on Twitter after the the launch of paid verification badges prompted the company to reinstate a second layer of “official” tags on Thursday, the company said in a statement.
Impostor accounts posed as a slew of well-known people and companies, including basketball star LeBron James, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, gaming company Nintendo of America and even Tesla, the electric vehicle maker run by Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk.
On Wednesday, the company said it had opted against a second layer of verification for some prominent accounts that would add an “official” tag as a means of distinguishing them from impostors. A day later, the company said that it had reversed course and would add the “official” label to some accounts.
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat, said Friday that his account was among the well-known users that had been impersonated.
“Safeguards like blue checks let users be smart, critical consumers of news and information in Twitter’s global town square,” Markey said. “Truth can’t be put on sale for $8.”
Previously, the company verified celebrities, politicians, journalists and prominent figures on a case-by-case basis in an effort to prevent impersonation.
Musk, who acquired Twitter late last month, has already made dramatic changes: firing top executives, laying off half of the company’s staff and forming a content moderation council that will review account reinstatements. The rise of fake accounts after the launch of the new subscription service marks a significant shift in the core product and user experience.
The company has vowed to permanently suspend accounts that take part in impersonation without clearly labeling it a parody account. But recent mass layoffs, which affected employees who work in content moderation, have raised concerns over Twitter’s capacity and willingness to police users.
In protest of the impersonation risks posed by the new subscription service, high-profile users like comedian Kathy Griffin over the weekend changed their usernames to “Elon Musk.” Griffin was suspended from Twitter and remained off the platform as of Tuesday afternoon.
Musk later said Griffin could regain access to her account by joining the revamped subscription service, but it was unclear if the offer was sincere.
The rollout of the new subscription offering was planned for Sunday but the company opted to delay the release until Wednesday, the day after the midterm elections, after some users and advocates raised fears over its implications for election integrity.
Amid changes on the platform, several advertisers have paused their presence on Twitter since Musk took ownership, including Pfizer, General Motors and United Airlines.
Musk, who said he overpaid for the platform at the purchasing price of $44 billion, faces pressure to boost the company’s revenue. Last week, he said that the company is losing $4 million each day.
(NEW YORK) — More than six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 11, 10:54 AM EST
Russians leave Kherson Oblast, not just the city
Russian forces have retreated not just from the city of Kherson, but the rest of Kherson province that surrounds the city and lies north of the Dnipro River.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that its 30,000 troops have now crossed to the other bank of the river, a figure that is in line with how many forces U.S. officials had estimated were in Kherson.
Russians claimed they are continuing to shell areas around Kherson that they’ve just left, which could be a concern for Ukrainian troops who will be in the range of Russian artillery fire while in the city.
Russia also claimed that fire damage is being inflicted on the accumulations of manpower and military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces on the right bank of the Dnipro River.
Nov 11, 10:06 AM EST
Russia says withdrawal from Kherson complete
Russian forces have completed their retreat from the Ukrainian city of Kherson, the Russian Ministry of Defense said, saying the last of its troops crossed over to the other side of the Dneipr river.
In a statement carried by Russia’s state news agencies, the ministry said the withdrawal was completed at 5 a.m. Moscow time on Friday.
Nov 10, 3:53 PM EST
Pentagon announces $400M in aid to Ukraine
The Pentagon announced a new $400 million defense package for Ukraine on Thursday.
The new aid will include four short-range Avenger air defense systems, which is a first for the packages approved for the war in Ukraine. It will also include more missiles for HAWK air defense systems, more anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, HIMARS ammunition, precision-guided artillery rounds and Humvees.
The Ukrainians will need some training on the Avengers, according to Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh, who did not give an estimate on when the systems might arrive and be ready to use.
With this latest drawdown, the U.S. has now committed more than $18.6 billion for the war since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Nov 10, 11:51 AM EST
US estimates 100,000 Russians killed or wounded in Ukraine
A new U.S. assessment estimates 100,000 Russians have been killed or wounded in the war in Ukraine, according to Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The U.S. last gave an estimate in early August that the number of Russians killed and wounded was between 70,000 and 80,000.
“There has been a tremendous amount of suffering, human suffering, you’re looking at maybe 15, 20, 30 million refugees, probably 40,000 Ukrainian innocent people who are civilians have been killed as collateral damage,” said Milley.
He added, “You’re looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded, same thing probably on the Ukrainian side.”
He pointed out that Russia invaded Ukraine with a force of 170,000 troops.
Nov 09, 12:54 PM EST
Oligarch close to Putin says Russian troop retreat was necessary
Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, who runs the private military company Wagner, said Wednesday that Russia’s retreat from the key Ukrainian city of Kherson was painful but necessary.
Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s Chef” due to his restaurant and catering businesses, said Russian troops had to withdraw from Kherson because they were nearly surrounded by Ukrainian forces and cut off from supply lines.
“Neither I, nor Wagner abandoned Kherson,” Pigozhin said. “Without question, it is not a victorious step in this war, but it’s important not to agonize, nor to fall into paranoia, but to make conclusions and work on mistakes.”
He praised Russian Gen. Sergey Surovikin for making the decision to withdraw Russian troops and saving the lives of thousands of soldiers.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Nov 09, 11:01 AM EST
Russian troops retreat from key Ukrainian city
Russia’s defense minister and top commander in Ukraine announced Wednesday that Russian troops will pull back from the key city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said he accepted a proposal from Russian Gen. Sergey Surovikin to order Russian forces to retreat to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, in effect abandoning the city of Kherson.
Surovikin said it was a “very difficult decision” and justified it as necessary to save the lives of Russian soldiers and to preserve their capacity for future operations.
“Besides that, it frees up part of the forces and resources, which will be employed for active actions, including offensive, in other directions,” Surovikin said in the televised meeting with Shoigu.
Kherson is the only regional capital the Russians have occupied since 2014. The city and the surrounding area act as a gateway to Crimea Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Nov 09, 3:21 AM EST
White House denounces Griner transfer to penal colony
Brittney Griner, the WNBA star detained in Russia, has been transferred to a penal colony, a move decried by White House officials.
“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement early Wednesday. “As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony.”
Griner’s lawyers said in a statement that she was transferred on Nov. 4 from a detention center in Iksha. She’s now on her way to a penal colony in an undisclosed location.
“We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” the lawyers, Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a statement. “In accordance with the standard Russian procedure the attorneys, as well as the U.S. Embassy, should be notified upon her arrival at her destination.”
The White House said it had made a “significant offer” to Russian officials to “resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens.”
“In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
She added, “The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.”
Nov 08, 11:56 AM EST
Moscow says it’s ‘following’ the US midterm elections
Moscow is closely “following” the midterm elections in the United States and knows that some Republican candidates have proposed to cut the country’s military aid to Ukraine, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
“Naturally, we are following the developments in the United States,” Grushko said in an interview with Russian state-owned television network Zvezda on Tuesday. “We are aware that a number of prominent Republicans favor reducing the military assistance to Ukraine, because they proceed from the position that what Democrats are currently doing is irrational.”
If Republicans are triumphant, Grushko said, the U.S. Congress could ramp up pressure on European nations regarding their defense budgets.
“We remember that one of [former U.S. President Donald] Trump’s key slogans when he came to power was that the Europeans should pay for their defense themselves,” he added. “Largely thanks to his efforts, European countries took enhanced commitments to increase their defense budgets to 2%. And there have been talks that defense spending should now reach at least 3%. The United States will continue to pursue the policy it has been running since 1949.”
Nov 08, 11:46 AM EST
Zelenskyy broaches ‘genuine peace talks’ in speech
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the notion of holding “genuine peace talks” in his daily address to his nation on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy set out conditions for peace talks with the Russians, requiring the restoration of territorial integrity, compensation for all damages caused to his country, punishment of every war criminal and guarantees that another Russian invasion will not happen again.
“These are completely understandable conditions,” Zelenskyy said.
He said that earlier Tuesday he gave a virtual speech to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt, telling dozens of world leaders of the ongoing Russian aggression.
“Anyone who is serious about the climate agenda should also be serious about the need to immediately stop Russian aggression, restore our territorial integrity and force Russia into genuine peace negotiations,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that previous proposals from Ukraine for peace talks have prompted “insane Russian responses with new terrorist attacks, shelling or blackmail.”
Nov 08, 11:37 AM EST
US ambassador to UN meets with Zelenskyy
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and members of his leadership team in Kyiv on Tuesday “to discuss the unwavering U.S. commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” according to a statement from U.S. Mission to the U.N. spokesperson Nate Evans.
“She reiterated that the United States is steadfast in its support for Ukraine and is prepared to stand with Ukraine as long as it takes,” Evans said.
“Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and President Zelenskyy discussed international efforts to minimize the impact of Russia’s aggression on global food security, including through sustaining and expanding the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, and to ensure accountability for war crimes and atrocities perpetrated on the Ukrainian people,” he added. “She committed to continuing to work at the United Nations to strengthen international support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and to urge Member States to defend international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
Nov 08, 8:09 AM EST
Ukraine asks US for new capabilities in fighting Iranian drones
ABC News has obtained a letter sent by a top Ukrainian official to senior members of Congress, asking them to assist Ukraine’s calls for additional air defense systems to counter the attack drones built and supplied by Iran to bolster Russia’s war effort.
Russia has launched waves of deadly attacks in recent weeks, using Iranian-made drones that explode on impact to strike power plants, killing civilians and causing rolling blackouts, plunging millions of Ukrainian homes into darkness.
In the letter, the chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, calls on the U.S. to provide Ukraine with highly mobile air defense systems known as C-RAMs, saying they would help protect “important objects, especially crucial power plants.”
Nov 08, 6:37 AM EST
US ambassador to UN travels to Ukraine
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is traveling to Ukraine on Tuesday “to reiterate the United States’ unwavering support as Ukraine defends its freedom and territorial integrity amidst Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion,” according to a statement from the U.S. Mission to the U.N.
While in the country’s capital, Kyiv, Thomas-Greenfield “will meet with Ukrainian government leaders to discuss the ironclad American commitment to the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” and she “will observe efforts to document and preserve evidence of atrocities committed by Russian forces and will hear first-hand accounts of survivors,” according to the U.S. mission.
“Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield will also discuss the global food insecurity crisis exacerbated by Russia’s invasion and will underscore the critical need for an extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative into the coming year,” the U.S. mission said. “She will also meet with humanitarian organizations working to meet winterization needs for vulnerable people impacted by Russia’s attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure.”
Nov 06, 1:57 PM EST
Biden, German chancellor call Russian nuclear threats ‘irresponsible’
President Joe Biden spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday and both agreed Russia’s nuclear threats stemming the war in Ukraine are “irresponsible,” according to the White House.
Both leaders said they would continue to “provide Ukraine with the economic, humanitarian, and security support it needs to defend against Russia,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden and Scholz also spoke of the chancellor’s recent trip to the People’s Republic of China and, according to White House officials “affirmed their shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order, human rights, and fair trade practices.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Nov 03, 12:02 PM EDT
Western officials believe Russia is planning ‘orderly, well-planned and deliberate’ military withdrawal from Kherson
Western officials are “confident” Russia’s military is “setting the conditions” for withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson, the only regional capital that has been occupied by Russian forces since the February.
The Russian military is preparing to make a “strategic” withdrawal and move its forces east across the Dnipro river, officials said.
“It looks like an orderly, well-planned and deliberate military process is taking place,” a Western official told ABC News.
The officials would not put a timeframe on when the withdrawal would happen and added that it is not guaranteed to take place. They downplayed, however, any speculation that the Russians are using the withdrawal to mask a more “nefarious” action in that area.
The officials said their assessment was that the Russians believe Kherson “is not worth fighting for.”
The advance of Ukrainian forces in Kherson has slowed over the past three weeks.
In mid-October, the newly appointed commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Surovikin, said “difficult decisions” may be necessary in Kherson.
Senior Ukrainian officials have suggested more recently that Russian forces are preparing to fight for Kherson and a source on the ground told ABC News that the Russian military is still moving in and out of the city.
-ABC News’ Tom Burridge
Nov 02, 12:14 PM EDT
North Korea covertly shipping ammunition to Russia for war in Ukraine, US says
North Korea was secreting sending ammunition to Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine and is disguising the shipments as appearing to be destined to the Middle East or North Africa, the White House said Wednesday.
“Our information indicates that [North Korea] is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby said North Korea was sending “a significant number of artillery shells.” He did not specify an exact number but said it was more than “dozens.”
“But we don’t believe that they are in such a quantity that they would tangibly change the direction of this war or tangibly change the momentum either in the east or in the south” of Ukraine, he said.
Kirby added, “We’re gonna continue to monitor whether these shipments are received.”
In September, the U.S. had said Russia is looking to purchase millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, saying at the time that this indicated the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Nov 02, 12:01 PM EDT
Russia waives veiled threat on use of nuclear weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning to nations with nuclear capabilities, calling on them to abandon attempts to infringe on each other’s vital interests, warning that direct armed conflict and provocations with weapons of mass destruction can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Russia claimed it believes there can be no winners of nuclear war and said it refarrims its commitment to the prevention of nuclear warm.
“A reaction with the use of nuclear weapons is hypothetically allowed by Russia only in response to aggression using weapons of mass destruction or aggression using conventional weapons, when the existence of the state is threatened,” the ministry said in a statement.
The White House has said it will not confirm or deny New York Times reporting that senior Russian military officials had recently discussed when and how Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The intelligence about the conversations was reportedly circulated inside the U.S. government in mid-October.
But, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a part of these alleged conversations, according to the New York Times.
The White House on Wednesday said it still sees “no indications that Russia is making preparations” to use nuclear weapons.
-ABC News’ Natalia Shumskaia and Ben Gittleson
Nov 02, 12:14 PM EDT
North Korea covertly shipping ammunition to Russia for war in Ukraine, US says
North Korea was secretly sending ammunition to Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine and is disguising the shipments as appearing to be destined to the Middle East or North Africa, the White House said Wednesday.
“Our information indicates that [North Korea] is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby said North Korea was sending “a significant number of artillery shells.” He did not specify an exact number but said it was more than “dozens.”
“But we don’t believe that they are in such a quantity that they would tangibly change the direction of this war or tangibly change the momentum either in the east or in the south” of Ukraine, he said.
Kirby added, “We’re gonna continue to monitor whether these shipments are received.”
In September, the U.S. had said Russia is looking to purchase millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, saying at the time that this indicated the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine.
Nov 02, 12:01 PM EDT
Russia waives veiled threat on use of nuclear weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning to nations with nuclear capabilities, calling on them to abandon attempts to infringe on each other’s vital interests, warning that direct armed conflict and provocations with weapons of mass destruction can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Russia claimed it believes there can be no winners of nuclear war and said it reaffirms its commitment to the prevention of nuclear warm.
“A reaction with the use of nuclear weapons is hypothetically allowed by Russia only in response to aggression using weapons of mass destruction or aggression using conventional weapons, when the existence of the state is threatened,” the ministry said in a statement.
The White House has said it will not confirm or deny New York Times reporting that senior Russian military officials had recently discussed when and how Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The intelligence about the conversations was reportedly circulated inside the U.S. government in mid-October.
But, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a part of these alleged conversations, according to the New York Times.
The White House on Wednesday said it still sees “no indications that Russia is making preparations” to use nuclear weapons.
Nov 02, 8:40 AM EDT
Russia rejoins wartime deal on Ukrainian grain exports
Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday that Russia has agreed to resume its participation in a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations to keep grain and other commodities shipping out of Ukraine’s ports amid the ongoing war.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, that the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative would “continue in the same way as before” as of noon Wednesday, according to Erdogan.
The renewed agreement, first reached over the summer, will prioritize shipments to African countries, including drought-ravaged Somalia, after Russia expressed concerns that most of the grain was ending up in richer nations.
Moscow agreed to return to the deal after receiving written guarantees from Kyiv that Ukraine would not use the safe shipping corridors through the Black Sea for military actions against Russian forces, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Russia had suspended its role in the deal over the weekend, after accusing Ukrainian forces of carrying out a “massive” drone attack on its Black Sea fleet on Saturday.
Turkey and the U.N. brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to allow Ukraine to resume its shipment of grain from the Black Sea to world markets and for Russia to export grain and fertilizers.
Since Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, the cost of grain, fertilizer and fuel has skyrocketed worldwide. Russia and Ukraine — often referred to collectively as Europe’s breadbasket — produce a third of the global supply of wheat and barley, but a Russian blockade in the Black Sea combined with Ukrainian naval mines have made exporting siloed grain and other foodstuffs virtually impossible. As a result, millions of people around the world — particularly in Africa and the Middle East — are now on the brink of famine.
Nov 01, 3:01 PM EDT
Ukraine does not have effective defenses against Iranian ballistic missiles, air force official claims
Iranian ballistic missiles, which Russia plans to purchase from Iran, will probably be placed on the northern border of Ukraine, the spokesman of the Ukrainian Airborne Forces Yuri Ignat said Tuesday.
Ignat claimed the ballistic missiles’ range was 300 km for one and 700 km for another.
“We have no effective defense against these missiles. It is theoretically possible to shoot them down, but in fact it is very difficult to do it with the means we have at our disposal. We have air defense, not missile defense,” he said.
-ABC News’ Yulia Drozd
Nov 01, 3:01 PM EDT
Russia announces wider evacuation of occupied southern Ukraine
As Ukrainian forces advance to capture the city of Kherson, Russian forces are ordering civilians out of parts of the now-occupied city. Some 70,000 people along a 15 kilometer (10 mile) stretch of the left bank of the Dnipro River will be evacuated deeper into the Kherson region or to Russia, according to the Russian-installed leader of the occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo.
Russia had previously ordered civilians out of an area it controls on the west bank of the river.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Oct 31, 7:07 PM EDT
Russia’s withdrawal from grain deal ‘collective punishment’ for world: State Department
State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Monday lambasted Russia’s recent decision to withdraw from the U.N.-brokered deal that allowed for grain to be exported through the Black Sea — likely to be a chief focus of this week’s G-7 ministerial meeting and potentially the G-20 Leaders’ Summit next month.
“We deeply regret Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is having immediate, harmful impacts on global food security,” Price said during a press briefing. “Russia should return to full participation in the initiative, and we urge all parties to swiftly agree to sustain this crucial program through the months to come.”
“Any disruption to the initiative risks spiking food prices, lowering the confidence of insurers and commercial shippers who have returned to Black Sea routes, and further imposing hardships on low-income countries already reeling from dire humanitarian crises and global food insecurity,” he added.
Price said Russia’s reneging had already caused future contracts for foodstuff to rise, even though some ships appear to have been allowed to pass through the water routes with their cargo following Moscow’s announcement.
“We’ve seen Russia engage in what appears to be collective punishment for the people of Ukraine,” he said. “But Moscow’s suspension of the initiative would be tantamount to collective punishment for the rest of the world — but especially lower- and middle-income countries that so desperately needed this grain.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Oct 31, 3:32 PM EDT
Ukraine energy company warns about attacks on energy infrastructure
Following a series of coordinated strikes across Ukraine this Monday morning, Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK says it’s running out of equipment and spare parts needed for repairs of the damaged infrastructure facilities.
“Unfortunately, we have already used up the stock of equipment that we had in our warehouses after the first two waves of attacks that have been taking place since Oct. 10,” said DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk. “We were able to purchase some equipment. But unfortunately, the cost of the equipment is now measured in hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Most parts have been already used for repairs following previous Russian strikes, he added.
Oct 31, 4:54 AM EDT
Russia launches waves of missiles at energy targets
Russia on Monday morning again launched a series of coordinated strikes across Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure, including in the Kyiv region.
Ukraine’s military said it shot down 44 cruise missiles as the Russians launched “several waves of missile attacks on critical infrastructure facilities” across the country.
About five distant booms could be heard in central Kyiv at about 8 a.m. local time.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed that a power plant has been hit, meaning mid-morning around 350,000 homes in the capital were left without power. Kyiv’s water supply has also been compromised, according to a water company.
A local official said “critical infrastructure” had also been hit in the Chernivtsi region in southwestern Ukraine.
Critical infrastructure has also been hit and damaged in Zaporizhzhia in the south, according to another local official.
Other regions of Ukraine appear to have been targeted, including Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Poltava and Lviv.
There are currently no reports of significant casualties.
ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge
Oct 30, 10:02 AM EDT
Blinken accuses Russia of ‘weaponizing food’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed Russia’s decision to pull out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative as a statement from the Kremlin that “people and families around the world should pay more for food or go hungry.”
Russia announced it is withdrawing from the U.N.-brokered grain deal in response to a drone attack Saturday in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay, in the Black Sea near Crimea.
Russia’s decision, Blinken said, is jeopardizing grain shipments he described as “life-saving.”
“In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity,” Blinken said in a statement released Saturday night.
He said 9 million metric tons of food has been shipped under the agreement, which was signed and launched in July. He said the shipments have reduced food prices around the world.
“We urge the Government of Russia to resume its participation in the Initiative, fully comply with the arrangement, and work to ensure that people around the world continue to be able to receive the benefits facilitated by the Initiative,” Blinken said.
Blinken’s statement echoed what President Joe Biden said earlier Saturday, calling Russia’s withdrawal from the initiative, “purely outrageous.”
“It’s going to increase starvation. There’s no reason for them to do that, but they’re always looking for some rationale to be able to say the reason they’re doing something outrageous is because the West made them do it. And it’s just not,” Biden said. “There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The UN negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it.”
(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Education is no longer accepting applications for the student debt relief program as a result of Thursday night’s ruling from a Texas judge.
“Student loan debt relief is blocked,” the website for student debt relief says. “Courts have issued orders blocking our student debt relief program. As a result, at this time, we are not accepting applications.”
“We are seeking to overturn those orders,” the website says.
This is the first time a lawsuit has led the Department of Education to shut down its application. The earlier pause on the program brought about by a different lawsuit only affected the payments going out to borrowers, but still allowed people to apply and applications to be reviewed.
(NEW YORK) — Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday before weakening to a tropical depression later that night.
It was the second-latest hurricane landfall in a calendar year on record in the United States.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 11, 6:45 AM EST
Nicole churns over Georgia
Tropical Depression Nicole was churning over Georgia early Friday morning, wielding maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour with higher gusts, according to the National Weather Service.
The center of Nicole is forecast to move across central and northern Georgia on Friday morning and over the western Carolinas later in the day. Nicole is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later Friday, then dissipate overnight as it merges with a frontal system over the eastern United States.
The storm will continue to bring heavy rainfall to portions of the southeastern U.S. There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect, according to the National Weather Service.
Nov 10, 11:24 PM EST
Here’s where Nicole is headed next
Areas of heavy rain and gusty winds will continue to impact parts of the Southeast overnight as the system begins its move up the East Coast.
A tornado threat continues for portions of Georgia, South Carolina and now southern North Carolina as of Thursday night.
A tornado watch is in effect until at least 1 a.m., including in Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
Nov 10, 11:06 PM EST
Nicole weakens to tropical depression
Nicole has weakened to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds now down to 35 mph.
The storm is currently moving to the northwest at 15 mph and the center is located about 20 miles north of Tallahassee.
All tropical storm and storm surge warnings have been canceled.
Nov 10, 9:59 PM EST
Evacuations ordered of ‘unsafe’ buildings in Florida county
Officials in Volusia County declared that 49 beachfront buildings are “unsafe” and have ordered people to evacuate amid now-Tropical Storm Nicole.
“The structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented,” County Manager George Recktenwald said on the county’s website. “We have never experienced anything like this before, so we ask for your patience as we make our assessments. As always, the safety of our residents and visitors is our top priority. This is going to be a long road to recovery.”
Some of the impacted buildings are hotels and condos, officials said.
Nov 10, 7:49 PM EST
Tropical Storm Nicole moving northwest, 40 miles away from state’s capital
Tropical Storm Nicole is making its way northwest in Florida at around 15 mph. The storm is generating wind speeds of 40 mph and is located about 40 miles southeast of Tallahassee as of 7 p.m. ET.
-ABC News’ Daniel Peck
Nov 10, 3:58 PM EST
4 dead in Orange County, Florida
Four deaths have been tied to Tropical Storm Nicole, all in Florida’s Orange County.
A man and a woman died after they were electrocuted by a downed power line on Thursday morning, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We are urging all of our residents and visitors to use extreme caution if they are outside in the wake of the storm today,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Never touch a downed power line. If you are driving and see a downed power line, change directions immediately.”
Two others died in a car crash on Florida’s Turnpike in probable storm-related deaths, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said.
Nov 10, 3:48 PM EST
Coastline damage ‘unprecedented’ in Volusia County
In Volusia County, Florida, damage along the coastline is “unprecedented,” according to county manager George Recktenwald.
Nineteen hotels or condos and 40 single-family homes have been compromised after sustaining damage from the storm, said Kevin Captain, the county’s director of community information. Some of the buildings partially collapsed, he said.
No deaths have been reported in the county, Captain said. One person has been injured, he said.
-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio
Nov 10, 3:25 PM EST
Nicole’s forecast
Tropical Storm Nicole’s heavy rain is focused on North Florida as its powerful winds pummel Florida and the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.
Nicole will continue to weaken over the next 24 hours as it races up the East Coast.
On Friday morning, the rain will target Georgia, the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic. Flash flooding is possible.
The eastern Carolinas and eastern Virginia could see severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
The rain will spread into Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia Friday morning and then reach New York by lunchtime and New England in the afternoon.
The heaviest rain and biggest potential for flash flooding will be in the interior Northeast.
Scattered thunderstorms are also possible.
-ABC News’ Dan Peck
Nov 10, 1:15 PM EST
Nicole hammers Florida with wind, rain
Tropical Storm Nicole is about 45 miles north of Tampa and is moving northwest at 15 mph, slamming Florida with rain and wind. Nicole’s winds have decreased to 45 mph.
The gusty winds are also extending to the Georgia and South Carolina coast.
Tornado watches are in effect in Savannah, Georgia; Brunswick, Georgia; and Beaufort, South Carolina.
-ABC News’ Dan Peck
Nov 10, 10:57 AM EST
Beach erosion in four counties, Saint Johns River at major flood stage
Florida’s Brevard, Volusia, Flagler and Saint Johns counties, which had already seen beach erosion from September’s Hurricane Ian, are now seeing major beach erosion from Nicole, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday.
DeSantis and Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie warned that the flooding along the Saint Johns River is at major flood stage and could continue to get worse.
DeSantis said 17,000 linemen are standing by to repair the downed power lines and 250 Department of Transportation crews are ready to clear roads and inspect bridges once it’s safe to do so.
Nov 10, 10:05 AM EST
100 mph winds batter NASA’s Artemis moon rocket
NASA’s new moon rocket reportedly experienced 100 mph winds at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday night, as Tropical Storm Nicole took aim at the Sunshine State.
Despite the incoming storm, NASA announced in a statement on Monday evening that its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket would remain on launchpad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, citing “current forecast data.” In another statement on Tuesday evening, NASA said that the $4.1 billion test flight — the opening shot in the space agency’s Artemis moon-exploration program — “is designed to withstand” 85 mph winds.
“Current forecasts predict the greatest risks at the pad are high winds that are not expected to exceed the SLS design,” the agency added. “The rocket is designed to withstand heavy rains at the launch pad and the spacecraft hatches have been secured to prevent water intrusion.”
NASA had been aiming for a third launch attempt on Nov. 14 but is now looking at Nov. 16, “pending safe conditions for employees to return to work, as well as inspections after the storm has passed,” the agency said.
Nov 10, 9:46 AM EST
Almost 330,000 without power in Florida due to Nicole
Nearly 330,000 customers were without power across Florida on Thursday morning due to Tropical Storm Nicole, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 9:34 a.m. ET, a total of 329,965 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 9:42 AM EST
Tornado threat for Florida, Georgia, Carolinas
A “few” tornadoes are possible over parts of coastal east-central and northeastern Florida on Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado threat will spread northward across parts of southeastern Georgia and the Carolinas later Thursday through Friday morning.
Meanwhile, “large” swell waves generated by Nicole will affect the northwestern Bahamas, the east coast of Florida and much of the southeastern U.S. coast during the next few days.
“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Thursday morning.
Nov 10, 9:38 AM EST
Nicole to bring ‘dangerous’ storm surge, ‘heavy’ rain
A “dangerous” storm surge from Tropical Storm Nicole combined with the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, according to the National Weather Service.
If the peak occurs at the time of high tide, the National Weather Service said, the water could reach up to 5 feet above ground from Florida’s Jupiter Inlet to Georgia’s Altamaha Sound, from Florida’s St. Johns River to the Fuller Warren Bridge, and from Anclote River to Ochlockonee River in Florida.
“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the north of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” the National Weather Service warned in a public advisory on Thursday morning.
Through Saturday, Nicole is expected to produce 3 to 5 inches of rainfall from the northwestern Bahamas into portions of the Florida Peninsula, with a maximum of 8 inches of localized rain. The southeastern United States into the central Appalachian Mountains and eastern portions of Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio could see 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, with a maximum of 6 inches of localized rain along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The northern Mid-Atlantic region into New England could get 1 to 4 inches of rainfall.
“Flash and urban flooding will be possible, along with renewed river rises on the St. Johns River, across the Florida Peninsula today,” the National Weather Service added. “Heavy rainfall from this system will spread northward across portions of the Southeast, upper Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England today through Saturday, where limited flooding impacts will be possible.”
Nov 10, 9:28 AM EST
Latest forecast as Nicole moves across central Florida
The center of Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to move across central Florida on Thursday morning, possibly emerging over the far northeastern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday afternoon, then move across the Florida Panhandle and Georgia on Thursday night and Friday, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
Although “additional weakening” is in the forecast, the National Weather Service warned on Thursday morning that “Nicole remains a large tropical storm” and “strong wind, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area.” Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 450 miles from Nicole’s center, especially to the north. Sustained winds of 49 mph with a gust of 70 mph were reported early Thursday in Daytona Beach, Florida.
According to the National Weather Service, tropical storm conditions will continue along portions of the eastern coastlines of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the warning areas on Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to occur within the warning area along Florida’s west coast through Thursday night.
Nov 10, 7:40 AM EST
215,000 without power in Florida due to Nicole
More than 215,000 customers were without power across Florida on Thursday morning due to Tropical Storm Nicole, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 7:04 a.m. ET, a total of 215,443 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 6:56 AM EST
175,000 without power in Florida as Nicole moves inland
More than 175,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday morning, as Tropical Storm Nicole moved inland over the Sunshine State, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 6:23 a.m. ET, a total of 177,423 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 6:50 AM EST
Tornado watch issued for parts of Florida, Georgia
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia on Thursday morning, in effect until 1 p.m. local time.
Brief spin-up tornadoes are common in tropical storm systems, so more watches could be issued throughout the day.
Nov 10, 5:35 AM EST
100,000 without power in Florida after Nicole’s landfall
More than 100,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday, shortly after Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 10, 4:17 AM EST
Nicole weakens back into a tropical storm
Nicole weakened back into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane along Florida’s east coast early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, as it moves inland across the Sunshine State. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
Nevertheless, the National Weather Service warned that “strong winds, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area.”
A hurricane warning from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia County line in eastern Florida has been changed to a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm warning south of Boca Raton to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued, along with a hurricane watch for Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.
A storm surge warning from North Palm Beach to Jupiter Inlet in eastern Florida has been discontinued. A storm surge watch south of North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued.
All warnings have been discontinued for the northwestern Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service.
Nov 10, 3:22 AM EST
Nicole makes landfall as Category 1 hurricane in Florida
Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast on North Hutchinson Island, just south of Vero Beach, at 3 a.m. local time on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s the second-latest hurricane landfall on record in the United States.
Nov 10, 1:58 AM EST
38,000 without power in Florida ahead of Nicole’s landfall
More than 38,000 customers in Florida were without power early Thursday, ahead of Hurricane Nicole’s landfall, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 08, 10:11 PM EST
Latest forecast as Nicole approaches Florida
Hurricane Nicole is approaching Florida as a large Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
The latest forecast shows Nicole touching down along Florida’s east coast after midnight but before sunrise, with one model estimating landfall between Cocoa Beach and Fort Pierce at 4 a.m. local time, although projections can change.
Hurricane warnings have been issued from West Palm Beach north to Daytona Beach, with tropical storm warnings extending inland from Miami through Tallahassee, and even extending into parts of southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina.
Nov 09, 6:15 PM EST
Nicole strengthens into hurricane
Nicole has strengthened into a hurricane while making landfall on Grand Bahama Island, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The storm has estimated maximum wind speeds of 75 mph.
Nov 09, 1:21 PM EST
Latest forecast
Nicole may strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall overnight near Fort Pierce. Over the next 24 hours, the biggest threats for Florida will be damaging beach erosion, storm surge up to 5 feet, isolated tornadoes and wind gusts around 70 mph.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from West Palm Beach to Daytona Beach. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of Florida and extend up to coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
After landfall, Nicole will quickly weaken as it moves across central Florida and the Panhandle, but it’ll bring rain, powerful winds and storm surge.
Three feet to 5 feet of storm surge is expected from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville while Florida’s Big Bend area could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.
The heaviest rain — 8 inches — will hit central Florida. Flash flooding is also possible.
As Nicole moves north, the heavy rain will stretch into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Pennsylvania to Vermont could see 2 to 4 inches of rain. Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see 2 inches of rain and gusty winds.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Nov 09, 12:01 PM EST
Nicole makes landfall in Bahamas
Tropical Storm Nicole has made landfall on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
Nov 09, 11:47 AM EST
Disney World parks to close
Disney World parks will close early Wednesday evening and will remain closed through Thursday morning due to the storm.
Nov 09, 11:18 AM EST
Nicole could make landfall twice
Once Nicole makes landfall early Thursday in Martin County as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm is expected to cross the state of Florida, hit the Gulf of Mexico and possibly make landfall again along Florida’s Big Bend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned.
The major concerns for Nicole are winds, flooding, beach erosion and possible tornadoes, DeSantis said.
He said 15 shelters are open for those urged to evacuate.
The governor said 16,000 linemen have been staged to immediately work on restoring power as soon as the storm passes.
Nov 09, 10:52 AM EST
Florida counties announce evacuation orders
Several of Florida’s 67 counties have announced evacuation orders in anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole’s arrival.
Flagler County: Evacuation orders go into effect Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. local time for residents and visitors in Zone A, the barrier island from Flagler Beach to Marineland, as well as mobile homes and RVs countywide, according to the Flagler County Emergency Management.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time for residents and visitors east of the Intercostal Waterway, all mobile homes east of Interstate 95, all low-lying areas and other areas prone to flooding as well as all campsites and RV recreational parks, according to the Volusia County Emergency Management.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Tuesday at 7 a.m. local time for Zones A and B, including mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying areas, according to Palm Beach Mayor Robert Weinroth.
Nov 09, 9:55 AM EST
Nicole close to hurricane strength as it heads for Florida
Tropical Storm Nicole barrelled toward the northwestern Bahamas and eastern Florida on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds near 70 miles per hour — almost as a strong as a hurricane, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The center of Nicole is forecast to approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday morning, move near or over those islands by midday, then approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday night. The storm’s center is expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday, then across the Carolinas on Friday.
“Some strengthening is expected today, and Nicole is forecast to become a hurricane near the northwestern Bahamas and remain a hurricane when it reaches the east coast of Florida tonight,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Wednesday morning. “Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night over the Mid-Atlantic states.”
As of early Wednesday, Nicole was already spreading gusty winds and rain showers into Florida, where it is later expected to make landfall between the southeastern cities of West Palm Beach and Melbourne as either a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane. Its tropical storm-force winds currently extend outward up to 460 miles, especially to the north of the center. In the early morning hours, a National Ocean Service station at the Lake Worth Pier, just south of West Palm Beach, reported sustained winds of 44 mph and a wind gust of 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Because Nicole is so close to hurricane strength, the National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings along Florida’s east coast from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, Miami is under a tropical storm watch and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Florida’s west coast as well as from Jacksonville up through Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina.
Storm surge will be the highest on the eastern coastlines of Florida and Georgia, from the border down to West Palm Beach, where water could rise as much as 5 feet above normal tide levels. Some storm surge is also possible on Florida’s west coast from Sarasota to Tampa, where water could rise as much as 3 feet and up to 4 feet in the Big Bend area and Apalachicola. Storm surge will be felt all the way to Charleston, South Carolina, where water could rise up to 4 feet.
The areas that will see the heaviest rainfall will be right where the storm touches down on Florida’s east coast, with the potential for up to 8 inches of localized rain. Heavy rain will track north and inland, into Georgia, the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee and North Carolina to Pennsylvania and into western New York where more than 4 inches of rain is possible.
Nov 09, 5:04 AM EST
Biden approves Florida emergency declaration
President Joe Biden on Tuesday night approved an emergency declaration for Florida due to conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Nicole, according to the White House.
In anticipation of the storm’s arrival, Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts, the White House said.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, according to the White House.
(NEW YORK) — Mallorie Berger said she always knew her late grandfather, Private Mauricio Burns, was a U.S. veteran. But it wasn’t until last year she learned about his historic legacy.
“Something clicked. Something led me to believe that, you know what, I think, Papa — that’s what we call him — was a Montford Pointer,” she said in the ABC Owned Television Stations documentary Mission Montford Point.
Established in 1942, the Montford Point Marines, an all-Black, North Carolina-based unit, became this country’s first Black marines. Until then, Black men were not allowed to join the Corps.
James Willis, a Montford Pointer, called those men the “best and brightest and the toughest.”
“And I said, ‘That’s me,'” Willis said in the documentary.
Though the unit was 20,000 strong, the U.S. military’s records of them are incomplete, partially due to a fire that destroyed some documents, leaving only 2,000 intact with the rest of the men’s identities nearly forgotten and lost to history.
“I used to be offended when I would read about the Tuskegee Airmen and Buffalo Soldiers,” Willis said. “I’d say they’re all recognized. I’d go to the movies and I’m seeing the heroics and things that happened at Iwo Jima. I don’t see no Black marines. That used to bother me.”
Now, Berger and many others are on a mission to find the remaining living Montford Point Marines and the families of the deceased.
“If our grandfathers could succeed up against the things that they were presented with, the very least that we can do is help to find the additional 18,000 that are out there and their families,” she said.
Houston Shinal, National Montford Point Marine Memorial director, said the majority of Montford Pointers are now in their 90s or older.
“We know that there will come a point when there won’t be any of them, but we still have to figure out how we keep the story alive,” Shinal said in the documentary.
Those first Black marines, segregated from their white counterparts, faced extreme adversity, including brutal discrimination, during training and deployment.
“Once you came in that gate, you forgot about your name because you were either boy or ni****,” Carroll Braxton, a Montford Point Marine, said.
Several men also endured hazing, George McIvory, a Montford Pointer, said, adding that after witnessing this, he was “ready to turn around.”
William “Jack” Mcdowel, another Montford Point Marine, said “the whole idea, from what I could understand at the time, was to frustrate you so much that you would either quit and go home or stay in.”
Despite the discriminatory treatment they faced, 20,000 stayed, many deployed to combat missions during World War II, fighting on the front lines of some of the bloodiest battles.
“[President Roosevelt] says, ‘Men, you have broken records that the white Marines have had for years. Far as I’m concerned, you are just as good a marine as any marine that puts on that uniform. Send them overseas,'” Braxton said.
In 2011, the United States government finally acknowledged their achievements, awarding the Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Montford Point Marines.
Mcdowel said it was a “very emotional day to be, for the first time, recognized.”
And this year, on the 80th anniversary, five original members and 11 families of deceased Montford Pointers received replicas of that Congressional Gold Medal.
Berger said she believes the honor recognizes the “outstanding perseverance and courage” of these men and their sacrifices to inspire social change in the Marine Corps.
Other descendants of Montford Pointers said the same.
Reginald Moore, the grandson of Montford Point Marine, said he “stands on the shoulders” of his grandfather and other men he served alongside.
“To see them, to see the ones that are still here, it’s like reaching back in history and knowing I came from that. I came from them and it’s utterly amazing,” Moore said.
Maurice Smith, the grandson of a Montford Point Marine, said, “If I could say anything to my grandfather today. We did it. We did it.”
The search for more of those Montford Point Marines and their families continues. The National Montford Point Marine Association asks that anyone with knowledge of a living or deceased member visit their website and contact them.
