CNN documents the destruction Ian left behind on San Carlos Island, 2:46

(CNN) — A mother of four traveled to Fort Myers, Florida to celebrate her 40th birthday; Now her family is preparing to bury her after she was identified as one of the victims of Hurricane Ian, her mother said.

Nishelle Harris-Miles, of Dayton, Ohio, was traveling with a group of friends and family to celebrate her and a friend’s birthday, her mother, Michele Harris, told CNN. According to her mother, she was staying at a vacation home when Hurricane Ian hit Florida.

“A lot of us back home were telling him not to go because a hurricane was coming,” Harris said. “They assumed they were safe.”

The true extent of the death toll from Hurricane Ian is still unknown, with more than 100 fatalities in the Southeast, the vast majority of which occurred in Florida, according to a CNN tally. Residents in parts of Florida have lost their homes and livelihoods, and others in the hardest-hit areas of the state’s Southwest are still awaiting rescue.

These are the stories of some victims of the hurricane:

Nishelle Harris-Miles

Nishelle Harris-Miles is survived by four children, her mother said.

The group of friends quickly realized it was not safe to be in Fort Myers, but could not find anyone willing to pick them up from their whereabouts, Harris-Miles’ mother said.

Harris said the water entered the vacation rental and pushed it through the roof.

“They were lying on a mattress and two of the girls couldn’t swim so they wrapped themselves in a sheet to protect each other,” he said. “They started kicking and screaming and begging for help. Then the roof collapsed on them.”

According to Harris, her daughter noticed that a nail had pierced her body while they were trapped inside the house.

A neighbor eventually heard the screams from inside the property and rescued the group by taking them to makeshift shelters.

Florida woman shares how she survived Hurricane Ian 2:39

“Her sister held her hand until Nishelle stopped moving,” Harris said. “They stayed in a makeshift shelter with Nishelle’s body for 16 hours until the shelter started cracking…” The neighbor told them to leave for safety, so they left her body there, Harris said.

Harris-Miles is survived by two daughters and two sons, her mother said.

Harris-Miles enjoyed dancing and spending time with her family, Harris said.

“She was always the life of the party,” Harris said. “She was a caring and loving person. She enjoyed life. My daughter was loved by many people.”

Elizabeth McGuire

Elizabeth McGuire was a friend when you needed her most, says her son Andrew Chedester.

Cape Coral, Fla., resident Elizabeth McGuire, 49, was found dead at her home on Friday after Hurricane Ian hit the area, her son Andrew Chedester told CNN. Chedester said police told him his mother died in her bed with her cell phone and that she appeared to have died instantly.

Her family last spoke to McGuire on Wednesday and have had trouble contacting her since, Chedester said. When no one heard from her, the neighbors asked for a wellness check.

Chedester said he was at home on Friday when a Cape Coral Police Department detective knocked on his door and informed him of his mother’s death. He said he had just received a call from his mother’s ex-boyfriend.

“I can’t believe someone I saw the other day is completely gone,” the 24-year-old said of his mother.

He told how the two were always joking. “‘Cheer up, little bitch, it’s going to be alright,'” Chedester said, saying his mother told him when times were tough.

“She was a friend when I needed her most,” Chedester said.

CNN spoke to her mother, Susan McGuire, who learned of her daughter’s death from her grandson Chedester. She said her daughter suffered from blood clots from deep vein thrombosis and was disabled.

His daughter, who went by the name “Liz,” has two sons, her mother said.

Susan McGuire had limited cell phone reception during and after the storm because she was stranded on Pine Island in Bokeelia, Fla. What worries him the most is his daughter, particularly because of her health condition, he said.

“A hundred snowstorms don’t cost you what a hurricane costs,” said Susan McGuire, who moved to the area from Maryland years ago. “My husband’s business is bankrupt, my daughter is dead. The destruction is massive. A blizzard has never taken anything away from me.”

Jayron Purvis

Jayron Purvis, 22, died in Robersonville, North Carolina when the remnants of Hurricane Ian ripped through the area on Friday.

“He was driving his truck on soaked roads during the storm when he went off the road and into a swamp where he drowned,” Keith Acree, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, told CNN in a statement .

Check out Ian’s stunning footage in Cuba, Florida and the Carolinas 3:40

Purvis is one of four storm-related deaths in the state.

Three people were killed in separate vehicle-related incidents on Friday, according to a statement from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office. Another person died from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in a locked garage.

CNN’s Amanda Watts, David Williams, and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.

Kremlin chief Putin has placed the occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia under Russian administration – and signed a law on the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories.

people live)

• Graves of more than 50 civilians were found in the town of Lyman, recently liberated by Ukrainian troops, according to Ukrainian media. “The Russians dug trenches and forced people suspected of collaborating with the Ukrainian military to collect the bodies of the dead to be reburied,” reports Ukrainian television station Hromadske. It also features photos of the tomb.
• The former Russian, known for her criticism of Russia’s war against Ukraine According to her own statements, TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova escaped house arrest. The 44-year-old man writes via Telegram: “I consider myself completely innocent and as our state refuses to abide by its own laws, since September 30, 2022 I refuse to comply with the coercive measure imposed on me in the form of house arrest to hold, and I’m breaking free of it.”

troop movements

• Russia does not want to give up areas recently liberated by Ukrainian troops and soon bring it back under your control. “They will always belong to Russia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency TASS. “Let’s consult the population that wants to live with Russia.”
• For the first time, according to information from Kyiv, the Russian army has targets close to the Ukrainian capital attacked with kamikaze drones. “There were six attacks and explosions,” Kyiv region governor Oleksiy Kuleba told Telegram.

diplomacy/strategy

• EU countries have launched an eighth package of sanctions against Russia. As several diplomats from the German Press Agency in Brussels have confirmed, the permanent representatives of member states have approved, among other things, the legal requirements for a price cap on oil imports from Russia supported by the G7 states. The agreement still needs to be confirmed in writing by the capitals of the member states.
• Meanwhile, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which he illegal annexation the occupied parts of the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and Donetsk as completed looks at Specifically, he signed the “Laws on the Integration of Regions in the Territory of the Russian State” previously passed by the State Duma and the Federation Council.

gas/power

• The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is expected for talks in Kyiv today.. “The need for a nuclear safety zone around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is more urgent than ever,” he wrote in advance on Twitter.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has tasked the Moscow government with controlling the Ukrainian city occupied by its troops. nationalize the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. “The government is instructed to ensure that the objects for the use of nuclear energy from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and other properties necessary for its operation are taken as state property,” the decree said.
• Of Alleged act of sabotage against Nord Stream pipelines According to information from Moscow, the Nord Stream 2 line, preferred by Russia, was spared. “As far as Nord Stream 2 is concerned, according to preliminary assessments, this pipeline is really in technically suitable condition,” said Russian Energy Minister Alexander Nowak. He offers to deliver gas to Europe via this pipeline, as long as Russia is involved in the sabotage investigation.
• The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) sees Ukraine as a potential member country. According to OECD secretary-general Mathias Cormann, there should first be talks on accession, and then there should be debate on whether accession negotiations should formally begin.

(Red/APA/Portal/dpa)

A woman who said Herschel Walker paid for her 2009 abortion is the mother of one of his children, according to a new report Wednesday, debunking the Georgia Republican Senate nominee’s claim that he doesn’t know who she is.

Walker’s only named son Christian, 22, was back on Twitter on Wednesday night responding to the new bombshell claims.

“Wear a condom, damn it,” Walker’s son tweeted Moments after the claims were published in a Daily Beast article.

The Daily Beast, which first reported on the abortion on Monday, said it agreed not to release details of the woman’s identity to protect her privacy.

But Walker, who has invariably expressed support for a national abortion ban, has vehemently denied the story, calling the abortion allegations a “blatant lie”, threatening a lawsuit against the outlet that he has yet to file, and saying he has none idea who the woman might be.

For example, The Daily Beast revealed on Wednesday night that the woman – who was not named – was so well known to Walker that, according to her, they had fathered another child years after the abortion.

The news comes after Christian gutted his father on Tuesday for telling “lie after lie after lie” – hours after it was reported he had paid for the abortion.

Herschel Walker’s only named son Christian, 22, was back on Twitter on Wednesday night, responding to the new bombastic claims that Walker had fathered another child

The news comes after Christian gutted his father on Tuesday for telling “lie after lie after lie” – hours after it was reported he had paid for the woman’s abortion

The woman decided to proceed with the later pregnancy, although she noted that Walker, like he had during the earlier pregnancy, expressed that it was not a good time for him, the outlet reported.

The Daily Beast said the Walker campaign declined to comment on Wednesday’s story. Walker is scheduled to make a public appearance Thursday morning as part of his Unite Georgia Bus Stop tour of the state in Wadley, Georgia.

Recent coverage ensures abortion will continue to be a key issue in the Georgia race, one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. Walker and Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock are locked in a close battle crucial to the balance of power in the US Senate.

It joins a series of stories about the football legend’s past that rocked Walker’s campaign.

Walker has been accused of repeatedly threatening his ex-wife’s life, exaggerating claims of financial success and overstating his role in a for-profit program that allegedly exploited veterans and military personnel while defrauding the government.

The Daily Beast reported Monday that Walker, a former NFL star, paid for a girlfriend’s abortion in 2009 – and is now also reporting that he has a love child with her

Earlier this year, following a story from The Daily Beast, Walker admitted the existence of three children, whom he had not previously spoken about publicly.

The woman told The Daily Beast for Wednesday’s story that Walker’s denial of the abortion came as a bit of a surprise to her.

According to the initial report on Monday, Christian also lashed out at Republicans and Democrats this week for making judgments about his relationship with his father, defiantly telling them, “You don’t know anything about my life.”

Calling out right-wing support for his father despite multiple reports of behavior contrary to Republican values, he first told Walker, “Don’t lie about the lives you’ve ruined and pretend you’re a moral family man.” .”, adding: “That should matter to you all, Conservatives.”

In two videos posted to Twitter the morning after Walker’s abortion payment report surfaced, Christian claimed he was “silent” while “atrocities” against his mother – Walker’s ex-wife – were “downplayed” by the candidate and his allies became.

Christian has made a name for himself as a decidedly conservative social media personality. His profile rose sharply after his father said he would challenge Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock in November.

But after the Daily Beast reported that Walker paid for his girlfriend to terminate her pregnancy and sent her a recovery van after the fact — a claim the ex-NFL star vehemently denies — Christian accused his father of being a hypocrite and a neglectful parent.

“I remained silent as the atrocities committed against my mother were downplayed. I was silent when it turned out that my father, Herschel Walker, had all these random children across the country – none of which he had raised.

And you know, my favorite subject is my father’s absence. Surprise because it affected me,” Walker said in the first of two short videos.

Christian Walker, 22, is a conservative social media star and the only named child of Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker — he has three others from other relationships

“Family values, folks? He has four children, four different wives, was not in the house to raise any of them.’

It comes after Monday night’s bombshell report, which showed as evidence a check written by Walker for $700, a card allegedly telling his then-girlfriend to “feel better” after the procedure, and confirmation from a friend of the woman who quoted her saying she took care of her after the abortion.

Walker has denounced the report as a “flat lie” and vowed to sue.

But Christian attacked his denial on Tuesday: “I was silent lie after lie after lie. The abortion card falls yesterday. It’s literally his handwriting on the map. They say they have receipts, whatever. He goes on Twitter, he lies about it. Ok I’m done.’

He also suggested that some of Walker’s allies pressured him for expressing outrage against his father.

“For the right to say I’m suspicious for saying, ‘Hey, I’m done lying,’ when you all called me and said, ‘Is that right about your dad? Gosh, we’re not going to win Georgia.’ …that was you. You have no idea what I’ve been through in my life,” Christian raged.

He claimed that what he and his mother knew could have ended Walker’s campaign “on day one.”

Christian exploded on Twitter both Monday night and Tuesday morning about his dad

He accused Walker of threatening his life and the life of his mother, Walker’s ex-wife

The social media star also clarified that he had only done one campaign rally with his father when “we were told he was going to move ahead of his past and hold himself accountable.”

“None of that happened. Everything was a lie,’ he added.

In his second video, Christian also accused Republicans of knowingly backing Walker despite the “lies” he told.

“All of this was a lie and you knew it, you knew it, so don’t you dare,” Christian said.

Addressing Democrats, the 22-year-old added, “And then on the left who’s like, ‘Well, he did all that to your mother and you were still with him. and you know, that’s weird.’ They don’t know anything about my life.’

Walker, who is pro-life, was also accused of the assault by Christian’s mother, his ex-wife.

He has also been accused of exaggerating his success in business ownership and in his academic career.

Walker tweeted Monday night in response to the start of his son’s tirade: “I LOVE my son no matter what.”

It was after the 22-year-old took to the social media platform to accuse his father of threatening the lives of him and his mother.

“I know my mother and I would really appreciate it if my father Herschel Walker would stop lying and making fun of us,” Christian wrote.

“You are not a ‘family man’ when you left us to shag some women, threatened to kill us and made us move 6 times in 6 months because of your violence.”

The explosive Daily Beast reports come at a critical time this week — just over a month until the midterm elections.

Walker is neck and neck with Warnock, a pastor who leads the church that Martin Luther King Jr. once led.

Warnock was elected by special election in January 2021 and is running for a full six-year term this year.

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Portal) – Almost three-quarters of Americans say the United States should continue to support Ukraine despite Russian threats to use nuclear weapons to protect its territory, according to a Portal/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday.

The poll suggested continued support for President Joe Biden’s provision of weapons systems, training and other military support to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration, despite fears that the war could escalate if longer-range weapons were made available to Ukraine would that could hit Russia.

The online poll of 1,005 Americans showed that 73% agreed the United States should continue to support Ukraine, despite Russian warnings that it could use its nuclear arsenal. Both Democrats and Republicans agreed, although there was more support among Biden’s fellow Democrats — 81% — than among Republicans — at 66%.

And in the most recent poll, conducted Oct. 4-5, 66% of respondents said Washington should specifically continue to supply arms to Ukraine, up from 51% in a similar poll in August.

The Biden administration has provided more than $16.8 billion in security aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24. On Tuesday, Biden pledged a new $625 million package to the Kyiv government, including more mobile rocket launchers used in a recent Ukrainian counter-offensive that forced Russian troops to withdraw.

On Wednesday, Russia’s ambassador to the United States responded that Washington’s decision to send more military aid to Ukraine poses an “imminent threat” to Moscow’s interests, prolonging the bloodshed and increasing the risk of a military clash between Russia and the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has in recent weeks explicitly raised the specter of a nuclear conflict in light of Ukraine’s battlefield achievements, warning the West that it will use all available means to defend Russian territory, including Russia’s annexed Ukrainian territory .

The story goes on

The Portal/Ipsos poll showed that a majority of Americans – 58% – feared the country is headed for a nuclear war with Russia. And 65% fear the war could escalate if Ukraine were provided with longer-range weapons that could hit Russia itself.

But fewer Americans believe that Ukraine’s problems are not their country’s business and that the country should not get involved, with 35% saying so, down from 40% in August.

US voters will go to the polls on November 8 for midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and many state governments. In the most recent poll, 68% said they would be more likely to support a candidate who advocates continued military aid to Ukraine, and 72% would be more likely to support a candidate who supports Ukrainian refugees.

The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Scott Malone)