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President Biden has told people in Florida affected by two major hurricanes in recent weeks he knows “how devastating it is to lose your home”.

He told reporters his home was struck by lightning “several years ago” and the things he missed most were “my daughter’s drawings… All the family photographs, all the albums, all the things that really matter.

“The fact is that when you lose your wedding ring, the old photos, your children’s and family’s keepsakes, things that can’t be replaced… sometimes, in my own experience, that’s the part that hurts the most,” said the president.

He was in Florida to survey the damage done by Hurricane Milton, a huge storm that swept into the state on Wednesday evening.

It was the second major storm to hit Florida in recent weeks, and the state is suffering millions of dollars of damage.

The president took an aerial tour of affected areas in a helicopter, on his way to the Florida city of St Petersburg.

Marine One takes Joe Biden for a aerial tour of areas devastated by Hurricanes Milton and Helene in recent weeks. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A helicopter takes President Biden for an aerial tour of areas devastated by Hurricanes Milton and Helene in recent weeks. Pic: Reuters

At least 17 people died during Hurricane Milton which came just two weeks after Hurricane Helene killed 236 people across six states, including in Florida.

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People are still struggling to get access to electricity and fuel in some parts of Florida, where flooding continues.

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Florida before and after Hurricane Milton

River waters are continuing to rise around Tampa Bay and some parts of Orlando, according to the National Weather Service’s website, which warned that more flooding is on the way.

President Biden urged Congress to approve additional emergency disaster funding.

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He has been pressing House Speaker Mike Johnson to approve more aid money before the US election on 5 November, but Mr Johnson maintains the issue will be dealt with after the vote.

The aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Pic: NBC
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The aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Pic: NBC

The president used his Florida trip to announce $612m (£468m) in funding for state energy projects to try to improve the region’s electricity grid to make it more resilient.

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The science behind Hurricane Milton

The devastating hurricanes have turned into a political campaigning point for both parties, with less than four weeks to go until the hotly contested US election.

Donald Trump said the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene was lacking while President Biden and Kamala Harris criticised Mr Trump for spreading misinformation.

A property damaged after Hurricane Milton made landfall, in Lakewood Park, near Fort Pierce, in St. Lucie County, Florida, U.S., October 10, 2024.  REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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A property damaged after Hurricane Milton made landfall in St Lucie County, Florida. Pic: Reuters

Meteorologists have reportedly facing death threats after misinformation was spread online about Hurricane Milton.

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Some, including Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, spread lies suggesting meteorologists and those in power could control hurricanes and had created Milton on purpose.

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“Murdering meteorologists won’t stop hurricanes. I can’t believe I just had to type that,” wrote meteorologist Katie Nickolaou on X after someone used her social media page to call for the death of meteorologists.

Donald Trump told his supporters at a rally that the Democrats had stolen disaster relief funds meant for hurricane victims “so they could give it to their illegal immigrants”.

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American Airlines forced to ground all US flights

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American Airlines forced to ground all US flights

American Airlines was forced to ground all flights in the US on Christmas Eve due to an unspecified technical issue.

The airline did not immediately say why it was stopping all flights, but social media was quickly abuzz with travellers worrying about getting to their loved ones for the holiday.

A groundstop notice was lifted not long after it was issued, but the possibility of disruption remains with so many flights needing to make up time.

Earlier on Tuesday, the airline said on social media: “An estimated timeframe has not been provided, but they’re trying to fix it in the shortest possible time.”

The Federal Aviation Agency said American Airlines was reporting “a technical issue and has requested a nationwide ground stop”.

In an update on Tuesday afternoon it said: “American Airlines reported a technical issue this morning and requested a nationwide ground stop. The ground stop has now been lifted.”

Air traffic control notice
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The groundstop notice that was later rescinded

Passengers on social media reported having their flights stuck on the runway at various airports and being sent back to the gate.

American Airlines operates thousands of flights per day to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries.

It comes months after a faulty CrowdStrike software update led to worldwide flight cancellations.

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Former US president Bill Clinton in hospital with fever

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Former US president Bill Clinton in hospital with fever

Former US president Bill Clinton is in hospital in Washington DC after developing a fever.

Mr Clinton, 78, has been admitted to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital for “testing and observation”.

Angel Ureña, the 42nd president’s deputy chief of staff, told Sky’s US partner network NBC News he is in “good spirits and grateful for the care he is receiving”.

Another source close to Mr Clinton said the situation is “not urgent”.

“The former president will be fine,” the source added. “He developed a fever and wanted to be checked out. He is awake and alert.”

Mr Clinton was active on the campaign trail in support of vice president Kamala Harris this year and has also been promoting his book Citizen.

The former president, who served two terms from January 1993 until January 2001, also addressed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this summer.

Read more from the US:
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Since leaving office, Mr Clinton has undergone two heart operations in New York – having a quadruple bypass operation in 2004, and two stents inserted into a coronary artery in 2010.

He was also in hospital for six days in 2021 with a urological infection that spread to his bloodstream.

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Matt Gaetz: Ex-Trump attorney general pick paid women for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, US House report says

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Matt Gaetz: Ex-Trump attorney general pick paid women for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, US House report says

Matt Gaetz, who was briefly Donald Trump’s nominee for US attorney general, paid women for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and used drugs while he was a member of Congress, a committee has said.

The House Ethics Committee’s report concluded there was “substantial evidence” that the former Florida congressman violated House rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct banning prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, and obstruction of Congress.

And the committee accused the 42-year-old of accepting gifts of luxury travel in excess of permissible limits with a trip to the Bahamas in 2018.

The House of Representatives panel wrote: “From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.”

The Republican, who denies any wrongdoing, had sought a restraining order against the committee in a bid to halt the release of its report summarising its investigation.

The filing accused the committee of an “unconstitutional” attempt “to exercise jurisdiction over a private citizen through the threatened release of an investigative report containing potentially defamatory allegations, in violation of the committee’s own rules”.

Last month, Trump ally Mr Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general – the country’s top legal official.

Mr Gaetz said his selection was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the transition of Mr Trump’s administration into the White House.

Donald Trump and Matt Gaetz in Augusts 2023, Pic: Reuters
Image:
Donald Trump and Matt Gaetz in August 2023. Pic: Reuters

The Florida Republican had faced scrutiny over previous sex trafficking allegations which were investigated by the department he had been picked by the president-elect to lead.

Mr Gaetz was re-elected to the House of Representatives in November this year but resigned after Mr Trump nominated him as attorney general.

The 37-page House report said: “From at least 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him.

“In 2017, Representative Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl. During the period 2017 to 2019, Representative Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.”

‘Sex with 17-year-old girl’

The ethics panel received testimony that Mr Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl, described in the report as Victim A.

It said: “Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex.

“Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age.”

Mr Gaetz was investigated by the Justice Department for three years over sex trafficking allegations. No criminal charges were brought.

The ethics panel said there was not enough evidence that Mr Gaetz violated the federal sex trafficking statute.

All of the women who testified said the sexual encounters with Mr Gaetz were consensual.

‘I feel violated’

However, one woman told the committee that the use of drugs at the parties and events they attended may have “impair[ed their] ability to really know what was going on or fully consent”.

Another woman told the committee: “When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated.”

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