Hurricane Milton is expected to be a "dangerous major hurricane" when it reaches Florida's west-central coast Wednesday night as the storm remains on track for a potentially calamitous landfall near or just south of Tampa Bay.
Threat level: The storm track is looking likely to slip just south of Tampa Bay to a point between there and Sarasota. Where the peak surge hits will cause widespread, potentially "catastrophic" destruction, the National Weather Service warned.
Why it matters: Grazer, the reigning champ of Fat Bear Week, repeated as the chubbiest again this year by besting her nemesis, Chunk, a dominant male bear who previously killed one of her cubs.
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.
