As Hurricane Milton roared ashore near Sarasota, Florida, tens of thousands of people were in evacuation shelters. Hundreds of thousands more had fled coastal regions ahead of the storm, crowding highways headed north and south as their counties issued evacuation orders.

But not everyone left, despite dire warnings about a hurricane ...Read more

NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs is due to appear in Manhattan federal court Thursday for a pretrial conference in his sex trafficking and racketeering case as he pushes to get out of jail and go on trial by next spring.

Combs’ lawyers are expected to ask a judge to set a trial date for next April or May and expand on their allegations ...Read more

BEIRUT — As Israel's invasion of Lebanon intensifies and brings more destruction on the Mediterranean nation, anger among the Lebanese with Israel is, not surprisingly, at an all-time high.

But displeasure with its foe, Hezbollah, is also growing.

With 1,400 Lebanese dead and more than 1 million displaced nationwide — a fifth of the ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that while Hurricane Milton has been destructive, it could have been a lot worse, as the state focused efforts on recovery hours after the storm moved away from the state.

He spoke from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office in Fort Pierce, which was among the damaged structures amid a spate ...Read more

MAYS LANDING, N.J. — The mayor of Atlantic City and his wife, the superintendent of schools, pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the alleged physical and emotional abuse of their teenaged daughter in a joint three-minute arraignment.

Mayor Marty Small Sr. greeted supporters in the courtroom with a smile, but then stood grim-faced ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Hurricane Milton made landfall on Siesta Key on the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday night as a major Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds as the state endured an assault of at least 19 tornadoes that resulted in multiple deaths. It never lost hurricane strength as it crossed the state exiting near Cape Canaveral on Thursday ...Read more

DENVER — Last month’s East Coast hurricane could mean hospitals in Colorado will need to urge patients to try water or electrolyte drinks before using an IV line to keep them hydrated.

Hurricane Helene flooded and severely damaged a plant in North Carolina owned by Baxter International. The company manufactures about 1.5 million bags of ...Read more

MIAMI — As Taylor Swift gears up to play in Miami next weekend, she is already helping the folks in Florida reeling from back to back hurricanes.

The pop star has donated $5 million in relief efforts for communities struggling in the wake of monster storms Helene, which walloped the Big Bend last month, and Milton, which made landfall on ...Read more

BOSTON — The family of the Danvers math teacher killed and raped in a school bathroom says they will continue to endure “senseless judicial proceedings” as they “owe it” to her and her memory.

Colleen Ritzer’s family released an emotional statement Wednesday after her killer Philip Chism’s attorneys argued for the state Supreme ...Read more

Colorado voters will decide via Proposition 127 on the state ballot whether the decades-old hunting of mountain lions and bobcat trapping should continue — or be banned outright.

The measure has stirred fervent support among animal welfare advocates and fierce denouncement by major hunting organizations. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which ...Read more

MIAMI — At least four people died in an unprecedented wave of tornadoes that swirled across Florida ahead of the arrival of Category 3 Hurricane Milton, which crossed the state from Sarasota to the Space Coast Wednesday evening.

A series of twisters that struck St. Lucie County left at least four dead and, in a display of their power, ripped ...Read more

MIAMI — Miami-Dade and Broward county schools announced on Thursday that classes will resume Friday after two days of closures in anticipation of Hurricane Milton.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools announced that all public schools and facilities will reopen Friday and all Adult Education classes, after-care programs, athletics and school ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said the state moved a 10,000-person base camp it had set up at the Tampa Bay Rays stadium to help with the post-storm recovery after it became clear that Hurricane Milton would pose a threat to the structure, located in St. Petersburg.

Ultimately, the Category 3 storm ripped off large swaths...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Firefighters rushed to free people trapped in rubble in Palm Beach County on Wednesday after a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction in the region.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue says at least 40 units of firefighters went to help people Wednesday afternoon while one of the tornadoes still was ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 600,000 Central Florida customers are without power Thursday morning, after high winds from Hurricane Milton brought down utility lines throughout the region.

Volusia and Lake counties had the highest rate of outages in the region, with more than half of utility customers left in the dark after the storm roared ...Read more