DEVASTATION in Asheville, North Carolina after Hurricane Helene (Wikipedia).

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene that killed at least 230  people and did billions of dollars of damage has been complicated by a new political dimension.

False claims are being made by former president Donald Trump and some of his supporters that the federal government is deliberately withholding aid from areas with primarily Republican voters, the Associated Press is reporting.

Another falsehood advanced is that disaster aid is being diverted from the storm-raged Southeast to assist illegal aliens in the U.S.

“It’s frankly ridiculous, and just plain false,” said Deanne Criswell, manager of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) claimed the Biden administration was using weather control technology to suppress Republican voting.

And now, it’s Hurricane Milton

The National Weather Service is predicting that Hurricane Milton – following on the deadly impact of Hurricane Helene  is expected to hit central Florida by midweek, according to The New York Times.

It’s expected to approach the peninsula from the west coast. Milton is on a different path than Helene, moving north of the Yucatan Peninsula and across the southern Gulf of Mexico by Wednesday, perhaps putting St. Petersburg in its path.

Sports: Rams lose to Packers

The Los Angeles Rams continued to slide, losing 24-19 to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. With the loss, the Rams are 1-4  on the season.

LA led 13-10 at halftime, but the offense was quiet until Matt Sanford hit DeMarcus Robinson for a touchdown with about two minutes to play. Meanwhile, the Pack had scored two second half touchdowns.

Stafford finished with 29 completions in 46 attempts for 260 yards. He was intercepted once. Jordan Love was 15 for 26 for two TDs. Love was intercepted once for a pick six.

Sports: Dodgers lose to Padres, 10-2

The San Diego Padres tied the National League Division Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at a game apiece with a 10-2 victory at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.

The Padres tied the MLB record for most home runs in a postseason game with six. Yu Darvish pitched seven strong innings for the visitors. The series now goes back to San Diego on Tuesday for Game Three.

Weather: A bit cooler again

The forecast for our West Orange County cities this week is for ups and downs on the thermometer and some mist as well. Morning fog and afternoon sun are predicted for Monday through Wednesday. Monday’s high is expected to be 81 with an overnight low of 61. Tuesday will dip to 79 (60), with Wednesday rising to 80 (61). Thursday will see a slip to 78 (61) under partly cloudy skies.