Good morning. It's Friday, Sept. 27, and we're covering the strongest storm to hit the US since Hurricane Ian, details of the Eric Adams indictment, and much more. First time reading? Join over 3.9 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here. |
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Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida last night as a Category 4 storm, bringing 140 mph winds to the state's northwest coast. Over 600,000 homes and businesses have already lost power. See live updates here.
One of the biggest concerns for Hurricane Helene is storm surge (see 101), which analysts say could reach as high as 15 to 20 feet. Another is the storm's size; at 420 miles wide, it is among the largest storms to hit the US in recent years. As of this writing, 61 of Florida's 67 counties are under a state of emergency, with hurricane and flash flood warnings extending to parts of Georgia and North Carolina.
The last time the US was hit with a Category 4 storm was Hurricane Ian in 2022, which killed 150 people when it made landfall on a similar trajectory a few hundred miles south in Fort Myers. Almost 2,500 people were rescued by emergency crews. |
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) has been charged with five federal counts of bribery, fraud, and illegal campaign donations. The unsealed indictment comes after a three-year investigation by Manhattan's US attorney's office culminating in a predawn raid on the mayoral residence at Gracie Mansion.
Adams stands accused of soliciting bribes, yielding over $100K in free travel accommodations and gifts from foreign nationals, including a Turkish government official. In exchange, then-mayoral candidate Adams allegedly pressured the city's fire department to overlook safety code violations for a Turkish consulate building. Prosecutors also accuse Adams of defrauding the city of $10M in public funds, faking qualification for a campaign donation matching program. Adams maintains he is innocent and has resisted calls to resign.
The investigation is one of at least four encircling the Adams administration, with three associates resigning in recent weeks amid police raids and subpoenas. Read about the investigations here. |
Sudan's army launched airstrikes and drone strikes in the country's capital of Khartoum yesterday, its first offensive there against the Rapid Support Forces militia in months. The RSF has held most of the capital since April 2023, when the conflict began.
The clash between forces of two formerly allied generals—army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—has killed over 16,000 people and displaced an estimated 10 million others, about one-fifth of the country’s population. The RSF militia is currently backed by the United Arab Emirates, where Dagalo—enriched from Sudanese gold mines—stashes militia finances. Both sides are accused of committing atrocities, including mass killings and sexual violence.
After three decades under Omar al-Bashir's strongman leadership, the two generals united in 2019 to oust the longtime leader and transition to a democracy, a process marred by disputes and culminating in the current clash. See background on the conflict here. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
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> 2024 MLB regular season wraps this Sunday; see latest playoff picture (More) | Oakland Athletics plays final game in Oakland; A's will play in Sacramento through 2027 ahead of permanent move to Las Vegas in 2028 (More) |
> Ultimate Fighting Championship agrees to settle class-action lawsuit for $375M over alleged antitrust practices within the mixed martial arts industry (More) |
> Hoda Kotb to depart NBC's "Today" show next year for new role at NBC News (More) | English rock band The Cure releases first new song in 16 years, announces upcoming album release (More) |
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> OpenAI to restructure into a for-profit company, give CEO Sam Altman equity for the first time; decision comes as key executives depart, including CTO Mira Murati (More) | What is OpenAI? (More, w/video) |
> New study pinpoints cellular mechanism in killifish allowing the animal to regrow its tail after injuries; discovery sheds light on how some species are able to regenerate lost limbs (More) |
> Scientists discover carbon bond using only one of its six electrons to connect atoms; results improve understanding of common carbon-based materials ranging from charcoal to diamond (More) |
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In partnership with Lumen |
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> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.4%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +0.6%), with S&P 500 closing at new record after weekly jobless claims fell more than expected and final government data showed the US grew at 3% annualized rate in Q2 (More) |
> Super Micro Computer shares close down 12% after US Justice Department reportedly opens probe into the company; comes after short-seller Hindenburg Research accused Super Micro of accounting manipulation (More) | Alphabet to invest $3.3B to build two data centers in South Carolina (More) |
> Southwest Airlines shares close up 5% after airline unveils revamp plan and $2.5B stock buyback; changes include introducing assigned seating in first half of 2026 and offering red-eye flights (More) | Stock buybacks 101 (More) |
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> Cable news channel Newsmax settles with voting machine company Smartmatic over 2020 election claims (More) | Rudy Giuliani (R), former New York mayor and ex-attorney for Trump, disbarred in Washington, DC, over 2020 election statements (More) |
> Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the White House to bolster US support for Ukraine's defenses in its war with Russia; the US announces roughly $8B in military aid (More) | See war updates (More) |
> World's longest-serving death row inmate—an 88-year-old former boxer in Japan—acquitted in 1966 murders after evidence found to have been fabricated (More) |
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> Divorce Regret
Guardian | Amelia Abraham. Exploring the rising trend in reunification among divorced couples, 6% of whom opt to remarry after legally ending the marriage. (Read)
> The Nazi of Oak Park
Chicago Mag | Michael Soffer. Reinhold Kulle left Germany for Chicago in the 1950s to start a new life as a respected high school janitor. In the 1980s, it emerged he had been a Nazi guard in Poland. (Read) |
> Recording "Here Comes the Sun"
You Can't Unhear This | Raymond Schillinger. The intricate process of recording the Beatles' iconic 1969 hit, from the inclusion of the Moog synthesizer to post-production anomalies. (Watch)
> Cucumber Plastic
Talking Rubbish | James Piper, Robbie Staniforth. Why are cucumbers often wrapped in plastic? Two experts dive into the phenomenon in their weekly show on recycling. (Listen) |
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