With sustained winds of near 100 miles per hour, Hurricane Idalia is nearing Florida’s Gulf Coast, where it is expected to deliver dangerous winds and a life-threatening storm surge by the time it makes landfall tomorrow morning. Rain from the storm’s outer bands has already begun to lash Florida’s southwest coast.
Follow our live updates and track the storm’s path.
Idalia (pronounced ee-DAL-ya) is very likely headed for a vulnerable but sparsely populated portion of the Florida coastline known as the Big Bend, which could see a storm surge of up to 15 feet. The latest forecasts showed the storm’s path shifting westward, closer to the state’s capital, Tallahassee, and its impacts could be widespread on the state’s western shore.
Still, our in-house meteorologist Judson Jones told me that officials are especially concerned about the area around Apalachee Bay. “They have never seen a major hurricane,” Judson said. “It’s always a concern in those areas that people will try to stay through it.”
Idalia is currently a Category 2 hurricane, but Judson said that “confidence among forecasters is really high that the storm is going to rapidly intensify and continue to intensify up until landfall.” That could result in damaging winds and flooding along Florida’s Gulf Coast, including in areas like Tampa that are poised to avoid the eye of the storm. More than 20 counties have issued evacuation orders.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida warned that many residents could lose electricity, and said that 25,000 utility workers were on standby, with another 30,000 headed to the state. In Naples, my colleague Patricia Mazzei reported that power was already flickering this afternoon as rain fell thick and sideways.
The U.S. announces the drugs subject to price negotiation
The Biden administration unveiled a long-awaited list of the first 10 medicines that will be subject to price negotiations with Medicare, under a provision of the Inflation Reduction Act aimed at lowering the financial burden of prescription drugs. The medications — which treat diabetes, cancer and other disorders — are taken by millions of older Americans.
The negotiation program, which is being fought by the pharmaceutical industry in court, is projected to save the government an estimated $98.5 billion over a decade. It is also expected to eventually reduce insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, but, according to a recent survey, only a quarter of Americans were aware of its existence.
For more, my colleagues David Leonhardt and Ian Prasad Philbrick explained why President Biden was making heath care costs central in his re-election pitch.
China has become a risky investment, U.S. official says
Gina Raimondo, the U.S. commerce secretary, met with Chinese officials and raised a litany of concerns that have prompted American companies to describe China as “uninvestable” and “too risky.”
Raimondo, who is on a four-day trip to China, also asked for Beijing’s cooperation on broader threats like climate change, the opioid fentanyl and artificial intelligence. Chinese officials asked the U.S. to reduce export controls on advanced technology, a request that Raimondo said she had refused.
In China, foreign companies have pulled back on investments, contributing to a broad sense of economic gloom.
The U.S. uses groundwater as if there were no tomorrow
A wealth of underground water allowed Americans to create vast cities and cultivate bountiful farmland. But a monthslong investigation by my colleagues has found that we are depleting those invaluable groundwater reserves at a dangerous rate. The rapid declines are threatening the drinking water for millions of people, as well as the nation’s status as a food superpower.
More top news
Economy: The number of job openings continued to drop in July, another sign that the U.S. labor market is losing its momentum.
Russia: The Wagner mercenary group said that its former chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was buried in a private ceremony in St. Petersburg.
Uganda: Prosecutors charged a man with “aggravated homosexuality,” a crime punishable by death.
Congress: Steve Scalise, the Republican majority leader in the House, said he had been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.
Crime: A graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was charged in the fatal shooting of his professor.
Politics: With much of his racial equity agenda thwarted, President Biden is looking for ways to energize Black voters.
Health: More than one-fifth of people who use cannabis struggle with dependency or problematic use, a study found.
Science: A parasitic worm was found in an Australian woman’s brain during surgery.
TIME TO UNWIND
A crisis for nonprofit theaters
Subscriptions have long been the lifeblood of midsize theater companies, providing a reliable income stream and a guarantee that many seats would be filled, even for new or challenging material. That was before the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted many subscribers to cancel their memberships.
A Seattle theater lost more than 30 percent of its members, while one in Skokie, Ill., shed more than 40 percent. Many worry that the decline is permanent: Some subscribers simply fell out of the habit, while others found the recent programming too didactic. “We haven’t missed it,” one former subscriber said, “which is unfortunate, I suppose, for them.”
A guide for first-time campers
The idea of spending a clear night outside in the wilderness — with nothing but yourself, the stars, some friends and some food — might sound idyllic. But problems can pile up for the unprepared.
The first tip in our guide is picking out a camping style: Cars and campgrounds can be a lot more starter-friendly than a tent in the forest. And consider renting gear before you buy.
For more: Here are our favorite hacks, hints and how-tos for travel.
Dinner table topics
Surrounded by nature: The Catskills offer a tranquil escape from the city. The actress Marcia Gay Harden decided to “plant roots” on a 300-acre estate there.
A steep race: Two former pro football players entered the Leadville Trail 100-mile race. Its grueling peaks delivered a pain they weren’t used to.
Is N for November or Nancy? The NATO alphabet was adopted to standardize communication. But many of us just go with what sounds right.
For sale: Rudy Giuliani’s luxury New York City apartment could be yours for $6.5 million.
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
Cook: On a hot day, you can’t beat this perfect chilled mango lassi.
Watch: “Piaffe,” the weird yet beautiful tale of a woman whose awakening involves growing a tail, is in theaters.
Binge: If you’re the kind of person who watches a full series in a week, we’ve got you covered.
Compete: Do you know the real names of these five authors?
Listen: Our writer said a Brazilian drum helped her pay attention.
Blend: With the right ingredients, smoothies can be just as healthy as whole foods.
Wait: The worst time to buy an iPhone is right now.
Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING
A totem pole is finally returning home
Nearly a century ago in western Canada, an anthropologist orchestrated the heist of a 36-foot totem pole carved in the 1860s to honor Ts’wawit, a warrior from the Indigenous Nisga’a Nation. He swiped it while the Nisga’a were away on a hunting, fishing and harvesting excursion and sold it to the National Museum of Scotland, where it remained until now.
This week, after a decades-long campaign by members of the Nisga’a Nation, the memorial pole, which they consider not an object but a living being, finally began its long journey home. It will be placed at the Nisga’a museum in British Columbia and welcomed with an arrival ceremony next month.
Have a healing evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
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