Trump Says Storm Isaias may Derail Planned Trip to Alabama
USA President Donald Trump's planned attendance for the football game between No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Alabama- football game is up in the air.With Tropical Storm Isaias expected to make landfall in USA Alabama and develop into a hurricane over the weekend, Trump said he would have to "let the hurricane determine" whether he will attend the meeting of undefeated SEC powers.WEATHER UPDATE: Will tropical storm impact Alabama-Georgia game?
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that all Americans under age 18 are being automatically enrolled in Trump Accounts, which are set up by the government to invest in stocks. Parents and legal guardians need to formally claim the accounts by using the program’s website or mobile phone app.
Trump’s push to highlight his economic agenda comes as Republicans are increasingly anxious that the $1 billion at their disposal may not be enough to fend off sweeping midterm election losses due to late spending, the president’s unpopularity, persistent cost concerns and the fallout from the war in Iran.
The president has turned it into a campaign talking point in the final sprint to the midterms, approving disaster declarations in consequential states and coupling endorsements with funding announcements. That has revived questions about whether the administration is politicizing disaster recovery.
The latest example came Wednesday when Trump voiced support for Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race while pledging millions to help with recent storms.
The president also recently joked that he would cut off money to North Carolina, which is still healing from Hurricane Helene two years ago, if Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley loses. And the day before an Ohio rally with Sen. Jon Husted last Saturday, Trump approved a disaster declaration for the state while leaving 15 other requests pending.
Disaster survivor advocates say they want elected officials to prioritize their recovery — not wield it as a political tool.
Progressive Nithya Raman, who is running against incumbent Karen Bass, is renewing her vow to oust the police chief in a video in which she says “Only you can stop fascist liars” as a photo of the mayor appears.
Asked in the video by content creator Ed Choi what she will do to reduce fascism in the city — which he says was ushered in by Bass’ appointment of Police Chief Jim McDonnell — Raman says “there is a lot we can do to make sure our LAPD is actually protecting people, instead of protecting ICE on our streets,” referring to federal immigration raids.
“I don’t believe Chief McDonnell has met this moment.”
Raman’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spokesperson Liz Garcia told the Los Angeles Times that “Only you can stop fascist liars” referred to federal immigration agents and “the Trump administration’s violent kidnappings” in the city.
In a statement released by her campaign, Bass said Raman’s remarks represent “dangerous and extreme rhetoric and it has no place in this city, let alone from someone trying to become mayor.”
The more the president stumps for Republicans across the country, “the better the opportunity for Democrats to further convince the American people that we actually are the only ones determined to make life more affordable for them,” Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats win control, said Trump’s own words — calling affordability a “hoax” and high gas prices a “small price to pay” for the Iran war — have helped Democrats.
“This is extraordinary stuff,” Jeffries told reporters.
Democrats, he said, have focused on promising to “fight for an affordable America.”Trump said he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible case of plague at a Siberian research institute. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he would be talking with Putin about the case “very soon.”The president mocked one, saying, “He’s going back home to mom.”“But what he doesn’t know is his mom voted for Trump,” he added.Trump accused the protesters, who interrupted the remarks from the mother of a man killed by an immigrant in the U.S. illegally, of being paid to disrupt the event.The crowd cheered when the 12th was escorted out by police, before breaking into chants of “USA, USA.”
A series of protesters interrupt Trump during his Texas rally
Demonstrators interrupted the president repeatedly in San Antonio, including at least one who appeared to be close to the stage.
Trump was just a little way into his speech when a person began yelling, prompting some shoving from others in the crowd. The protester filmed some of the exchange, while others chanted “USA! USA!”The president stepped away from the microphone briefly and later said of the protester: “He’s going back home to mom.”Other demonstrators emerged one after the other, until the interruptions reached a half dozen. At first Trump just tried to talk right through them while the crowd booed.But as the interruptions continued, he said, “Those are really bad looking people.”They were not about to let Gov. Greg Abbott’s absence from the president’s event in San Antonio go without mention.Abbott, in an uncharacteristically competitive race for reelection, was speaking at a hospital opening in Jasper about 330 miles away instead of appearing with Trump.
“On the other side, we are talking about communism, socialism, the government controlling it,” Texas Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton told the audience at a rally in San Antonio on Wednesday.
Speaking ahead of an appearance by Trump, Paxton ticked through a list of issues on which he said Democratic nominee James Talarico is outside the mainstream, notably gender and oil and gas. “We’re in Texas, right?” Paxton said.
His seven-minute moment onstage before a friendly audience was similar to his speech to the Republican midterm convention in Dallas last month.
Paxton is in a very competitive race for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn, the four-term Republican whom Paxton beat in the May primary runoff. Trump won the state by almost 14 percentage points in 2024.
Senators push the Trump administration to act swiftly on Russia sanctions to help Ukraine
Nearly a month after the president signed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill named after Lindsey Graham, bipartisan leadership in the Senate is urging the administration to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fueling the war against Ukraine.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the senators said the most urgent priority must be to tackle the “shadow fleet” of tankers that Moscow is using to transport oil and bypass sanctions. They also pushed for a halt of Russia’s emerging satellite system that Ukraine has warned could prove devastating with real-time bombing attacks this winter.
“Every day that passes without maximum economic pressure allows Moscow to sustain this military escalation,” wrote Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“For years, Greg Abbott has never been shy about embracing Donald Trump, calling Trump a ‘great friend’ and championing his agenda every step of the way,” Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Long said.
Abbott, who won reelection in 2022 by roughly 11 percentage points, is being challenged by Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa from Austin.
"Hurricane and football. I love Alabama," Trump told reporters on Wednesday, Oct. 7. "I have to go to a game. Would be awfully hard. If there's an emergency, if there's a hurricane, I wouldn't do anything to take the focus of all the of the great people who work in those things. They have tremendously great people. I don't want to take the focus off."We'll have to see. I haven't heard about a hurricane. If a hurricane is going in the vicinity of Alabama, that's not good. Certainly I'm going to let the hurricane determine (if I'm going). I want people to be safe, that's all."
Alabama, Georgia and the SEC are currently monitoring weather conditions for the game, initially set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Trump had previously announced his intent to attend the game at a rally in Mobile, Alabama, and has already attended a college football game this season: He was on hand in Knoxville, Tennessee, for the ranked meeting between Texas and Tennessee.
Trump has already attended two Alabama-Georgia games, first in the College Football Playoff championship game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2018, the 2024 regular-season meeting between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa.
Trump’s $90 Medicare rebate rolls out this week, but millions aren’t eligible. Critics see a political stunt
The president’s promised rebates are estimated to cost $2 billion and are intended to help more than 20 million Medicare enrollees with their Part B premiums.
Less than one-third of all Medicare recipients are eligible for the payouts. Not eligible are roughly 35 million Medicare Advantage enrollees, millions of other people with disabilities and low-income Medicare recipients.
The election-year promise comes as the November’s midterms are fast approaching, with the cost of living and healthcare expenses among the top issues for voters.
Critics say the move is a political stunt.
The White House says the administration is enabling Americans “by putting money directly back in the hands of Medicare patients.”
A weather system in the Gulf of Mexico has become Tropical Storm Isaias, and will likely be USA upgraded to a hurricane in the coming days. The track of the storm is currently aimed east of Texas and potentially toward the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Alabama with potential landfall later in the week.
That means the No. 6 Crimson Tide's home game in Tuscaloosa against the No. 2 USA Bulldogs on Saturday could be plagued by lots and lots of rain.
Yes, Spann is referring to President Donald Trump. The president is expected to be in attendance for the game. It's the second SEC game he's attended in three weeks. He was at Texas' win over Tennessee in Week 4. ESPN's pregame show was also in Knoxville for that game.
Keelon Russell was among the preseason Heisman favorites long before he won Alabama's quarterback competition in August.
That status made sense. Whoever became Alabama's starter between Russell and Austin Mack would be playing one of the most high-profile positions in college football and have the keys to an offense that could be one of the nation's best.
But there were probably very few who expected this from Russell so far in 2026.
The sophomore has been the breakout star of college football through the first five weeks. After completing 16-of-22 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-23 win over Mississippi State, it was clear that Russell was the SEC's top Heisman contender.
Russell is now +900 to win the Heisman Trophy. Just two players have better odds. That number could shrink to one — or maybe even zero — with another monster game on Saturday against No. 6 Georgia.
The Bulldogs will be the biggest test for Russell in his young career, though no one has been able to slow him down so far. Russell is 94-of-132 passing for 1,414 yards and 11 TDs with just two interceptions. He's averaging 10.7 yards per attempt. And he's also rushed for 184 yards and four touchdowns.
That rushing ability has helped revamp an Alabama run game that was dreadful in 2025. Before injuries hampered the second half of his season, former Alabama QB Ty Simpson was the midseason Heisman favorite last year. But Alabama's lack of a run game was a season-long problem.
This year, it's an asset. The Crimson Tide are averaging nearly 5 yards a carry after getting just 3.4 yards per rush in 2025. Teams can't afford to load the box, either. Both Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks are averaging over 16 yards a catch.
What could be Hurricane Isaias could turn Saturday night's game into a ground-and-pound affair with heavy rain in the forecast. If Russell's stats are depressed in an Alabama win, don't dismiss him as a Heisman contender because of the weather. And if the forecast somehow suddenly clears up, an eye-popping night could put Russell up with Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith as the early favorites for the trophy.
It does feel a bit early to have a Heisman favorite with better-than-even money odds. But when you've been as unstoppable as Smith has been, it's easy to see why. Over Ohio State's first two Big Ten games of the season, Smith has 23 catches for 423 yards and six touchdowns. That's just absurd. And he could be in line for another big day against Maryland on Saturday.
A weather system in the Gulf of Mexico has become Tropical Storm Isaias, and will likely be upgraded to a hurricane in the coming days. The track of the storm is currently aimed east of Texas and potentially toward the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Alabama with potential landfall later in the week.That means the No. 6 Crimson Tide's home game in Tuscaloosa against the No. 2 Bulldogs on Saturday could be plagued by lots and lots of rain.Tropical Storm Isaias is rapidly strengthening in the Gulf, and forecasters are becoming more specific about what Central Alabama could experience as the system moves inland this weekend.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham now forecasts wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches with locally higher amounts up to 5 inches, and the potential for isolated tornadoes Saturday.The stronger wind forecast could result in scattered to numerous downed trees and power lines, leading to power outages across parts of Central Alabama."Everyone in Central Alabama needs to be prepared for tropical weather impacts," the National Weather Service said Wednesday afternoon.ould make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane this weekend, hours before No. 2 Georgia plays at No. 6 Alabama in a major college football game on Saturday night that President Donald Trump is planning to attend.Forecasters say Isaias could become a hurricane by Thursday and make landfall late Friday or early Saturday somewhere along the Alabama-Mississippi-Florida coastlines before moving north. The storm could prom.President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Alabama for the Alabama-Georgia football game Saturday faces uncertainty as Tropical Storm Isaias threatens to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall Friday night or early Saturday.
Trump announced during a stop in Mobile on Friday that he would return to the state Saturday, Oct. 10, to attend the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.When asked about his weekend plans by CNN reporters Wednesday morning, Trump said he would let the weather determine his attendance.“I love Alabama. I got to go to a game,” he said.“Look, I mean, if there’s an emergency, if there’s a hurricane, I don’t want to do anything to take the focus of all of the great people that work on those things. You know, they have some tremendously great people....So we’ll have to see.”The president said he “hadn’t heard about a hurricane” as of 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.“A hurricane is going in the vicinity of Alabama? That’s not good,” he said.“Certainly, I’m going to let the hurricane determine. I want people to be safe, that’s all.”White House officials said in an email to AL.com that Trump was still planning to attend the game as of 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday and that his team was continuing to monitor weather developments.University of Alabama representatives told AL.com Wednesday that the school is closely monitoring weather forecasts and working with athletics, public safety, emergency management and security partners to prepare for the highly attended event.The university urged fans to remain weather aware and follow official UA Gameday and UA Safety channels for updates on game-day operations, traffic and weather-related information.
Posted on 2026/10/08 09:18 AM