Hermine's heavy rain hits NW Florida

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Hermine’s heavy rain hits NW Florida
Forecasters are warning of the possibility of a life-threatening storm surge and flooding from Hermine. (Sept. 2)

Hermine moves inland after Florida landfall
Hermine crossed from Florida into Georgia, hours after it made landfall in the eastern Florida panhandle. The storm is expected to drop torrential rains as it moves northeast. AP’s Josh Replogle reports from Apalachicola, Florida. (Sept. 2)

Learn more about ‘Garfield’ creator in this rare exhibit
Jim Davis is an Indiana native who is still a Hoosier. What better place to look at his life than a museum of Indiana art?

AP Top Stories September 2 A
Here’s the latest for Friday, September 2nd: Hurricane Hermine hits Florida, becomes Tropical Storm; Trump explains immigration ideas; Mexican President calls Trump’s ideas a threat to his country; Obama visits Midway Atoll.

Raw: Hermine’s Heavy Rain Hits NW Florida
Forecasters are warning of the possibility of a life-threatening storm surge and flooding in northwest Florida from Hurricane Hermine. The storm’s eye is expected to make landfall early Friday. (Sept. 2)

Police Fight to Get Drivers to Put Down Phones
Efforts to discourage drivers from texting have increased in recent years. But the consensus among police, safety advocates, and drivers themselves, is that the problem is only getting worse. (Sep. 2)

Obama Visits Midway Atoll in Pacific
President Obama visited Midway Atoll, northwest of Hawaii, on Thursday. The President is on his way to Asia. He visits China on Saturday. (Sept. 2)

Orlando releases 911 tapes from Pulse nightclub shooting
Recordings of emergency dispatch calls from the early morning June 12 shootout at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando paint a picture of the chaos and fear that gripped the scene after a security guard opened fire.

Raw: Hurricane Hermine Moves Closer to Florida
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Hermine is continuing to strengthen, with winds rising now to 80 mph as it nears the Florida Gulf Coast. (Sept. 1)

Fraternity suspends pledge accused of harassing transgender woman
A fraternity pledge at Missouri State University was disciplined this week after allegations surfaced that he had harassed a transgender woman.

Today in History for September 2nd
Highlights of this day in history: Japan signs surrender, officially ending World War II; Union forces occupy Atlanta during the Civil War; A great fire ravages medieval London; Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh dies; Wreckage of the Titanic found. (Sept. 2)

Ex-Subway pitchman Jared Fogle: Parents were cause of girl’s distress
Former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is arguing in court documents filed Thursday that the parents of a girl who a lawsuit says was victimized by Fogle are responsible for her emotional distress.

Dog chained with muzzle taped shut saved by neighbors
When the SPCA ignored the calls from neighbors about a dog in trouble, they took matters into their own hands

Cormorants fouling Fish Island force standoff with owners
They have permission to kill the birds despite the dismay of environmental activists.

SpaceX explosion one of many Florida launch failures
The explosion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral is just one of many that have rocked Florida’s Space Coast over the decades.

Salman Ahmad: Pakistan’s answer to Bono lives in U.S.
Ahman fronts the popular and controversial band Junoon, a target of terrorists.

JetBlue sends 5-year-old boys to wrong cities
A woman in New York says she hasn’t stopped crying since an airline mistook her 5-year-old for another child and flew him to the wrong city. (Sept. 1)

Friday’s forecast: Soggy, windy Southeast
Find out the weather where you are and get a few tidbits of weather history.

Trump Talks Trade, Immigration in Fight for Ohio
A day after delivering a hard-line speech on immigration in Arizona, Donald Trump continued to stress his America-first approach in a rally in the battleground state of Ohio. (Sept. 1)

Fla. Governor: Tropical Storm Hermine ‘Life-Threatening’
Florida Governor Rick Scott says Tropical Storm Hermine is potentially life-threatening, and he’s urging Gulf Coast residents to take precautions immediately. (Sept. 1)

WWII vet’s Mustang gets makeover after restorer rip off
A group of ‘car guys’ are helping Harry Donovan raise $10,000 for the restoration.

Police chief retiring, was face of Dallas after sniper attack
David Brown turns 56 this year, has worked for department for 33 years.

Obamacare rate hikes rattle consumers, could threaten enrollment
A certain deja vu for those who had health insurance before the Affordable Care Act.

2nd girl in Slender Man case to plead insanity
Anissa Weier plans next week to enter a NGI plea for her role in the stabbing of a friend.

List: Airlines waive change fees as Hermine aims at Southeast
It appeared storm would make landfall around the “big bend” area of Florida on Thursday.

Philadelphia Will Host 2017 NFL Draft
The NFL has officially announced that Philadelphia will host the 2017 draft. The league says it will represent a return to the birthplace of the draft because the first NFL draft was held in Philadelphia in 1936. (Sept. 1)

Flooding begins on Florida’s Gulf Coast
Tropical Storm Hermine strengthened into a hurricane Thursday and steamed toward Florida’s Gulf Coast. (Sept. 1)

Health Means Business campaign
Health Means Business campaign

Hurricane preparedness: How to safely store food
When in doubt, buy dry ice.

Martha Stewart served more jail time than Stanford’s Brock Turner
Brock Turner will be released from jail Friday after serving three months for sexual assault.

‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse delights stargazers

SpaceX explosion destroys Facebook satellite
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was test-firing its nine engines for Saturday’s launch.

Kaepernick protest highlights complicated nature of patriotism
What does patriotism mean? It’s complicated.

Woman allegedly stole $85,000 from Girl Scouts
A 42-year-old Sarasota woman started stealing money from the Girl Scouts to help her get through tough financial times.

Florida’s Gulf Coast Shutters Up Against Hermine
People on Florida’s Gulf Coast put up shutters, nailed plywood across storefronts and braced Thursday for Tropical Storm Hermine, which officials called potentially life-threatening as forecasters said it could strike land as a hurricane. (Sept. 1)

Airline mixes up 5-year-olds, flies them to wrong cities
Children were flying as unaccompanied minors on flights from the Caribbean to the USA.

Suspect in Brittanee Drexel’s death says he didn’t do it
A suspect in the likely death of a 17-year-old abducted on spring break contends that he is the victim of a jailhouse snitch trying to cut a deal.

Trump Doubles, Triples Down on Immigration Plans
Renewed scrutiny of the Republican presidential nominee’s immigration polices come a day after Donald Trump deliveres a hard-line speech in Arizona. (Sept. 1)

Okla. Cops Pepper Spray Elderly Woman
An Oklahoma police department is investigating after an officer used pepper spray to subdue an 84-year-old woman in her home. (Sept. 1)

Hermine strengthens to hurricane, set to strike Florida’s Gulf Coast
The storm is expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast a hurricane, the state’s first in 11 years.

Family: Man saved friend by pushing her from plane
Woman was only person to survive crash in Louisiana.

Georgetown to atone for its role in slavery
Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in the USA, will take a series of steps to atone for the role that slaves played in its early history, the school’s president is expected to announce on Thursday.

#iwishmyteacherknew: Notes from students around the country

John Hinckley to begin to live full-time in Va. on Sept. 10
WASHINGTON — The man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan 35 years ago will leave a Washington psychiatric hospital to live full-time in Virginia on Sept. 10, his lawyer said Thursday.

Smoke billows after SpaceX rocket explodes
An explosion has rocked the SpaceX launch site in Florida. NASA says SpaceX was conducting a test firing of its unmanned rocket when the blast occurred on Thursday morning. A cloud of dark smoke filled the overcast sky. (Sept. 1)

Raw: Cop Pulls on Dreadlocks of Handcuffed Man
An angry white officer yanked on the dreadlocks of a handcuffed black man who was arrested after a dangerous high-speed chase in Iowa, then twice hit him on the back of the head. (Sept. 1)

Explosion rocks SpaceX launch site; payload lost
SpaceX rocket was test-firing its nine engines for Saturday’s launch.

Astronauts Take 2nd Spacewalk in 2 Weeks
Astronauts took their second spacewalk in two weeks Thursday, taking care of some long overdue radiator work outside the International Space Station. (Sept. 1)

‘Ring of Fire’ eclipse dazzles Africa
A partial solar eclipse could be seen over several African countries and the Indian Ocean Thursday.

The heartbreaking things some kids want their teacher to know
Teacher Kyle Schwartz recently published a book with heartbreaking notes from students.

Bill inspired by Brock Turner case closer to becoming law
If it’s signed into law, the bill will make prison time mandatory for offenders convicted of sexually assaulting a person who is unconscious. Video provided by Newsy

Raw: Cop pulls on dreadlocks of handcuffed man
An angry white officer yanked on the dreadlocks of a handcuffed black man who was arrested after a dangerous high-speed chase in Iowa, then twice hit him on the back of the head. (Sept. 1)

Raw: Reunion Island Hosts Eclipse Watchers
Tourists, locals and “eclipse hunters” on the French island of Reunion viewed a partial solar annular eclipse on Thursday, as the moon moved between the sun and the Earth. (Sept. 1)

This campy mass ‘wedding’ ends in mandatory divorce
The other Burning Man rule: You have four days to consummate.

Biden Blasts Trump’s Lavish Lifestyle on Trail
Vice President Joe Biden hit the campaign trail for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Ohio on Thursday where Biden slammed Trump, saying he was out of touch with the life of an average working American. (Sept. 1)

September political cartoons from the USA TODAY Network

AP Top Stories September 1 A
Here’s the latest for Thursday, September 1st: Trump delivers immigration speech; Peaceful protests outside speech; Protests in Brazil after President leaves office; Hurricane warning for NW Florida.

FSU player eats lunch with autistic student
A small gesture of kindness by Florida State University wide receiver Travis Rudolph, captured in a photo and shared on Facebook, had tears streaming down the face of the sixth-grader’s mother, Leah Paske. (Aug. 31)

AP Fact Check: Trump lacks immigration details
An Associated Press Fact Check of Donald Trump’s immigration speech shows that the Republican Presidentian nominee repeated many of his campaign themes and left out key details. (Sept. 1)

Trump invites ‘Angel Moms’ on stage in Phoenix
Donald Trump ended his immigration speech in Phoenix by inviting onto stage ‘Angel Moms,’ people who have lost family members to crimes committed by people living in the U.S. illegally. (Sept. 1)

Here’s what is in Trump’s 10-point immigration plan
The wall, blocking ‘sanctuary cities,’ ending ‘catch and release’ are key parts of plan.

Mom uses Indiana’s religious Freedom law As An excuse in abuse case
After being arrested for hitting her son with a coat hanger, an Indiana mother used the state’s new religious freedom law as an excuse. Video provided by Newsy

NASA captures video of three hurricanes from space
Cameras outside the International Space Station captured jaw-dropping footage of three hurricanes making their way through the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean.

Stunning images of ‘Ring of Fire’ eclipse over Africa
An annular eclipse shone in the sky Thursday as the moon glided between the sun and Earth.

Miami International rolls out amenities for moms
Eight stand-alone “lactation stations,” or suites, for nursing moms are now open there.

Cops: Woman murdered husband by blocking his nose
Retired nurse Jan Sochalski accused of killing spouse in his hospital bed.

Syrian Refugee Family Resettles in Calif. Suburb
The Jouriyeh family escaped from Syria as their town was being bombed and are now settling in the U.S. They are in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego. (Sept. 1)

Hermine forecast to hit Florida as a hurricane
This would be the state’s first hit from a hurricane in 11 years.

Raw: Demonstrations Outside Trump Speech
Protesters gathered outside the Phoenix Convention Center, where Donald Trump delivered a much-anticipated immigration speech on Wednesday night. The demonstrations were peaceful. (Sept. 1)

Trump Invites ‘Angel Moms’ On Stage in Phoenix
Donald Trump ended his immigration speech in Phoenix by inviting onto stage ‘Angel Moms,’ people who have lost family members to crimes committed by people living in the U.S. illegally. (Sept. 1)

NASA Sending Spacecraft to Asteroid — and Back
For the first time, the United States is sending a spacecraft to an asteroid to collect a sample and return it to Earth. NASA is scheduled to launch OSIRIS-REx from Cape Canaveral, Fla., next Thursday. It will reach the asteroid Bennu in 2018. (Sept. 1)

AP Fact Check: Trump Lacks Immigration Details
An Associated Press Fact Check of Donald Trump’s immigration speech shows that the Republican Presidentian nominee repeated many of his campaign themes and left out key details. (Sept. 1)

Trump maintains Mexico will pay for border wall
Donald Trump says that he had a thoughtful and substantive conversation with Mexico’s president on Wednesday as he kicks off a long-awaited speech on immigration. (Aug. 31)

Trump: There will be no amnesty
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is reaffirming that people in the U.S. illegally cannot receive legal status, despite recently suggesting he might be softening his stance on immigration. (Aug. 31)

Trump holds firm on immigration in Phoenix speech
Trump said he wants a system that accepts only people likely to thrive and love their new country.

Here come the brides: Dozens parade in wedding dresses at Burning Man
Dozens of men and women dressed in the finest gowns they could scrounge up here in the Nevada desert to celebrate Wedding Dress Wednesday.

Today in History for September 1st
Highlights of this day in history: Nazi Germany invades Poland, start of World War II; Beslan hostage crisis begins in Russia; Bobby Fischer beats Boris Spassky for world chess crown; Boxer Rocky Marciano and singer Gloria Estefan born. (Sept. 1)

Bachelorette parties love celebrating in Nashville
Live music, affordability make Nashville a top destination for pre-wedding festivities.

Obama Links Conservation to Climate Change
Standing beneath the forest-green peaks of the Sierra Nevada, President Barack Obama drew a connection Wednesday between conservation efforts and stopping global warming, describing the two environmental challenges as inseparably linked. (Aug 31)

TNT’S Sager Has Third Bone Marrow Transplant
TNT basketball broadcaster Craig Sager received a rare third bone marrow transplant on Wednesday as he continues his fight against cancer. “OK, third time’s the charm,” Sager said moments after the process began. (Aug. 31)

Thursday’s forecast: Hermine to hit Florida; wet East Coast
Find out the weather where you are and get a few tidbits of weather history.

N.J. man arrested, accused of racking up $20K in tolls
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials have become more rigorous in tracking down drivers that they say are avoiding payments.

Pa. man, 45, drowns near Assateague Island
Chuck Poole was swimming with his 16-year-old son in an unguarded area near the beach.

Obama burnishes environmental legacy at Lake Tahoe
Preparing to leave office, Obama hails accomplishments on climate

Harley-Davidson plans to lay off 200 workers
U.S. sales had fallen 5% during the crucial spring quarter.

Florida’s Gulf Coast prepares for Hermine
Weather officials predict the storm will make landfall somewhere in the state’s Big Bend area late Thursday night.

Fallen firefighter’s kids get firetruck escort on first day of school
Maryland firefighters took Amy Hill, 9, and Evan HIll, 5, to school in Pennsylvania.

National Anthem an icon of patriotism, protest
America’s national anthem has become a symbol of both patriotism and politics. The Associated Press explains how the song became a ritual of American life and how it has been used as a form of rebellion. (Aug. 31)

Watch: Obama addresses environment, climate change
Live coverage from USA TODAY

Police Give Kid Who Bought Them Lunch a Toy Car
Winslow Township Police had a special delivery for a five-year-old who treated them to lunch last week. As a thank you they showed up to his home with the gift of a toy police car that had the same decals as their police cruisers. (Aug. 31)

Detroit parents want principal, convicted in bribery, back in school
Many said the good Ronald Alexander has done outweighs his role in a kickbacks scheme.

Weighing Issues Raised By Trump’s Mexican Visit
Donald Trump makes a quick trip to Mexico on Wednesday, meeting with the president of a nation he derided at the start of his White House campaign. The visit comes hours before a planned Trump immigration speech. (Aug. 31)

Airlines waive change fees as Hermine takes aim at Florida and Southeast
It appeared storm would make landfall around the “big bend” area of Florida on Thursday.

FSU Player Eats Lunch with Autistic Student
A small gesture of kindness by Florida State University wide receiver Travis Rudolph, captured in a photo and shared on Facebook, had tears streaming down the face of the sixth-grader’s mother, Leah Paske. (Aug. 31)

Wis. panel worries some may not get ID in time to vote
In some cases, the state Department of Motor Vehicles said it would use overnight mail to ensure timeliness

In Mexico, Donald Trump defends border wall
Standing alongside the president of Mexico, Donald Trump defended the right of the United States to build a massive border wall along its southern flank, but he declined to repeat his frequent promise to force Mexico to pay for it. (Aug. 31)

AP Top Stories 31 P
Here are the top stories for Wednesday, August 31st: Donald Trump makes visit to Mexico ahead of immigration speech; Senate ousts Brazil’s president; First commercial flight to Cuba; Female panda born in Madrid.

Maine Gov. LePage Vows He Won’t Resign
Maine Gov. Paul LePage is addressing questions about his fitness to serve and is vowing that he won’t resign. This comes and lawmakers and voters call for him to step down. (Aug. 31)