Tuesday, October 8

The United States Vice Presidential Debate took place last Tuesday, with Democratic nominee Tim Walz facing off against Republican nominee JD Vance in an intense debate. Check out our new deep dive article on the political event by Mihir Gupta here.

Hurricane Milton is now a raging Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, and the storm is inching closer to a major landfall near Tampa, Florida.

Milton formed on Saturday as a tropical depression, slowly moving east across the area. It quickly strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane within one day, and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane within another day-- the storm's winds intensified almost 100 mph from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon.

Milton is now charging through the Gulf as a strong Category 5 hurricane, packing winds of over 185 mph. It is only the ninth hurricane to ever reach winds of over 180 mph, with other recent ones including Wilma and Rita in 2005, Irma in 2017, and Dorian in 2019. It is currently passing by Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, hitting the city of Mérida with hurricane-force winds and heavy rain. From there, it is expected to maintain major hurricane status and slam into western Florida, heading directly for Tampa. However, due to higher wind shear and cooler waters ahead, Milton is expected to slightly weaken to a Category 3 storm before making landfall in western Florida. Nevertheless, Florida officials are telling residents not to count on the weakening of the storm, as the possibility that it stays a Category 4 or even 5 is not out of the picture.

Tampa and most of western Florida was hit hard by Hurricane Helene recently, suffering from hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, and storm surge of 6-8 feet, which inundated almost the entire city. 12 people were killed in the Tampa area alone, and numerous others were killed in surrounding counties. This hurricane could soon impact the same area with similar conditions, which could be catastrophic. Additionally, many homes have been weakened by the fact that they are midway through repairs, and others still have piles of debris in their yards from the damage done by Hurricane Helene. This debris could pose a serious hazard to people and structures during the storm, which is sure to blast strong winds across the city.

The entire Tampa area is already under a hurricane warning, and the areas to the south and Florida's eastern coast are also under hurricane watches. In addition, the rest of Florida's western coast and the Key West islands are all under tropical storm warnings, as they could still experience strong winds and heavy rain outside the cone of the hurricane's expected track. State of emergencies have been declared in over 50 counties, and evacuations have been ordered for the entire Tampa area. The Orlando International Airport, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, and Tampa International Airport are all closing ahead of the hurricane, and schools and universities across the region are also closing for the later part of the week.

Storm surge is expected to reach 8-12 feet, possibly exceeding 15 feet in some areas, as the hurricane most likely makes landfall late Wednesday or in the early AM hours of Thursday. Meanwhile, rain totals could also exceed 15 inches in some areas, adding to the devastation. While Helene was the worst storm to hit Tampa in over 100 years, Milton could do even more damage, giving Tampa their second once-in-a-century hurricane in just two weeks.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, was the only president to ever remain unmarried throughout his entire life. When he was in office, his niece served as the First Lady. Meanwhile, the only other president to ever be elected as a bachelor was Grover Cleveland, but he married while in office.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I try never to compare myself to other people. I just think this is who I am. You are happier when you think that way. (Jesy Nelson)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Lèse majesté (noun)- Lèse-majesté (less commonly spelled lese majesty) can refer to a true crime or offense, or to something likened to a crime or offense. Most often, it’s the latter, with lèse-majesté referring—seriously or playfully—to an act of disrespect that diminishes the dignity or importance of someone or something. In the former use, lèse-majesté refers to a crime (such as treason) that is committed against a sovereign power, or to an offense that violates the dignity of a ruler as the representative of a sovereign power.

In a Sentence: Their less-than-formal attire at the wedding was regarded in jest as lèse-majesté.