Hurricane Aftermath, Feds Search Omar's Home & MLB's Final Four - Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Erica Mandy (0:00)

Today is Tuesday, October 13th. We'll tell you what the weekend's two major storms left behind, from the Gulf Coast to Southern California. Also, why President Trump is defending a controversial deal to bring Russian diesel into the US and the new questions after federal agents searched the home of a sitting member of Congress.

Plus, introducing the new White House press secretary, the biggest donor of the midterms, and the MLB's Final Four. And those stories and even more news to know coming up.

Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.

Americans on both coasts are cleaning up the damage from major weekend storms. First, Hurricane Isaías made landfall near Destin, Florida Friday night as a Category 2 hurricane. Some wind gusts topped 115 miles an hour, ripping off roofs, toppling trees, and overturning RVs. The storm also brought flooding rain with some parts of Alabama getting more than a foot in just 13 hours. As Isaías moved inland, it spawned tornadoes damaging homes in South Carolina and destroying a building in North Carolina. At least four people died in storm-related incidents in Florida and Alabama. Even though Isaías has weakened, the cleanup is far from over with crews clearing debris, restoring electricity, and communities assessing the damage left behind. On the other side of the country, powerful ocean waves are tearing into Southern California's coastline. The damage is tied to tropical storm Rachel that made landfall in Mexico's Baja California over the weekend. In Long Beach, California, the waves washed away sand beneath homes, leaving some properties at risk of collapsing. They also damaged a century-old boardwalk while flooding streets in nearby Newport Beach. And Rachel brought heavy rain inland, including record-breaking rainfall in Las Vegas. As of this morning, the worst of the storm has passed, but flooding and erosion are still a concern for people take stock of the damage.

It seems Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is now officially under investigation. Federal agents searched her Washington, DC., home yesterday. The Justice Department has not released many details about what prompted this, but sources told Reuters the investigation involves paperwork Omar's late father filled out when she was a child, around the time her family immigrated from Somalia. So far, no formal charges have been announced in connection with this search. And Omar says the search was just an attempt to use federal law enforcement against President Trump's political enemies, since she is one of the president's most outspoken critics. President Trump says he has nothing to do with it. Historically, the Justice Department avoids taking steps in investigations involving political candidates so close to an election. The congresswoman says she, quote, will not be silenced. And she's still running for re-election.

President Trump is defending a deal to bring Russian diesel into US as he faces criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Trump announced the deal on Friday after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It would bring hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel into the marketplace, with millions more expected in the months ahead. Trump says the move will help bring down fuel prices for American farmers, ranchers and truckers. But a bipartisan group of senators says the plan goes against a 2022 law that bans Russian energy imports while Russia continues its war against Ukraine. The group also says the administration did not explain it to Congress as the law requires. Plus, some lawmakers are questioning whether it will actually make much of a difference at the pump. Oil prices rose yesterday. To be continued.

Saudi Arabia has suffered its deadliest attack in more than a decade, and now President Trump is considering whether to bring the US into the fight. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck Riyadh's international airport, killing at least 13 people, including an American citizen. More than 300 others were hurt. The strike forced the airport to shut down, disrupting flights in and out of the Saudi capital. And since then, Saudi Arabia says it's been intercepting even more incoming missiles and drones. So far, the US has given Saudi Arabia intelligence and targeting support, but has stopped short of launching its own strikes. Trump told reporters he's considering whether the US should launch its own attacks against the Houthis, but the rebels are warning that if the US strikes, they'll target American interests overseas. Of course, that could draw the US directly into a conflict that's already spreading across the Middle East. To be continued.

United Arab Emirates now says a co-pilot who attacked his captain mid-flight was planning to crash into Israel's biggest airport. UAE investigators specifically say the co-pilot wanted to kill as many people as possible, both on the Flydubi passenger jet and in the terminal of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. He confessed to stabbing the flight's captain last month mid-flight. But crew members and passengers were able to stop him, and other pilots on board were able to safely land the plane. Now the UAE says the co-pilot had become radicalized years earlier while studying in Australia and had been inspired by the September 11th terrorist attacks. He apparently told investigators he decided to pursue a career in aviation for that very reason. Now, it's not clear how he was cleared to fly such a sensitive route, especially since he was previously banned from flying at Oman Air over concerns he had extremist ideology. Though the UAE's attorney general says the co-pilot met all the professional and security requirements. The investigation is ongoing. By the way, just this morning, there were reports of a separate threat at that same airport. Local news outlets say there was an anonymous report of a bomb on board, a Delta flight that arrived in Israel from New York. But it was apparently a alarm and there was no immediate danger.