Hurricane Zeta, Southern California wildfires, coronavirus pandemic: 5 things to know Wednesday
Wind-driven wildfires to cause more concern in Southern California
More than 100,000 California residents have been forced by fire out of their homes and even more are without power as wildfires continue to rage in the southern part of the state, fed by strong winds which are expected to subside by Wednesday. There's no wet weather in the forecast yet, but fire officials remain hopeful for rain to soak the dry brush that is quick to ignite. Officials are investigating whether electrical equipment may have sparked the Silverado Fire, which forced 70,000 Orange County residents to evacuate and severely injured two firefighters. The fire had blackened 11,200 acres by Tuesday and was 5% contained. The Blue Ridge Fire had charred more than 15,000 acres as of Tuesday and was 0% contained. Officials have issued a windblown dust and ash advisory, warning that strong gusts of wind could spread hazardous particle pollution from recent wildfires.
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Hurricane Zeta eyeballs Louisiana's gulf coast
After weakening to a tropical storm after coming ashore Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Zeta regained hurricane strength early Wednesday as it charged toward a projected afternoon landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Zeta carried top winds of 75 mph, a weak Category 1 hurricane, but the Hurricane Center warned of "additional strengthening" ahead of landfall. It was centered over the Gulf of Mexico and moving northwest at 85 mph, about 320 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and 355 miles south of New Orleans as of 4 a.m. CDT. Zeta broke the record for the previous earliest 27th Atlantic named storm that formed Nov. 29, 2005. It’s also the 11th hurricane of the season.
Republicans to accuse Facebook, Twitter of bias in Senate hearing
Republicans will escalate charges of anti-conservative bias against social media companies on Wednesday when they haul the leaders of the nations’ top internet companies before a Senate committee to question how these powerful online platforms decide what content is allowed. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Google’s Sundar Pichai are scheduled to answer questions over the moderation of prominent conservatives' posts, including President Trump. Fueling tensions ahead of the hearing are allegations that Facebook and Twitter interfered in the 2020 election by throttling an article earlier this month that alleged ties between Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings with Ukraine. Tech companies deny any partisanship, saying their policies strike a balance between allowing users to freely express themselves and keeping hate, abuse and misinformation off their platforms.
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Marchers call for justice after couple shot by police in Illinois
Ahead of the expected release of footage from the fatal shooting, social justice organizations from Chicago, Milwaukee, Kenosha and St. Paul are expected to attend a march in Waukegan, Illinois on Wednesday afternoon, calling for justice for a Black couple who were shot by police. Marcellis Stinnette, 19, was killed, and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Tafara Williams, remains hospitalized after both were shot by a police officer on Oct. 20 when the car they were in allegedly reversed toward him. Mayor Sam Cunningham said the city intends to release the video before a Thursday deadline, but will let Stinnette's family review it first. The city is about 15 miles south of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Jacob Blake, 29, was shot in the back multiple times as he was getting into a car, triggering unrest in the city and sparking protests around the nation.
'Mama, they just shot us for nothing': Illinois police officer shoots Black couple, killing 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette
Illinois police officer who fatally shot Marcellis Stinnette has been fired
New Jersey's largest city begins new coronavirus curfew
On Wednesday, people in New Jersey's largest city might need to make some accommodations as they go about their day: Newark's mayor has ordered all nonessential businesses to close. The city is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 infections, with nearly 2,000 new positive cases, the highest daily total since May. Salons and barbershops will be open by appointment only with no customers allowed to wait inside. All sports games and practices have been canceled in the city's East Ward, which has the highest positivity rate of more than 25%.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Zeta, California wildfires: 5 things to know Wednesday
