Hurricane Idalia could crash into Florida's west coast as "an extremely dangerous Category 4" hurricane Wednesday morning, forecasters said -- a potentially catastrophic collision for a state that's already seeing coastal flooding and deteriorating conditions ahead of landfall.

Charli D’Amelio said, 'It’s been really nice to kind of watch each other and be there to support each other through all of these crazy times'

'Your brother wore a mask, yet he laughed at everyone else for wearing one. Don’t be a hypocrite,' a social media user wrote, replying to Tristan Tate

X, formerly known as Twitter, filed a federal defamation suit on Monday in Texas against Media Matters for America, accusing the media watchdog group of kicking off an advertiser exodus with a “harmful” article alleging the social network let top brands display ads near antisemitic and pro-Nazi posts. The liberal-leaning media observer allegedly curated a feed specifically with fringe accounts and those belonging to corporations like IBM, Comcast, Apple, and Oracle, then displayed screenshots of the unsavoury posts appearing near company ads in a critical article, according to the lawsuit. The Media Matters analysis, published last week, also alleges that X owner Elon Musk has increasingly begun a “descent into white nationalist and antisemitic conspiracy theories.” The lawsuit does not dispute that some top brands’ ads were featured near the inflammatory content. Rather, it suggests Media Matters gamed X to produce extremely unlikely pairings that are usually screened out by the service’s advertising tools, alleging that one harmful match appeared for “only one viewer (out of more than 500 million) on all of X: Media Matters.” “Not a single authentic user of the X platform saw IBM’s, Comcast’s or Oracle’s ads next to that content, which Media Matters achieved only through its manipulation of X’s algorithms,” the suit continues. “Media Matters created these pairings in secrecy, to manufacture the harmful perception that X is at best an incompetent content moderator (a harmful accusation for any social media platform), or even worse that X was somehow indifferent or even encouraging to Nazi and racist ideology,” the suit argues elsewhere. Media Matters told The Independent in a statement that its analysis of X and its content policies remains valid. “This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X’s critics into silence,” Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said in the statement. “Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.” Top executives at X have railed against Media Matters in recent days. “If you know me, you know I’m committed to truth and fairness. Here’s the truth,” Linda Yaccarino wrote on X on Monday. “Not a single authentic user on X saw IBM’s, Comcast’s, or Oracle’s ads next to the content in Media Matters’ article. Only 2 users saw Apple’s ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations.” Mr Musk, meanwhile, called the organisation “pure evil” in an X post of his own. Outside of the disputed accuracy of the Media Matters report, Mr Musk has openly endorsed a right-wing conspiracy theory on X in recent days, prompting criticism that he’s fueling antisemitism. Last Wednesday, the billionaire X owner responded to a tweet echoing claims of the racist and often antisemitic “great replacement” theory, including that Jewish people were “flooding” America with “hordes of minorities” to promote “dialectical hatred against whites.” Mr Musk called the claim “the actual truth.” The theory referenced in the original post was among the hateful ideas directly referenced by the gunman who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history. “At a time when antisemitism is exploding in America and surging around the world, it is indisputably dangerous to use one’s influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League civil rights group, which monitors antisemitism and other forms of extremism, wrote on X in response to Mr Musk. The White House also weighed in, alleging the tech CEO was contributing to the spread of “abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate.” “It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” the White House said in a statement. The Independent contacted Mr Musk during the backlash against his response to the post and did not receive an answer. Amid the controversy, Mr Musk has alternatively defended X’s content policies and appeared to mock critics who allege the network is harbouring hateful content. Last week, he shared a clip of someone playing a video game level called “Echo of Hatred,” with the caption “defeating hatred is never easy.” “Clear calls for extreme violence are against our terms of service and will result in suspension,” he wrote elsewhere on X on Friday. This summer, a study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate alleged X failed to take down 99 per cent of a selection of hate content flagged by the group. The group alleged that “the platform is allowing them to break its rules with impunity and is even algorithmically boosting their toxic tweets.” Read More Musk's X sues liberal advocacy group Media Matters over its report on ads next to hate groups' posts Elon Musk and Trump aide want journalists jailed over X Hitler exposé IBM pulls ads from Elon Musk's X after report says they appeared next to antisemitic posts Dates and venues for three 2024 presidential debates announced 2024 polls: Three presidential debates revealed for next year Torso found washed up on New York beach could be missing Irish filmmaker: NYPD

'90 Day Fiance' star Angela Deem shared a video asking her fans opinion on a logo design

Russian mercenary group Wagner has been seen for years as an armed extension of Moscow's influence in Syria and Africa -- a status now called into...

Oak Flat, a mountainous area east of Phoenix, is an Apache sacred site where Native Americans gather to pray and perform coming-of-age ceremonies and sweat rituals

Ukraine has removed Soviet-era signage from a hilltop monument in Kyiv, amid a conflict that has seen the country fight to reassert its cultural identity in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

The US praise comes as Kyiv admits the fighting against strong Russian defensive lines is tough.

As Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear prepares for what could be the most hotly contested election of the year, the first-term Democrat insisted on Wednesday that he would not cede so-called family values issues to his Republican opponent. In his first sit-down interview since Tuesday's primary, Beshear also tried to contrast his steady leadership with the just-concluded bitter GOP campaign in which state Attorney General Daniel Cameron prevailed in a 12-candidate field. The governor told The Associated Press that he intends to make the general election race about helping families and not trying to “rile people up,” and he accused Cameron of doing just that in his victory speech. “I think sadly from the other side, what we saw last night and what we’ll see is name-calling, stoking division, trying to incite fear or anger or maybe even hatred. And that’s not how we’re supposed to run these elections,” Beshear said. Cameron, buoyed by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, finished 26 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. Trump’s former U.N. ambassador, Kelly Craft, was a disappointing third after a campaign that mostly centered around her and Cameron. The much scrutinized off-year matchup between Beshear and Cameron in November could provide insight about voter sentiment heading into the 2024 elections that will determine control of the White House and Congress. The race will test the strength of a popular Democratic governor in a Republican-dominated state who hopes the reputation he forged as the state’s consoler in chief during a tumultuous four years will be enough to propel him to a second term. Cameron, one of the most prominent Black Republicans in the country, came out swinging in a primary night speech. “The new religion of the left casts doubt on the greatness of America,” Cameron said. “They embrace a picture of this country and this commonwealth that is rooted in division, that is hostile to faith and that is committed to the erosion of our education system.” The AP reached out to Cameron for an interview, but his campaign did not immediately make him available. Beshear said he sees similarities between this year’s race and his run in 2019, when he defeated GOP Gov. Matt Bevin. "If you look at this last primary, I think that you are seeing the same nastiness, the same turning people against each other,” Beshear said. Much like that contest, Beshear said he has no plans to campaign with national Democrats, including President Joe Biden. Beshear relies on his family’s strong political brand in Kentucky, where his father, Steve Beshear, is a former two-term governor. “This is about us, not Washington, D.C. Everything you’re going to hear me talk about in this election is about our families and how we move them ahead — not right, not left, but forward," Beshear said. Biden joined Beshear to console the victims of tornadoes and flooding that hit Kentucky during the governor's first term. Asked if he was bracing for opposition ads showing pictures of him and Biden together, Beshear said, “It would be pretty callous, I think, for somebody to use photos of showing up at the toughest of times against somebody.” In his speech Tuesday night, Cameron tried to tie Beshear to Biden's immigration policies, lambasted the governor's record on crime and drugs and criticized him for vetoing legislation barring transgender girls and women from participating in school sports matching their gender identity. The Republican-led legislature overrode Beshear's veto. “A governor who will not speak out on these issues, and who will not stand up for your interests, has abdicated his responsibility to the commonwealth and is not fit to lead it any longer,” Cameron said. This year, Beshear vetoed a bill banning transgender young people from receiving gender-affirming health care. That veto also was overridden. Beshear has come under GOP criticism for the veto. Beshear said Wednesday that every youngster should be treated “as a child of God.” “At the end of the day, I think what’s been done here attacks parents’ rights, and I believe medical decisions for children are best left to their parents and not big government stepping in,” he said. Beshear said he is ready to run on a record of economic growth, support for public schools and increased help for people battling drug addiction. The governor noted that hundreds of Kentucky National Guard soldiers have been deployed to the nation’s southwest border during his term in office. Kentucky will continue to “do our part when asked,” he said, declaring that “border security is national security.” He pointed to advances in providing clean drinking water to Kentuckians and getting a new Ohio River bridge built to ease traffic congestion between Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. A bridge “isn’t red or blue, it’s just really important for our families,” the governor said. Beshear now faces an electorate that has turned increasingly Republican since he won the office. He said voters will hear a message from him driven by faith and values, not partisan politics. “For me, my values are rooted in my faith,” Beshear said. “And my faith teaches me that we’re supposed to live with love and compassion, not anger and division." Cameron is the first major-party Black nominee for governor in Kentucky’s history. "To anyone who looks like me, know that you can achieve anything," he said after winning the nomination. To Beshear, "it's taken far too long to have a Black nominee of either party for governor. But I think what the attorney general said last night is right, that in this campaign people are going to judge us by our record and our values." Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide VIDEO FOR YOU: Kentucky Gov. Beshear discusses jobs, his campaign and abortion AP News Digest 3:30 am AP News Digest 3:20 am

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump say they agreed with prosecutors to delay to next week a pretrial hearing to discuss how classified information is handled in court as he faces federal charges that he illegally hoarded classifed documents at his Florida estate

Robert Fico - who pledged to end support for Ukraine - has teamed up with a centre-left and nationalist party.