VICE PRESIDENT Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump (Wikipedia)

With about three weeks before Election Day, presidential and vice presidential candidates are criss-crossing the country with rallies and media interviews in an effort to turn out the vote and win over the undecided. Here’s a brief overview:

• Former president Donald Trump held a rally in Aurora, Colorado, a city that Trump claimed has been overrun by Venezuelan street gangs. The Republican mayor of that city says it’s not true.
• Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz in Detroit slammed Trump’s record on manufacturing, a day after Trump claimed that Michigan’s largest city, was “a mess.” Walz argued that the Harris-Walz ticket would be better for blue collar workers.
• The New York Times national polling average shows Harris with 49 percent support of the popular vote to Trump’s 46 percent. Among the seven swing states, Harris leads (all by about 1 percent) in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan and Wisconsin, while Trump leads (also all by about 1 percent) in North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona.

Death toll from Milton at 17

With rescue workers still trying to reach residents cut off by flood waters in the Tampa Bay region by Hurricane Milton, the count of lives lost is at 17.

According to United Press International, of the three fatalities reported on Friday, one was a woman hit by a falling tree branch. Another died from a “storm-related medical incident and the third was found deceased in a park.

St. Petersburg was dunked by 18 inches of rainfall and Tampa by 13 inches and flooding continues to be a danger across the area. However, despite fears that Milton would be the most powerful hurricane to ever strike Florida, the death toll is far lower than from Hurricane Helene, which took about 230 lives earlier this month.

About 2.4 million Florida residents are still without electric power, while it’s been restored to about 1.62 million customers.

Sanctions imposed on Iran

OIL DRILLING PLATFORMS

In response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel last week, the Biden administration on Friday imposed new sanctions on Iran’s use of  “shadow tankers” to export that nation’s petroleum.

Ten “entities” and 17 vessels have been declared “blocked property” for allegedly shipping oil despite sanctions not just from the U.S.. but other nations as well.

More measures to punish Iran for its attack on Israel are expected in the next few days from American “allies and partners,” according to USA Today.

Weather: Thermometer dropping

Fall is getting a grip on our West Orange County cities. Daytime temperatures are heading into the low 70s with the 60s not far behind. Saturday’s daytime high will be 75 with an overnight low of 60. There will be fog in the morning with sun in the afternoon. Sunday will drop to 71 (60) with partly cloudy skies. Monday and Tuesday are expected to be 70 (60) with morning clouds and afternoon sun. There’s a 10 percent chance of rain on Tuesday.

Great Thoughts

“Failure is when you don’t try to do something as well as you can. When you do your best, you have a clear conscience, and that’s never a failure.”

– Carlo Ancelotti, soccer team manager.