Florida

Florida is about to begin what expected to be a long recovery from Hurricane Milton. That storm as well as Helene have heightened concerns over misinformation about post storm relief efforts from the federal government.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida's west coast late Wednesday or early Thursday. Alabama’s Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team deployed to the area, in anticipation of emergency response needs. Meantime, the City of Montgomery is prepared to support potential evacuees of Hurricane Milton.

Three Alabama men have died from likely drowning after becoming distressed while swimming at a Florida Panhandle beach, authorities said Saturday morning. The young men had traveled to the Panama City Beach area Friday evening, the Bay County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

Democrats in both Alabama and Florida are looking to the possible political blowback from conservative actions like the Sunshine State’s new six week abortion that takes effect starting in May. There's also the ongoing headaches from an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children. Activists in both States think reproductive rights could be a rallying cry during the November election

Students and teachers in Florida will be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms, provided it's not part of instruction, under a settlement reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed "Don't Say Gay."

The military confirms as many as 121 unmarked graves in a former Black cemetery have been discovered at a U.S. Air Force base in Florida. Alabama Public Radio uncovered similar results in its national award-winning investigation “No Stone Unturned.”

Flora-Bama is bringing is mullet to the Gulf Coast. The Interstate Mullet Toss and Beach Party is set for this Friday through Sunday. The event will feature contests and live music.

Several GOP states are following Alabama in pulling out of effort to thwart voter fraud. Election officials in Florida, Missouri and West Virginia say they are withdrawing from a bipartisan, multistate effort aimed at ensuring the accuracy of voter rolls.

In today's Keepin' It Real commentary, Cam Marston sends us a post card from his vacation on Highway 30A in Florida...Edited by Corey Carpenter

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities in Florida say they're expanding the search of a missing 5-year-old girl to Alabama, and the girl's mother is no…