HURRICANE IDALIA wis nearing Florida (Wikipedia).

Hurricane Idalia is gathering strength as it moves toward Florida after hammering Cuba with heavy rains.

The Associated Press is reporting that the tropical storm that lashed that island nation has knocked out power and left some areas underwater.

Authorities are warning people living in coastal areas – that covers 28 counties – to pack up emergency needs and supplies and evacuate.

Winds have hit speeds of 105 miles an hour and Idalia is expected to hit on Wednesday, striking the “Big Bend” area where the panhandle turns south into the peninsula.

Gov. Ron DeSants urged residents in the threatened areas to leave. “You really gotta go now,” he said.

The New York Times is warning that in addition to the rain, there is a danger of tornados forming.

North Korea fears an invasion?

The hermit nation of North Korea should prepare for an invasion by the United States and its allies.

At least that’s what leader Kim Jong Un (right) is saying, according to United Press International.

On Navy Day on Tuesday, he called for the modernization of maritime forces, as the U.S., South Korea and Japan hold joint military drills in the seas between the Korean peninsula and Japan.

Canada warns travelers to U.S.

The Canadian government issued an advisory warning on Tuesday to travelers planning to visit the United States.

THE RAINBOW FLAG (Flickr/Benson Kua).

Using a new acronym, the government warned about new laws that may affect “2SLGBTQI+” persons.

That refers to “two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and intersex” individuals, according to UPI.

The warning mentions restrictions on drag shows and “gender-affirming care.”

Is ‘Whopper’ not big enough?

THE WHOPPER

A lawsuit claiming that images of the Burger King “Whopper” hamburger exaggerate the size of the sandwich and is therefore deceptive will proceed.

According to Reuters, a federal judge in Miami will allow the legal action to proceed.

The class action suit is based on the allegation that pictures of the sandwich on store menu boards make the sandwich appear 35 percent bigger than it is.

Weather: Say bye to the ‘90s

A cooling trend should set in on Wednesday in our West Orange County area. Partly cloudy skies should be in position all week long, but lower temperatures are on the way. Wednesday should have a daytime high of 88 with an overnight low of 66. Thursday is forecast for 82 (65), followed by 79 (64) on Friday and 77 (62) on Saturday.