5 things to know for Sept. 27: Hurricane Helene, Israel-Lebanon strikes, Covid-19 tests, Gun violence, Japan election

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More than 2 million customers are without power today across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas as severe weather continues to impact the Southeast. If you have a low-bandwidth connection, bookmark CNN’s lite site to stay informed. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Helene made landfall Thursday in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane with over 9 feet of storm surge observed along the state’s coast. There have been at least three storm-related deaths and widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. While Helene has weakened to a tropical storm, watches and warnings are still in place for 60 million people in 12 states as it crosses over central Georgia today. On Wednesday, the hurricane unleashed its fury on parts of Mexico’s Yucátan Peninsula and Cuba. Flooding rainfall plunged cars underwater in parts of Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo while powerful ocean waves pounded the coastline. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to speak today at the UN General Assembly after his office said it “shares the aims” of a US-led plan calling for a 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border. As Israel and Hezbollah trade fresh strikes, Lebanon’s foreign minister warned the crisis “threatens the entire Middle East” and reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire. President Joe Biden said the plan had been endorsed by the US, Australia, Canada, the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. However, Netanyahu threw cold water on the multi-national proposal: “My policy, our policy, is clear: We continue to hit Hezbollah with all our might. We will not stop until we achieve all our goals,” he told reporters. People in the US can now order more free Covid-19 tests from the federal government as the country heads into respiratory virus season with high levels of Covid already circulating. Each household is eligible to receive four at-home test kits, which can be requested from COVIDTests.gov. The tests will be able to detect currently circulating variants. The CDC also recommends that people 6 months and older receive an updated Covid-19 vaccine. This year, multiple options are available: mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer target KP.2, a variant that has been dominant in the US since May. A vaccine from Novavax is also available, but it targets JN.1, a variant still circulating but less prominently than a few months ago. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at the White House on Thursday for an event on curbing gun violence. Harris, who has said she’s a gun owner, criticized what she called a “false choice” between preventing shootings and respecting the Second Amendment. She later added: “I am in favor of the Second Amendment, and I believe we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban and have universal background checks, safe storage laws and red flag laws.” Biden touted measures his administration has taken and signed a new executive action that overhauls active shooter drills in schools. He also established a task force to address the threat of emerging gun technologies, including 3D-printed guns.