Authorities are warning of the major risks posed by electric vehicles in flooded areas, due to the salt water brought in by the hurricane, while, at the same time, a surveillance video showing a Tesla in a flooded garage in Florida, after the devastating passage of Hurricane Helene, has gone viral.
Hurricane Helene Saltwater Sparks Tesla Fire in Florida Garage on Video | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/Kcl8x46BxZ
An incident in Siesta Key, Florida, following flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, has raised concerns about the safety of electric cars in contact with salt water.
Getty Images
Authorities in Pinellas County, Florida, were keen to warn the public about the risks associated with electric cars by releasing an alarming video following the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
The striking images show Tesla’s electric vehicle catching fire in a flooded garage.
captureAccuWeather
Authorities warn that electric car contact with seawater can damage lithium-ion batteries and create a fire hazard.
Getty Images
Hurricane Helene’s devastating devastation has already claimed more than 100 lives.
Donald Trump, the former president, caused controversy at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, this weekend by suggesting that America could benefit from a “violent day” to fight crime.
Many were quick to express outrage at Donald Trump’s comments, which seem to be inspired by the fictional plot of horror films The Purge.
Addressing his gathered supporters, he claimed that a tough, even violent, police response would solve the crime problem.
He suggested having “one really violent day,” would end shoplifting crimes immediately.
“One rough hour, and I mean real rough,” is another option, according to Trump.
Getty Images
Reactions to Trump’s remarks were swift and numerous, with some comparing them to Germany’s Kristallnacht in November 1938, while others pointed out that he was literally proposing the Purge.
They mentioned the similarities to The Purge movies, where all crimes, including murder, are allowed for 12 hours, while the rest of the year is crime-free.
Getty Images
In his speech, Trump blamed the rising crime rate on Democratic policies and immigrants.
However, the misinformation mentioned by the former president is part of a fictional narrative, as crime has actually decreased from levels seen in recent years.
Getty Images
Critics blame Trump for his inflammatory language, which they believe is likely to lead to violence, citing as an example the consequences of his comments leading to the Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021.
The Democratic Party campaign office in Tempe, Arizona, was recently the target once again of a worrying attack, with police called after reports of gunshots heard on site on September 23.
This was the second shooting targeting the office in a week, sparking fear among employees and residents alike of traveling to the area concerned.
According to investigators, the door and windows of the Tempe office received at least five bullet holes. Fortunately, no one was in the building at the time the shots were reported.
CaptureABC15Arizona
Police, concerned for the safety of those working in and around the building, said they would be stepping up their presence in the area and taking additional measures to ensure public safety, while investigating the motives behind the attacks.
It should be remembered that a week earlier, the same office was attacked on the night of September 16, with impacts from projectiles appearing to be fired from a pellet or BB gun, according to investigators.
Getty Images
Yolanda Bejarano, chairwoman of the Arizona Democratic Party, announced that the party was working with law enforcement to take these threats very seriously and guarantee the safety of all its staff.
In the run-up to the election, campaign tensions are at their highest after two alleged assassination attempts targeting Republican candidate Donald Trump, as well as threats to Vice President Harris’s campaign office.
Getty Images
Security surrounding both candidates is at its tightest.
Harris will soon visit Arizona as part of her campaign, a key state she hopes to conquer, having been narrowly won by Joe Biden in 2020.
Mark Zuckerberg is to be heard in a major lawsuit concerning artificial intelligence and copyright, brought by several authors, including comedian Sarah Silverman.
Mark Zuckerberg Must Face Deposition in Sarah Silverman's AI Lawsuit Against Meta https://t.co/AYmfuQfJf4
On September 25, a judge rejected the defense’s request to prevent the deposition of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, pointing out that he would have played a central role in the company’s decisions regarding its artificial intelligence technology.
Getty Images
Sarah Silverman, along with two other authors, Chris Golden and Richard Kadrey, filed a lawsuit in July 2023 against OpenAI and Meta, accusing them of copyright infringement.
In particular, the authors claim that these companies have illegally copied their books and used them to train AI systems without their consent, attribution or compensation.
Getty Images
In his decision, the judge states that the evidence presented by the plaintiff, including an article published in the New York Times, suggests that Zuckerberg would have directly and intensively supervised the development of artificial intelligence at Meta.
This evidence is deemed sufficient to warrant a court hearing.
Getty Images
This artificial intelligence dispute deserves particular attention, as the development and use of this technology has grown explosively in recent years, raising important ethical questions.
Notably, recently, a voice strongly resembling Scarlett Johansson’s was used without her consent for an OpenAI voice feature, which the latter vigorously denounced.
Trump responded to the threats by posting on his social networks that Iran poses a great threat to his life and that all US military personnel are “attentive” to the situation.
Getty Images
According to Trump, Iran has already tried to assassinate him, but it didn’t work and, he believes, they will try again.
It’s impossible to know at present whether the two assassination attempts against him are linked to Iran, apart from the fact that Ryan Routh, the suspect in the failed assassination attempt on his Florida golf course, is said to have written in a book calling on Iran to assassinate him after the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike ordered by Trump on January 20, 2020.
Getty Images
According to a statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned Trump’s team of real and specific threats from the Iranian government, as well as attempts to interfere as part of a broader effort to destabilize the United States.
Getty Images
Hackers associated with the Iranian government also reportedly stole sensitive data to pass on to other candidates and media outlets.
Trump also expressed gratitude for Congress’s approval of additional funding for the Secret Service, a bipartisan measure he was keen to highlight.
Getty Images
Trump said he was now surrounded by more men, guns and weapons than he had ever seen before.
An error that occurred when the absentee voting system for foreign voters and military personnel in Montana went online caused concern, but the election authorities quickly took steps to remedy the situation.
According to reports, online ballots for Montana overseas voters did not initially include Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris among the candidates.
In fact, it was thanks to a voter who received the online ballot and noticed Kamala Harris’s absence that election authorities were alerted shortly after the launch last Friday.
Getty Images
Montana’s Secretary of State, Republican Christi Jacobsen, has been heavily criticized for the error, which could have had serious consequences for the integrity of the electoral process.
It also raises questions about Jacobsen’s oversight of the electoral process, a Republican elected official, at a time when Republicans, led by Trump, are working hard to cast doubt on the reliability and validity of elections.
Getty Images
Jacobsen spokeswoman Richie Melby said the system had been taken offline to give the supplier time to resolve the problem. The system was back online on Friday afternoon and the error only affected the online platform, according to Melby.
Melby also assured that Kamala Harris’ name would appear on printed general election ballots.
Getty Images
Jacobsen’s rival for the next election, Jesse Mullen, publicly denounced Jacobsen’s negligence.
He demanded a full explanation of how this error occurred and what steps will be taken to prevent it from happening again in the next election, while expressing his distrust of the Secretary of State.
I ask that Secretary Jacobsen provide a public explanation of how this error happened, whether or not processes are being followed to prevent it from happening in future elections, and proof that those processes were followed in prior elections. https://t.co/vQb6IIbm3z
Cases of whooping cough, or Pertussis, are now a major public health problem in the USA and Canada.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of cases reported in the USA has quadrupled compared to the previous year.
The U.S. is experiencing more than four times as many whooping cough cases compared with last year — a spike that some experts attribute to post-pandemic vaccine fatigue. https://t.co/qPPns9xhNv
Nearly 15,000 cases were reported in the USA this year, a dramatic increase on the 3,475 reported the previous year.
This increase in cases reflects both the trends towards a return of pertussis, as well as the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with declining levels of vaccination in particular.
Many children were unable to receive their usual vaccinations due to reduced medical consultations during the pandemic. At the same time, some parents became increasingly wary of vaccines.
Getty Images
In the United States, it’s most evident in New York, Pennsylvania and California. Pennsylvania alone has reported over 2,000 cases this year.
Canada is also facing difficulties, with over 12,000 cases reported in August, compared with the usual 1,000 to 3,000 infections per year. Provinces such as Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick are seeing a worrying increase in cases. Quebec alone recorded more than 6,000 cases this year, according to data published in August.
Getty Images
It’s important to remember that pertussis symptoms can mimic those of other common respiratory conditions, making early diagnosis more difficult and increasing the risk of transmission. As the disease progresses, people may experience a strong cough, often accompanied by a sound when out of breath, and this cough may persist for several months. More severe symptoms may require hospitalization.
Getty Images
The CDC and Health Canada recommend updating immunization records with DTaP for young children or Tdap for older children and adults.
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.
Getty Images
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
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.
CaptureFox35Orlando
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
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.
Getty Images
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.
Getty Images
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.
Getty Images
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.
Getty Images
Several members of the Trump family have already been paid for their participation in events related to Donald Trump’s political interests.
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.
Getty Images
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
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.
Getty Images
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.
Getty Images
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.
Getty Images
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.
Getty Images
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.
