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Millions may be without power and rain of up to 18 inches is expected in some areas as Hurricane Ian hits Florida, and Russian men are rapidly fleeing the country to avoid being drafted to fight Ukraine. Plus, how 1,000 strangers came together to bring an early Halloween to a 5-year-old boy with cancer.

Hurricane Ian has strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it makes landfall in Florida this morning.

Hurricane Ian knocked out power in all of Cuba (above) as it bore down on Florida's Gulf Coast this morning with maximum sustained winds near 140 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm caused flooding in the Florida Keys, and a foot to 18 inches of rain is expected for the central and northeastern parts of Florida, the hurricane center said. Millions of people are expected to be without power today, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

Russian men are fleeing to neighboring countries over fears of being forced to fight in the war with Ukraine.

A flow of Russian men looking to leave the country continued yesterday over worries the government will close the borders to stop those trying to evade President Vladimir Putin's draft. Russia's defense minister announced last week that 300,000 people would be recruited for a mobilization of more troops to fight in Ukraine, leading to mass protests, violence at draft offices and Russians looking to leave the country. A satellite image from a U.S. defense contractor showed a traffic jam of more than 10 miles at the border of Russia and Georgia yesterday, while officials in Kazakhstan said more than 98,000 Russians have entered the country since the troop mobilization was announced.

A 22-year-old woman died of suicide after struggling with Lyme disease. Her father says the disease 'hijacked' her.

The parents of Amelie Champagne are sharing their heartbreaking story after the 22-year-old died by suicide this month after struggling with Lyme disease for years. The illness, which is transmitted by tick bites, can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system, causing a range of symptoms. Champagne had spent years trying to figure out the cause of her symptoms before being diagnosed with Lyme in June. “Lyme essentially highjacked her ... She was so courageous throughout this ordeal,” her father wrote online. “We are confident she is now in peace.” Here is how to identify symptoms and what you can do to protect yourself from Lyme disease.

💰 Hold on to your money: Use these 4 strategies to help trim your 2022 tax bill. 

In the midst of inflation, rising interest rates and other financial factors you can’t control, there is an area where you can impact your budget — by saving on your tax bill. Sharon Epperson, CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, has 4 ways to improve your chances of tax savings, from boosting your 401(k) contributions to considering “tax-loss harvesting.”

Achieve your life goals with easy tips.

Dust off those dumbbells sitting in the corner and put them to work with these 10 dumbbell exercises from TODAY fitness contributor Stephanie Mansour. Whether you’re a beginner or only have a short window of time to exercise, these dumbbell exercises can create a full-body workout targeting your arms, core and legs. Stephanie also demonstrates each one, so you can see the proper form and avoid injury.

Allow us to do the meal-planning for you.

Indulge your inner child or delight your actual children with these Sloppy Joe pitas from television personality and best-selling author Molly Yeh. She puts a twist on an old favorite with salty feta, sour pickles and a fluffy pita pocket combined with ground turkey. She also has a spin on another childhood favorite with her mozzarella stick salad, which features fried mozzarella on top of peppery, crunchy arugula, olives and marinara dressing. 

A little pick-me-up before you go.

When a diagnosis of terminal cancer from a brain tumor meant a 5-year-old Canadian boy would not get his wish of visiting a haunted attraction in Niagara Falls for Halloween, a group of friends, family and 1,000 strangers brought Halloween to him instead. Local residents pitched in to throw an early Halloween bash for Alexandros Hurdakis, complete with costumes, face painters and food vendors in a gathering that swelled to more than 1,000 people on the family's street in Hamilton, Ontario. "He was really happy, waving and high-fiving everyone even though he was exhausted," his father told TODAY Parents. "We never expected this."

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Written by Scott Stump | Edited by Philip Caulfield

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