Duterte legacy in the balance as he seeks return to Davao stronghold
Davao, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte has registered to run for his past position as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, in a potential last-ditch effort to save his family’s faltering political dynasty. The influence of the former president, notorious for his brutal “war on drugs” that saw thousands of extrajudicial killings, has waned in recent months after his family’s alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr began to unravel. Duterte’s son, current Davao Mayor Sebastian Duterte, will be his father’s running mate. The powerhouse political family supported Marcos Jr’s successful presidential bid in 2022, but the alliance between the two families has unravelled in recent months. Vice President Sara Duterte, once seen as a probable successor to her father, resigned from her post of education secretary in June and has lost influence within the Marcos administration. The decision by her 79-year-old father to run for mayor comes as he faces an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into extrajudicial killings during the drug war. Lawyer Kristina Conti said last month that the ICC could file a warrant of arrest later this year. Duterte remains popular in Davao, long the family stronghold, but even there, his influence may be waning. Former President Duterte has come under pressure for his drug war and threats to opponents [File: Earvin Perias/AFP] Last month, Philippine authorities arrested religious leader and longtime Duterte ally Apollo Quiboloy, who faces child sex trafficking charges in the Philippines and the United States and had been hiding in a compound in the city. The arrest was seen as a strike by Marcos Jr against the Dutertes. Quiboloy, who calls himself the “Appointed Son of God,” announced on Tuesday that he would run for Senate in next year’s election. “After Quiboloy’s arrest, the possibility of arresting [Duterte] through Interpol and local police that is outside the control of the Dutertes seems more likely,” said Tyrone Velez, a columnist for the local publication MindaNews. Failed drug war In March, Sebastian Duterte announced he would continue the drug war started by his father, who had been Davao mayor for some 20 years before he became president and earned the nickname “The Punisher” for his brutal policies. In the ensuing days, at least seven drug suspects were killed in police encounters. The revival of the drug war was seen as an act of defiance by the Dutertes and it was not long before Marcos Jr responded. In May, the president removed Davao police chief Richard Bad-ang – a close Duterte ally who had been appointed to the post just before the killings – and dozens of other police officers. The Davao regional police office also announced a probe into the seven deaths. In July, a new police chief was finally appointed after being replaced three times in one day in a process Sebastian Duterte said was politically motivated. Drug killings have decreased – but have not stopped – in the Philippines since Marcos Jr took power, and in recent months, he has called for a “bloodless” drug war. Sixty-three people were killed in the central region of Cebu during anti-drug operations in 2024, according to the Dahas Project, an initiative of the University of the Philippines that tracks extrajudicial drug killings. Davao police killed a suspected drug dealer in a shootout on September 17, the first drug killing in the city since March, according to the Dahas Project. The alliance between the Dutertes and the Marcoses made them unstoppable in the last presidential election but the relationship has since unravelled [File: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Sebastian Duterte probably wanted to resume the drug war to solidify his support within Davao, Velez said, following criticism over his “lackadaisical leadership” and frequent absences from City Hall. “His camp must have thought restarting the drug war could make him a Digong 2.0 and make him relevant,” Velez said, using a popular nickname for Rodrigo Duterte. “But it was called off after a week.” The killings also took place as news of a potential ICC arrest warrant began to swirl. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019. But the court has said it still has jurisdiction over alleged crimes before that time, meaning Duterte could still face prosecution for thousands of killings. Closing in Removing pro-Duterte police officials has given Marcos Jr tighter control over anti-drug operations and taken power away from the Dutertes, even within Davao, Velez said. “The Marcoses want police directors in both the city and the Davao region who are not under the influence of the Dutertes.” The Marcos administration has also pushed out members of government loyal to Quiboloy, said Aries Arugay, chairperson of the Department of Political Science at the University of the Philippines, causing his national influence to “wane” in recent months. Quiboloy, who was Duterte’s spiritual adviser during his presidency, is himself a longtime player in Philippine politics. He supported Duterte’s 2016 campaign, lending the candidate his private jet, and supported Marcos Jr in 2022. Apollo Quiboloy, pastor and founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church, is running for senator in the May 2025 elections [Jam Sta Rosa/AFP] But as the Duterte-Marcos alliance frayed, Quiboloy used his television network, Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), to broadcast misinformation and attack the Dutertes’s critics. In 2023, SMNI’s YouTube channel was taken down by Google and its broadcast licence suspended by the Philippines’s telecommunications commission. SMNI’s Facebook page was also no longer available. Earlier this year, Quiboloy claimed without evidence that Marcos Jr and his wife, Liza, were conspiring with Washington to assassinate him. Marcos rejected the allegations. Quiboloy, 74, was finally arrested after a weeks-long operation in which hundreds of his supporters formed human barricades to block authorities from searching inside the compound of his church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Marcos Jr has indicated he is open to extraditing Quiboloy to the United States after the completion of domestic criminal proceedings. The Marcos administration wants to “communicate that they are serious in working with
‘Was number 1 party in state in Lok Sabha polls’: Congress’s reminder to Maharashtra allies ahead of Assembly polls
The BJP suffered a setback in Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, with its tally dwindling by almost half compared to 2019, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) were on a roll.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Legislature will review Deloitte’s contracts after public loan project scandal
The examination of Deloitte’s existing contracts comes after it failed to catch red flags in a company’s application for a loan to build or upgrade power plants in the state.
Tim Walz calls for elimination of Electoral College at California fundraiser, says ‘it needs to go’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday called for the elimination of the Electoral College during a fundraiser in California, a move some Democrats have advocated for in the past after election defeats. Walz was in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s private home in Sacramento when he remarked about the process by which U.S. presidents are elected. “I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go,” he said, according to a pool report at the event, Bloomberg reported. “We need a national popular vote, but that’s not the world we live in.” THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS REMOVED FROM VOTER ROLLS, DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS WANT ANSWERS FROM GARLAND In 2023, the Minnesota governor signed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement in which each state would allocate all its electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote for president, regardless of how individual states voted. The compact would take effect only if supporters secure pledges from states with at least 270 electoral votes. Fox News Digital has reached out to the campaigns of Vice President Harris and former President Trump. The Electoral College comprises a certain number of electors from each state who cast votes for the president and vice president. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., whichever candidate receives the most ballots in their favor is awarded all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system. The winner needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidential election. The Electoral College was created by the Founding Fathers in an effort to make sure large states didn’t dominate small ones in presidential elections or wield too much power. Abolishing the system would require a major constitutional change. TRUMP CAN WIN ON THESE 3 KEY ISSUES, MICHIGAN VOTERS TELL FOX In recent years, some Democrats have called for eliminating the process in favor of a popular vote. Recent examples cited include former President Trump’s 2016 win over Hillary Clinton, in which she won the popular vote but received fewer electoral votes. In 2000, former President George W. Bush lost the popular vote but narrowly won the electoral vote. Many Republicans have argued against getting rid of the Electoral College system, saying such a move would result in states with larger populations having undue influence. Others argue it would cause presidential candidates to focus on a few states during the campaign season while ignoring others. In 2012, Trump panned the electoral system, calling it “a disaster for a democracy.” In 2018, he again voiced support for the idea because a popular vote would be “much easier to win.” A majority of Americans – 63% – favor doing away with the Electoral College, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll released last month.
RG Kar rape-murder case: Doctor’s association to hold nationwide hunger strike today
The doctors’ association held a meeting on Monday and announced that the hunger strike will begin on Wednesday, which will be two months from the day the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College in West Bengal happened on August 9.
Israel’s Minister of Defense cancels visit to Pentagon amid Middle East conflict escalation
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant canceled a visit with Pentagon officials scheduled for Wednesday, amid a rapid escalation of the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East. Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters during a briefing Tuesday that the Pentagon was informed Gallant had postponed his trip to Washington, D.C. “Minister Gallant was traveling to the U.S. and the secretary welcomed him to the Pentagon to host him here for a bilateral meeting,” Singh said. “ One reporter asked Singh about reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Gallant not to go to Washington, which Singh said she was aware of, but preferred to stay out of Israeli politics. ISRAELI OFFICIAL WARNS ‘EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE’ AS IDF PREPARES RESPONSE TO IRANIAN MISSILE ATTACK Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, she noted, has a “great relationship” with Gallant, and the two have spoken in the neighborhood of 80 times. “The remain in constant communication, whether it be an in-person meeting here, or, you know, meetings, phone calls that need to be done remote,” Singh explained. “That relationship still maintains and can be done…at any time, any place in the world…” When asked if there were tensions between Austin and Gallant, Singh pushed back. BIDEN SAYS HE WILL TALK TO NETANYAHU AS ISRAEL PUMMELS SUNNI TERROR TARGETS IN BEIRUT “I don’t think there’s tension,” she said. “You can have direct conversations with your friends. You’re not always going to agree on everything, but that doesn’t mean that there’s tensions.” During an exchange with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Sunday, Gallant promised that Israeli forces are considering all options in terms of its response to Iran’s attacks against Israel — even potentially striking Iranian nuclear sites. The interview came days after Israel invaded Lebanon as part of a mission to eliminate Hezbollah, on the heels of several successful strikes against the terrorist group. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last weekend — prompting Iran to launch 181 retaliatory missiles in response. ISRAEL LAUNCHES LIMITED GROUND OPERATIONS IN LEBANON AS WAR AGAINST HEZBOLLAH, TERRORIST GROUPS CONTINUE “At the moment, everything is on the table,” the Israeli official said. “Israel will respond to the unprecedented Iranian attack in the manner of our choosing, and at the time and place of our choosing.” President Biden told reporters last week that he would not support a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, but said Israel had the right to act “proportionately” to Iran. On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to send $157 million of “additional assistance” to Lebanon, which, she claimed, is “facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.” Amid the White House’s response to the IDF’s recent strikes, Gallant emphasized that he hopes the United States continues to cooperate with the Israeli military. “It is important for us to hold discussions on strategic cooperation between our countries and defense cooperation in light of the threats posed by Iran and its proxies,” Gallant said. “We are powerful when we are aligned, and I want to make sure of it.” Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis, Trey Yingst, Greg Norman, Stephen Sorace and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
‘Abandon Harris’ group endorses Jill Stein over ‘pro-genocide candidate’ Kamala Harris
A group that has labeled Vice President Harris a “pro-genocide candidate” has endorsed third-party presidential candidate Jill Stein in the 2024 contest. The “Abandon Harris” campaign says America, as well as presidential candidates Harris and former President Trump, is supporting an “Israeli project of Palestinian annihilation” and urges Muslim Americans and those who oppose genocide to cast their ballot for the Green Party this year. “In October 2023, under the darkening shadow of the U.S.-backed Israeli project of Palestinian annihilation, the Abandon Harris campaign – formerly Abandon Biden – was born. Our movement remains dedicated to ensuring that the American people, especially the Muslim-American community, recognize the responsibility we share in standing up against oppression and using all our power to stop genocide – wherever it may arise,” the group declared in a press release. ABANDON BIDEN CAMPAIGN RELAUNCHES, TARGETS HARRIS IN KEY SWING STATES “We are confronting two destructive forces: one currently overseeing a genocide and another equally committed to continuing it. Both are determined to see it through. We call on Muslim-Americans and all those who stand firmly against genocide to vote for the Green Party in 2024,” the press release states. Stein has expressed her gratitude to the group and its support of her candidacy. The Abandon Harris campaign says on its website that its “current goal is to hold Harris accountable for her continued support of genocide.” “It’s painfully obvious that Kamala Harris can only sound articulate and firm when parroting US support for Israel,” the group wrote in an August post on X. “She fumbles through everything else, but when it comes to endorsing the killing of Palestinians, she suddenly finds a pristine level of eloquence,” the post added. GEORGIA’S MUSLIM VOTERS OPPOSING HARRIS, TRUMP IN ELECTION OVER BOTH CANDIDATES’ SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL Israel launched a war effort last year in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks perpetrated by Hamas terrorists who committed atrocities that included rapes, kidnappings and murders. “What Hamas did that day was pure evil – it was brutal and sickening,” Harris said in a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the attack on Monday. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated, that it is never again able to govern Gaza, that it fails in its mission to annihilate Israel, and that the people of Gaza are free from the grip of Hamas,” she declared in the statement. JILL STEIN SLAMS DEMOCRATIC EFFORTS TO ‘SILENCE COMPETITION,’ SAYS THEY ARE ‘NOT SERVANTS OF DEMOCRACY’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7 launched a war in Gaza. I am heartbroken over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza over the past year – tens of thousands of lives lost, children fleeing for safety over and over again, mothers and fathers struggling to obtain food, water, and medicine. It is far past time for a hostage and ceasefire deal to end the suffering of innocent people. And I will always fight for the Palestinian people to be able to realize their right to dignity, freedom, security, and self-determination,” Harris said in the statement.
US officials reveal fate of nabbed Tajikistan illegal immigrants with alleged ISIS ties
Some of the eight Tajikistan nationals with alleged ties to ISIS who crossed the southern border illegally have already been deported from the United States, or are in detention waiting for removal, officials said on Tuesday. The eight nationals crossed the U.S. southern border illegally, and a federal source told Fox News in June that no derogatory information was initially flagged during their processing by officials at the border. The illegal immigrants were nabbed in coordinated raids in Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force. OVER 1.7M MIGRANTS WHO COULD POSE NATIONAL SECURITY RISK ARRIVED IN US DURING BIDEN ADMIN: REPORT The case highlighted concerns about a potential terror threat that could come across the southern border amid what was then a historic border crisis. A DHS spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that some of the nationals had already been removed. “In close coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), these individuals were detained in June, have remained in ICE custody since then, and either have already been removed from the United States or remain in ICE custody pending completion of their removal proceedings,” the spokesperson said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “The arrest and removal of these individuals demonstrates the successful collaboration and partnership between DHS and FBI to disrupt and dismantle potential national security threats,” they said. CBS News had first reported the removals, reporting that three have been deported to Tajikistan and Russia, four are awaiting removal flights to Central Asia and one is still awaiting his legal proceeding after a medical issue. There have been continued fears over the potential for terror attacks from ISIS in the U.S. FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee in June that there is an increasing concern of a potential coordinated attack in the U.S., similar to the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) attack in March in Russia. BIDEN ADMIN SLAPS RESTRICTIONS ON RELEASING MIGRANTS FROM CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRY AMID TERROR CONCERNS: REPORT “Just in the time that I’ve been FBI director, we’ve disrupted multiple terrorist attacks and cities and communities around the country. We need funding to continue protecting America from terrorism,” Wray said. With the November presidential election looming, the Biden administration has been emphasizing its efforts to remove or prevent the entry of illegal immigrants into the U.S. Numbers have gone down sharply since the signing of a presidential order limiting asylum in June. BIDEN DHS REVEALS 50 MIGRANTS STILL AT LARGE AS ISIS-AFFILIATED SMUGGLING NETWORK BRINGS HUNDREDS TO US Officials say that since June 5, they have removed or returned more than 131,000 individuals to more than 140 countries, including operating more than 400 international repatriation flights. But returning illegal immigrants can often be difficult if host countries refuse to accept their nationals. But a recent report by the House Judiciary Committee shows that there have been more than 1.7 million “special interest aliens” (SIAs) who have arrived at the border during the Biden administration. Special interest aliens come from countries identified by the U.S. government as having conditions that promote or protect terrorism or potentially pose some sort of national security threat to the U.S. Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: Harris on ’60 minutes’: Joe 2.0?
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening… –North Carolina residents will see changes to early voting after Hurricane Helene -Atlanta voters split on who will win Georgia -Prospects of a deal with Israel fade away as Saudis invite Iranian foreign minister to visit Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for an interview on “60 Minutes” on Monday, when she dodged or refused to get specific about her plans for the country. With less than a month before the election, CBS correspondent Bill Whitaker repeatedly pressed Harris for details on how to pay for her economic proposals, on whether President Biden’s loose immigration policies were a mistake and how a Harris foreign policy might differ from Biden or former President Donald Trump. There were several moments when Whitaker had to ask follow-up questions after Harris did not directly answer his inquiries. Overall, the Democratic vice president did not differentiate herself much from her 2020 running mate, the sitting president of the United States. CBS said her Republican rival, former President Trump, backed out of an invitation to appear on “60 Minutes,” though the Trump campaign said there was never a formal agreement for Trump to appear on the program…Read more ‘BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS’: Kamala Harris’ tough words on Iran confounds critics…Read more ‘ALL OUR REQUESTS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED’: Biden cancels overseas trip as Milton bears down on Florida; DeSantis tells VP ‘it’s not about you Kamala’…Read more STRAINED RELATIONSHIP: Biden White House has ‘very low’ trust in Netanyahu regime, urges transparency…Read more FLORIDA’S WORST HURRICANE?: Biden says Hurricane Milton could be ‘worst storm to hit Florida in over a century’…Read more FIRST ON FOX: Top outside group backing House Republicans sets fundraising record…Read more DENIED: PA gov takes victory lap after Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to overturn election law ‘usurpations’…Read more LETHAL WEAPONS: GOP lawmaker unveils effort to ban illegal immigrants from using IDs to buy guns…Read more POST-MCCONNELL PLAN: Mike Lee outlines roadmap for McConnell successor, warns the ‘health of the Republican Party’ is at stake…Read more BATTLEGROUND 2024: Wisconsin Senate race shifts to ‘toss up’ by handicapper as Tammy Baldwin fights for re-election…Read more CHANGED AGENT: Harris takes slim lead over Trump in new poll as voters view her as candidate of change…Read more TACKLING TURNOUT: Trump, Republicans venture to blue areas in Wisconsin to boost GOP turnout…Read more ‘CHAOS AND FEAR’: Trump announces rally in ‘war zone’ Colorado city…Read more COURTING REPUBLICANS: New poll shows Harris taking a slim lead over Trump thanks to support from a surprising group…Read more WHO’S MORE ACCESSIBLE?: Trump-Vance ticket has done combined 69 interviews since August compared to 31 for Harris-Walz…Read more HISPANIC VOTERS IN KEY SWING STATES: Hispanic voters rail against ‘dishonest’ Biden-Harris border record as poll shows Trump gaining in key states…Read more ‘IT CAME THROUGH UPS’: Overseas meth sent to US election building shuts down office for hours…Read more REGISTERED, NOT VERIFIED: Texas AG demands Biden-Harris admin help verify citizenship of nearly 500K registered voters…Read more EATEN ‘ALIVE BY INFLATION’: Wisconsin dairy farmer says ‘no question’ Trump admin was ‘much better’ than Biden-Harris…Read more POLITICAL STORMS: Mayorkas rips ‘politicized’ atmosphere over FEMA disaster response amid GOP criticism: ‘It sows distrust’…Read more HITS KEEP COMING: NYC First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright resigns as Eric Adams’ administration suffers more departures…Read more SERIOUS CONCERNS: Oregon mistakenly registered hundreds more voters without proving citizenship…Read more DEEPLY TROUBLED: Vulnerable Dem Jon Tester turns on Biden admin over DEI after Montana universities stripped of federal funds…Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Biden undermines Harris claim that Ron DeSantis is politicizing hurricane response: ‘Doing a great job’
President Joe Biden praised GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for being “cooperative” and doing a “great job” in his response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, despite Vice President Kamala Harris slamming DeSantis for “playing political games” instead of doing his job in response to the storms. NBC News reported Monday that DeSantis was denying phone calls from Harris’ team. “People are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games with this moment, in these crisis situations, these are the height of emergency situations, it’s just utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish,” Harris told reporters Monday. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, President Joe Biden’s opinion about the GOP Florida governor’s response to Hurricane Helene and his preparation for Milton, diverged substantially from that of his vice president’s. “The governor of Florida has been cooperative. He said he’s gotten all that he needs. I talked to him again yesterday, and I said – no – you’re doing a great job, it’s all being done well and we thank you for it,” Biden said at a press conference from the White House Tuesday. “There was a rough start in some places, but every governor, every governor – from Florida to North Carolina – has been fully cooperative and supportive.” RON DESANTIS: 51 COUNTIES ARE UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY After a DeSantis staffer told NBC on Monday that the Florida governor had chosen not to take the vice president’s call, DeSantis later clarified that he was never even aware Harris was trying to contact him. DeSantis also shot back at Harris’ claims that he was playing politics with the storm, accusing her of being the actual culprit of engaging in political gamesmanship. “I’ve worked on these hurricanes under both President Trump and President Biden. Neither of them ever tried to politicize it. She has never called on any of the storms we’ve had since she’s been vice president until apparently now,” DeSantis told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning following reports of the vice president’s criticism. “Why, all of the sudden, is she trying to parachute in and inject herself when she’s never shown any interest in the past? We know it’s because of politics, we know it’s because of her campaign.” “Harris is not even in the chain of command. She has no role in this,” DeSantis added. “The idea that I should be, like, worrying about her when I’m focused on the task at hand is just quite frankly absurd.” BIDEN CANCELS OVERSEAS TRIP AS MILTON BEARS DOWN ON FLORIDA; DESANTIS TELLS VP ‘IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU KAMALA’ Biden, who has had multiple phone calls with DeSantis since Hurricane Helene began barreling down on the Southeast, told him and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to “call him directly” if any further support is needed. DeSantis, meanwhile, noted Tuesday morning that “every” one of his federal requests for more support have been answered. DeSantis pointed out as well that, at the state level, he has been reallocating resources as necessary to help Florida’s smaller communities that have fewer resources. COASTAL FLORIDIAN WARNS OTHERS TO ‘GET OUT’ AS HURRICANE MILTON CLOSES IN: ‘WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S COMING’ Gov. DeSantis’ office declined to comment to Fox News Digital on the record, but pointed to the governor’s comments on both “Fox & Friends” and “Hannity,” respectively. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Harris campaign for comment, but did not receive a response in advance of publication time. As Florida continues to clean up the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, it is now preparing for a potentially even worse storm in Hurricane Milton and is calling on millions of residents to evacuate. “Helene was a wake-up call – this is literally catastrophic,” Castor said Tuesday. “And I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die.”