Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris accused each other of playing "political games" over reports that he wouldn't take the Democratic presidential candidate's calls on Hurricane Helene, which he denies.
Why it matters: The state is now staring down the threat of the "extremely dangerous" Hurricane Milton this week as officials respond to the aftermath of Helene, which struck nearly two weeks ago.
The big picture: A slew ofconspiracy theories rapidly spread online in the wake of the storm — which left more than 200 people dead across six states — about aid to hard-hit communities and employees on the ground.
American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for their discovery of microRNA, which plays a critical role in gene regulation.
Why it matters: Understanding gene regulation has been a key goal for scientists for decades. When the process goes wrong, it can lead to diseases like cancer or diabetes, the Nobel committee said in a press release.
Hurricane Milton is intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to become a major hurricane of at least Category 4 intensity by Tuesday.
Threat level: Milton was upgraded to hurricane status Sunday, and is forecast to become a major storm by Monday before hitting the damaged west coast of Florida on Wednesday into Thursday.
