Thursday, September 26, 2024 |
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Thursday, September 26, 2024 |
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Good Thursday afternoon. Hurricane Helene is now a major Category 3 storm closing in on Florida, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal corruption charges, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed Israel will fight with “full force” in Lebanon. Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown. |
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Hurricane Helene reaches Category 3, expected to strengthen before Florida landfall |
Hurricane Helenehas intensified into a major Category 3 hurricane, and additional strengthening is expected before it makes landfall in Florida this evening as a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm, forecasters say. As of the latest update, Helene was about 170 miles southwest of Tampa, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, and moving northeast at 16 mph. On the current track, Helene will make landfall this evening in the Florida Big Bend region, where mandatory evacuations have been ordered in several counties. Helene is expected to bring up to 20 feet of “life-threatening” storm surge to the Florida Panhandle, where the forecasters have said the inundation will be “unsurvivable” in some areas. States of emergency have been declared in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina ahead of the storm. Follow Hurricane Helene’s path with our storm tracker. |
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams federally indicted for fraud and bribery |
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been hit with five federal charges, including wire fraud, bribery and solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, in an indictment accusing him of illegal actions dating back several years. “For nearly a decade, Adams sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign businesspeople and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him,” the indictment reads. Federal prosecutors accuse Adams of accepting illegal campaign donations and receiving lavish benefits from a Turkish official, including free air travel, rooms at opulent hotels, and “luxurious” entertainment. In exchange, the indictment alleges that Adams pressured the New York Fire department to approve a new Turkish consular building without a fire inspection. “We are not surprised. We expected this,” Adams said at a press conference after the indictment was unsealed. “I ask New Yorkers to wait to hear our defense before making any judgments.” The Adams administration was already reeling from a series of high-ranking resignations amid four federal investigations. He is now the first sitting mayor of New York City to be charged with a federal crime. |
Netanyahu vows to continue strikes with “full force” in Lebanon despite U.S. push for cease-fire |
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will continue striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon with “full force,” his office said, despite a U.S.-backed push for a cease-fire. “Our policy, is clear. We continue to hit Hezbollah with all our might,” Netanyahu said today, after arriving in New York ahead of his speech to the U.N. General Assembly Friday. “We will not stop until we achieve all our goals.” The U.S. and allies have called for a 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah, but Netanyahu’s office said he “did not even respond” to the proposal. Israel’s military launched a new wave of airstrikes today on southern Lebanon, and said it killed a Hezbollah drone commander with a precision strike in Beirut. |
Harris meets with Zelenskyy, Trump holds meetings with India and Poland leaders |
With 40 days left until the election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are spending part of the day holding meetings with foreign leaders. Harris is meeting in Washington, D.C., with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has drawn fire from conservatives during his visit to the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly, after he criticized Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD. Vance, as “too radical.” At a campaign event in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump slammed Zelenskyy for refusing to “make a deal” to end Russia’s unprovoked war on his country, displaying the growing partisan divide over support for Ukraine. Today, Trump is holding meetings in New York, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, and is expected to hold a news conference later this afternoon. |
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What else we're watching: |
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Bryan Kohberger, the suspect charged with murdering four Idaho college students in 2022, is expected to face a new judge today, after his trial venue was changed. |
Rudy Giuliani has been disbarred in Washington, D.C., for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, months after he lost his law license in New York. |
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Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. |
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