Welcome to a Thursday morning that sadly will be etched in the minds of millions of Floridians for years to come.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2)

Hurricane Milton began its vicious assault on Florida overnight. Milton was downgraded to a Category 3 late Wednesday afternoon, so that’s good news. The bad news is that long before making landfall, Milton was spawning tornados.

Our deadline was far too early to report exactly what has happened overnight, but regardless of the details, our place this morning is in our knees, praying for those impacted and for supernatural assistance to first responders and those fighting for their lives as the sun rises. We also pray that Milton gets quickly pushed off our land and far, far out to sea.

Update: That final prayer seems to have been answered. Milton accelerated across the state and is already heading into the Atlantic. However, over 3 million people are without power this morning, the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays has been blown off, and there’ve been confirmed casualties after a tornado hit a senior living community in St. Lucie County. St. Petersburg has seen an astonishing 18 inches of rain. At least 17 tornadoes have touched down across the state, and the extent of damages or loss of life from the storm and tornadoes is yet to be determined. 

The good news: Milton made landfall before high tide, and moved quickly inland, sparing Tampa Bay the much-feared massive storm surge. The hurricane has been downgraded to a CAT 1. Emergency services are already out of their shelters getting to work.

We will have more, of course, on our upcoming serving of Al’s Afternoon Tea.

Let’s take a look at some other things going on.

32 Million Regular Churchgoers to Sit Out the Election?

According to a study released by Arizona Christian University, 104 million people of faith — including 32 million regular Christian churchgoers — don’t plan to vote in the presidential election in a few weeks, 

Every single Christian who chooses not to vote is ceding ground and power to the forces of the world. Not voting is how we end up with a president who wants Christians to pay not only for abortions, but for sex-change operations for illegal immigrants. It’s how we end up with school boards that push porn and grooming materials onto your kids and kick all biblical principles out the door.

It’s how we end up with leaders who tell us that attending a church is dangerous, but going to strip clubs is perfectly healthy. Who demand that males be allowed in your daughter’s shower at school and pass laws forbidding teachers from telling you your son thinks he’s a girl. For that matter, it’s how we end up with politicians who demand 40% of our money when God requests only 10%.

We’ve run several articles as well as weekly videos from the likes of Christians Engaged founder Bunni Pounds explaining the importance of Christians taking their voting responsibility seriously and the biblical principles behind that responsibility.

However, the author of the study, Dr. George Barna, made an interesting finding: If pastors simply encouraged members of their congregations to vote, that could change the nation. He writes that

an estimated five million regular churchgoers would be likely to vote as a result of that simple exhortation. That, in itself, could change the outcome of the election by [pastors] simply doing their job and getting congregants to fulfill one of their chief duties as an American citizen.

Sadly, Barna found that “a large number of churches” want no part in the elections, “refusing to even encourage congregants to vote and avoiding teaching related to many of the key social issues that will determine which candidates people will support.”

William Wolfe, executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, summed it up well Tuesday on X: “If you sit out the election, you’re essentially saying, ‘I want the godless to have more say in the future of my country than those who know God.” 

If Christians don’t exercise political influence and leadership in America, the pagans will.

If you sit out the election, you’re essentially saying “I want the godless to have more say in the future of my country than those who know God.”

This should be unthinkable.

— William Wolfe 🇺🇸 (@William_E_Wolfe) October 8, 2024

Helene Clean-Up: FEMA Finally Acts

Since Helene hit, and even up to yesterday, folks on social media — along with Rep. Kathy Manning — were pointing out that the federal government has an 800-bed facility in Greensboro, North Carolina that had been refitted into an immigrant influx center … and it has been sitting empty.

A $50 million FEMA facility for Illegals with a 800 bed capacity is sitting EMPTY and is right down the road from Asheville in Greensboro! Why isn't this place being used for the people who actually need it? pic.twitter.com/hbyfUO6QeD

— Mark Lewis (@Maga4liberty) October 9, 2024

It’s taken two long weeks, but FEMA has finally announced that the former American Hebrew Academy will be used for those displaced by Helene. The facility is currently controlled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but Fox 8 reports, “both sides are in the process of signing an agreement to transfer operations to FEMA.” In the process?

Why wasn’t HHS on the horn immediately, saying “We’ve got 800 beds in Greensboro at the ready”? You’d think folks with “Human Services” in their department’s name would be on the ball when it comes to, well, serving humans.

Speaking of housing, Donald Trump is providing housing for nearly 300 linemen from Florida Power & Light at his Doral Country Club as they prepare to respond to Milton.

Honored to have 275 incredible linemen from FPL at @TrumpDoral as they get ready to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane #Milton! You are amazing and the Trump Family, and entire state of Florida, appreciates you! Enjoy the rooms – they are the best in Florida! Be safe! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HAFwuWB2fn

— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) October 9, 2024

A million Floridians expect to be without power.

Mystery of Hovering Helicopters Solved 

For the past several days, videos have gone viral showing mysterious Blackhawk helicopters hovering too low over relief supply centers, seeming to deliberately send donated materials flying.

NEW: Helicopter destroys Hurricane Helene recovery supplies in Burnsville, North Carolina at a distribution site.

Locals say two black SUVs did a "slow roll" 45 minutes before the helicopter showed up.

"This evening at approximately 7:18 in Burnsville, NC an unmarked helicopter… pic.twitter.com/a0d4JZNhqF

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 7, 2024

Although it may take a lot to convince people there was no malicious intent, the North Carolina National Guard is saying one of their choppers accidentally damaged one site, and they are investigating.

Remember that video of a Blackhawk helicopter rotor washing a civilian supply drop scattering supplies everywhere?

Turns out it was the NC National Guard

And you know who controls the NC NG?

Democrat Governor Roy Cooper @NC_Governor

He already posted hostile messages showing… https://t.co/aoz0NSsaz1

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) October 9, 2024

Criticism of FEMA’s slow and weak reaction, and in many cases interference, have needled the White House. Joe Biden spent much of his time Wednesday on the “onslaught of lies” being told by Donald Trump and others. Karine Jean-Pierre talks about “misinformation” so much that she must be getting paid by the word. What’s disingenuous — dishonest — are the administration’s full-throated denials and focus on Trump in the face of first-person accounts on the ground.

Every minute Biden and Harris are responding to Trump is a minute they are not responding to the needs of the suffering.

Both Campaigns Currently “Extremely Bullish” on Trump’s Chances?

If political analyst Mark Halperin is to be believed, Kamala Harris is losing her grip on the election. According to his sources in both camps, internal polling is showing Harris now falling behind in crucial swing states, and both sides are currently “extremely bullish” on a Trump victory.

Halperin noted that internal polling by Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s re-election campaign shows Trump up by three points. “There’s no path (for Harris) without Wisconsin,” he said. “We all said yesterday, ‘Wisconsin and Michigan are looking worse for Harris than before.’”

Another sign the map is moving Trump’s way? He will be spending one of the final crucial days before the election not in a swing state, but at Madison Square Garden, New York City. October 27 is the day.

TRUMP: "We just rented Madison Square Garden. We're gonna make a play for New York." pic.twitter.com/G5g2IJk0a2

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 9, 2024

He’s going for New York. New York hasn’t voted for a Republican president since Ronald Reagan.

Harris was in New York Tuesday as part of her sudden media blitz. It did not go well. Whether cavorting with a sex-themed podcaster as North Carolina suffered, offering incomprehensible babble on 60 Minutes, declaring on The View that “nothing comes to mind” that she’d do differently from Joe Biden, to cackling and drinking beer with Stephen Colbert with Florida facing widespread destruction, Harris whiffed every appearance.

Tone-deaf and blind to what’s happening, Harris has become the Helen Keller of presidential candidates.

She’s also bringing her media allies down with her. We mentioned this yesterday, but the sheer audacity and journalistic malpractice of it bears repeating. CBS News (perhaps we should put the word “News” in quotes) substituted a word-salad answer Harris had given to 60 Minutes on the Middle East for a more lucid answer to a different question. The deception is doubly remarkable because 60 Minutes itself had tweeted out her original answer before the interview aired.

Remember Kamala’s word salad answer about Israel on 60 Minutes? It’s gone.

This is what many Americans will now see. pic.twitter.com/H4w7btDv6x

— MAZE (@mazemoore) October 8, 2024

The Trump campaign is demanding that CBS News release the unedited transcript of the Harris interview. As of Wednesday afternoon, CBS News still had not commented on the controversy. 

Along The Stream

Stream contributor Jules Gomes gives us the details on “Colorado Supreme Court Vindicates Christian Baker Persecuted by LGBTQ Activists.”

And Bunni Pounds told us the right way to go about “Responding to Christians Who Don’t Plan to Vote.”

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.