Compiled by Dr. Ghislaine Lewis

Pentagon deploys forces to North Carolina in Helene’s wake

BY LOLITA C. BALDOR

The Pentagon has deployed 1,500 active duty forces to North Carolina to help with emergency route clearance, helicopter search-and-rescue and the delivery of food, water and other resources in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said There are roughly 5,000 National Guard members from 19 different states working in North Carolina.

Members of the Florida Army National Guard stage on a beach as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In Florida, more than 5,000 members of the state’s National Guard have been mobilized to prepare for Hurricane Milton. Additionally, U.S. Army North is prepositioning high water vehicles and helicopters for search and rescue operations.

Hezbollah steps up rocket fire as Israel sends more troops into Lebanon

BY  BASSEM MROUE AND TIA GOLDENBERG

BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah fired another barrage of rockets into Israel on Tuesday, and the militant group’s acting leader vowed to keep up pressure that has forced tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes near the Lebanese border. The Israeli military said it sent more ground troops into southern Lebanon and that a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in an airstrike.

Dozens of rockets fired by Hezbollah were aimed as far south as Haifa, and the Israeli government warned residents north of the coastal city to limit activities, prompting the closure of more schools. The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched about 180 rockets across the border.

Sheikh Naim Kassem, Hezbollah’s acting leader, said its military capabilities remain intact after weeks of heavy Israeli airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon, and attacks that killed its top commanders in a matter of days. He said Israeli forces have not been able to advance since launching a ground incursion into Lebanon last week.

Courts keep weighing in on abortion. Next month’s elections could mean even bigger changes

BY  GEOFF MULVIHILL

Two court rulings Monday bolstered abortion opponents, with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Texas could ban emergency abortions if they violate state law and Georgia’s top court allowing enforcement of the abortion ban in that state.

The rulings are the latest in a legal saga that’s been playing out a few rulings at a time across the U.S. for the past two years — since the nation’s top court overturned Roe v. Wade, ended the nationwide right to abortion, and opened the door to bans and restrictions, as well as the new legal fights that followed.

Meanwhile, abortion is also a top concern for voters ahead of next month’s elections, including in nine states where it’s on the ballot directly in the form of state constitutional amendments.