Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference Aug. 12, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday designated one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S. a “foreign terrorist organization,” following a similar step by Texas last month
The directive against the Council on American-Islamic Relations comes in an executive order DeSantis posted on the social media site X. It also gives the same label to the
Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
The order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.
In an emailed statement, CAIR and its Florida chapter said the organization plans to sue DeSantis in response to what it called an “unconstitutional” and “defamatory” proclamation.
Founded in 1994, CAIR has 25 chapters around the country.
CAIR last month asked a federal judge to strike down Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation, saying in a lawsuit that it was “not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law.”
Alaska Shaken: Massive 8.2 Earthquake Rattles Coast, Triggers Tsunami Fears Across Pacific
What began as an ordinary twilight along Alaska’s wild and remote coastline turned, in an instant, into a night of raw chaos. The earth didn’t just tremble—it heaved, violently and without warning, sending a jolt through the Alaskan Peninsula that could be felt hundreds of miles away.
Within minutes, emergency sirens howled, evacuation routes filled, and the fear of an encroaching tsunami surged across the Pacific.
Late Wednesday evening, a colossal 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck just off the coast near Perryville, Alaska, registering as one of the most powerful seismic events in the United States in recent years.
The quake’s epicenter lay roughly 91 kilometers southeast of the town, striking at a depth of 35 kilometers beneath the ocean floor.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and international monitoring systems immediately sprang into action, with seismologists confirming that this was no average quake—it belonged to the class of megathrust events capable of triggering widespread tsunamis and long-lasting geological consequences.
Sirens, Scrambles, and Warnings from Coast to Coast
Coastal residents of towns like Kodiak and Sand Point were jolted from their homes as tsunami sirens wailed into the darkness. Social media quickly filled with images of families fleeing uphill, gas stations bottlenecked with traffic, and emergency crews coordinating along coastal roads.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued tsunami alerts for vast stretches of southern Alaska, from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass, urging all low-lying residents to move to higher ground. Although Hawaii and Guam were also briefly under surveillance, officials later confirmed they were not in the path of a significant wave threat.
Aftershocks and Ongoing Tremors
In the hours that followed, the ground did not rest. At least eight measurable aftershocks rippled through the region—two of them registering above magnitude 6.0.
While no serious injuries or structural damages have been confirmed so far, emergency management teams remained on high alert through the night and into the next day.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced that the state’s emergency operations center was fully activated, coordinating with FEMA, local first responders, and national geologists to assess the evolving situation.
Meanwhile, tsunami monitoring agencies in Japan, New Zealand, and Chile began conducting independent analyses, concerned that the seismic shift could reverberate far beyond U.S. waters.
Conclusion
Alaska may have narrowly escaped catastrophe this time, but the 8.2 quake is a sobering reminder that the Ring of Fire remains dangerously awake.
The ground beneath the Alaskan Peninsula is among the most seismically volatile on Earth, and experts warn that such massive tremors can lead to delayed aftershocks, landslides, or even future tsunamis.
As the world watches and monitors, one truth remains: when the Earth speaks with this kind of force, all of us—no matter how far from the epicenter—are called to listen.