Shownotes Transcript
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear.
While the administration has sent thousands of active military, National Guard troops and federal disaster workers to some of the areas most affected by Hurricane Helene, there continues to be misinformation and conspiracy theories. Speaking before boarding a plane today, Vice President Kamala Harris said some of the falsehoods about what's being made available are coming from a Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. It's extraordinarily irresponsible. It's about him. It's not about you. And the reality
is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them. Erroneous claims range from people whose home or saying people whose homes are washed away will lose their property to other inaccuracies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency termed it demoralizing, noting the fear and mistrust it creates among vulnerable victims.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton is now strengthened to a Category 5 storm. It presents packing sustained winds of 180 miles an hour. This forecast will make landfall on the Florida coast late Wednesday. Gabriella Paul of member station WUSF spoke with residents across Hillsborough County on the potential path of the storm. Across the county, roads are busy. There's winding lines of cars at many gas stations. And grocery stores are full of shoppers, especially closer to the coast.
Deborah Steele says her South Tampa neighborhood was spared during Hurricane Helene.
Standing in the cart bay at Publix, she held back tears. She's afraid that won't be the case this time. I wasn't scared with that one, but I'm scared now. And it's just a matter of where do you go? I don't know where to go. She lives in a mandatory evacuation zone, but she's planning to shelter in place with her son, three dogs, and a cat. Steele says she would rather take her chances than get stuck in traffic from mass evacuations when hurricane force winds and rains start.
For NPR News, I'm Gabriela Paul in Tampa. The UN Relief Agency for Palestinians says its deputy operations manager was killed by the Israeli military over the weekend. It happened as Israel increased its military assault in northern Gaza. Bure's Kat Lonsdorf has more. Ahed Limqeyed worked in northern Gaza for UNRWA, one of the main aid providers in Gaza.
The U.N. says that he was killed by an Israeli drone on Sunday morning in the northern city of Jabalia. The Israeli military did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the incident. Lamkayed's killing comes as tensions continue to grow between Israeli officials and the United Nations. Two bills aiming at banning UNRWA's operations in Israel and the occupied territories advanced in Israel's Knesset on Sunday, labeling UNRWA a terrorist organization.
That's after an internal U.N. investigation found that some of UNRWA employees in Gaza may have been involved in the Hamas-led attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel last October 7th, triggering the current war in Gaza. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. On Wall Street, stocks lost ground today. The Dow fell 398 points to 41,954. The Nasdaq was down 213 points. You're listening to NPR.
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