Early Friday, he tweeted, “Aliens built the pyramids obv,” which was liked nearly 540,000 times and retweeted more than 85,000 times as of Sunday afternoon.
It’s not clear if Musk was serious, but his tweet got him an invitation to Egypt.
“I follow your work with a lot of admiration. I invite you & Space X to explore the writings about how the pyramids were built and also to check out the tombs of the pyramid builders,” Rania A. Al Mashat, Egypt’s minister of international cooperation, tweeted Saturday. “Mr. Musk, we are waiting for you.”
Musk tweeted follow-up messages after his initial tweet.
“The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure made by humans for 3800 years. Three thousand, eight hundred years,” he tweeted, sharing a Wikipedia link about the Great Pyramid of Giza.
He also shared a BBC article, which he said “provides a sensible summary for how it was done.”
On Sunday, closing out an unprecedented test flight by Musk’s SpaceX company, two NASA astronauts returned to Earth in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico.
It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years, and the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year.
Contributing: Associated Press
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko
Appearing on the same program shortly after, Mnuchin said the administration was worried about the cost.
“There’s obviously a need to support workers, support the economy,” Mnuchin said. “On the other hand, we have to be careful about not piling on enormous amounts of debt.”
“There are cases where people are overpaid,” Mnuchin said.
The White House has said it would support a one-week extension of the $600 per week rate but Democrats have rejected the proposal as unworkable.
Despite disagreement over unemployment assistance, Mnuchin said the two sides were still on the same page about the need for direct cash payments of $1,200 to most Americans.
Speaking to reporters following his interview, Mnuchin said that Trump was in favor of the stimulus measure and that the checks were likely to be sent more quickly than they were the first time, possibly as soon as a week after the legislation is signed.
When that will be remains up in the air, however. A staff level meeting between the two sides is expected for Sunday, with Mnuchin and Pelosi meeting in person on Monday, along with Meadows and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Meadows, for his part, seemed to pour cold water on the idea of a deal being reached in the coming days during his own television interview on Sunday, on CBS’s “Face The Nation.”
“I’m not optimistic that there will be a solution in the very near term,” Meadows said.
The shelter will be laid out to provide for Centers For Disease Control and Prevention recommended social distancing. Health screenings, temperature checks and personal protection equipment will be in place, but those seeking shelter are also asked to bring their own PPE, such as face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer, for personal use, officials said.
Image caption
Ms Pelosi reportedly described Dr Birx as “the worst”
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has attacked the White House coronavirus task force’s Deborah Birx, linking her to “disinformation” spread by President Donald Trump.
Dr Birx responded that she always based her decisions on scientific data.
She is a leading member of the task force, working alongside infectious diseases chief Anthony Fauci.
Mr Trump has regularly drawn criticism for his claims about Covid-19, many of which have been proved to be false.
“I think the president has been spreading disinformation about the virus and she is his appointee, so I don’t have confidence there, no,” Ms Pelosi told ABC.
According to Politico, the House speaker used stronger words in her meeting last week with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
“Deborah Birx is the worst. Wow, what horrible hands you’re in,” she is quoted as saying to them. She also described Dr Fauci as a “hero”.
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption
Dr Birx (second L) pictured with other task force members at a White House briefing in April
Dr Birx told CNN’s State of the Union she respected Ms Pelosi, and thought the criticism was triggered by a New York Times article which suggested she was too ready to embrace overly optimistic assessments about the pandemic.
“This was not a pollyannish view. I’ve never been called pollyannish, or non-scientific, or non-data driven,” she said. “I will stake my 40-year career on those fundamental principles of using data to implement better programmes and save lives.”
In the same interview, Dr Birx said the US had entered a “new phase” in its fight against the pandemic, with the disease being “extraordinarily widespread”.
She cautioned people living in rural areas that they were not immune and must take precautions such as wearing face-coverings and social distancing.
She also urged Americans returning from holiday to assume that they were infected and to self-isolate – and she said people living in multi-generational households should consider wearing a mask while at home.
Why are Trump’s comments under scrutiny?
Dr Fauci has clashed with Mr Trump over the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine, which the president has promoted as being effective in fighting the virus.
There is no evidence of this, and regulators warn the drug may cause heart problems.
Media captionDr Birx said irradiation by UV light was not possible as a treatment
Mr Trump has also discussed irradiating the bodies of coronavirus patients with ultraviolet light, a concept which Dr Birx said could not be applied as a treatment.
The US continues to have the highest number of cases of coronavirus in the world – more than 4.6 million – and more than 150,000 people have died with the virus there, more than in any other country.
Seven U.S. Marines and one sailor are presumed dead after going missing during a training “mishap” off the Southern California coast on Thursday, officials announced in a press release late Saturday night.
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group concluded their search and rescue operation after an extensive 40-hour search for the service members, the release stated.
“It is with a heavy heart, that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort,” Col. Christopher Bronzi, 15th MEU Commanding Officer, said in a statement. “The steadfast dedication of the Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen to the persistent rescue effort was tremendous.”
Officials determined that there was little probability of a successful rescue given the circumstances of the incident, according to the release.
In addition to the eight service members now presumed dead, a ninth U.S. Marine died during the training mishap and another was in critical condition.
The deceased Marines and sailor were not immediately identified.
“It is with a heavy heart, that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort,” said Col. Christopher Bronzi, 15th MEU Commanding Officer. “The steadfast dedication of the Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen to the persistent rescue effort was tremendous.”
Fifteen Marines and one sailor were inside an amphibious assault vehicle near San Clemente Island on Thursday when they reported taking on water at about 5:45 p.m., according to officials.
Gen. David Berger said at a news conference Friday afternoon, “The vehicle sank after taking on water.”
Two amphibious assault vehicles and a safety boat were nearby. Some of the rescued Marines were found bobbing in the water after successfully deploying floatation devices, which all on board had been equipped with, said Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman.
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The 26-ton vehicle appeared to sink in “several hundred feet of water” more than 1,000 meters from the northwest corner of the island, officials said.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. I ask that you keep our Marines, Sailors, and their families in your prayers as we continue our search,” Bronzi said on Twitter.
The incident is still under investigation, officials said.
We’ve looked at violent crime, and found it’s down overall in many cities, but murders have risen sharply in some.
Violent crime continues to fall
In many major US cities, including Chicago and New York, violent crime overall is down compared with the same time last year.
Various cities define violent crime in slightly different ways, but it usually includes murder, robbery, assault and rape.
Individual years can fluctuate but violent crime across America has been on a downward trend since the 1990s.
A study by the New York Times found violent crime from the start of this year through to the beginning of June was down 2% across 25 large American cities, compared with the same period in 2019.
In April and May, violent crime in many US cities declined significantly compared with previous years, due in part to coronavirus lockdown measures.
But President Trump has pointed to a string of murders in certain cities, and homicides in contrast have increased sharply in some areas.
Where have murders risen?
A review of data from 27 American cities found that Chicago led the way as homicides surged through to the end of June.
The president has sent more than 100 federal agents to help local law enforcement in Chicago.
As of 26 July, murders are up more than a 50% from this time last year.
Murders in Chicago
Compared with July of previous years
Data up to 26 July
President Trump has proposed expanding the deployment of federal law enforcement to the north-eastern cities of New York and Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is seeing a spike in murders, while reports of other violent crimes have declined.
Murders in Philadelphia
Compared with July of previous years
Data up to 30 July
It’s a similar trend in New York, as although rapes and robberies are down, the murder rate is up more than 50% compared with the same point in 2019.
New York’s murder rate has decreased significantly since the 1990s, but June saw the most shootings in a single month since 1996, according to the New York Police Department.
Murders are down elsewhere
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is another city President Trump has sent dozens of federal agents into, but murders have fallen compared with previous years.
The police chief in the city has said: “Contrary to claims by politicians in Washington DC, Albuquerque has been keeping overall violent crime flat and has reduced homicides thus far this year.”
Murders in Albuquerque
Compared with July of previous years
Data up to 27 July
Murders in Albuquerque, a city of more than half a million people, have dropped to 38 compared with 44 at the same point in the previous two years.
Other cities earmarked by President Trump have also seen mixed trends. Murders are down in Baltimore, steady in Oakland, but up in Detroit compared with this time last year.
Why are some cities seeing a spike in murders?
It’s hard to put it down to one reason.
Crime often rises in the summer due to a combination of reasons, such as no school and more outdoor activity.
Richard Rosenfield, an American criminologist, says: “Typically as weather warms up, we see an increase in street crime, including homicides.”
This summer has also seen people re-emerging from lockdowns in various states.
Image copyright Getty Images
The mayor of Chicago has put the rise in murders down in part to a “perfect storm” created by coronavirus, and the mayor of New York says the spike has been fuelled by “horrible dislocation” caused by the pandemic.
The ongoing pandemic has had widespread implications, including for law enforcement.
Many courts in the US have been closed, and some offenders have been released to stop the spread of coronavirus. That has led “to a feeling among offenders that they can commit crimes with impunity”, according to a report by the Police Executive Research Forum.
COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in the United States. Some states are being hit especially hard. While researchers and physicians have learned a lot about the disease caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, there seems to be no end in sight to the ongoing pandemic.
The good news, though, is that a frantic — and massive — effort is under way to develop vaccines that could potentially prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here’s everything you need to know about the coronavirus vaccine race.
Image source: Getty Images.
How many vaccine candidates are being developed?
As of July 31, 2020, there are 165 novel coronavirus vaccine candidates in development, according to the World Health Organization. However, 139 of these candidates are in preclinical testing. Many of these candidates might not advance into clinical testing in humans. The good news is that 26 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are already in clinical testing.
Which vaccine candidates are in the lead?
Clinical testing of vaccines includes three phases. Candidates must successfully complete phase 1 testing to go on to phase 2 and then must successfully complete phase 2 testing to advance into phase 3.
There are currently five COVID-19 vaccine candidates in phase 3 testing, also commonly referred to as late-stage testing. Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm claims two of these candidates. Another Chinese company, Sinovac Biotech, also has a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in phase 3 testing. The other two late-stage candidates are AZD1222, which is being developed by AstraZeneca(NYSE:AZN) and the University of Oxford, and Moderna‘s (NASDAQ:MRNA) mRNA-1273.
In addition, Pfizer(NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech(NASDAQ:BNTX) recently began a phase 2/3 clinical study evaluating COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162b2.
How do the leading vaccine candidates differ?
The vaccine candidates from Sinopharm and Sinovac use inactivated (dead) coronavirus cells that are introduced to the body. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford are using what’s called a non-replicating viral vector. This approach uses a weakened version of an adenovirus (which causes the common cold) to deliver genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech partnership use a messenger RNA (mRNA) approach. While DNA contains all of the instructions for building proteins, mRNA carries those instructions to ribosomes, which serve as the body’s protein-making factories. The COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech modify mRNA to cause ribosomes to produce spike proteins that are identical to those found in SARS-CoV-2.
The ultimate goal of all of these vaccines is to cause the body to develop antigens that remain in the blood and help fight off future viral attacks.
Which vaccines not among the leaders could be winners?
Two COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently in clinical testing have received significant funding and appear to be especially promising.
There’s also an experimental COVID-19 vaccine that hasn’t advanced into clinical testing that scored a major U.S. government funding deal recently. Sanofi(NASDAQ:SNY) and GlaxoSmithKline(NYSE:GSK) were awarded $2.1 billion for up to 100 million doses of a preclinical coronavirus vaccine candidate.
How soon might a vaccine be available?
In the past, it’s taken years for vaccines to advance through clinical testing and win regulatory approvals. However, the normal timeline is being accelerated greatly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opinions vary as to how soon a coronavirus vaccine will be available. Some CEOs of companies making vaccine candidates think their COVID-19 vaccine candidates could be ready by the end of this year. Others believe that early 2021 is more likely. However, there are also some less optimistic predictions that it could take much longer before a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is ready.
What are the chances that no vaccine will be safe and effective?
You’ll probably be happy to learn that the chances that none of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates in development will be safe and effective are quite low. Nearly three out of four vaccines that entered phase 3 testing between 2006 and 2015 went on to win FDA approval, according to biopharmaceutical industry organization BIO.
Since there are currently six coronavirus vaccine candidates in late-stage testing or close to it, the probability that none of them will win approval based on BIO’s historical analysis is only one in 3,470. If we included all of the other candidates in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical testing, the odds are heavily in favor of at least one of them achieving success.
Which coronavirus vaccine stocks are good picks?
The Motley Fool’s mission is to make the world smarter, happier, and richer. Therefore, we can’t leave out addressing the investing angle of the coronavirus vaccine race.
If your investing style is more conservative, big pharma stocks like AstraZeneca and Pfizer could be attractive. Both companies are leaders in the scramble to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Both have landed major supply contracts already. And both AstraZeneca and Pfizer have other growth drivers in addition to their COVID-19 programs.
On the other hand, if you’re an aggressive investor, Moderna and Novavax might be more to your liking. Both biotech stocks have soared this year. But if their COVID-19 vaccine candidates are successful in clinical testing, Moderna and Novavax could go a lot higher.
Syracuse, N.Y. — The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for parts of Upstate New York, as strong thunderstorms capable of producing fierce winds, isolated hail and even a tornado develop.
Parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont also are under the tornado watch until 10 p.m. Sunday.
In Upstate New York, the tornado watch spans north and east of Syracuse, including in the cities of Watertown, Utica and Albany.
Strong thunderstorms swept through Oneida County Sunday afternoon and could lead to minor flooding, according to the weather service. Around 2:30 p.m., doppler radar tracked small hail and wind gusts around 35 mph in parts of the county.
A few small tornadoes are possible in the watch areas. Isolated hail also could grow to the size of a ping pong ball, the National Weather Service said.
Scattered wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible in areas affected by the tornado watch.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue check out the ocean as waves crash ashore from Tropical Storm Isaias as it passes through the area on August 2, 2020 in Juno Beach, Fla.
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Palm Beach County Fire Rescue check out the ocean as waves crash ashore from Tropical Storm Isaias as it passes through the area on August 2, 2020 in Juno Beach, Fla.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Tropical Storm Isaias is continuing its push toward Florida’s east coast on Sunday after battering the Bahamas with heavy rainfall and gusty winds.
Isaias, which was downgraded to a tropical storm after reaching hurricane status, is whipping up sustained winds of 65 miles per hour and could bring 1 to 7 inches of rainfall from Florida to New England in the coming week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 11 a.m. on Sunday, the center of the storm was situated roughly 55 miles off the Florida coast. The NHC expects the storm to affect the coasts of Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina in the next 36 hours.
The NHC warned that “dangerous storm surge” was possible from the city of Edisto Beach, S.C. to Cape Fear, N.C. The center said water could rise between 2 and 4 feet above ground level along that stretch of coast in the next 48 hours. Storm surge along the coasts of Florida and Georgia could hit between 1 and 3 feet.”
Isaias is expected to remain a tropical storm well into midweek as it tracks up the East Coast. The NHC said that in addition to storm surge, much of the East Coast could see flash flooding and urban flooding as well as ocean swells and tornadoes.
In a news conference Saturday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned of power outages from the storm’s strong winds. The governor said Florida’s main utility company has 10,000 workers pre-positioned to restore power. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been more difficult to get out-of-state crews to come into the state, meaning residents could face longer waits for their power to come back on.
DeSantis said nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been checked to make sure they have working generators on site. Palm Beach county issued a voluntary evacuation order Thursday for mobile homes and in areas likely to flood. DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for counties along the state’s Atlantic coast.
A massive search and rescue operation for seven Marines and a Navy sailor who went missing after a training accident off the California coast has been halted and all are presumed dead, authorities said Sunday.
Fifteen Marines and the sailor were participating in a routine training exercise off the coast of San Clemente Island on Thursday when their amphibious assault vehicle began taking on water and sank. Eight Marines were pulled from the water – one died and two others remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday, the Marines said in a statement.
Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard helicopters and ships searched more than I,000 square nautical miles for 40 hours. Search team commanders ultimately determined there was little probability of a successful rescue given the circumstances of the incident, the statement said.
“It is with a heavy heart, that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort,” said Col. Christopher Bronzi. “The steadfast dedication of the Marines, sailors. and Coast Guardsmen to the persistent rescue effort was tremendous.”
The vehicle sank in several hundred feet of water off San Clemente Island, about 60 miles off the coast of Camp Pendleton in San Diego County. Efforts will now turn to finding and recovering the bodies, including equipment designed to survey the sea floor, which is too deep for divers to reach.
“Our thoughts and prayers have been, and will continue to be with our Marines’ and sailor’s families,” said Bronzi. “As we turn to recovery operations we will continue our exhaustive search for our missing Marines and Sailor.”
The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated. The tragedy marks the third time in less than a decade that Camp Pendleton Marines have been injured or died in amphibious assault vehicles during training exercises.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger ordered an immediate suspension of amphibious assault vehicles from training at sea.
“This is a time for steely-eyed public servants who play no games and demand results,” Crump wrote in a CNN op-ed. “It’s time for Sen. Kamala Harris to join Joe Biden’s ticket and, God willing, help him actualize the next phase of this movement from the White House.”
Crump is currently suing the city of Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed by police in custody on May 25.
The death of Floyd, an unarmed Black man, sparked global outrage after bystander video surfaced of a white police officer holding Floyd down on the ground with a knee on his neck. Despite pleas from Floyd that he could not breathe, the officer did not remove his knee. Floyd became unresponsive moments later, and was pronounced dead at the hospital following the incident.
Crump has won more than 200 police brutality suits, including those related to Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.
Harris is one of several Black women being considered as Biden’s running mate and has gained attention in recent days after it was reported that some Democratic operatives considered her “too ambitious” and wanted her to apologize for attacking Biden during a Democratic primary debate.
“The truth is, Harris has been unraveling broken systems and confronting injustice since long before most people knew her name,” Crump said.
The civil rights attorney also addressed issues Harris faced during her time as a prosecutor and Attorney General of California. Progressives have argued that she perpetuated racial inequalities as California’s top cop.
“Still, for anyone stuck on whether a prosecutor or attorney general can lead on justice reform, I say: check the record. I did,” Crump wrote, highlighting programs she spearheaded while in office.
Crump said Harris is well-equipped to address the racial reckoning that was sparked by Floyd’s death, which incited ongoing protests across the country.
“I won’t parse words: A second Trump term scares the hell out of me,” Crump wrote. “I can’t stop imagining the onslaught of racism, corruption and injustice we’d all endure, with Black folks as always bearing an outsized burden.”
Asked if he was recommending a national mask mandate, Admiral Giroir said, “The public health message is we’ve got to have mask-wearing.” He added: “If we don’t do that, and if we don’t limit the indoor crowded spaces, the virus will continue to run.”
It could be a good idea, because mortgage rates have never been lower. Refinancing requests have pushed mortgage applications to some of the highest levels since 2008, so be prepared to get in line. But defaults are also up, so if you’re thinking about buying a home, be aware that some lenders have tightened their standards.
What is school going to look like in September?
It is unlikely that many schools will return to a normal schedule this fall, requiring the grind of online learning, makeshift child care and stunted workdays to continue. California’s two largest public school districts — Los Angeles and San Diego — said on July 13, that instruction will be remote-only in the fall, citing concerns that surging coronavirus infections in their areas pose too dire a risk for students and teachers. Together, the two districts enroll some 825,000 students. They are the largest in the country so far to abandon plans for even a partial physical return to classrooms when they reopen in August. For other districts, the solution won’t be an all-or-nothing approach. Many systems, including the nation’s largest, New York City, are devising hybrid plans that involve spending some days in classrooms and other days online. There’s no national policy on this yet, so check with your municipal school system regularly to see what is happening in your community.
Is the coronavirus airborne?
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Does asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 happen?
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Another guest on CNN on Sunday, Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said that, in many areas where cases are surging, the availability of tests was badly lagging. “In 18, 20 states, the number of tests being done is actually falling and falling because our testing system is under such strain that we just can’t even deliver the test today that we were doing two weeks ago,” he said. “That’s very concerning because when cases are rising, and your number of tests are falling, that’s a recipe for disaster.”
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Admiral Giroir defended the nation’s testing program, noting it has exponentially been increased in recent months although there are still delays in getting results. He said that both testing and contact tracing efforts were crucial responses, but not particularly helpful in large, communitywide outbreaks.
“When you have a widespread, multifocal outbreak where many people are asymptomatic, testing and tracing are of limited utility versus public health policy measures like mask-wearing, like closing indoor crowded spaces,” Admiral Giroir said. “So, yes, contact tracing is important, but it’s much less important right now than the public policy mitigation measures.”
Despite encouraging signs in some states fighting to contain the summer outbreaks, Admiral Giroir said, the true cost of those infections will only be clear in the weeks to come: “We are very concerned and this is a very serious point, and deaths will continue to increase for the next few weeks” because deaths tend to lag behind case counts.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Tropical Storm Isaias is slowly moving closer to Florida’s east coast and weather conditions are starting to turn more rainy and windy.
The storm is currently bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the northwestern Bahamas and is just about 40 miles from Florida’s coast, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The center of the storm is expected to move near or over the east coast of Florida. FOX 35 Meteorologist Jayme King expects that it could possibly make landfall at Port Canaveral late on Sunday or early Monday.
Isaias said to be moving northwest at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph. Little change in strength is expected by the NHC. A patch of drier air is expected to keep the intensity of the storm down and it should not regain hurricane intensity.
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ACTIVE WEATHER ADVISORIES:
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
Hallandale Beach Florida to South Santee River, South Carolina
Lake Okeechobee
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
North of South Santee River, South Carolina to Surf City, North Carolina
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:
Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Edisto Beach, South Carolina to Cape Fear, North Carolina
A FOX 35 WEATHER ALERT DAY is in place for the whole weekend.
With the latest track, Isaias could make landfall in Port Canaveral. Tropical-storm-force winds are possible in the next 24 hours, primarily in gusts but could become sustained along the coast.
The Brevard County coast is already starting to experience some rain, with high-producing, fast-moving tropical downpours expected when Isaias is closer. Impactful rain bands could come inland as well later in the morning.
Brevard County braces for impact of Tropical Storm Isaias
FOX 35 reporter Matt Trezza gives an update on weather conditions from Indian Harbor beach.
Winds and rain start to pick at Cocoa Beach as Tropical Storm Isaias nears
FOX 35 reporter David Martin gives the latest on the weather conditions at Cocoa Beach.
There is also a slight risk of tornadic activity as conditions continue through Sunday and into Monday morning in Florida.
Along the coast, expect a storm surge between one to four feet. This may leave some docks under water and moderate beach erosion behind.
Even though the sustained winds of Isaias are weaker than originally expected, FOX 35 meteorologist Jayme King wants to remind Floridians to stay vigilant as even a tropical storm can still cause severe weather and damage.
Tropical Storm Isaias moving slowly as rain and wind pick up in Florida
FOX 35 Meteorologist Jayme King gives the latest on Tropical Storm Isaias.
Isaias was the second hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season but has since weakened into a tropical storm.
Isaias has already been destructive in the Caribbean, On Thursday, before it became a hurricane, it uprooted trees, destroyed crops and homes, and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. One man died in the Dominican Republic. In Puerto Rico, the National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floodwaters that swept away one woman, whose body was recovered Saturday.
Track the Tropics on the FOX 35 Weather App
FOX 35 meteorologist Allison Gargaro tracks the tropics on the FOX 35 weather app.
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Isaias, now a Tropical Storm, could restrengthen to hurricane strength overnight as it inches slowly closer to Florida’s southeast coast.
At 11 p.m. Saturday, the center of the storm was 80 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale and 105 miles southeast of West Palm Beach.
It was moving to the northwest at 9 mph with sustained winds of 70 mph.
Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center.
A general northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected for the next day or so, followed by a north-northwestward motion by late Sunday. A turn toward the north and north-northeast is anticipated on Monday and Tuesday with an increase in forward speed.
On the forecast track, the center of Isaias will approach the southeast coast of Florida early Sunday and move near or along the east coast of Florida Sunday and Sunday night. On Monday and Tuesday, the center of Isaias will move from offshore of the coast of Georgia into the southern mid-Atlantic states.
Some restrengthening is possible, and Isaias could regain hurricane strength early Sunday. Slow weakening is expected to begin Sunday night and continue through Monday..
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
Boca Raton to the Volusia/Flagler County Line
Bimini, the Berry Islands, and Grand Bahama Island
Trump announced the plan to reporters on Air Force One Friday night, citing national security concerns about the Chinese-owned company giving American user data to the Chinese government.
“To fans and users of#TikTok I understand your concerns,” Graham tweeted from his campaign account. “However President Trump is right to want to make sure that the Chinese Communist Party doesn’t own TikTok and most importantly — all of your private data.”
To fans and users of #TikTok I understand your concerns.
However President Trump is right to want to make sure that the Chinese Communist Party doesn’t own TikTok and most importantly — all of your private data.
At the time, a TikTok spokesperson responded to Trump’s threat by pointing out that American user data is stored in the U.S. and that there is significant American investment in the app.
Trump’s announcement promptly generated criticism from TikTok users who accused the president of threatening freedoms of speech and expression.
ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, is reportedly willing to forfeit its stake in the U.S. operations of the app to Microsoft following Trump’s announcement of the ban, according to a report from Rueters published Saturday.
Earlier in the day on Friday, reports circulated that President Trump was going to require ByteDance to sell off its U.S. operations. At the time, the president was undecided on his plan about the company, saying that he was “looking at TikTok.”
Graham said described the potential sale of TikTok to Microsoft as a “win-win.”
“Have an American company like Microsoft take over TikTok,” Graham tweeted, saying the move “keeps competition alive and data out of the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
What’s the right answer?
Have an American company like Microsoft take over TikTok.
Win-win.
Keeps competition alive and data out of the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.
ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, is racing to save the video-sharing app’s U.S. operations by making a last-ditch plea to the Trump administration to allow it to sell the unit to Microsoft.
ByteDance has told the White House it is willing to divest its U.S. operation in full through a sale, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The offer was first reported by Reuters.
The appeal came a day after President Trump vowed to ban TikTok in the U.S. and said a sale to any party — including Microsoft — would not be an acceptable solution.
“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One late Friday, saying he could use executive powers to formalize the decision as early as Saturday. “We are not an M&A [mergers and acquisitions] country.”
In reportedly preparing an order to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell it off, the Trump administration chooses a peculiar cyberdefense beachhead in an emerging battle over information espionage.
The comments left some involved in the talks between Microsoft and ByteDance fearing that any hope of a deal had collapsed Saturday.
However, others — including ByteDance executives — believe Trump’s intervention was a negotiating ploy intended to compel the Chinese group to sell the U.S. business in full and at a lower price than it had been holding out for from Microsoft.
There is no guarantee that Microsoft and ByteDance will reach a deal, but the two sides have been secretly discussing a transaction over the last few weeks, according to multiple people involved.
Microsoft President Brad Smith visited officials in Washington last month to see if a takeover of the business by the U.S. company would address the government’s concerns over TikTok, some of these people said.
Microsoft has a limited presence in social media and believes a deal would allow it to enter a category dominated by rivals such as Facebook, one person added.
In private, TikTok executives and investors have speculated that Facebook, which is preparing to unveil a rival product in the U.S. as soon as this week, has been lobbying the U.S. government behind closed doors to ban the app.
The exact price under discussion is not clear, but it is believed to be in the range of $15 billion to $30 billion, one person said. Another person said there has been no agreement on price or terms yet and characterized the discussions as “preliminary.”
It remains unclear how TikTok would separate its U.S. operations from its European and Asian arms.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. has been undertaking a review of TikTok’s status in recent weeks on national security grounds.
The review by the committee, which is led by the Treasury Department, followed growing concerns over the company’s Chinese roots and data-gathering practices.
As well as considering an outright ban, and a spinoff to a U.S. buyer, the Trump administration has also weighed whether to place TikTok on the so-called entity list run by the Commerce Department, to restrict its ability to do business in the U.S.
In an apparent bid to assuage the concerns of its U.S. users, Vanessa Pappas, general manager for TikTok U.S., posted a video on TikTok on Saturday in which she said: “We’re not going anywhere…. We’re here for the long run.”
The social video app faces growing scrutiny from the U.S. government, rising competition from rivals like Facebook and the defection of top creators.
The company also put out a statement Friday saying: “TikTok U.S. user data is stored in the U.S., with strict controls on employee access. TikTok’s biggest investors come from the U.S.. We are committed to protecting our users’ privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform.”
ByteDance has also been in talks with a group of its existing investors, including Sequoia Capital and General Atlantic, about a deal to spin out TikTok. Some of those U.S. investors may be able to take minority stakes under the terms of the proposal put to the White House, one person said.
Microsoft could not be immediately reached for comment.
Financial Times writer Miles Kruppa contributed to this report.
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