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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Recovery efforts in Florida: “At least 16 people have been confirmed dead in Florida after tornadoes touched down and Hurricane Milton slammed into the state this week, leaving a trail of damage and devastation. Millions of customers are still without electricity.”
* In related news: “During a briefing on recovery efforts after Hurricane Milton, President Biden continued to speak out against the ‘disgusting’ and ‘dangerous’ misinformation being spread about the federal government’s response to recent hurricanes.”
* In the Middle East: “Bracing itself for a retaliatory strike from Israel, Iran has been urging its Arab neighbors not to allow Israel to use their airspace, two diplomats from Gulf nations told NBC News on Friday.”
* In related news: “With Israel’s sabotage and military operations in Lebanon taking out many of Hezbollah’s senior leaders, some in Washington and elsewhere believe there may be a window for a new push to break the political deadlock in Lebanon to try to ease escalating war.”
* If this is true, it’s extraordinary: “North Korean soldiers are supporting Russian troops on the ground, and some may have already been killed and injured, South Korean and Ukrainian officials said this week, raising questions about whether the military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has advanced to a new stage.”
* The latest in Trump’s federal elections case: “The federal judge overseeing the 2020 election case against former President Donald J. Trump on Thursday approved a limited release of a compilation of evidence against him, but stayed her order for a week in case Mr. Trump’s legal team wants to challenge the disclosure.”
* Following up on a story I mentioned a while back: “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted preliminary approval for the use of a material that contains radioactive radium in a Florida road project that’s being described as a ‘pilot.’ The EPA said Wednesday that it would grant a pending approval to Mosaic Fertilizer LLC to use a material called phosphogypsum in a few sections of road on the company’s property.”
* It’s a worthwhile fact check, to be sure, though it’s a shame that it’s necessary: “Science educator Bill Nye spoke out on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) recent comments suggesting hurricanes are controlled by the government, calling the theories ‘physically impossible.’”
Have a safe weekend.