Daily Briefing: Idalia's imminent landfall
Hurricane Idalia, now a Category 4 storm with sustained winds at 130 mph, is on a collision course with Florida's Big Bend Wednesday morning. Also in the news: Hate crimes in major U.S. cities have hit record highs for a second year in a row and a star-studded second round begins at the U.S. Open.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Here's why we can't look away from the DIY craft controversy.
Now, here we go with Wednesday's news.
Idalia now a Category 4 hurricane as it closes in on Florida
Hurricane Idalia strengthened to a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday morning as it steams toward Florida’s Big Bend region and threatens to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall.
Authorities are warning of a “catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds” when the storm hits.
What is rapid intensification? This is a process in which a storm undergoes accelerated growth. Forecasters predict this sudden strengthening for Idalia, fueled by the very warm waters of the northwest Caribbean.
Some kind of evacuation order is in place in 30 of Florida’s 67 counties, but many residents, citing previous encounters with hurricanes, say they want to stay and protect their homes and belongings. (If you or someone you know are getting out, here's what to pack in a hurricane grab bag).
Another danger is tornadoes, which typically are one of the dangers that develop as hurricanes make landfall. Idalia is no exception.
Keep reading: What is a storm surge and what are the risks?
Grad student charged with murder in shooting of University of North Carolina faculty member
A graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was charged Tuesday in the murder of a faculty member who was shot and killed on campus Monday, causing an hourslong lockdown and panic. Tailei Qi, 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and having a gun on an educational property, according to county jail records. The victim of the shooting was identified by campus police as Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the department of applied physical sciences. Police have not yet determined the motive of the shooting and are looking for further information. Read more
More news to know now
Former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday for orchestrating the far-right extremist group’s attack on the U.S. Capitol.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says he has been diagnosed with ''treatable'' blood cancer.
A wildfire in Tiger Island, Louisiana, burns on after leveling 30,000 acres of land.
Which 2024 Republican will abortion opponents choose? These activists aren't making any promises.
On today's 5 Things podcast, the first drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation have been named. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Some Black Americans fear violence after Jacksonville shooting
The Jacksonville shooting in which three Black people were shot and killed by a white former store employee comes as Black communities are still reeling from other racial attacks. These incidents include last year’s killing of 10 Black grocery shoppers in Buffalo, New York, and the murder of nine churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. Some say they worry media attention and intense rhetoric may have emboldened more extremists. And they worry the racially motivated attacks, which harken back to more violent times in the nation’s history, will continue. Read more
Hate crimes in big cities have hit record highs for a second year in a row, new data shows.
Air attack kills 2 in Kyiv while Russia accuses Ukraine of biggest drone attack of the war
Russian officials are accusing Ukraine of launching what appears to be the biggest nighttime drone attack on Russian soil since the war began 18 months ago. On the same night, the Kremlin’s forces hit Kyiv with what Ukrainian officials called a “massive, combined attack” that killed two people. Drones hit an airport in Russia’s western Pskov region near the border with Estonia and Latvia early Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Biden administration on Tuesday announced a $250 million military aid package for Ukraine that includes equipment to clear Russian minefields that have stalled Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Read more
Why kill Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin? He was a threat to Putin's financial wealth.
More world news: Uganda charged a man with ''aggravated homosexuality'' punishable by the death penalty.
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These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.
US Open second round features Tiafoe, Gauff and Djokovic on the court
The second round of singles play and the opening round of men's, women's and mixed doubles arrives on a busy Wednesday at the U.S. Open. Look out for 19-year-old Coco Gauff. The No. 6 seed in singles, she faces 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the afternoon opener at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Following the Gauff-Andreeva match, Novak Djokovic is scheduled to face Bernabe Zapata Miralles. The evening session is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. as No. 10 seed Frances Tiafoe opens the Ashe portion against Sebastian Ofner, followed by a matchup of past Grand Slam champions, unusual at this stage of the tournament. No. 11 Petra Kvitova faces Caroline Wozniacki, who came out of retirement this summer. Read more
Here's why Novak Djokovic's results at the US Open have been different from other Grand Slams.
Venus Williams suffered her most lopsided US Open loss: 6-1, 6-1 in the first round.
Quick hits
The historic banyan tree in Lahaina stands after Maui fires, but will it live?
A majority of Americans support labor unions, a new poll finds.
NASA is exploring a passenger jet that can fly from New York to London in 90 minutes.
NFL roster cuts 2023: All of the notable moves.
Men are showing their stomachs in crop tops. Here's why some may shy away from the trend.
Photo of the day: Rubiales crisis hangs over European soccer
Spain’s Aug. 20 victory at the Women’s World Cup was a momentous occasion for the soccer-crazed country, but the joy on and off the field was soon sullied by the leader of the country’s soccer federation when he planted an unwanted kiss on the lips of a star player during the medal ceremony. The incident is fueling nationwide soul-searching about sexism in sports, and in society at large. Read more
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Idalia, UNC shooting, Jacksonville shooting, Ukraine, Russia, US Open, Rubiales: Daily Briefing
