Hurricane Helene leaves millions without power after making landfall in Florida

Today, emergency teams attempted to quickly rescue people stuck in flooded Florida homes after Helene, a strong Category 4 hurricane, struck the coast, according to AP News.

The powerful storm surge took out power lines, affecting millions of people in the southeast region, where there have been 22 reported deaths, according to NBC.

Helene made landfall late on Thursday in the sparsely populated Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast, where winds reached up to 140 mph, only 20 miles northwest of where Hurricane Idalia struck last year.

The governors of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and both of the Carolinas declared state-wide emergencies on Thursday.

In Florida, school districts and universities canceled classes, and airports shut down in anticipation of the damage. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleads not guilty to charges in his federal corruption case

Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and two counts of illegal campaign contributions, according to CNN.

Adams, a Democrat elected in 2021, denied any wrongdoing and emphasized his plan to remain in office.

“I look forward to defending myself and defending the people of this city as I’ve done throughout my entire professional career,” Adams said on Thursday.

Adams is accused of seeking and accepting benefits in 23 separate acts between 2016 and October 2023. The benefits include free flights, hotel rooms and campaign donations from foreign nationals, according to a 57-page, 15,000-word indictment.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s team says that she is considering removing Adams from office, a power she has under state law, but no decision has been announced as of Friday morning.

“No one is above the law, including the mayor of New York City,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Thursday. “The charges are serious, and the legal process should now play out speedily and fairly.”

Supreme Court of Texas denies Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Texas State Fair gun ban appeal

The Supreme Court of Texas denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s petition and allowed the Texas State Fair to move ahead with the enforcement of its firearm ban late Thursday night, according to NBCDFW.

Paxton took his challenge of the State Fair of Texas’ gun ban to the Supreme Court of Texas on Wednesday after losing arguments in a Dallas district court and a state appeals court.

Justice Jimmy Blacklock responded to Paxton’s appeal by stating, “The State’s presentation to this Court takes no position on whether the State Fair of Texas, a private entity, has the legal authority to exclude patrons carrying handguns from the Fair.”

Paxton’s petition filed with the Texas Supreme Court was intended to prevent the city of Dallas from helping the State Fair of Texas enforce the firearm ban at Fair Park.

Paxton stated Friday morning that he intends to keep fighting against the ban by working with the state legislature, which meets next January. 

“Texans have a right to lawfully carry and the City of Dallas has no authority to contract their rights away to a private entity,” Paxton said in a statement on Friday morning. “This case is not over. I will continue to fight this on the merits to uphold Texans’ ability to defend themselves, which is protected by State law. While Texas clearly prohibits this type of gun ban, I will be working with the Legislature this session to protect law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights on public property.”

Dame Maggie Smith, actress in “Harry Potter” and “Downton Abbey,” dead at 89

Award-winning British actress Dame Maggie Smith, known for her roles as Professor McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” movie series and Violet Crawley in the “Downton Abbey” TV series, has died at 89, according to CBS.

Smith died peacefully in the hospital early Friday morning, according to a statement from her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens.

“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” publicist Clair Dobbs said.

Margaret Natalie Smith, known as Maggie on stage, was born in Ilford, Essex, on Dec. 28, 1934. When she was four years old, her family moved to Oxford, where she eventually began studying acting at the Oxford Playhouse when she was 16.

Throughout her prolific career, she earned one Academy Award, three Golden Globes, a Tony award and five British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).

Smith was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knight, in 1990.