Hurricane Michael, federal drug-trafficking prosecutions, controversial green-card rules: 5 things to know Wednesday
Hurricane Michael set to roar ashore along Gulf Coast
Florida is bracing for landfall from Hurricane Michael, which Gov. Rick Scott warned could be "the most destructive storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in decades." The National Hurricane Center upgraded Michael to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm early Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm, which could make landfall Wednesday afternoon, is about 180 miles of Panama City, Florida, and about 170 miles of Apalachicola, Florida. Scott declared a state of emergency for 35 counties, and more than 100,000 people were ordered out of a long swath of low-lying communities. Michael would be just the fourth major hurricane – Category 3, 4 or 5 – to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle since 1950.
- Follow Hurricane Michael's path
- More airport closings
- The science of predicting landfall
- Red tide and blue algae can be affected by hurricane
- Hurricane Michael hitting Florida's most vulnerable areas
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas hearing delayed because of Michael
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As feds focused on detaining kids, border drug prosecutions plummeted
Federal drug-trafficking prosecutions along the southwestern border plunged to their lowest level in nearly two decades this summer as the Trump administration launched a “zero tolerance” crackdown on illegal immigration that separated thousands of children from their parents. After the crackdown on families began and federal courts were flooded with immigration cases, the number of people charged under federal drug trafficking laws dropped by 30 percent along the border, a USA TODAY review of court dockets and Justice Department records found Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in New Mexico said the drop in drug cases there "is completely unrelated to the office’s immigration enforcement efforts."
Controversial new green-card rules unveiled
The Trump administration on Wednesday is set to publish proposed rules in the Federal Register that would limit the number of immigrants who can receive green cards based on their use of government benefits. The new rules — which have caused fear and confusion in many immigrant communities — could impact the applications of hundreds of thousands trying to become legal permanent residents, the first step toward becoming a U.S. citizen. Publication in the Federal Register kicks off a 60-day period of public comment, where legislators, advocacy groups, and members of the public can weigh in, so it could take months for the new rules to take effect. Here are some answers to pressing questions about the proposed overhaul.
Sentencing awaits California man involved in Russian probe
Richard Pinedo, who pled guilty to identity fraud in February after he was accused of helping Russia meddle in the 2016 presidential election, will be sentenced Wednesday. Pinedo admitted to operating an online service to sell bank information that allowed Russians to fraudulently create and verify accounts with financial institutions. Pinedo's attorney claimed he was not aware of who was using the account and why, but he did allegedly collect tens of thousands of dollars through the sales. Pinedo faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Here are the places to retire
Wondering where you want to spend your retirement years? Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which sits in a county dubbed the "Garden Spot of America," is now considered the top place to retire in the nation, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report list of the 2019 Best Places to Retire in the United States, out Wednesday. The city — situated in south-central Pennsylvania less than two hours from Philadelphia and three hours from New York City — held the No. 2 spot in the list last year but vaulted past Sarasota, Florida, in this new list.