Hurricane Milton threatens Florida • Vance campaigning in Detroit • Hospitals brace for possible IV shortage

TUESDAY NEWS HIT - The approaching Hurricane Milton poses "an extremely serious threat to Florida," the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday.

Milton has intensified quickly over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Monday afternoon the hurricane was far stronger than what was predicted two days ago. On late Monday afternoon, Milton was a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and was centered about 675 miles southwest of Tampa.

Those winds eased to 155 mph by early Tuesday and the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 status. It was centered about 560 miles southwest of Tampa. 

Hurricane Milton is threatening the Tampa metro area — which has a population of more than 3.3 million people. Milton has the potential to be a direct hit and menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Helene not even two weeks ago.

Other cities such as Fort Myers, Orlando and Jacksonville are also in the forecast cone for Hurricane Milton. 

JD Vance campaigning at Eastern Market

JD Vance plans to campaign at Eastern Market in Detroit on Tuesday as the race for the White House enters its final weeks.

The stop comes less than a week after the Ohio senator and vice presidential candidate visited Auburn Hills and Marne.

Aside from the Auburn Hills visit and a stop in Shelby Township over the summer, Vance has focused most of his time in Michigan in the west and northern part of the state, where he has made numerous stops.

As the Nov. 5 election nears, candidates on both sides have been working to flip Michigan - a swing state - in their favor.

Vance's running mate, Former President Donald Trump, will also be in Detroit this week to speak at the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday.

Tuesday's Detroit stop is open to the public. Register for tickets here.

Hospitals brace for possible national IV shortage

Hospitals could face an IV solution shortage as a result of Hurricane Helene.

Floodwaters damaged roads and wiped out a bridge that leads to the Baxter Healthcare Corp .plant last week near Asheville, N.C.

Hospitals in Metro Detroit are bracing for it after the plant that supplies 60% of the solution in the U.S. shut down. At this point, all hospitals in Michigan are being told to conserve their IV bags.

Corewell Health says they're in constant communication with Baxter - and are encouraging their teams to conserve IV fluids when possible.

The University of Michigan Health System is doing the same. They say, in a statement in part: "University of Michigan Health anticipates a supply shortage in the coming weeks of large volume IV fluids of the Baxter International situation."

And Henry Ford Health - says they too, are optimizing supply. All three hospital systems say patient care is paramount.

Eggs sold in Michigan at high risk of salmonella contamination 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has upgraded a previous egg recall over salmonella concerns to a classification that brings the highest possible risk if consumed – and Michigan is one of the state's the tainted eggs were sold from.

The recall was first announced in early September, involving eggs labeled with "Milo’s Poultry Farms" and "Tony’s Fresh Market" brands. It was upgraded on Sept. 30 to a Class I designation – part of the agency's classification system that measures the relative degree of health hazard a person could face from the recalled product.

The FDA defines a Class I classification as "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."

Recalled eggs were distributed to retailers and food service distributors in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, the agency said. 

The recall includes all carton sizes, expiration dates, and egg types labeled with "Milo’s Poultry Farms," all carton sizes and expiration dates of "Tony’s Fresh Market" brand eggs, and cases and expiration dates of eggs for retail food service distribution.

Anniversary of Hamas attack comes with flurry of anti-Semitic activity 

On a day that already represents one of the most painful moments in decades for Jewish people living both in the U.S. and abroad, many in metro Detroit were reminded of the growing trend of anti-Semitism in society when hateful imagery appeared in several communities.

While residents in several cities, including Northville, West Bloomfield, and Canton, awoke this weekend to plastic bags containing animal poison and fliers, Monday included vandalism at the Jewish Federation of Detroit's headquarters in Bloomfield Township.

"It’s antisemitic vandalism - plain and simple - and we condemn it unequivocally," said David Kurzmann of the Jewish Federation of Detroit. "To see this kind of hatred on our building on the anniversary of that day, it’s sickening."

But while the emergence may be a surprise to some residents, Oct. 7 was circled on the calendar for others - including Anti-Defamation League CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt, who told CNN on Sunday that the anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel would come with a rise in antisemitism. 

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Daily Forecast

Today will be chilly, but warmer temps are on the horizon.

What else we're watching

1. A teen girl accused of murdering her younger sister in Taylor is due in court today for a bond hearing.
2. A 99-year-old Tigers fan who was there for the 1935 World Series win is excited to now watch the ALDS playoff run.
3. A resident who has loved ones at Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak is concerned with the condition of the mausoleum. He points to water damage and insects inside the building where his loved ones rest.
4. James Walsh, an Oakland County handyman who has been the target of the FOX 2 Problem Solvers, pleaded no contest to three counts of felony uttering and publishing and one count of felony forgery this week.
5. A suspect is in custody after a rabbi and several University of Michigan students were held at gunpoint during a home invasion last week in Southfield.

Some Pyrex buyers could be eligible for a refund from the FTC

Thousands of people who purchased Pyrex measuring cups may be eligible for refunds from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

More than 10,200 individuals "who bought Chinese-made measuring cups" that the FTC said Pyrex owner Instant Brands marketed as "Made in USA" will receive the payments, according to the agency.

The refunds, sent via checks, collectively amount to over $88,000.

They are linked to a 2023 settlement between the FTC and Instant Brands.

The settlement came after the agency accused the company of "falsely claiming that all its popular glass measuring cups were made in the United States during a time some measuring cups were imported from China."

Instant Brands sold over 110,000 Pyrex measuring cup sets to U.S. customers that were made in China and not the U.S., the FTC alleged.