Expanding overtime protection - Idalia makes landfall - Federal marijuana reclassification

Source: Associated Press

1. Summary
   Idalia made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday, with sustained wind speeds of 125 mph. Two deaths were reported as Idalia arrived, but it remains unconfirmed whether the deaths were storm-related. It was downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday afternoon and crossed over into Georgia and South Carolina.
   
   According to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Idalia is the first major hurricane on record to pass through Florida's Big Bend, a sparsely populated coastal region that experts believe is uniquely at risk of inundation. After initially forming, Idalia underwent "rapid intensification," a process seen in 2022's Hurricane Ian and 2021's Ida.
   
   5,500 National Guardsman were swiftly deployed in Florida. By Wednesday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said power had been restored to 262,000 homes, while another 250,000 in the path of the storm lacked power. DeSantis contrasted Idalia to Hurricane Ian, which left 149 dead, saying that this time "I think a lot of people really heeded the warnings."

   Highly-rated - last 48 hrs
   US insurers brace for Idalia claims, UBS estimates $9.36 bln cost in Florida.
   Reuters (Center) • Factual Grade 76% • 3 min read
   

1. Selected local viewpoint
   Idalia strikes Florida’s Big Bend region, likely to remain tropical storm Thursday.
   South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Moderate Right) • Factual Grade 66% • 16 min read

1. Selected long-read
   Hurricane Idalia strikes Florida’s most vulnerable coast.
   Grist (Moderate Left) • Factual Grade 74% • 6 min read

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The Labor Department on Wednesday proposed requiring overtime pay for workers earning less than $55,068 a year. Current federal rules only require overtime pay (time-and-a-half pay...

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