Hurricane Idalia; Proud Boys; Spanish Soccer controversy

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Today’s top stories

Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region this morning. Forecasters are warning of its dangerous storm surge potential. Category 3 hurricanes can cause “devastating” damage, and Category 4 storms can cause “catastrophic” damage, according to the National Hurricane Center. Follow Idalia’s path with NPR’s live blog.

People are shown at the beach in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023 as the city prepares for Hurricane Idalia.

Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP

• NPR’s Greg Allen says on Up First that many of the homes in the area are older and not built to withstand hurricanes. Florida’s emergency management director has warned that search and rescue crews won’t be able to respond to calls until after the storm passes. Forecasters expect Idalia will still be a hurricane when it gets to Georgia this afternoon. 

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio is set to be sentenced this morning for crimes related to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Though he wasn’t at the Capitol that day, Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy in May, and prosecutors say he directed the Proud Boys to take over the Capitol building. Ethan Nordean, a group member, will also be sentenced today.

• Prosecutors are seeking 33 years in prison for Tarrio and 27 years for Nordean. NPR’s Jaclyn Diaz will be in court today. She says if the judge agrees to these sentences, it would be the “most severe punishment given to any Jan. 6 rioter.” 

Luis Rubiales, the head of Spain’s soccer federation, is…