U.S. and world news for Aug. 30

Idalia hits: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was speaking during a news conference in the state capital Tallahassee this morning with Hurricane Idalia raging outside when the power went out. An emergency generator kicked on, as has been the case elsewhere as the storm pushed across Florida to  begin affecting parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The hurricane made landfall as a Category 3 storm, slightly weakened from the Category 4 strength it had achieved while still over the Gulf of Mexico. High winds, heavy rain and a storm surge of water pushed ashore, resulting in property damage with a number of tornado watches and warnings issued.

Expanding overtime pay: About 3.6 million additional workers would be entitled to receive overtime pay under a new rule revealed today by the Biden Administration. The new overtime pay requirement would apply to white-collar workers who earn under $55,000 a year. The current threshold is $35,568. The change would go into effect in a few months unless challenged in court as was an attempt to expand overtime under the Obama Administration.

Drone and missile attacks: Ukrainian drones today hit several targets inside Russia. Two military cargo airplanes, a fuel depot and an electronics factory were reported to have been struck. Russia said it shot down a number of Ukrainian drones. The drone attacks came as Russian missiles and drones bombarded Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv, killing at least two people. A Ukrainian official said a total of 44 missiles and drones were used to attack Kyiv and most were shot down.

Delta turbulence: Eleven people on board Delta Air Lines flight 175 from Milan, Italy, to Atlanta were hospitalized last night after the airplane landed at Atlanta. They had been injured when the airplane encountered severe turbulence while about 40 miles from Atlanta. There were 151 passengers and 14 crew members on the Airbus A350.

Kremlin investigates crash: A Kremlin spokesman acknowledged today that what he called “deliberate wrongdoing” was being investigated as a possible cause of the plane crash that killed Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prighozin. There has been speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the assassination of Prighozin after he led an uprising against Putin. Prighozin’s funeral was held yesterday in St. Petersburg, which was his hometown.

Coup in Gabon: A military coup has taken place in the oil-rich African nation Gabon. The military is holding Ali Bongo, the country”™s president, under house arrest. He had been re-elected on Saturday. Bongo’s family had controlled Gabon for the past 53 years. Last year, Gabon joined the British Commonwealth.

Playwright Tina Howe dies: Tina Howe, the award-winning playwright whose works included “Painting Churches,” “Coastal Disturbances” and “Pride’s Crossing,” passed away on Aug. 28 at the age of 85. A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Howe won the 1998 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for “Pride’s Crossing” while “Coastal Disturbances” was nominated for the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play. She was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2017.

Cover photo of Tina Howe via PEN American Center / Wikimedia Commons