January 1, FL Declares State of Emergency as Hurricane Dorian Grows Stronger

Good morning Middle Americans! 

According to the Associated Press, the Hurricane Center says Dorian could grow into a dangerous Category 3 storm as it pushes northwest in the general direction of Florida.

Dennis Feltgen, a Hurricane Center meteorologist in Miami, said Dorian may grow in size and could land anywhere from South Florida to South Carolina on Sunday or Monday.

“This will be a large storm approaching the Southeast,” he said.

Also today, the Democrat’s presidential field shrinks by one.  A new fossil discovery gives scientists a glimpse of one of man’s oldest ancestors. And Idaho must pay for a transgender inmate’s sexual reassignment surgery. Read all about it. 

– Fraser Dixon 

Kirsten Gillibrand Drops Out of  Presidential Race

(New York Times) – “I think that women have a unique ability to bring people together and heal this country,” Ms. Gillibrand said, adding, “I think a woman nominee would be inspiring and exciting.”

But she added: “I will support whoever the nominee is, and I will do whatever it takes to beat Trump.”

Read more from the New York Times here

Fossil Reveals Face of Human Ancestor ‘Lucy’

(Reuters) – Scientists have long known that this species — A. anamensis — existed, and previous fossils of it extend back to 4.2 million years ago. But the discovered facial remains were limited to jaws and teeth. The newly reported fossil includes much of the skull and face.

Find out more from Reuters here

Idaho Must Pay for Transgender Inmate’s Sex Reassignment Surgery

(CBS News) – “They certainly would treat a prisoner with cancer, they treat a prisoner with diabetes, or other chronic conditions,” Ferguson said, according to KBOI-TV. “So, we have a medically recognized condition that’s very treatable and we have been trying to get her the treatment that she very much needs.”

CBS news has more here

This Day in History | 1966

The Beatles play their last public concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.