Francine weakens to tropical storm after making landfall as Category 2 hurricane

After making landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in Louisiana, Francine is on the move. We have the latest track. And the mother of the 14-year-old suspect in last week's deadly school shooting in Georgia apologizes in an open letter to the victims' families. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.

Francine weakens to tropical storm after making landfall as Category 2 hurricane

Francine has weakened to a tropical storm, hours after it made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The storm is now trekking over Mississippi.

Power outages have left more than 350,000 Louisiana residents in the dark and flash flood warnings are still in effect in parts of the state, as the storm batters parts of Mississippi with 70mph winds.

In Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish, the powerful storm brought down power lines, snapped trees, and caused flooding. Partial 911 outages were also reported in areas impacted by the storm. Wireless companies have said they're working on the issue.

High winds and a potentially dangerous storm surge from a now weakened Francine are expected to also continue into Mississippi and Alabama Thursday, Sept. 12, with the potential for deadly tornadoes and flash flooding as well.

According to the National Weather Service, Francine is expected to continue to weaken over the next 24 hours, downgrading to a tropical cyclone by Friday, Sept. 13, as it moves across the south.

Mother of Georgia school shooting suspect apologizes to families in letter

One week after a school shooting in Georgia left two students and two teachers dead, the 14-year-old suspect's mother has now come forward. She penned an open letter apologizing to victims’ families that was first obtained by CNN.

Marcee Gray is the mother of 14-year-old Colt Gray, who has been arrested and charged with murder in the Apalachee High School shooting. This week, we also learned she made a phone call to the school the morning of the shooting, just moments before the gunfire.

In her open letter, Marcee Gray said she is "sorry from the bottom of my heart" to the parents and families impacted. She also said if she could take the place of the two students who died she would "without a second thought."

While offering her condolences, she also wrote that her son Colt is "not a monster. He is my oldest baby." She asked the community for prayers while offering her own.

His mother’s letter comes after it was reported Colt sent her a text message the morning of the shooting, saying only three words: "I'm sorry, mom."

Marcee Gray said she called the school to warn of "an extreme emergency" at 9:50 a.m. ET last Wednesday, Sept. 4, and asked school officials to go get her son. Thirty minutes later, police responded to reports of the school shooting.

Colt Gray’s father, Colin, has also been charged in connection with the deadly shooting. He faces two second-degree murder charges, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of child cruelty. The next court hearing for Colt and Colin Gray is set for Dec. 4.

Trump, Biden, Harris come together for 9/11 memorial event

President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump all marked 23 years since 9/11 together. Trump and Harris could be seen shaking hands ahead of the annual memorial ceremony at Ground Zero in New York on Wednesday, just hours after their first debate.

Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, was also in attendance.

After the Ground Zero ceremony, the candidates went their separate ways. Trump and Vance visited a New York City firehouse, and Biden and Harris went to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Trump also visited the memorial later in the day.

Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, marked the somber anniversary at a 9/11 volunteer event in his home state.

Secret Service to increase security for Jan. 6 electoral vote counting

As Election Day nears, the Secret Service has announced there will be increased security during Congress’ counting and certification of electoral votes. The beefed-up security is a precaution after the riots at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the once-routine post-election gathering as a national special security event on par with the State of the Union address and the Super Bowl.

The designation unlocks federal, state and local resources. The Secret Service will be leading the planning of the event.

The counting and certification of electoral votes will take place on Jan. 6, 2025.

67 million Americans watched Tuesday's debate

More than 67 million Americans tuned in for the first debate between former President Trump and Vice President Harris Tuesday. That was more viewers than the 51 million who watched the debate between Trump and President Biden in June.

However, it's still far fewer people compared to modern general election debates, like the one in 2016 between Hillary Clinton and Trump that drew in 84 million viewers.

Tuesday's debate marked the first time Americans got to see Harris and Trump go head-to-head. It’s still up in the air if there will be a second debate between the two.

Campbell Soup Company changing its name after 155 years

Campbell's soup has been a staple in American kitchens for more than a hundred years. Now, after 155 years in business, the company is changing its name — slightly.

Its dropping "soup" from their official title and re-branding as The Campbell's Company . That's because instead of just soup, the company owns other iconic American eats like Goldfish, Cape Cod, and Pepperidge Farm.

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