A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supervisor instructed disaster relief workers to bypass homes displaying support for President-elect Donald Trump in a hurricane-devastated Florida community, according to reports published in the Daily Wire.

The supervisor, Marn'i Washington, issued the directive both verbally and through a Microsoft Teams chat to workers surveying damage in Lake Placid following Hurricane Milton's destruction last month, the Daily Wire reported.

"Avoid homes advertising Trump," Washington wrote in a "best practices" memo to employees, listing the instruction alongside other guidelines such as not going "anywhere alone," practicing "de-escalation," staying hydrated, and "following the rules."

According to employees who spoke to the Daily Wire, approximately 20 residences with Trump signs or flags were deliberately skipped between late October and November, effectively denying those residents the opportunity to apply for federal disaster assistance in the wake of the Category 3 hurricane.

Workers documented these exclusions in FEMA's tracking system with notes stating "Trump sign no entry per leadership."

"FEMA helps all survivors regardless of their political preference or affiliation and we are deeply disturbed by this employee's actions," a FEMA spokesperson told The New York Post.

"While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again," they added.

The spokesperson emphasized the agency's response to the situation: "We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels."

Gov Ron DeSantis of Florida condemned the incident on X, characterizing it as evidence of government "weaponization" under the Harris-Biden administration.

"The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days," DeSantis wrote.

While FEMA employees told the Daily Wire that Washington was merely transferred to a different Florida county, a FEMA spokesperson clarified to The New York Post that Washington is "no longer working in the state of Florida or in any FEMA operations at this moment" pending investigation results.

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Eden Golan, who represented Israel at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, performed her song "October Rain" without the edits required by Eurovision on Saturday night at a Tel Aviv rally organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. The gathering aimed to garner global attention and rally other countries to pressure Hamas into releasing the 128 hostages still held in Gaza.

"This is the first time I am singing onstage after returning from Eurovision," Golan told the crowd gathered at what has been named Hostage Square. "I wanted to do it on this stage, in this square. I wanted to sing 'October Rain' tonight and it is my prayer to bring everyone home. I will not stop making our voice heard in Israel and in the world, until everyone returns home," she said.

The song, which includes lyrics referencing the hostages and those killed by Hamas, was originally written for the Eurovision contest in Switzerland earlier this month. However, the European Broadcasting Union disqualified it for having political messaging. Golan finished fifth place at the international competition with a reworded version titled "Hurricane." Her performance was marred by animosity from other contestants, booing from some audience members, and anti-Israel rallies outside the venue in Malmo, Sweden, over the ongoing war in Gaza. Despite the protests, Golan remained determined, vowing not to be held back.

The song "October Rain" includes lyrics such as I promise you that never again.../Writers of history stand with me/People go away but never say goodbye.../I'm still wet from the October rain and a final section in Hebrew translated to: There is no air left to breathe.../They were all good kids, every one of them – believed to be a reference to those killed by Hamas on October 7.

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Throughout all its stages, the Eurovision Song Contest has put the Israeli delegation through many hardships. Hostile looks, public shunning, massive anti-Israel protests, and even deliberate slumbering as a form of opposition and boycotts reminiscent of the American high school movie "Mean Girls" – these were just some of the challenges Eden Golan, the Israeli representative, had to overcome on her way to the stage in Malmö, Sweden.

Over the years, Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has faced its share of challenges in justifying its place. However, this year was particularly fraught – condemnation, exclusion, and even hatred reared their heads in an unprecedented manner, following the horrific events of Oct. 7 leading to a war in Gaza. From the moment Golan and the Israeli delegation set foot in Malmö, the dramas were relentless.

"United by music," goes Eurovision's slogan, while the representatives of Ireland, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands (who was eventually disqualified), Greece, Sweden, and the list goes on - represented their countries with proud ignorance and malice.

Receiving cold treatment backstage was one thing, but a significant additional front also emerged in the audience. From the general rehearsals to the finals themselves, we heard the struggle between the boos and the cheers trying to rise above them. Amidst the beautiful, moving lyrics of "Hurricane," we heard the voices of those who see no justification for giving Israel a stage to tell its story.

Facing these challenges, Eden stood tall, steadfast, with a heart-piercing voice singing of Israeli pain and strength. We were all awed by her excellent performances one after the next throughout the entire competition, against a daily reminder – you are not welcome here. Israeli citizens united for moments of awe in front of the screen, watching Eden's performance, which often moved many of us to tears. In the second semi-final, we found out we shared this reaction with many more citizens – around the world.

With Eden's grand final performance behind us, we waited with bated breath and immense pride for the participating countries' juries' votes. Country after country, 37 in total - and not a single "douze points" was given to Israel. Officially, the nations of the world turned their backs on Israel, on the song that conveyed its greatest pain. Not a single country wanted its name associated with Israel's.

And while the situation looked bleak, the public voting results started coming in - and in one moment, and 323 points later, Israel leaped from 12th place to 1st - if only for a few moments - with the 2nd highest number of public votes in the world.

First place or not - it was a victory. A victory of light over darkness. A triumph of emotion and artistry over brainwashing and ignorance. Much like the song's lyrics, even when it's hard to see - a small light of hope has shone through.

Cliché but true – unity, love, and strength are more powerful weapons than we thought. All that's left for us is to learn from and preserve the boundless power of a 20-year-old girl, as proof of Israeli resilience.

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While the levees in New Orleans, which were rebuilt after Katrina, appear to have held during Ida, the long duration of hurricane force winds caused trees to snap, power lines to crumble, shingles to fly off homes and other damage.

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Jewish community leaders in New Orleans say it will be several days before the full impact of Hurricane Ida will be known, but so far it seems that the community's infrastructure remains largely intact.

"We just endured one of the worst hurricanes in our country's history in terms of severity, and while there is extensive damage throughout parts of the southern Louisiana, we are grateful in New Orleans for several things, including the limited loss of life at this point, that our city's levees built after Hurricane Katrina held and that flooding in the neighborhoods seems minimal," said Arnie Fielkow, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and a former city council member, who evacuated with his family on Sunday morning.

One of the biggest challenges facing New Orleans overall, he continued, is the lack of power throughout the city. In some areas, including Metairie, there is also a lack of clean, fresh water.

According to Entergy, the company that provides power to New Orleans, "as a result of Ida's catastrophic intensity, major transmission lines that deliver power to NOLA are currently out of service. We know of one downed transmission line that spans the Mississippi River. The destroyed tower withstood Katrina."

Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana as a category three storm 16 years ago. A massive failure of the city's levee system led to massive flooding and resulted in the deaths of more than 1,800 people.

While the levees in New Orleans, which were rebuilt after Katrina, appear to have held during Ida, the long duration of hurricane force winds caused trees to snap, power lines to crumble, shingles to fly off homes and other damage.

But the physical damage from the storm, at least in Jewish neighborhoods, seems to be limited. According to Fielkow, a survey of the exterior of the Jewish federation building, which shares a campus with a JCC and a Jewish day school, showed no major damage.

Rabbi Josh Pernick, the Oscar J. Tolmas Rabbinic Chair at Congregation Beth Israel, evacuated to Memphis after Shabbat, but he has been in touch with his congregants and said, "Thank G-d thus far it sounds like our members who stayed home made it through OK, and the shul has minimal damage."

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Estimates state that about half the Jewish community evacuated from the city prior to the storm; a number that mirrors the overall number of evacuees. Both city officials and Jewish leaders expect those numbers to rise once people are allowed to travel, given the lack of power and limited cell phone service. A shelter in place order remains in effect.

"I think once people can get in their cars and know the estimate on the power loss, I think people will be anxious to move to a temporary site so they can have electricity, air conditioning and comfort," said Fielkow. "It's 90 degrees in New Orleans and it will get hotter in the coming days. It's a challenging situation to be in a home without power right now."

He said that The Jewish Federations of North America, the umbrella organization of the Jewish federation system, is expected to create a fundraising campaign for those affected by Ida in the coming days, but the community's needs are still to be determined.

"Once we fully assess the impact on the Jewish community, we will be able to have a better idea of the needs and how it relates to [our] meal programs, High Holidays, social services … and a whole variety of things," Fielkow said. "It will take us several days before all our partners and the federation can come to a decision on what that will look like."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Authorities had ordered coastal residents to get out, but not everyone did in an area that was devastated by Rita in 2005.

Videos on social media showed Laura's winds battering a tall building in Lake Charles, blowing out windows as glass and debris flew to the ground.

Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola, including 20 in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic, where it knocked out power and caused intense flooding.

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Isaias weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm late Saturday afternoon, but was still expected to bring heavy rain and flooding as it barrels toward Florida.

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"Don't be fooled by the downgrade," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned during a news conference on Saturday after the storm – pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs – spent hours roughing up the Bahamas.

Florida authorities closed beaches, parks, and virus testing sites, lashing signs to palm trees so they wouldn't blow away. The governor said the state is anticipating power outages and asked residents to have a week's supply of water, food, and medicine on hand. Officials wrestled with how to prepare shelters where people can seek refuge from the storm if necessary, while safely social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

In Palm Beach County, about 150 people were in shelters, said emergency management spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda. The county has a voluntary evacuation order for those living in mobile or manufactured homes, or those who feel their home can't withstand winds.

"We don't anticipate many more evacuations," she said, adding that the evacuees are physically distant from each other and are wearing masks, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Isaias is piling another burden on communities already hard-hit by other storms and sickness.

The storm's maximum sustained winds declined steadily throughout Saturday, and were at 65 mph (100 kph) by Sunday morning, the US National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

The center of the storm was forecast to approach the southeast coast of Florida early Sunday morning, then travel up the state's east coast throughout the day. Little change was expected in the storm's strength over the next few days, forecasters said.

Heavy rain, flooding, and high winds could batter much of the East Coast this week as the system is forecast to track up or just off the Atlantic seaboard.

Despite the approaching storm, NASA says the return of two astronauts aboard a SpaceX capsule is still on track for Sunday afternoon. Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are preparing to make the first splashdown return in 45 years, after two months docked at the International Space Station. They are aiming for the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida Panhandle, and flight controllers are keeping close watch on the storm.

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Isaias has already been destructive in the Caribbean: On Thursday, before it became a hurricane, it uprooted trees, destroyed crops and homes, and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. One man died in the Dominican Republic.

In Puerto Rico, the National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floodwaters that swept away one woman, whose body was recovered Saturday.

Isaias snapped trees and knocked out power as it blew through the Bahamas on Saturday and churned toward the Florida coast.

As the storm moves now toward the southeast coast of Florida, a tropical storm warning is in effect from Hallandale Beach, Florida, to South Santee River, South Carolina, and for Florida's Lake Okeechobee. A storm surge watch is in effect for Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach, and from Edisto Beach, South Carolina, to Cape Fear, North Carolina.

Coronavirus cases have surged in Florida in recent weeks, and the added menace of a storm ratcheted up the anxiety. State-run virus testing sites are closing in areas where the storm might hit because the sites are outdoor tents, which could topple in high winds.

Meanwhile, officials in the Bahamas opened shelters for people in Abaco island to help those who have been living in temporary structures since Dorian devastated the area, killing at least 70 people.

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The storm struck the Bahamas as a powerful Category 5 storm on Sunday with wind gusts up to 220 miles per hour and a 23-foot storm surge, then stalled for two days over the Grand Bahama and Abaco islands. It was the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the nation's history.

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So far, seven people are believed to have been killed and up to 60,000 people may be in dire need of food relief, according to the World Food Program. The Red Cross said more than 13,000 houses – or 45 percent of the homes on the islands – are believed to have been destroyed.

"We can expect more deaths to be recorded," said Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis. "Our priority is search, rescue, and recovery."

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) announced that it will provide emergency medical supplies through its partner the Afya Foundation, and is raising funds for these and other critical needs, including recovery and reconstruction initiatives.

"As our hearts go out to the people of the Bahamas, we are working hard to help them heal in the face of unprecedented loss and destruction," said JDC CEO David M. Schizer. "It will undoubtedly be a long road to recovery, and we call on the public to join us in efforts to address the growing needs of survivors and their communities. Our efforts today in providing a Jewish response to this disaster will ensure a better tomorrow for those facing despair."

JDC's disaster-relief programs are funded by appeals of the Jewish Federations of North America and tens of thousands of individual donors.

Similarly, B'nai B'rith International is accepting donations to its disaster-relief fund to assist those impacted by the hurricane.

The NGO IsraAID announced that it is sending an emergency response team to the Bahamas as well.

"IsraAID's Emergency Response team in the Bahamas will distribute urgent relief supplies, offer psychological first aid, and deploy water filters to restore access to drinking water, while conducting further needs assessments in affected communities," the group said.

Dorian is expected to affect certain southeastern coastal areas of the United States in the coming days before weakening and heading out to sea.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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DeSantis said that his prayer said, "Good Lord, spare us hurricanes this year."

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DeSantis recounted his prayer in Fort Myers on Monday while announcing a federal reimbursement request that could provide Florida communities with $150 million in relief from the costs of cleaning up after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The request is awaiting approval from the White House.

Florida Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz said that he also inserted a prayer at the Western Wall on the same trip. He said that his prayer was the same as the governor's.

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