Month: March 2021

A tornado tore through a housing subdivision in Alabama on Thursday, causing severe destruction. Thousands were left without power across the Deep South as strong winds and heavy downpours swept across the region. The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings in Alabama and surrounding states where forecasters said strong twisters that could stay on the ground for miles. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued an emergency declaration for 46 counties as the severe weather approached, and officials opened shelters in and around Birmingham. 

Severe weather also hit parts of Mississippi on Thursday, a day after authorities reported a weather-related death in the southwestern part of the state. Parts of Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia were also at risk of strong tornadoes, and areas in the path of Thursday’s storms included Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee.

A flash-flood watch Thursday covered northern parts of Alabama and Georgia and portions of Tennessee and western North Carolina. Up to 4 inches of rain were predicted, with higher amounts possible in northern Alabama.

Multiple tornadoes strike Alabama, thousands without power

Via www.nbcnews.com

Several confirmed tornadoes touched down across Alabama on Thursday and significant damage was…

03/25/2021 5:18 PM

 

President Joe Biden held his first formal news conference Thursday afternoon and was dominated by questions regarding the border crisis. The White House attempted to keep the news conference focused on the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic with a string of vaccination logistical funding announcements in the hours before it began. The president began the conference by detailing a new vaccination target, after his initial goal of 100 million vaccines was reached last week.  However the President was questioned by reporters to detail actions he is taking to address a surge in undocumented migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, and was not asked any direct questions about the pandemic.

Biden said his policies were not the cause of an increase in children arriving at the border, and instead blamed former President Donald Trump for neglecting Central America while in office and for implementing policies that led to overcrowding in facilities at the border. Biden said that the seasonal uptick in migration that occurs each spring before the deadly summer heat was also reason for the increase in migrant children arriving right now. The president said Thursday he would “commit to transparency” once his policies were in place, but did not provide a timeline for doing so.

Prior to Thursday’s event, Biden had gone longer without holding a formal news conference than any first-term president in decades, breaking with a longstanding tradition of taking questions from White House press corps at a dedicated event within the first month of office. Thirty reporters attended the news conference, a smaller number than normal due to distancing measures in place for the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden holds 1st formal news conference, faces questions on pandemic, migrant surge

Via abcnews.go.com

He’s gone longer without one than any president in the past 100 years.

03/25/2021 2:00 PM

 

Editorial credit: Stratos Brilakis / Shutterstock.com

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden said he was assigning Vice President Kamala Harris to lead his administration’s effort to stem migration from Central America, calling her “the most qualified person to do it.”  Biden said Harris would “lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle” — El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala — which he said, “are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks — stemming the migration to our southern border” as the United States deals with a surge of unaccompanied minors crossing its southern border.

Senior administration officials said Wednesday that Harris will work along two tracks — “stemming the flow of irregular migrants to the U.S.” in the near term, and in the longer term, establishing a “strategic partnership” with Mexico and Northern Triangle countries “based on respect and shared values, to enhance prosperity, combat corruption and strengthen the rule of law.”

Harris said Wednesday “there’s no question that this is a challenging situation” and that she planned to engage with foreign leaders, civil society and the private sector. Harris added: “I also look forward to working with members of Congress who I think share our perspective on the need to address root causes for the migration that we’ve been seeing.”

         

Biden tasks Harris with ‘stemming the migration’ on southern border

Via www.nbcnews.com

The vice president is expected to focus on both curbing the current flow of migrants and…

03/24/2021 2:30 PM

 

Editorial credit: BiksuTong / Shutterstock.com

Storm-battered South prepares for possible second tornado outbreak in a week

Via www.nbcnews.com

Strong and long-lived tornadoes, hail the size of baseballs or larger and damaging winds in…

03/24/2021 2:19 PM

 

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Storm-battered South prepares for possible second tornado outbreak in a week

Via www.nbcnews.com

Strong and long-lived tornadoes, hail the size of baseballs or larger and damaging winds in…

03/24/2021 2:19 PM

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