Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida

As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida with devastating force and recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene stagnate, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, issued a stern warning to those seeking to profit off Americans in crisis. “Americans impacted by a crisis should never be ripped off,” Harris said, condemning price gouging and fraud.“Those evacuating before Hurricane Milton or recovering from Hurricane Helene should not be subject to illegal price gouging or fraud – at the pump, airport, or hotel counter,” Harris demanded.Hurricane Milton, now a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph, is expected to land between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Thursday. The National Hurricane Center has urged Floridians to complete all protective measures immediately, as storm surge warnings are in effect along nearly the entire western coast. Tampa to Fort Myers could face storm surges of up to 15 feet, while the Orlando area is bracing for up to 15 inches of rain and a severe flooding threat.President Joe Biden, who called the storm potentially “one of the worst storms in 100 years in Florida,” urged residents in its path to evacuate immediately, stressing, “It’s a matter of life and death, and that’s...