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  • Free rides for voters across Tampa Bay and Central Florida on Election Day

    Free rides for voters across Tampa Bay and Central Florida on Election Day

    TAMPA, Fla. — Some ride services across Tampa Bay and Central Florida are offering voters free rides on Election Day! 

    If you’re in need of transportation to get to the polls or around town on Nov. 5, here’s how you can get a free ride in your county. 

    For more info on Decision 2024 and Bay area coverage, visit Spectrum Bay News 9’s Voter Guide.

    For more info on Decision 2024 and Central Florida coverage, visit Spectrum News 13’s Voter Guide.

    PINELLAS COUNTY

    The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is offering free rides to all voters on Election Day, Nov. 5.

    The offer is for PSTA’s fixed service only, and riders qualify for a free ride if:

    • Rider presents Voter Registration Card to the bus operator
    • Rider presents “I Voted” Sticker to the bus operator
    • Rider informs the bus operator they are voting at one of Pinellas’s precincts

    Riders can find their polling location by visiting votepinellas.gov.

    Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, Lime is teaming up with When We All Vote and Vote Early Day to make voting more accessible for everyone. From 10/29 to 11/5, use promo code VOTE2024 for 2 free 30-minute rides to and from the polls. Find your nearest electric scooter or bike here: https://limebike.app.link/caHa2twXrLb

    If you would prefer to use a scooter to get to the polls, VEO is offering an in ride credit of $5 to get to the polls. All you have to do is use the promo “VOTE24” in the VEO app.

    PASCO COUNTY

    Voters can receive free bus rides to the polls when they show a valid voter information card.  Complimentary bus rides will be available on Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the general election.

    “This partnership to benefit the voters of Pasco County epitomizes good government and we are grateful to GoPasco for this program” said Supervisor
    Corley.

    For more information on Pasco County Public Transportation bus routes and schedules, visit gopasco.com/.

    HERNANDO COUNTY

    The Hernando County Transit system (bus service) will be offering FREE rides as long as you provide your Voter Registraction Card.

    CITRUS COUNTY

    For residents in Citrus County, the fixed route system will be free to use to get to the polls. If you do not live near a fixed route, you can call (352) 527-7630 and they will be able to help get you a ride scheduled.

    VOLUSIA COUNTY

    Volusia County’s Transit Services Division is offering free rides to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 5, through its Votran fixed-route, Votran Gold and VoRide services. 

    Votran fixed-route riders can ride for free if they present a valid Volusia County Voter Registration Card. Riders should check in advance for the closest bus stop for their polling destination, as buses won’t make direct stops unless polling locations are on regular routes. 

    Votran Gold Service, which assists disabled residents, will offer free trips directly to polling sites. Gold Service riders should schedule their rides no later than noon on Monday, Nov. 4, by calling 386-322-5100. Riders must show their voter registration card to get the fee waived. 

    VoRide, a curb-to-curb rideshare service available in the DeBary, DeLand, Deltona, and Orange City areas, will provide free roundtrip rides to the polls within its service zones. 

    On Monday, Nov. 4, the day before Election Day, a promotional code will be announced for riders to enter when booking through the app. Riders will need to show their voter registration card to the driver to validate the promotional code

    For more details about the Election Day transportation initiative, route schedules, and fare information, riders can contact Votran customer service at 386-761-7700, visit www.votran.org, or use the myStop mobile app.

    Check back for more counties and services listed. 

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Palestinians say Israel struck Gaza clinic during polio campaign. Israel denies

    Palestinians say Israel struck Gaza clinic during polio campaign. Israel denies

    Palestinian officials say an Israeli drone strike on a clinic in northern Gaza where children were being vaccinated for polio wounded six people, including four children. The Israeli military denied responsibility.

    What You Need To Know

    • Palestinian officials say an Israeli drone strike on a clinic in northern Gaza where children were being vaccinated for polio wounded six people, including four children
    • The Israeli military denied responsibility. The alleged strike occurred Saturday in northern Gaza, which has been encircled by Israeli forces and largely isolated for the past year
    • Israel has been carrying out another offensive there in recent weeks that has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands
    • It was not possible to resolve the conflicting accounts

    The alleged strike occurred Saturday in northern Gaza, which has been encircled by Israeli forces and largely isolated for the past year. Israel has been carrying out another offensive there in recent weeks that has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands.

    It was not possible to resolve the conflicting accounts. Israeli forces have repeatedly raided hospitals in Gaza over the course of the war, saying Hamas uses them for militant purposes, allegations denied by Palestinian health officials.

    Dr. Munir al-Boursh, director general of the Gaza Health Ministry, told The Associated Press that a quadcopter struck the Sheikh Radwan clinic in Gaza City early Saturday afternoon, just a few minutes after a United Nations delegation left the facility.

    The World Health Organization and the U.N. children’s agency, known as UNICEF, which are jointly carrying out the polio vaccination campaign, expressed concern over the reported strike.

    “The reports of this attack are even more disturbing as the Sheikh Radwan Clinic is one of the health points where parents can get their children vaccinated,” said Rosalia Bollen, a spokesperson for UNICEF.

    “Today’s attack occurred while the humanitarian pause was still in effect, despite assurances given that the pause would be respected from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.”

    Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said that “contrary to the claims, an initial review determined that the (Israeli military) did not strike in the area at the specified time.”

    A scaled-down campaign to administer a second dose of the polio vaccine began Saturday in parts of northern Gaza. It had been postponed from Oct. 23 due to lack of access, Israeli bombings and mass evacuation orders, and the lack of assurances for humanitarian pauses, a U.N. statement said.

    The administration of the first dose was carried out in September across the Gaza Strip, including areas of northern Gaza that are now completely sealed off. Health officials said the campaign’s first round, and the administration of the second dose across central and southern Gaza, were successful.

    At least 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate from areas of north Gaza toward Gaza City in the past few weeks, but around 15,000 children under the age of 10 remain in northern towns, including Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, which are inaccessible, according to the U.N.

    The final phase of the polio vaccination campaign had aimed to reach an estimated 119,000 children in the north with a second dose of oral polio vaccine, the agencies said, but “achieving this target is now unlikely due to access constraints.”

    They say 90% of children in every community must be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the disease.

    The campaign was launched after the first polio case was reported in Gaza in 25 years — a 10-month-old boy, now paralyzed in the leg. The World Health Organization said the presence of a paralysis case indicates there could be hundreds more who have been infected but aren’t showing symptoms.

    The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Israel’s offensive has killed over 43,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, who do not say how many were combatants but say more than half were women and children.

    Associated Press

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  • Capitals take down Blue Jackets 7-2

    Capitals take down Blue Jackets 7-2

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Connor McMichael struck twice, Alex Ovechkin scored his 859th career goal and two assists and the Washington Capitals continued their dominant start to the season with a 7-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Ovechkin is 36 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record
    • Daniil Tarasov stopped 15 of 22 shots for Columbus
    • Columbus outshot Washington, but the defense struggled in front of Tarasov as the team gave up six goals for the second consecutive game. The Blue Jackets were outscored 12-4 in this back-to-back series

    • The Blue Jackets head out west to face the Sharks on Tuesday

    McMichael and Ovechkin both have goals in three straight games for Washington, which advances to 8-2 on the season.

    Ovechkin is 36 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. He’s currently on pace to finish with 49 goals, which would set him up to hit 895 later this season.

    Both Ovechkin and McMichael helped ignite Washington’s offense as the team managed a five-goal first period, where all four lines got on the scoresheet. Damon Severson and Kevin Labanc scored for the Blue Jackets, who dropped both games of their back-to-back.

    Logan Thompson made 34 saves and remains undefeated so far in his Capitals’ tenure. Daniil Tarasov stopped 15 of 22 shots for Columbus.

    Takeaways

    Blue Jackets: Columbus outshot Washington, but the defense struggled in front of Tarasov as the team gave up six goals for the second consecutive game. The Blue Jackets were outscored 12-4 in this back-to-back series.

    Capitals: Offense continues to come easily for the surging Caps, which wasn’t the story last season. They’ve scored at least five goals in five of the last seven games.

    Key moment

    Aliaksei Protas got the scoring started just 56 seconds in on a 2-on-0 break with Dylan Strome, who also had a three-point night, for his third goal in as many games.

    Key stat

    Ovechkin is up to six goals in 10 games to open the 2024-25 season. Last year, it took him 30 games to hit that number, which also came against the Blue Jackets.

    Up Next

    The Capitals visit the Hurricanes on Sunday, and The Blue Jackets head out west to face the Sharks on Tuesday.

    Associated Press

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  • Federal Reserve is set to cut rates again, facing a hazy post-election outlook

    Federal Reserve is set to cut rates again, facing a hazy post-election outlook

    No one knows how Tuesday’s presidential election will turn out, but the Federal Reserve’s move two days later is much easier to predict: With inflation continuing to cool, the Fed is set to cut interest rates for a second time this year.

    What You Need To Know

    • No one knows how Tuesday’s presidential election will turn out, but the Federal Reserve’s move two days later is much easier to predict: With inflation continuing to cool, the Fed is set to cut interest rates for a second time this year
    • The Fed’s future actions, though, will become more unsettled once a new president and Congress take office in January, particularly if Donald Trump were to win the White House again
    • Trump’s proposals to impose high tariffs on all imports and launch mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants and his threat to intrude on the Fed’s normally independent rate decisions could send inflation surging, economists have said


    The presidential contest might still be unresolved when the Fed ends its two-day meeting Thursday afternoon, yet that uncertainty would have no effect on its decision to further reduce its benchmark rate. The Fed’s future actions, though, will become more unsettled once a new president and Congress take office in January, particularly if Donald Trump were to win the White House again.

    Trump’s proposals to impose high tariffs on all imports and launch mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants and his threat to intrude on the Fed’s normally independent rate decisions could send inflation surging, economists have said. Higher inflation would, in turn, compel the Fed to slow or stop its rate cuts.

    On Thursday, the Fed’s policymakers, led by Chair Jerome Powell, are on track to cut their benchmark rate by a quarter-point, to about 4.6%, after having implemented a half-point reduction in September. Economists expect another quarter-point rate cut in December and possibly additional such moves next year. Over time, rate cuts tend to lower the costs of borrowing for consumers and businesses.

    The Fed is reducing its rate for a different reason than it usually does: It often cuts rates to boost a sluggish economy and a weak job market by encouraging more borrowing and spending. But the economy is growing briskly, and the unemployment rate is a low 4.1%, the government reported Friday, even with hurricanes and a strike at Boeing having sharply depressed net job growth last month.

    Instead, the central bank is lowering rates as part of what Powell has called “a recalibration” to a lower-inflation environment. When inflation spiked to a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022, the Fed proceeded to raise rates 11 times — ultimately sending its key rate to about 5.3%, also the highest in four decades.

    But in September, year-over-year inflation dropped to 2.4%, barely above the Fed’s 2% target and equal to its level in 2018. With inflation having fallen so far, Powell and other Fed officials have said they think high borrowing rates are no longer necessary. High borrowing rates typically restrict growth, particularly in interest-rate-sensitive sectors such as housing and auto sales.

    “The restriction was in place because inflation was elevated,” said Claudia Sahm, chief economist at New Century Advisors and a former Fed economist. “Inflation is no longer elevated. The reason for the restriction is gone.”

    Fed officials have suggested that their rate cuts would be gradual. But nearly all of them have expressed support for some further reductions.

    “For me, the central question is how much and how fast to reduce the target for the (Fed’s key) rate, which I believe is currently set at a restrictive level,” Christopher Waller, an influential member of the Fed’s Board of Directors, said in a speech last month.

    Jonathan Pingle, an economist at Swiss bank UBS, said that Waller’s phrasing reflected “unusual confidence and conviction that rates were headed lower.”

    Next year, the Fed will likely start to wrestle with the question of just how low their benchmark rate should go. Eventually, they may want to set it at a level that neither restricts nor stimulates growth — “neutral” in Fed parlance.

    Powell and other Fed officials acknowledge that they don’t know exactly where the neutral rate is. In September, the Fed’s rate-setting committee estimated that it was 2.9%. Most economists think it’s closer to 3% to 3.5%.

    The Fed chair said the officials have to assess where neutral is by how the economy responds to rate cuts. For now, most officials are confident that at 4.9%, the Fed’s current rate is far above neutral.

    Some economists argue, though, that with the economy looking healthy even with high borrowing rates, the Fed doesn’t need to ease credit much, if at all. The idea is that they may already be close to the level of interest rates that neither slows nor stimulates the economy.

    “If the unemployment rate stays in the low 4’s and the economy is still going to grow at 3%, does it matter that the (Fed’s) rate is 4.75% to 5%?” said Joe LaVorgna, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities, asked. “Why are they cutting now?”

    With the Fed’s latest meeting coming right after Election Day, Powell will likely field questions at his news conference Thursday about the outcome of the presidential race and how it might affect the economy and inflation. He can be expected to reiterate that the Fed’s decisions aren’t affected by politics at all.

    During Trump’s presidency, he imposed tariffs on washing machines, solar panels, steel and a range of goods from China, which President Joe Biden maintained. Though studies show that washing machine prices rose as a result, overall inflation did not rise much.

    But Trump is now proposing significantly broader tariffs — essentially, import taxes — that would raise the prices of about 10 times as many goods from overseas.

    Many mainstream economists are alarmed by Trump’s latest proposed tariffs, which they say would almost certainly reignite inflation. A report by the Peterson Institute for International Economics concluded that Trump’s main tariff proposals would make inflation 2 percentage points higher next year than it otherwise would have been.

    The Fed could be more likely to raise rates in response to tariffs this time, according to economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics, “given that Trump is threatening much bigger increases in tariffs.”

    “Accordingly,” they wrote, “we will scale back the reduction in the funds rate in our 2025 forecasts if Trump wins.”

    Associated Press

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  • Ehlers scores 3 goals to lead Jets to 6-2 win over Blue Jackets

    Ehlers scores 3 goals to lead Jets to 6-2 win over Blue Jackets

    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers scored three goals for his fifth career hat trick and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Friday night to stay perfect on the road.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Winnipeg Jets beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Friday night

    • Sean Kuraly scored and Sean Monahan had a power-play goal for the Blue Jackets

    • Elvis Merzlikins made 37 saves

    • The Blue Jackets visit Washington on Saturday

    Mason Appleton and Gabriel Vilardi also scored, Josh Morrissey had a power-play goal and an assist, and Ehlers added an assist for Winnipeg, which has won 10 of its first 11 games. Eric Comrie had 20 saves as the Jets improved to 6-0-0 on the road for the best such start in franchise history.

    Sean Kuraly scored and Sean Monahan had a power-play goal for the Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins made 37 saves.

    Takeaways

    Jets: Scott Arniel returned to Nationwide Arena for the first time as a head coach since being fired by the Blue Jackets in January 2012. His Jets showed Columbus how it’s done, dominating from the opening puck drop and demonstrating why they are atop the NHL standings.

    Blue Jackets: Columbus could not answer the faster, nimbler Jets and spent most of the game protecting their zone with limited success, getting outshot in every period and ending up with a 21-shot deficit.

    Key moment

    Columbus found momentum when Monahan scored with 3:30 left in the second period, seven seconds into a power-play, cutting the Jets’ lead to 3-2. Ehlers then scored his third goal of the night 2:20 later, and Winnipeg never looked back.

    Key stat

    Winnipeg kept its power-play streak alive, scoring with a man advantage in each of its past four games. The Jets have gone a league-best 14 for 31 this season.

    Up Next

    The Jets host Tampa Bay Sunday, and the Blue Jackets visit Washington on Saturday.

    Associated Press

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  • Martinez, Junis decline options as Maile, France and Martini become free agents

    Martinez, Junis decline options as Maile, France and Martini become free agents

    CINCINNATI (AP) — Right-handers Nick Martinez and Jakob Junis declined 2025 options with the Cincinnati Reds, who turned down their option on catcher Luke Maile on Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Both Nick Martinez and Jakob Junis declined 2025 options with the Cincinnati Reds

    • Brent Suter returned to Cincinnati on a $2.5 million, one-year contract

    • Martinez agreed in December to a $14 million, one-year contract that included a $12 million player option

    • Junis, 32, reached a deal in February with Milwaukee that called for a $4 million salary in 2024 and included an $8 million mutual option with a $3 million buyout

    In addition, first baseman Ty France and outfielder Nick Martini became free agents when they refused outright assignments to Triple-A Louisville.

    Brent Suter returned to Cincinnati on a $2.5 million, one-year contract. The left-hander’s deal includes a 2026 option worth $3 million with a $250,000 buyout, and he can earn an additional $200,000 in performance bonuses.

    Suter, who lives in Cincinnati, went 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA and two saves in 47 appearances with the Reds this year.

    Right-hander Tejay Antone, coming off his third elbow surgery, accepted an outright assignment to the Bats. Catcher Austin Wynns also was assigned outright to Louisville. Both were activated from the 60-day injured list.

    Martinez agreed in December to a $14 million, one-year contract that included a $12 million player option. The 34-year-old left-hander was 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 starts and 26 relief appearances, striking out 116 and walking 18 in 142 1/3 innings.

    He is 37-45 with a 4.09 ERA in seven seasons with Texas (2014-17), San Diego (2022-23) and Cincinnati. Martinez spent 2018-21 pitching in Japan.

    Junis, 32, reached a deal in February with Milwaukee that called for a $4 million salary in 2024 and included an $8 million mutual option with a $3 million buyout.

    He was acquired by the Reds on July 30 in a trade that sent Frankie Montas to the Brewers and had a 2.85 ERA in five starts and nine relief appearances for Cincinnati. Junis finished the season 4-0 with a 2.69 ERA in six starts and 18 relief outings. After making his first appearance on April 2, Junis was out until June 22 because of a right shoulder impingement.

    Junis is 42-45 with a 4.48 ERA in eight seasons with Kansas City (2017-21), San Francisco (2022-23), Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

    Maile had a $3 million salary this year as part of a deal that included a $3.5 million team option with a $500,000 buyout. The 33-year-old hit .178 with two homers and eight RBIs in 135 at-bats over 53 games. A nine-year big league veteran, he has a .208 average with 21 homers and 113 RBIs for Tampa Bay (2015-16), Toronto (2017-19), Milwaukee (2021), Cleveland (2022) and Cincinnati (2023-24).

    France hit .251 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 179 at-bats over 52 games with the Reds, who acquired the 30-year-old from Seattle on July 29 for catcher Andruw Salcedo. Seattle agreed to send $1,294,758 to the Reds as part of the trade, offsetting part of France’s $6,775,000 salary.

    Martini batted .212 with five homers and 24 RBIs in 52 games. The 34-year-old homered twice and had five RBIs on opening day against Washington.

    Antone, a 30-year-old right-hander, made four appearances, then had season-ending surgery to repair a tendon and ligament in his right arm. He had Tommy John surgery in April 2017 and August 2021.

    Cincinnati also said right-hander Christian Roa had been claimed off waivers from Miami. The 25-year-old, a second-round draft pick in 2020, was 4-4 with a 5.55 ERA in four starts and 19 relief appearances for Louisville.

    Associated Press

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  • Pasco mail carrier helps baby choking on Halloween candy

    Pasco mail carrier helps baby choking on Halloween candy

    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A Pasco County postal worker is being hailed as a Halloween hero. It comes after she jumped into action to help a child choking on a piece of candy. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Pasco County mail carrier Kandi Young is being praised for her actions in helping an 18-month-old who was choking on a piece of Halloween candy

    • Young was heading back to the office after finishing her route on Oct. 31 when she saw the child’s mother, Morgan Osborne, standing in the road calling for help

    • Osborne said her three-year-old gave the candy to her younger child after a trunk-or-treat event

    • Young’s supervisor tells us she’s been nominated for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program for her actions


    “Honestly, it’s almost surreal, because I was not at all thinking. It just was pure drive. I wanted to make sure that baby was safe,” said Kandi Young, a rural part-time flexible mail carrier.

    Young was heading back to the Trinity Carrier Annex after finishing her mail route on Oct. 31. At the same time, Morgan Osborne, of Moon Lake, was leaving a trunk-or-treat event at her daughters’ school. Neither woman knew they were about to find themselves in the middle of a real life Halloween horror.

    “She wasn’t breathing. She was actually foaming at the mouth,” said Young.

    “She 100% turned purple,” said Osborne. “It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me.”

    Osborne’s three-year-old daughter had given a WarHeads candy to her 18-month-old, and she was choking.

    “I pulled her out of the car. I started screaming, freaking out. I’ve never freaked out this bad in my whole, entire life,” Osborne said.

    It happened at the intersection of Little Road. and Plathe Road in New Port Richey. 

    “All I see is a postal truck fly around the corner,” Osborne said.

    “She was yelling, and I believe she was screaming, ‘My baby!’” said Young.

    Young took the girl and performed the Heimlich maneuver.

    “I threw that candy — I don’t even know where it’s at — and I just hugged the baby, and I was holding her to me,” she said. “I could hear her gasping for breath when she finally was able to.”

    She said her quick thinking was part instinct — she’s a mom to two girls as well — and part training.

    “When my youngest was born in 2020, she had a disorder that caused her to be in the NICU for 13 days,” Young said. “For babies to come out of the NICU, to ‘graduate’, as they say, you have to, as a parent, have CPR and Heimlich maneuver training.”

    After handing the baby over to Osborne, it was right back to work.

    “I went back so I could get the mail in on time, since we’re also in the middle of an election and we have ballots,” said Young.

    “We did get to text each other, and I did let her know how grateful I am for her. Honestly, she saved my child’s life,” Osborne said.

    Osborne said her daughter was examined by paramedics after the incident and is doing well.

    Young’s supervisor, Allen Milletics, said he nominated her for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. According to USPS’s website, it honors postal workers who go above and beyond to help their communities.

    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Trump will spend every day until the election in swing state North Carolina

    Trump will spend every day until the election in swing state North Carolina

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump will rally supporters in North Carolina every day until Tuesday’s election, a flurry of late activity in the only swing state that he won in both his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.

    What You Need To Know

    • Donald Trump in spending significant time in North Carolina in the presidential campaign’s final days

    • He won the swing state in 2016 and 2020, although his margin of victory four years ago was a slim 1.3 percentage points 

    • Trump’s Democratic rival Kamala Harris will also be in North Carolina on Saturday for a concert and rally in Charlotte

    Even as Trump looks to expand the electoral map and project strength with trips to New Mexico and Virginia, two Democratic states not widely viewed as competitive, he is putting considerable time into North Carolina, which last backed a Democrat for president in 2008.

    The former president’s path to the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the presidency gets significantly more complicated if he loses North Carolina. The fast-growing Southern state gave Trump his smallest margin of victory — 1.3 percentage points — over Democrat Joe Biden four years ago.

    Trump will campaign in Gastonia, west of Charlotte, and Greensboro on Saturday, with a stop in Salem, Virginia, in between. He will be in the eastern city of Kinston on Sunday and in Raleigh on Monday. Those four rallies will bring his total events in North Carolina since Oct. 1 to nine. His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has been in the state six times during the same period, most recently on Friday. 

    Vance will return to Raleigh on Sunday, along with Donald Trump Jr.

    Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival, will be in North Carolina on Saturday for a concert and rally in Charlotte. Her campaign has not announced any other travel to the state before Election Day.

    The extensive damage from Hurricane Helene across western North Carolina has created uncertainty about the state of play here. Flooding destroyed homes and displaced residents in several counties, including the liberal city of Asheville and the conservative rural areas surrounding it.

    Trump’s team has said it is confident about his chances in North Carolina. Democrats see Trump’s attention on the state as a sign of hope for Harris.

    “The repeat appearances may signal Trump’s campaign is in trouble,” said Democratic state Rep. Marcia Morey of Durham. “If Trump continues with his dangerous, violent rhetoric these last few days, it may backfire. A campaign of personal retribution does not win votes from people.”

    Trump adviser Jason Miller said Trump’s late-campaign travels are not a signal of alarm.

    “I’m not worried about anything,” Miller told reporters Friday. “We have a smart strategy that’s going to get President Trump across 270, maybe even a couple of states that surprise you, that slide in there. But we’re going to follow our strategy. Our strategy comes from our data and our targeting.”

    Related: Decision 2024: The latest on the race for the White House

    Roughly half of North Carolina’s 7.8 million registered voters had already voted as of Friday, buoyed by early in-person voting, which ends Saturday afternoon.

    North Carolina Republicans have been encouraged by early voter turnout among their supporters after national and state GOP leaders switched this year to a “bank your vote” strategy, rather than focusing on Election Day turnout.

    Entering the final days of the campaign, over 50,000 more GOP registered voters than Democrats had voted early or by absentee ballot, even though there are over 100,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans statewide, according to state election data. It is unclear whether the Republicans’ early vote surge will result in a higher overall turnout for Trump supporters.

    Independent voters make up the largest group of registered voters in North Carolina. Trump lost ground with independents between 2016 and 2020.

    The state’s voters have shown a propensity to split their ticket over the years. That’s why although Republicans have controlled the state legislature since 2011, Democrats have held the governor’s mansion for all but four years since 1993.

    The GOP’s hopes to break that hold on Tuesday appeared to dwindle in recent weeks after the party’s nominee for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, received unwanted publicity from a CNN report that alleged he made explicit racial and sexual posts on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago.

    While Robinson denied writing the messages and sued CNN for defamation last month, his campaign nearly imploded, raising fears that a large victory by Democrat Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general, could harm GOP candidates in other races.

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Residents left with questions as pumping relieves Lake Seward flooding

    Residents left with questions as pumping relieves Lake Seward flooding

    LAKELAND, Fla. — Residents living on Oakmont Lane are starting to see some relief Friday as Polk County continues to pump floodwater from their homes.

    The water is from Lake Seward’s basin, which residents say was dry until September.

    What You Need To Know

    • Residents near Lake Seward face unprecedented flooding due to recent hurricanes

    • Polk County had previous feasibility reports since the 1990s that outlined possible flood mitigation strategies

    • A pumping operation is underway to manage floodwaters, but residents seek clarity on recovery options


    Hillsborough County firefighter Jarrod Smith, who moved to the area in 2015, said drainage from nearby neighborhoods started to fill the basin around the time of Hurricane Helene. Then the water rose much higher when Hurricane Milton hit the area.

    “What we have now is record-setting. People who have lived here for 45 years have never seen this,” Smith said. “And to see it like this is definitely defeating and frustrating.”

    To make matters worse, Smith says the damage to his and his neighbors’ homes was avoidable. Feasibility reports by Polk County dating from the 1990s detail ways the county could have reduced flooding in the area.

    “From my knowledge and everything that I’ve seen, and heard from the neighbors and residents, and paperwork from the Polk County website, they’ve chosen to do none of them,” he said.

    Polk County’s Roads and Drainage Director Jay Jarvis said plans for a permanent pumping station were placed on the county’s unfunded projects list because the area experienced a dry period without major flooding. Jarvis assures that Lake Seward is now a top priority, and officials are searching for a permanent solution.

    As part of the county’s relief plan with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, contractors started pumping water from Lake Seward’s basin to the Banana Lake system, under U.S. Highway 98 and into Lake Hancock. Once the water reaches Lake Hancock, it becomes part of the larger volume of the lake and will ultimately flow through the P-11 control structure into Saddle Creek and beyond into the Peace River.

    “Maybe it was a little late, but better late than never, is the saying. We’re happy that’s going on and we thank them for that. We’re very appreciative,” Smith said.

    However, Smith says he and his neighbors are left with more questions.

    “What’s the next step? What can we tell all these families here? Should they start rebuilding? Should they expect to get an offer from Polk County to buy their house?” he said.

    Residents will have the opportunity to get answers during the Polk County Commission meeting on Nov. 5.

    Alexis Jones

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  • IVF’s impact on voters ahead of election

    IVF’s impact on voters ahead of election

    TAMPA, Fla. — There are many issues this election cycle that voters are paying attention to.

    For some voters like Allison Freeman, one of the most important is in vitro fertilization (IVF).

    What You Need To Know

    • Allison Freeman struggled to get pregnant before having her daughter  

    • An attorney who works with those going through IVF, Freeman said her clients worry about the safety of their embryos

    • 1 in 8 couples have infertility issues and can’t have children naturally, according to IVF treatment specialist Dr. Daniel Duffy


    Becoming a mom was not an easy journey for Freeman, but after years of struggle, it was thanks to IVF that she was able to have her daughter.

    “I remember seeing how strong the heartbeat was on the ultrasound and thinking, my gosh, this worked,” she said.  

    It’s been five years since Freeman gave birth, but Freeman’s journey with IVF didn’t end after her daughter was born.

    As an attorney, she began working with clients who were going through IVF treatments.

    Even as a lawyer herself, she says there were times she wishes she had her own legal help during her treatments.

    “There are so many times I would stay up at night and be like, why can’t I get pregnant?” Freeman said. “Why am I having to use IVF? This is exhausting. It’s a lot. And one day I was like, maybe this is why I went through IVF, and I happened to be a lawyer, so that I could help other people on their journeys.” 

    This election cycle, IVF has garnered a lot of attention.

    Earlier this year, the Alabama State Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children and those who destroy them can be held liable.

    This led to multiple IVF providers in Alabama temporarily pausing services.

    Both presidential candidates have since voiced support for IVF, but some of Freeman’s clients raised concerns about the safety of their embryos.  

    “I’ve had clients reach out and say, ‘Hey, I’m in this state or that state,’” she said. “’Should I be moving my embryos to a different state? Should I be seeking a clinic that’s in another state?’ And those are thoughts they never had before.”

    Freeman doesn’t consider herself a one-issue voter, but her connection to IVF means she’s keeping that issue in mind when she votes this year.

    Dr. Daniel Duffy, who specializes in IVF treatment, said around 1 in 8 couples have infertility issues and can’t have children naturally.

    Matt Lackritz

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  • Manatee County students tour cancer treatment center

    Manatee County students tour cancer treatment center

    BRADENTON, Fla. — As part of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, students around Manatee County got firsthand experience with treating cancer patients using medical devices at HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton.

    What You Need To Know

    • November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and students in Manatee County got the chance to learn more about patient treatment

    • According to HCA Florida Blake Hospital officials, more than 127,000 Americans losing their lives to lung cancer each year

    • Emma Harlow, a senior at Parrish Community High School, hopes to go to college and enter into the medical field 

    The hospital is among the leading institutions for general thoracic surgery in the United States and Canada, according to HCA Florida Blake Hospital officials.

    Dr. Robert Ferguson, a thoracic surgeon, explains that devices like the Da Vinci robot have helped lung cancer patients recover faster.

    “Traditionally, we used to have to completely open the chest, and people would stay in the hospital for upwards of a week. Nowadays, we’re doing some procedures with the robot where people are going home on the exact same day,” he said.

    Emma Harlow, a senior at Parrish Community High School, sees herself using this kind of medical device one day.

    She has wanted to be in the medical field since she was a kid.

    “I just want people to feel better. I’ve always had this empathetic streak, and seeing people suffer really hurts me,” said Harlow.

    Coming from a family of nurses, Harlow wants to take things up a notch and hopes to become a surgeon specializing in pediatric oncology.

    “It’s a calling,” she said. “With oncology, which is something I really enjoy and want to do, I know I won’t be able to bring everybody home, but at least I can help parents have more time with their children and make kids feel better.”

    She has even had the opportunity to volunteer at the hospital.

    “In the ER, which will be my next shift, I’ll be working with stretchers, getting them ready for when patients come in, responding to call lights, stocking supplies, and bringing items to patients in the ICU,” said Harlow.

    Harlow is gaining as much experience as she can now to set herself up for the future.

    Next month she’ll be applying to colleges, with plans to major in pre-med.

    HCA Florida Blake Hospital awarded $5,000 to two schools—Nolan Middle School and Parrish Community High School—each receiving $2,500.

    Julia Hazel

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  • What to watch over the final weekend of the 2024 presidential campaign

    What to watch over the final weekend of the 2024 presidential campaign

    NEW YORK (AP) — The 2024 presidential contest speeds into its final weekend with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump locked in a razor-thin contest.

    What You Need To Know

    • Harris and Trump are crisscrossing the country to rally voters in the states that matter most. They’re trying — with varying degrees of success — to stay focused on a clear and concise closing message

    • On Saturday, Trump is expected to make separate appearances in North Carolina with one eyebrow-raising stop in Virginia in between

    • Harris is expected to campaign in North Carolina and Georgia on Saturday in a sign that her team is sensing a genuine opportunity in the South. She’s planning to make multiple stops in Michigan on Sunday

    • More than 66 million people have already cast ballots in the 2024 election, which is more than one-third the total number who voted in 2020

    At this late stage in the campaign, every day matters. And while few voters might change their minds this late in a typical election, there is a sense that what happens in these final days could shift votes.

    Harris and Trump are crisscrossing the country to rally voters in the states that matter most. They’re trying — with varying degrees of success — to stay focused on a clear and concise closing message. At the same time, each side is investing massive resources to drive up turnout for the final early voting period. And in these critical days, the flow of misinformation is intensifying.

    Here’s what we’re watching on the final weekend before Election Day, which is Tuesday:

    Where will Harris and Trump be?

    You only need to look at the candidates’ schedules this weekend to know where this election will likely be decided.

    Note that schedules can and likely will change without warning. But on Saturday, Trump is expected to make separate appearances in North Carolina with one eyebrow-raising stop in Virginia in between.

    No Democratic presidential candidate has carried North Carolina since Barack Obama in 2008, although it has been decided by less than 3 points in every election since. Trump’s decision to spend Saturday there suggests Harris has a real opportunity in the state. But Trump is also trying to convey confidence by stopping in Virginia, a state that has been safely in the Democratic column since 2008.

    There is perhaps no more important swing state than Pennsylvania, where Trump is expected to campaign Sunday. But he also has another appearance scheduled for North Carolina in addition to Georgia, another Southern state that has leaned Republican for almost three decades — that is, until Joe Biden carried it by less than a half percentage point four years ago.

    Meanwhile, Harris is expected to campaign in North Carolina and Georgia on Saturday in a sign that her team is sensing a genuine opportunity in the South. She’s planning to make multiple stops in Michigan on Sunday, shifting to a Democratic-leaning state in the so-called Blue Wall where her allies believe she is vulnerable.

    Do they stay on message?

    Trump’s campaign leadership wants voters to be focused on one key question as they prepare to cast ballots, and it’s the same question he opens every rally with: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

    Harris’ team wants voters to be thinking about another: Do they trust Trump or Harris to put the nation’s interests over their own?

    Whichever candidate can more effectively keep voters focused on their closing arguments in the coming days may ultimately win the presidency. Yet both candidates are off to a challenging start.

    Trump opens the weekend still facing the fallout from his recent New York City rally in which a comedian described Puerto Rico as a “floating pile of garbage.” Things got harder for Trump late Thursday after he raised the prospect of Republican rival Liz Cheney’s death by gunfire.

    It was exactly the kind of inflammatory comment his allies want him to avoid at this critical moment.

    Harris’ campaign, meanwhile, is still working to shift the conversation away from President Biden’s comments earlier in the week that described Trump supporters as “garbage.” The Associated Press reported late Thursday that White House press officials altered the official transcript of the call in question, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity.

    The spotlight of presidential politics always burns brightly. But it will burn brightest, perhaps, this final weekend, leaving the campaigns virtually no margin for error. In what both sides believe is a true tossup election, any final-hours missteps could prove decisive.

    How will the gender gap play out?

    Trump’s graphic attack against Cheney was especially troublesome given his allies’ heightened concerns about women voters.

    Polling shows a significant gender gap in the contest, with Harris generally having a much better rating among women than Trump has. Part of that may be the result of the GOP’s fight to restrict abortion rights, which has been disastrous for Trump’s party. But Trump’s divisive leadership has also pushed women away.

    Going into the weekend, Trump allies, including conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, are warning that far more women than men appear to be casting early ballots. While it’s impossible to know whom they’re voting for, Kirk clearly believes that’s bad news for Trump.

    Trump isn’t helping his cause. A day before his violent rhetoric about Cheney, the Republican former president made waves by insisting that he would protect women whether they “like it or not.”

    Harris, who would be the nation’s first female president, said Trump doesn’t understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies.”

    It remains to be seen whether the Democrat’s argument can break through on this packed weekend. But Harris’ team believes there’s still a significant chunk of persuadable voters out there. And they say the undecideds are disproportionately Republican-leaning suburban women.

    What happens with early voting?

    More than 66 million people have already cast ballots in the 2024 election, which is more than one-third the total number who voted in 2020.

    They include significantly more Republicans compared with four years ago, largely because Trump has backed off his insistence that his supporters must cast ballots in person on Election Day.

    And while early in-person voting has ended in many states, there will be a huge push for final-hours early voting in at least three key states as the campaigns work to bank as many votes as possible before Election Day.

    That includes Michigan, where in-person early voting runs through Monday. Voters in Wisconsin can vote early in-person through Sunday, although it varies by location. And in North Carolina, voters have until 3 p.m. Saturday to cast early ballots in-person.

    The early voting period officially ended Friday in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

    Meanwhile, questions remain about the Trump campaign’s get-out-the-vote operation, which is relying heavily on well-funded outside groups with little experience — including one group funded largely by billionaire Elon Musk that’s facing new questions about its practices.

    Harris’ campaign, by contrast, is running a more traditional get-out-the-vote operation that features more than 2,500 paid staffers and 357 offices in battleground states alone.

    Will misinformation intensify?

    Trump’s allies appear to be intensifying baseless claims about voter fraud, and some are being amplified by Trump himself. He has spent months sowing doubts about the integrity of the 2024 election in the event he loses — just as he did four years ago.

    His unfounded accusations are becoming more specific, in some cases, as wild claims begin to show up on social media.

    Earlier this week, Trump claimed on social media that York County, Pennsylvania, had “received THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications from a third party group.” He has also pointed to Lancaster County, which he claimed had been “caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms, all written by the same person. Really bad ‘stuff.’”

    Trump was referring to investigations into potential fraud related to voter registration applications. The discovery and investigation into the applications provide evidence the system is working as it should.

    The Republican nominee has also raised baseless claims about overseas ballots and noncitizens voting, and suggested without evidence that Harris might have access to some kind of secret inside information about election results.

    Expect such claims to surge, especially on social media, in the coming days. And remember that a broad coalition of top government and industry officials, many of them Republicans, found that the 2020 election was the “most secure” in American history.

    Associated Press

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  • State officials celebrate SR 161 widening

    State officials celebrate SR 161 widening

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — If you travel on State Route 161 from I-270 to U.S. 62, you’ll notice some more wiggle room this week.

    What You Need To Know

    • Officials are celebrating the lane expansion on State Route 161 from I-270 to U.S. 62

    • There are now three lanes each direction, as opposed to two

    • This project was prioritized due to “large-scale economic development projects in the area”

    What was previously a four-lane road is now six, three each direction. Members of the Ohio Department of Transportation were joined by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to celebrate Friday.

    “This roadway expansion is part of our commitment to addressing the transportation needs in Central Ohio,” DeWine said in a press release. “As this region continues to grow, we are working to ensure that our infrastructure evolves to meet current and future transportation demands in a manner that focuses on keeping drivers and passengers safe.”

    This project, the release states, was prioritized due to “large-scale economic development projects in the area.”

    (Courtesy ODOT)

    Intel’s massive chip-manufacturing facility is being built in nearby New Albany, in Licking County.

    ODOT says that the widened portion of SR-161 sees around 83,000 vehicles every day, compared to only 66,000 10 years ago. They also expect the rate of accidents to decrease with the wider road.

    The ramp off SR-161 west onto I-270 north was also widened as part of this project. Final paving of all lanes will occur in spring, according to the release, and noise walls will also be installed in some areas at a future date.

    “Today marks a pivotal achievement in enhancing the safety and efficiency of this highway,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “The addition of these lanes will not only alleviate congestion for the many commuters on this route but will also contribute to safer travel for all the tens of thousands of people who use this vital corridor each day.”

    Cody Thompson

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  • Gen Z activists work to get out the youth vote for Kamala Harris

    Gen Z activists work to get out the youth vote for Kamala Harris

    With young voters among the many constituencies that could turn the vote toward either presidential candidate, Democrats are leaning on some of its highest-profile youth advocates to get out the vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

    What You Need To Know

    • With the election in its final days, Democrats are leaning on some of its highest-profile youth advocates to get out the vote for Vice President Kamala Harris

    • Four days before Election Day, the only Gen Z member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., is campaigning on college campuses and at concerts in his home state of Florida while reproductive rights advocate Deja Foxx is knocking on doors and generating content for social media in Arizona

    • A GenForward survey conducted by the University of Chicago in October found inflation was the most important issue among voters aged 18 to 26, followed by economic growth, reproductive rights, poverty, immigration and threat to American democracy

    • A Harvard Youth Poll released last week found Democratic candidate Kamala Harris leads GOP candidate Donald Trump among young voters 60% to 32%



    Four days before Election Day, the only Gen Z member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., is campaigning on college campuses and at concerts in his home state of Florida while reproductive rights advocate Deja Foxx is knocking on doors and generating content for social media in Arizona.

    “I always tell people Project 2025 is Florida 2024. Project 2025, we see some of this going on in the South right now,” Frost said during a press call with leading Gen Z activists Friday, including mass-shooting survivor and gun control activist David Hogg.

    Frost said a Florida law that allows people to carry concealed weapons without a permit is the reason two people were killed and another six were injured in Orlando on Halloween night.

    Hogg said Project 2025, which Democrats see as a template for a Trump presidency, would eliminate red flag laws that take guns out of the hands of those who could do harm and get rid of tools used by law enforcement that stop criminals from being able to purchase guns.

    “We need to do everything we can to prevent this Trump presidency,” Frost said, adding that the Biden-Harris administration has “been able to make big gains for young Americans from gun violence and many different issues and want to continue on that path of progress.”

    Frost is currently campaigning at the University of Central Florida, where he said students are waiting to be asked to organize, to volunteer and to vote.

    “It’s not about inviting people to your table but going to theirs,” he said. “We go to places of culture: concerts and different events to reach young people who might not care about politics.

    “At every event that we’ve been at, there’s been a pretty large contingent of students or people who have never been to a political event before,” he said. “When I speak with them about what issues brought them to the table, we hear about a lot of the issues that we hear about today: gun violence, reproductive justice, access to abortion, the climate crisis, the economy.”

    A GenForward survey conducted by the University of Chicago in October found inflation was the most important issue among voters aged 18 to 26, followed by economic growth, reproductive rights, poverty, immigration and threat to American democracy.

    A Harvard Youth Poll released last week found Democratic candidate Kamala Harris leads GOP candidate Donald Trump among young voters 60% to 32%. Harris’ support is strongest among young women, where she has a 30-point lead against Trump.

    Her lead against Trump among young voters shrinks to 9% across the seven key battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

    According to the Harvard poll, Harris is strongest on abortion rights and strengthening the working class, while Trump is perceived as stronger on the Israel-Hamas war.

    There are about 52.6 million people between the ages of 18 and 29 in the United States who make up almost 16% of the population. In 2020, about half of young voters cast ballots.

    According to the University of Florida Election Lab, of the 66.8 million voters who have cast ballots so far this election cycle, 7.6% have been 18- to 25-year-olds.

    Susan Carpenter

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  • St. Pete temporarily waives utility late fees in wake of hurricanes

    St. Pete temporarily waives utility late fees in wake of hurricanes

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mayor Ken Welch on Friday announced a temporary waiver of late fees and notice fees for utility accounts in the wake of the recent hurricanes.

    He also announced a temporary suspension of water meter lock-offs caused by non-payment.

    The suspension of fees will remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2024, though the city said that date could change.

    Additionally, lien filings and business tax late fees have been suspended temporarily.

    City leaders said the goal of the decisions was to help residents recover from Helene and Milton.

    “The damage and destruction from back-to-back hurricanes has caused a variety of challenges to citizens and businesses citywide,” said Mayor Welch. “When the city is able to do so, we strive to lessen the economic hardship facing our utility customers.

    “Waiving late fees and suspending water meter lock-offs for those unable to make timely payments on their utility bills is one way we can provide financial relief during this difficult time,” he said.

    According to a news release from the city:

    • The waiver of fees and lock-offs applies to any utility bill for which payment is due on or after Sept. 25, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024.
    • If able, utility customers are encouraged to continue paying their bills to prevent their accounts from falling behind.
    • Utility customers having trouble paying their bills are encouraged to call the Utility Customer Service Call Center at 727-893-7341 to make payment arrangements. The Utility Customer Service Call Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Trump: Liz Cheney might not be such a ‘war hawk’ if she had guns pointed at her

    Trump: Liz Cheney might not be such a ‘war hawk’ if she had guns pointed at her

    Former President Donald Trump launched another attack on former Rep. Liz Cheney late Thursday, calling the Republican former Wyoming congresswoman a “war hawk” and suggesting she might not be as willing to send troops to fight if she had guns pointed at her.

    What You Need To Know

    • Former President Donald Trump has launched another attack on former Rep. Liz Cheney, calling the Republican former Wyoming congresswoman a “war hawk” and suggesting she might not be as willing to send troops to fight if she had guns pointed at her

    • Cheney has vocally opposed Trump since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and has endorsed his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris

    • During an event Thursday in Glendale, Arizona, the Republican presidential candidate called Cheney “deranged,” “very dumb” and “a radical war hawk”

    • He then added: “Let’s put her with the rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let’s see how she feels about it”

    During an event in Glendale, Arizona, with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the Republican presidential candidate was asked if it is weird to see Cheney campaign against him. Cheney has vocally opposed Trump since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and has become a surrogate for his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Trump called Cheney “a deranged person,” then added: “But the reason she couldn’t stand me is that she always wanted to go to war with people. If it were up to her we’d be in 50 different countries.”

    After calling Cheney “a very dumb individual,” he said: “She’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with the rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.

    “You know they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, oh gee, well let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy,” Trump said.

    After Harris’ campaign and other Trump critics on social media pounced on the quote, Trump’s campaign responded that he “was talking about how Liz Cheney wants to send America’s sons and daughters to fight in wars despite never being in a war herself.”

    Cheney responded on social media Friday morning, writing: “This is how dictators destroy free nations. They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.”

    In an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday, Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said Trump is “all-consumed by his grievances, the people who he disagrees with.”

    “And now, he’s going after Liz Cheney with this dangerous, violent rhetoric,” Sams said. “I mean, think about the contrast between these two candidates. You have Donald Trump who is talking about sending a prominent Republican to the firing squad, and you have Vice President Harris talking about sending one to her Cabinet. This is the difference in this race.”

    Note: This article has been updated with Harris campaign spokesperson Iam Sams’ comments.

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Polk mother of three beats cancer with support her three pillars

    Polk mother of three beats cancer with support her three pillars

    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — In today’s Pursuit Unlimited story, we look at how faith can play a significant role in recovering from illness.

    A Polk County mom of three is telling her story of how she overcame a cancer diagnosis with support from her community, a place she finds comfort in and a little help from above.

    What You Need To Know

    • Kate Sauers, a mother of three, battled Lymphoma cancer and beat it over the last year 

    • Kate relied on her community, her faith, and the Carol Jenkins Barnett United Way Children’s Resource Center

    • She now teaches a Learning with Littles mommy class at Immanuel Lutheran Church and School in Winter Haven


    Kate Sauers gets emotional recalling her journey in the last year and a half.

    “This picture is really special because this is at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa,” Sauers said.

    She met with a Lymphoma specialist who told her exactly what she needed to hear.

    “And we saw a specialist there who had specialized in Lymphoma, and he said you are done, you’re in complete remission. There isn’t cancer there.”

    Before that, doctors diagnosed her on her daughter’s third birthday.

    Sauers is now cancer free, and she is relishing her mommy time.

    She teaches a Learning with Littles class at Immanuel Lutheran Church and School in Winter Haven.

    Her husband is the pastor there.

    Sauers credits her village which helped her get through the challenges.

    “I just think moms need a tribe of people,” she said. “Sometimes mommy is lonely, sometimes it’s hard.”

    Ashley Wilson is a part of Kate’s tribe and told us why it helps in uncertain times.

    “Having that tribe or that village to be that sounding board,” Wilson said. “Oh, my kid’s doing this, is that okay? Like, what should we be doing and how should we be handling this?”

    Most of all, Sauers leaned into her faith.

    “I felt like God wanted me to be here still and that I had a purpose with these kiddos and that’s part of what kept me going,” said Sauers.

    For her sense of self, this mommy also relied on a safe space.

    “I didn’t tell people right away that I had cancer and so I was wearing a wig, and it was just nice to have a place to go where I could be just Kate the mom,” she said.

    That is at the Carol Jenkins Barnett United Way Children’s Resource Center in Lakeland.

    The Center helps families with early childhood development classes.

    And it is a place Saures considers helped her be the best mommy, despite her condition.

    “This has really given me the opportunity to do that when I was diagnosed with cancer, during cancer time and now.”

    Where she has found healing in faith, community, and knowledge. 

    Roy De Jesus

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  • How to reuse your pumpkins after Halloween

    How to reuse your pumpkins after Halloween

    Halloween may have ended, but you can find a lot of ways to reuse your pumpkins or jack-o’-lanterns now that the trick-or-treating is done. 

    What You Need To Know

    • There are several ways to recycle your pumpkins

    • Leftover pumpkins can make tasty dishes

    • Pumpkin scraps are also an excellent fertilizer for your garden.

    Turn pumpkins into food

    You can use the leftover pumpkins to make food. You can scoop out the guts of the pumpkin and turn it into a puree.

    To make a puree, you need to cut up the pumpkin and roast the halves. After they’ve roasted, scoop out the flesh and blend it to turn into a puree.

    The puree could the be used to make pies, soups and sauces.

    (Pexels)

    You can also the roast the pumpkin seeds too after taking out the guts and rinsing them.

    Pumpkin for animals

    Leftover pumpkins can also become bird feeders.

    You just have to cut off the top third of the pumpkin, empty the cavity, fill it with bird seeds and hang it in the yard for the birds.

    Check with your local zoo. Some will take donated pumpkin scraps and use them as feed for animals.

    Composting pumpkins

    Pumpkins are also good for composting. You can use the pumpkin scraps to help fertilize your garden.

    You can even make it a game for kids to smash leftover pumpkins and use it as compost.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Keith Bryant

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  • Trackers: Hurricanes Debby & Helene hit Pinellas sea turtle nesting season hard

    Trackers: Hurricanes Debby & Helene hit Pinellas sea turtle nesting season hard

    ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — As sea turtle nesting season comes to a close, experts who work with turtles on the southern end of Pinellas County say the back-to-back hurricanes brought nesting season to an abrupt halt.

    Joe Widlansky with Sea Turtle Trackers says the season started off strong and ended early due to flooding from Hurricane Helene. In all for 2024, the group recorded 55 nests and just over 2,500 hatchlings. That’s a steep drop off from the roughly 100 nests logged last year and 162 nests recorded in 2021.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Sea Turtle Trackers recorded 55 nests in 2024

    • 2023 was also a less than stellar season due to Hurricane Idalia with 100 nests recorded 

    • All but 16 nests wiped from St. Pete Beach after Hurricane Debby 

    • No nests were found following Hurricane Helene 


    Roughly 35 miles of beach are patrolled each morning during the six-month nesting season and tracked by experts.

    The group Sea Turtle Trackers covers the southern end of the county including St. Pete Beach, Pass-a-grille, Shell Key and Outback Key. The team with Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) covers a larger section from Treasure Island through Clearwater.

    Widlandsky says July was busy with hatchings. Then during Hurricane Debby in early August, all except for 16 nests were washed away. Of the 16 remaining, three hatched.

    “The rest of them we were waiting to see if any of them would hatch,” he said. “But then Helene came along and that was the end of that.”

    According to Widlandsky, turtles begin nesting in May and it takes between 50 and 60 days for eggs to hatch. When turtle eggs stay underwater for too long they become unviable, which Widlandsky believes plays a part in what happened this year.

    For the last six weeks of the season, the trackers patrolled the beaches as scheduled but didn’t find any turtle activity.

    “Next year they might bounce back and have 200 nests but there’s no way to predict,” Widlandsky said.

    Clearwater Marine Aquarium has not yet responded to Spectrum Bay News 9’s requests for sea turtle tracking data for the 2024 season.

    Angie Angers

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  • Swigwam Beach Bar reopens in St. Pete Beach

    Swigwam Beach Bar reopens in St. Pete Beach

    ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — The Swigwam Beach Bar on Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach officially reopened on Wednesday after being closed for more than a month due to damage from Hurricane Helene

    What You Need To Know

    • Rob Williams said, like most business owners, he does not have flood insurance and spent $29,000 to reopen about one month after Helene’s storm surge sent 18 inches of seawater inside the Swigwam

    • Williams survived what he called the worst October ever, but despite the setback he considers himself one of the lucky business owners.

    •  The Swigwam reopened on Wednesday


    “I think for the area, it’s going to take at least one year to recover completely,” said owner Rob Williams. “I’m happy we’re open because with so many people affected, especially the people that come in here all the time, they need a little relaxation.”

    Williams said, like most business owners, he does not have flood insurance and spent $29,000 to reopen about one month after Helene’s storm surge sent 18 inches of seawater inside the Swigwam. During the time it was closed, Williams said he tried to supplement the income of his seven employees as best he could.

    “They went from making money to making no money,” he said. “I kind of couldn’t do much, but I gave them a little bit each week to get them by.” 

    Robin Miller, the President and CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber, said it’s hard to get exact numbers but estimates about 40 percent of the businesses in St. Pete Beach have reopened — but most at limited capacity. The chamber has been doing a ribbon cutting at each business when it reopens.

    Williams said all four eating and drinking establishment on Corey Avenue have reopened but many of the other businesses remain closed. The bar owner is thankful to the City of St. Pete Beach for helping to clear debris from the avenue to make way for the Sunday morning market.

    “That was a big impetus for them to really clean the street because the Sunday market brings so many people here, local and tourists,” he said. “So having that really makes it feel like we’re almost normal again, but it’ll still be a while.”

    Williams said his home in the Gulfport area wasn’t damaged during Helene but two weeks later Hurricane Milton blew his front doors wide open and rain ruined his floors. He calls it minor damage compared to his siblings.

    “My sister, she lost all the contents plus two cars,” he said. “My brother. Same deal.”

    Williams survived what he called the worst October ever, but despite the setback, he considers himself one of the lucky business owners.

    “A lot of people lost their business and their house and their vehicle and any source of income,” he said. “So I do feel blessed that we’re open for business again and we’ll make it.” 

    Williams has a nearly 40 year history with the Swigwam. He was an employee at the former location for 23 years and has owned the Corey Avenue business for almost 15 years.

    Josh Rojas

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