FLORIDA IS BRACING FOR IMPACT AS IDALIA – NOW A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE – MOVES IN.

AND THE U.S. IS TRYING TO STOP A COMPANY’S EXPEDITION TO THE WRECKAGE OF THE TITANIC

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS.

BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY — AUGUST 30TH

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

HURRICANE IDALIA IS NOW AN “EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR STORM” —

EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL IN FLORIDA’S BIG BEND REGION THIS MORNING

WITH THE SYSTEM CHURNING AND STRENGTHENING IN THE GULF —

IDALIA HAS OFFICIALS PREDICTING A HISTORICAL AND CATASTROPHIC IMPACT.

“We are going to experience historical flood surge up into the Big Bend area. This is nothing to be messing around with, potentially 10 to 15 feet of storm surge. Put that in perspective. That’s three foot higher than what was predicted for Hurricane Ian and Fort Myers Beach.”

WIND SPEEDS ARE PROJECTED TO BE OVER 130 MILES-PER-HOUR.

A STORM SURGE COULD BE AS HIGH AS **16 FEET IN SOME LOW LYING COASTAL COMMUNITIES.

BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL — OUTER BANDS OF IDALIA LASHED PARTS OF FLORIDA — IN BETWEEN PANAMA CITY AND TAMPA.

DOZENS OF COUNTIES IN THE BIG BEND REGION ARE UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY WHERE RESIDENTS WERE TOLD TO LEAVE TOWN —

AS THE STORM POSES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO THOSE WHO STAY BEHIND.

OFFICIALS SAYING THIS MORNING —

THE TIME TO PREPARE HAS PASSED.

AS RESCUE CREWS ARE ALL IN PLACE — NOW WAITING FOR THE EYE OF HURRICANE IDALIA TO MOVE THROUGH.

WHILE ALL EYES ARE ON FLORIDA — TAKING THE BRUNT OF THE HURRICANE’S FORCE —

OTHER STATES LIKE SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA ARE ALSO PREPARING FOR MAJOR FLOODING FROM THE SYSTEM.

“We’re here today to announce the most significant technological and financial operation ever led by the Department of Justice against a botnet. The botnet in question is one of the most notorious and pernicious botnets in the world. It’s known as Qakbot.”  

U.S. ATTORNEY MARTIN ESTRADA SPEAKING YESTERDAY ON THE FBI’S OPERATION TO DISRUPT A MAJOR GLOBAL MALWARE NETWORK THAT HAS BEEN USED FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS TO COMMIT ONLINE CRIMES — INCLUDING RANSOMWARE ATTACKS.

ESTRADA SAYS NEARLY EVERY SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN VICTIMIZED BY QUAKBOT – WITH MORE THAN 700,000 INFECTED COMPUTERS IDENTIFIED BY THE FBI AND ITS EUROPEAN PARTNERS.

OFFICIALS SAY 8 POINT 6 MILLION DOLLARS IN CYBER-CURRENCY WAS SEIZED OR FROZEN AS PART OF THE OPERATION BUT NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED

THE LOCATION OF THE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE MALWARE WAS NOT DISCLOSED.

IN THE SMALL AFRICAN COUNTRY OF GABON —

THERE ARE REPORTS OF MILITARY OFFICERS OVER-POWERING THE COUNTRY’S GOVERNMENT AND TAKING CONTROL —

AFTER A HIGHLY-CONTESTED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION EARLIER THIS WEEK WENT IN THE FAVOR OF PRESIDENT ALI BONGO —

EXTENDING HIS FAMILY’S HALF-CENTURY REIGN OVER THE REGION.

THE MILITARY OFFICERS POSTED A VIDEO TO SOCIAL MEDIA —

ANNOUNCING THE ELECTION IS VOID AND BORDERS ARE CLOSED.

THE OFFICERS CLAIM TO HAVE DISSOLVED ALL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS.

ACCORDING TO REUTERS —

IF THE POWER GRAB IS A SUCCESS — IT WILL BE THE EIGHTH TIME A COUP HAS UNDERMINED DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA SINCE 2020.

GABON’S ELECTED PRESIDENT HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM SINCE THE UPRISING.

HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER STEVE SCALISE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH BLOOD CANCER AND HAS BEGUN TREATMENT.

SCALISE SAID THAT DOCTORS BELIEVE IT IS QUOTE “VERY TREATABLE.”

THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FROM LOUISIANA  —

TOLD HIS CONSTITUENTS HE WILL CONTINUE TO REPRESENT THEM IN WASHINGTON —

RETURNING TO WORK AS USUAL IN SEPTEMBER AFTER THE AUGUST RECESS.

SCALISE HAS OVERCOME SERIOUS HEALTH CHALLENGES IN THE PAST – SURVIVING A SHOOTING BEFORE A CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME IN 2017.

HE IS THE SECOND-HIGHEST RANKING REPUBLICAN IN THE HOUSE AFTER SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY.

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO STOP A PLANNED EXPEDITION TO RECOVER ARTIFACTS FROM THE WRECKAGE OF THE TITANIC.

THE U.S. ARGUES — IF RMS TITANIC –  THE FIRM THAT OWNS THE SALVAGE RIGHTS TO THE TITANIC WRECK – WERE TO ENTER THE SHIP’S HULL OR PHYSICALLY ALTER IT  – THAT WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW AND AN AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN TO TREAT THE SITE AS A MEMORIAL TO THE MORE THAN 1,500 PEOPLE WHO DIED.

THE COMPANY SAYS IT PLANS TO TAKE IMAGES OF THE ENTIRE WRECK – INCLUDING THE INSIDE – AND WOULD RECOVER ARTIFACTS FROM THE DEBRIS FIELD – BUT DOES NOT INTEND TO CUT INTO THE WRECKAGE OR DETACH ANY PART OF IT.

RMST SAYS IT WOULD WORK WITH THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION – BUT IS NOT SEEKING A PERMIT.

U.S. GOVERNMENT LAWYERS SAY THEY CAN’T PROCEED WITHOUT ONE.

THE U.S. CHALLENGE COMES MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AFTER A TITANIC SUBMERSIBLE FROM A DIFFERENT COMPANY IMPLODED NEAR THE SUNKEN SHIP —KILLING FIVE PEOPLE.

THAT INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO THIS CASE.

THE RMST EXPEDITION IS TENTATIVELY PLANNED FOR MAY 2024.

FINALLY THIS MORNING, FIVE LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW HOSTS ARE BANDING TOGETHER TO HELP OUT THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK SINCE MAY DUE TO THE WRITERS STRIKE.

STEPHEN COLBERT, JIMMY FALLON, JIMMY KIMMEL, SETH MEYERS AND JOHN OLIVER – USUALLY COMPETING FOR VIEWERS – WILL TEAM UP FOR THE “STRIKE FORCE FIVE” PODCAST – WHICH WILL DISCUSS THE STRIKE – NOW ENTERING ITS FIFTH MONTH

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE PODCAST WILL GO TO THE OUT-OF-WORK STAFF OF THEIR SHOWS.

THE SERIES WILL RUN FOR AT LEAST 12 EPISODES AND EACH HOST WILL TAKE TURNS LEADING THE CONVERSATION.

THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE PODCAST IS AVAILABLE STARTING TODAY.

THOSE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS AS YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE.

BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND GET NOTIFIED EACH WEEKDAY WHEN THE MORNING RUNDOWN IS AVAILABLE TO WATCH.

ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST – JUST SEARCH THE MORNING RUNDOWN ON SPOTIFY.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY.