Today: The Fury of Hurricane Michael

Oct. 11, 2018 5 AM PT

Parts of Florida are reeling from a massive storm as it moves across the southeastern U.S.

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The Fury of Hurricane Michael

Officials in Florida are still only beginning to assess the damage after Hurricane Michael, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the United States, slammed into the panhandle region. One man was reported killed after a tree collapsed on a home Wednesday evening. The storm is continuing its path inland, bringing danger from winds, rain and flash floods to parts of Georgia and Alabama. Here is the latest from the scene.

A Historic Election, Before It Even Happens

The midterm election is just under a month away, but already it is proving to be a political showdown unlike any other in at least two respects. The first is the growing presence of female candidates: A record number of women are running for the U.S. House and Senate, as well as state legislatures and governorships. The second is the level of fundraising engagement from small donors for Democrats running for Congress: Even long-shot candidates have been reporting once unheard-of sums in their bids against Republicans.

More Politics

-- Rising interest rates, concerns about the GOP tax cut and worries about a trade war with China fueled an 832-point drop in the stock market Wednesday. Trump’s reaction: “The Fed has gone crazy.”

-- Trump talked recently with Jeff Sessions’ own chief of staff about replacing Sessions as attorney general, according to people briefed on the conversation.

-- To build a border wall, federal officials say they’re waiving nearly 30 environmental laws in Texas in the interest of homeland security.

The Crown Prince, and the Dissident Who Disappeared

Six months ago, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman toured the U.S., meeting with President Trump, Silicon Valley bigwigs and Hollywood powerbrokers. Now he is under a cloud of suspicion, after one of his critics, journalist Jamal Khashoggi, walked into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and hasn’t been seen since. Media reports have cited Turkish investigators as saying they believe Khashoggi was killed and dismembered. American intelligence reportedly indicates the crown prince ordered a plan to detain him. The kingdom has maintained its innocence.

It’ll Be a Little Shaky: You’ve Been Warned

California is getting closer to having an earthquake warning system that is expected to be the most sophisticated in the world. But before you start receiving alerts on your cellphone, scientists want you to know that no system is perfect. As residents of Japan and Mexico can tell you, there will be false alarms and missed warnings – but, they believe, the benefits outweigh the imperfections.

Bad Blood — White House Remix

Trump and his advisor/son-in-law Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet with Kanye West today at the White House after Yeezy’s pro-Trump speechifying on “Saturday Night Live.” Meanwhile, Trump says he likes Taylor Swift’s music “about 25% less” after she voiced her support of Democrats in Tennessee. Did anyone see this iteration of the on-again, off-again feud between West and Swift coming? TV critic Lorraine Ali takes it all in.

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MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- In these award-winning microscopic videos, you can watch a zebrafish embryo develop, a laser light show through a film of soap and more.

CALIFORNIA

-- California and two other states are nearing an agreement on how to share water delivery cuts if a formal shortage is declared on the lower Colorado River.

-- L.A. is preparing to crack down on homeless camps in certain areas, but civil rights lawyers say the sweeps raise serious constitutional issues.

-- A new analysis finds eliminating the inheritance tax break for vacation houses and rental property could raise $2 billion a year in property taxes over time.

-- Three women have filed a federal lawsuit against Huntington Memorial Hospital and one of its longtime obstetricians, alleging he subjected them to unwanted sexual remarks.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Why is the Petersen Automotive Museum ignoring the racist past of artist Von Dutch? Critic Christopher Knight says the full picture should be presented in the museum’s new show.

-- For Drew Goddard, who wrote and directed the new film “Bad Times at the El Royale,” predictability is death.

-- Thanks to Hollywood, Ronald Reagan is back … as a digital hologram at the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

On this date in 1981, the Rolling Stones played the second of two concerts at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Why did fans pack themselves into a huge stadium when Mick Jagger and Co. appeared as specks on a faraway stage? At least one said, it’s “the last chance we may have to see them.”

NATION-WORLD

-- Richard Pinedo of Santa Paula, Calif., was sentenced to six months in prison for unwittingly helping the Russian effort to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

-- A Chinese spy who allegedly attempted to steal trade secrets from American aviation and aerospace companies has been charged and extradited to the U.S. from Belgium.

-- Taiwan’s president accused China of ratcheting up military and diplomatic pressure on her self-ruled island, adding another layer of tension with Beijing.

-- A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has some advice for scientists seeking life beyond Earth. The odds are much better than previously thought.

BUSINESS

-- The Walt Disney Co. has canceled plans to build a 700-room luxury hotel near its Anaheim resort, citing the city’s elimination of a tax rebate agreement.

-- WarnerMedia, the parent company of Hollywood studio Warner Bros., says it’s starting a streaming service to compete with Netflix and Disney.

SPORTS

-- Curtis Granderson was left off the Dodgers’ World Series roster last year; tomorrow he could face his old team as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.

-- Frank Stronach has sued his daughter Belinda in a family battle over a racetrack empire that includes Santa Anita.

OPINION

-- Noncitizens were registered to vote? Put California’s bungled “motor voter” system on hold right away.

-- Let’s get to the bottom of California’s 22-cents-a-gallon mystery surcharge and forget about the gas tax.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Fact-checking Trump’s USA Today op-ed on “Medicare-for-All.” Spoiler alert: Nearly every line contained a false or misleading statement. (Washington Post)

-- Do you like political correctness? A report finds most Americans don’t. (The Atlantic)

-- Moons can apparently have their own moons. The name? Moonmoons. (Quartz)

ONLY IN L.A.

Mikey Alfred founded his own skateboard and clothing line when he was 12, went on tour with rapper Tyler the Creator at 15 and used film producer Robert Evans’ home address so he could do his senior year at Beverly Hills High. So it only stands to reason that he’s branched out into the movie business with a co-producer credit on the skateboarding film “Mid90s.” Here’s how this kid got in the picture.

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