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Pluribus AM: Helene relief, Milton’s damage

Good morning, it’s Thursday, October 10, 2024. In today’s edition, North Carolina approves Helene relief while Milton lashes Florida; storms threaten IV fluid supply; New York Gov signs gun bills:

Top Stories

HURRICANES: The North Carolina legislature approved a $273 million aid package Wednesday to assist victims of Hurricane Helene, including $250 million for state and local agencies to match federal requirements for disaster relief funding. House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said the legislature would return Oct. 24 to consider additional funding. (Pluribus News)

MORE: Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key and Sarasota late Wednesday, leaving millions of Floridians without power overnight. The storm dumped about 17 inches of rain on the Tampa Bay area, ripped a section of roof off of Tropicana Field and toppled a crane into the building that houses the Tampa Bay Times. There are early reports that tornadoes near Fort Pierce left some residents dead. (Tampa Bay Times)

Our thoughts are with Floridians dealing with this storm, and everyone across the Southeast still reeling from Helene.

DISASTER RESPONSE: Hospitals across the United States are conserving intravenous fluids after Hurricane Helene damaged a North Carolina production plant that produces about 60% of the nation’s supply. (Baltimore Sun) The company, Baxter International, said it doesn’t expect to be able to fully ramp up production until the end of the year. (Chicago Tribune)

HEALTH CARE: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) unveiled a new program that will test the use of drones to deliver medical supplies to rural areas. Moore said the pilot program would begin in remote areas on the Eastern Shore, using a $1.76 million grant from the Department of Transportation. Pennsylvania, Virginia and tribal nations in North Dakota are testing similar drone delivery programs. (Pluribus News)

A pilotless pilot program?

MORE: Twenty Republican attorneys general have filed a challenge to Biden administration rules setting minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes. The Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule requires 0.55 registered nurses per resident per day and 3.48 hours of direct nursing care to patients, but about 211 long-term care facilities in Kentucky alone do not meet those requirements. (Kentucky Lantern)

GUN POLITICS: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has signed legislation requiring firearms dealers to post signs warning of the risk of death by suicide and domestic dispute. Another bill Hochul signed will require credit card companies to assign unique tracking codes to gun and ammunition dealers in the state. (State of Politics)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Pennsylvania legislature has given final approval to a measure making it a crime to disseminate AI-generated “deepfake” pornography. The bill also expands the definition of child sexual abuse material to include AI-generated images. It now heads to Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) for a signature. (Harrisburg Patriot-News)

TRANSPORTATION: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has signed legislation expanding an Access Link program that helps seniors and the disabled find rides. The expansion will allow clients to choose taxis or ride share vehicles operated through Uber and Lyft to get to appointments. (NJ Advance Media)

In Politics & Business

UTAH: State Rep. Brian King (D) is touting a new poll showing him trailing Gov. Spencer Cox (R) by an 11-point margin. The Public Policy Polling survey shows Cox leading 35%-24%, with state Rep. Phil Lyman (R), a write-in candidate, taking 19%. In a head-to-head matchup, Cox leads 45%-32%. (Salt Lake Tribune)

MISSOURI: A new poll conducted by the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies shows 68% of Missouri voters back a proposed amendment to ban noncitizens from voting in elections. Just 28% opposed the measure, the poll found. (Center Square)

Non-citizen voting bans will appear on the ballot in Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin — and they’re all likely to pass by wide margins.

FLORIDA: The Federal Communications Commission issued a warning to Florida’s Department of Health after the department warned television stations over advertisements backing Amendment 4, the proposal to codify reproductive rights. In a statement, FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said threats to broadcasters undermined free speech rights. (Florida Politics)

WYOMING: The legislature’s Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee has voted in favor of a draft bill to consider allowing the state to store nuclear waste. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Donald Burkhart (R), said Wyoming could reap more than $4 billion a year for storing the waste. (WyoFile)

By The Numbers

About 10,000: The number of vacant state positions California will eliminate in hopes of saving $1.5 billion annually. The cost savings are meant to help address California’s $47 billion budget shortfall. (Sacramento Bee)

1,269: The number of applications Delaware’s Office of the Marijuana Commissioner received from businesses interested in opening pot shops. The office has only 125 licenses available, and it expected only 400 applicants for those slots. (Delaware Public Media)

Off The Wall

Las Vegas bid farewell to the Tropicana Hotel and Casino early Wednesday with an eight-minute fireworks display and a performance by 555 drones before the resort’s two hotel towers were imploded to make way for a new Major League Baseball stadium. (Nevada Independent) Watch the video right here.

A Washington State woman called 911 this week to help her get rid of about 100 hungry raccoons who swarmed her house in search of a meal. The woman said she had been feeding raccoons on her property for more than 38 years, but new visitors were acting so aggressively that she needed deputies to disperse the animals. (USA Today)

Quote of the Day

“The turbulence during our flight was extremely intense, and at one point, we free-fell several thousand feet, which underscored the storm’s ferocity.”

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who accompanied NOAA scientists on a hurricane hunter flight through Milton on Tuesday. (Florida Politics)

Those hurricane hunters are braver than we are.