SUMMARY: Hurricane Helen is hours away from making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, currently a category 3 storm with winds reaching 120 mph. Tens of thousands are under mandatory evacuation as forecasters warn of an imminent, dangerous scenario with possible 20-foot storm surges capable of destroying homes and cutting off escape routes. Federal rescue teams are prepared for those who may ignore warnings. After hitting Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba, Helen’s strength is expected to increase, bringing widespread power outages and heightened threats of flash floods and tornadoes across Florida and neighboring states. Residents are urged to stay off the roads.

Hurricane Helene is now just hours from making landfall in Florida, most likely in the Big Bend region along the Gulf of Mexico.

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SUMMARY: At a rally near Charlotte, North Carolina, former President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran, suggesting that if he were president, he would threaten to destroy Iranian cities in response to any harm against him. His comments followed a briefing from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence about specific threats from Iran aimed at his assassination. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that the U.S. is monitoring ongoing threats from Iran against multiple officials. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris was in Pittsburgh, addressing economic issues during the same time.

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SUMMARY: Issue 2 in Arkansas concerns the potential revocation of the casino license allocated to Pope County. Following a 2018 amendment that allowed casinos in four counties, Pope County’s residents voted against this initiative. In response, local advocates gathered enough signatures to propose a new amendment. Issue 2 will be presented to voters, asking whether the state‘s authority should be used to rescind Pope County’s license. Additionally, the amendment proposes changes to how other counties might obtain casino licenses in the future, highlighting ongoing legal and procedural implications for Arkansas’s gaming landscape.

Political ads for Issue 2 are everywhere, but what does it mean for Arkansas voters? Here’s how the proposed amendment could reshape casino licensing in the state.

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