Author: Stephanie Gauthier

Florida residents are bracing themselves for the impact of Helene, which is forecast to strengthen into a powerful hurricane.

Currently moving through the Caribbean, Helene is expected to hit Florida in the coming days.

Tropical Storm Helene forms in the Caribbean just days before a potentially devastating strike on Florida as a major hurricanehttps://t.co/MqiIRqmBjN

— CNN (@CNN) September 24, 2024

Experts believe, based on their observations of Tropical Storm Helene, that the system has become more organized, with thunderstorms becoming more concentrated near the center, making Helene likely to intensify rapidly and significantly.

Helene is expected to hit several areas of the Caribbean, including Cancun in Mexico and western Cuba. The storm will reach its maximum intensity on Thursday, when it arrives in the Big Bend region of northern Florida.

Forecasts indicate that Helene could strengthen into a major hurricane as it enters the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, potentially reaching Category 3, before making landfall in Florida on Thursday.

9/24 11AM EDT: There is risk of life-threatening storm surge from Tropical Storm #Helene for the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west coast, where a Storm Surge Watch is in effect. Residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials. pic.twitter.com/MdClvhsA69

— NHC Storm Surge (@NHC_Surge) September 24, 2024

The storm will reach its maximum intensity on Thursday when it arrives in the Big Bend region of northern Florida. According to computer models, it is expected to bring dangerous storm surges and flooding over a wide area.

Residents of several affected areas are under imminent evacuation orders in anticipation of the storm.

Residents of the southeastern U.S., including Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky, will be affected by the system, with heavy rains and powerful winds that could persist for several days.

According to Donald Trump’s financial disclosures, his wife Melania, who makes very few public appearances and is rarely by her husband’s side, was paid $237,500 to speak at an event at Mar-a-Lago last April organized by the Log Cabin Republicans.

Melania Trump was paid $237,500 to speak at a fundraiser for a LGBTQ+ conservative group, but the source of the paycheck remains a mystery.https://t.co/lxCQN3CA6o

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) September 23, 2024

Melania Trump, who was already at the center of discussions due to her absence from her husband’s political life this year, making only a brief appearance on the final day of the Republican convention without speaking, finds herself once again in controversy with this story linked to an event held at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.

Attendance and compensation raise controversy on both sides of the political spectrum, but for distinct reasons.

Many are shocked that a political representative’s spouse would collect such a sum for attending campaign fundraising events. On the other hand, many conservative Republicans are expressing outrage that the event in question was related to the LGBTQ+ community, a group whose rights many seek to restrict.

Campaign finance and ethics experts have also criticized Trump and his wife for receiving a six-figure payment to speak at the event, which could violate ethics rules if funding sources aren’t clearly disclosed.

Questions about Melania Trump’s speaking fees are legitimate, especially as it appears that the Log Cabin Republicans did not directly pay for her attendance, and the source of that sum remains unknown.

The lack of transparency regarding the funding of speeches raises ethical questions, particularly with regard to potential conflicts of interest and transparency.

This isn’t the first time Melania Trump has publicly appeared at an event for her husband while receiving significant financial benefits. Most notably, she reportedly received $250,000 for an event in December 2022, plus additional income from a Trump-affiliated super PAC.

Several members of the Trump family have already been paid for their participation in events related to Donald Trump’s political interests.

For example, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée, received $60,000 for attending the “Stop the Steal” rally on… January 6, 2021.

The Trumps have recently been criticized for taking financial advantage of their supporters. In particular, Donald Trump has stepped up his game with sales of $60 Bibles, $300 sneakers, $100 NFTs and $100 silver coins, all while launching a business… in cryptocurrencies.

For her part, Melania Trump, who is preparing to publish her memoirs, has also joined this trend by selling a necklace for $600!

Olivia Nuzzi, New York Magazine’s Washington correspondent, has been placed on leave after revealing that she had a personal relationship with RFK Jr. for much of 2024.

The scandal has raised concerns about conflicts of interest in journalism, given that RFK Jr. featured in one of her recent stories.

New York Magazine put Washington, D.C., correspondent Olivia Nuzzi on leave after learning she allegedly engaged in a romantic relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a source told THR https://t.co/TTJzwHwqpu

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 23, 2024

In fact, New York Magazine issued a statement justifying its decision to place Nuzzi on forced leave, confirming that the journalist had failed to meet its disclosure standards regarding personal relationships that could influence her reporting on the election campaign.

News of an intimate relationship between RFK Jr. 70, and Olivia Nuzzi, 31, emerged amid reports that they had traded personal messages shortly after Nuzzi published a story on RFK Jr.

These personal exchanges reportedly began in December 2023 and continued until the end of August.

Although he wasn’t her main subject during their alleged secret relationship, she continued to cover the 2024 presidential race, when RFK Jr. was a candidate.

New York Magazine points out that if the magazine had known about the relationship, she would not have continued her coverage of the presidential campaign.

RFK Jr. has been married to Cheryl Hines, the actress known for her role as Cheryl David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, since 2014. She is 59 years old. Olivia Nuzzi, meanwhile, was engaged to Politico Playbook journalist Ryan Lizza, but they broke off their engagement.

It’s unclear whether these events were related to their separation. Politico and Lizza himself have stated that, because of his connection with the affair, he would not cover stories about Kennedy.

At a time when the media faces a variety of challenges, including criticism of its credibility, this affair certainly raises many questions from the public about Olivia Nuzzi’s journalistic ethics.

Former President Donald Trump, 78, said in an interview that he would not run for president again in 2028 if he were to lose to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

NEW: Donald Trump says he doesn’t believe he would run for office again in four years if he loses the November election.

“No, I think that that will be, that will be it. I don’t see that at all,” he says in a recent interview. https://t.co/Cwlvk2oopn

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 23, 2024

Trump made the statement when interviewed by Full Measure’s Sharyl Attkisson. Although he expressed his prospects of winning the 2024 election, he seems to have clearly closed the door on a possible 2028 bid, saying in part:

“That will be it.”

At his age, Trump is the oldest candidate to run for president of a major political party, following the withdrawal of 81-year-old Joe Biden. Many observers note that he no longer displays the same energy as he did in 2016 or 2020. He has drastically reduced the number of rallies he used to hold, and while he has always been able to galvanize his supporters with hard-hitting speeches on his controversial policies, his current speeches often seem less dynamic and coherent.

His supporters frequently leave his speeches before they end, and his rallies are now marked by more controversial and rambling remarks.

The future of the Republican Party, for which Trump has been the nominee in the last three national elections and which has profoundly transformed the party over the past eight years, remains uncertain if it loses next November’s elections.

Traditional Republicans blame Trump for sowing chaos and for being directly responsible for several major defeats, including in the 2020 election and the 2022 mid-term elections.

Recent polls show the race tightening ahead of the November elections, with Kamala Harris having momentum and a lead over Trump, unlike Joe Biden’s situation before his withdrawal.

What’s more, she has managed to raise record funds and gather large crowds at her many events.

In contrast, Trump’s campaign appears far less dynamic in all these respects.

The question driving discussion is certainly whether Trump can win back the White House, while his legacy and leadership will remain important and controversial issues in American politics.

Disinformation videos designed to influence American voters and undermine their confidence in Vice President Kamala Harris have emerged in recent weeks. According to Microsoft, these videos were produced by tech groups linked to Russia.

A new Microsoft report finds that Russia is now throwing all of its disinformation resources behind operations designed to undermine the Harris-Walz campaign.https://t.co/uinsE6cj2f

— Axios (@axios) September 17, 2024

Microsoft reports that foreign operations, which initially struggled to adjust their tactics after President Joe Biden withdrew from the election race, have now become more aggressive in targeting Kamala Harris.

Their strategies include amplifying alleged leaks and hacked documents with the aim of distorting public perception and generating negative opinion of Kamala Harris.

Among these videos, one stands out for its disturbing content and the fact that it has been seen and shared by millions. It tells the story of a young black girl who claims that Kamala Harris paralyzed her following a car accident involving an alleged hit-and-run in San Francisco in 2011.

The video was released by KBSF TV, a fictitious company allegedly based in San Francisco, created by the Russians a few days before it was posted, according to the Microsoft report. In addition to this fabricated video, the website offered plagiarized articles to reinforce its appearance of credibility.

In addition, the evidence presented in this fictitious story, including X-rays, came from medical journals, and the spelling of the alleged victims’ names was incorrect.

Microsoft’s report confirms that this story is a fabrication of a Russian disinformation operation called Storm-1516.

Another story fabricated by the Storm-1516 operation showed in a video an attack at a Donald Trump rally, allegedly orchestrated by Kamala Harris supporters against an event attendee.

Also according to the report, Storm-1679, another Russian operation that targeted the Paris Olympics, recently redirected its forwards to Kamala Harris.

One of the many videos associated with Storm-1679 showed a fake billboard in New York broadcasting false claims about Harris’ policies. This video was seen by thousands of users on X shortly after its initial post… on Telegram.

While Microsoft claims that the goal in publishing these reports is to foster education and defend institutions from foreign interference, this report reveals that major tech companies actually hold far more information on this subject than the public imagines.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, made some strong statements while on his golf course in the Los Angeles area, while during his press conference in which he assured Californians that they would have “more water” than ever by pointing out that the Canadian province of British Columbia had “a very large faucet”.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced an idea late last week to help alleviate California water shortages — and it involves British Columbia.

READ MORE: https://t.co/rDbafqwK6Ehttps://t.co/rDbafqwK6E

— Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) September 17, 2024

Trump wants to use water from the Columbia River, located in British Columbia, to alleviate the water shortage in California. He compared the river to a huge faucet that, once opened, would provide “more water than you’ve ever seen” to the state.

Trump even declared that it would only take a day. However, many feel that his comments are simply intended to appeal to potential voters, without taking into account the feasibility of such a project or its cost.

According to Tricia Stadnyk, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Calgary, interviewed by CTV News, Trump completely misunderstands the distribution of water between countries. She points out that the Columbia River flows from Columbia Lake in British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to the Pacific Ocean, but is still a long way from California, making a simple redirection impossible.

One thing’s for sure: redirecting water from Canada to California isn’t just a matter of turning on a tap in a day, as Donald Trump promises.

Authorities in Houston, Texas are responding to Monday’s oil pipeline explosion in Deer Park near La Porte, a small town of over 36,000 people.

Firefighters in La Porte, Texas, about 30 miles east of Houston, are battling a large pipeline fire.

READ MORE: https://t.co/uEWooIVyCN pic.twitter.com/bsH1DVPIl7

— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) September 16, 2024

The incident prompted mass evacuations and mobilized a large team of firefighters. The bushfire spread rapidly, and a flame several meters high has continued to burn for hours following the explosion, which occurred at around 9:55 a.m. local time.

The flames damaged several infrastructures and started several small brush fires, complicating the task of firefighters, who had to douse several houses all around the explosion zone.

The cause of the fire remains uncertain, although initial reports suggest that a car hit the pipeline, causing the explosion.

No injuries or fatalities have been reported to date, but as a precautionary measure, residents have been ordered to evacuate the area.

Impressive images taken from a helicopter reveal a blackened area around the flames, which continue to rise to several hundred meters in height as firefighters work to bring the blaze under control.

Donald Trump has posted a bizarre message against Taylor Swift after the latter announced her support for rival Kamala Harris in the current presidential election. On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote:

“I hate Taylor Swift!”

Donald Trump leveled an attack against Taylor Swift, declaring his hatred for her just days after the pop mega-star endorsed Kamala Harris for president https://t.co/87lbEVpvic

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 15, 2024

Trump’s strange post came days after the singer announced her support for the Democrats in a post on Instagram on the night of the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

In her post, Taylor Swift said she picked Harris for president and stressed that the country could achieve much more if it were guided by serenity rather than chaos.

In her post, which quickly received over 11 million likes, she encouraged her fans to get involved in the democratic process by doing their own research into each candidate’s policies before making a decision. This message doesn’t seem to have gone down well with the former president.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

Trump’s rancor towards the singer comes after he attempted to create, using artificial intelligence, images of Taylor Swift and her fans supporting Trump.

These images were intended to grossly exploit her popularity and image without her consent.

The star added that these events had prompted her desire to clarify her true voting intentions in order to combat misinformation.

This seems to also have greatly annoyed Trump.

Taylor Swift reaffirmed her comments by using her platform at the MTV Video Music Awards to encourage young voters to cast their ballots.