Three Things for September 26

1. Hurricane Ian nears Florida, Cuba

Authorities and residents in Florida are keeping a cautious eye on Tropical Storm Ian as it rumbles through the Caribbean, expected to continue gaining strength and become a major hurricane in the coming days on a forecast track toward the state. https://t.co/qI3cgDAVGx

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 25, 2022

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Florida as Tropical Storm Ian heads toward the state.  

DeSantis warned Florida residents to prepare for heavy rainfall and high winds. The storm is likely to become a major hurricane by Monday, Sept. 26, according to The National Hurricane  Center. 

“We’re going to keep monitoring the track of this storm. But it really is important to stress the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” DeSantis said at a news conference on Sunday, Sept. 25.  “Even if you’re not necessarily right in the eye of the path of the storm, there’s going to be pretty broad impacts throughout the state.” 

According to state media, authorities in Cuba have met to prepare for the storm. No evacuations have been ordered yet as of Sunday, Sept. 25.  

President Joe Biden approved Florida’s emergency declaration on Saturday, Sept. 24, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.

For more information, click here. 

2. Elon Musk faces deposition for Twitter case

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is scheduled to meet with lawyers for Twitter, answering questions ahead of an October trial that will determine whether he must carry through with a $44 billion deal to acquire the social platform after attempting to cancel it. https://t.co/aNF8MNuWVN

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 26, 2022

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is scheduled for a deposition with Twitter lawyers to determine if Musk must uphold his agreement to purchase the social media platform. 

The deposition will take place on Monday, Sept. 26 and Tuesday, Sept. 27, and will be behind closed doors. The trial will start on Oct. 17 in Delaware Chancery Court, and is set to last five  days. 

Musk initially agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion in April, but backed off from the deal in July, causing Twitter to file a lawsuit against him.

For more information, click here. 

3. Iran’s foreign ministry summons UK envoy over anti-government protests

"This is a pivotal moment for Iran and the world."

CNN's @jaketapper weighs in on the protests in Iran over the death of a young woman who was taken into custody by the morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. @CNNSOTU #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/5OKARsrX09

— CNN (@CNN) September 25, 2022

On Sunday, Sept. 25, the UK ambassador to Tehran was summoned by Iran’s Foreign Ministry in response to anti-government propaganda started by London-based social media outlets. 

The decision comes amid anti-government protests in Iran, initiated by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Amini was detained by Iranian morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab too  loosely. She died a few days later on Sept. 16 while in police custody.  

The government restricted three Western social media outlets in Iran — Instagram, LinkedIn and WhatsApp — to inhibit protestors from organizing and sharing information. 

At least 46 Iranian cities, towns and villages have gathered to protest Amini’s death. According to state TV, approximately 41 protestors and police have died since Sept. 17, when the protests began. 

For more information, click here.