BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The start of “snowbird” season in Florida is only weeks away, but many Florida Gulf Coast beaches, regularly voted some of the best in the United States, are closed to the public because of the devastation from Hurricane Milton two weeks ago.

Christmas could look different this year after Florida’s nursery and landscape industry suffered widespread losses during hurricanes Helene and Milton. These losses included vibrant holiday plants such as poinsettias.

Much of the online content that spread lies about the federal government’s response to recent hurricanes was fueled by Russia, new research shows. According to the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue,

Russia helped propagate disinformation about Hurricanes Helene and Milton in order to deepen political divisions in the U.S. and undermine America's support for Ukraine, according to a new analysis. Why it matters: The findings underscore Russia's ability to manipulate political discourse in the U.