First Thing: More than 100 still unaccounted for after Kentucky tornadoes

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Good morning.

Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, broke down in tears yesterday as he introduced the deaths of at the least 74 folks from Friday’s lethal tornadoes that swept throughout a number of midwest and southern states, and warned that the dying toll is predicted to develop.

The ages of these killed ranged from a number of months to 86 years, six of them youthful than 18, Beshear mentioned at an emotional press convention in Frankfort, the state capital.

He mentioned 109 Kentuckians had been nonetheless unaccounted for and that the eventual variety of confirmed deaths won’t be identified for weeks. “I do know, like the parents of western Kentucky, I’m not doing so properly right now. And I’m unsure how many people are,” he mentioned, his voice faltering.

Are rescuers nonetheless in search of survivors? Sure, rescuers are persevering with to go looking the wreckage in Mayfield and throughout the state. In the meantime 1000’s remained with out energy and water, or have been left homeless.
What has the federal government response been like? Joe Biden declared a serious federal catastrophe in Kentucky. Federal businesses, the president mentioned, had been “working just like the satan” to get affected states the assistance and sources they wanted.

Capitol assault panel recommends Mark Meadows for felony prosecution

Mark Meadows and Liz Cheney, who is vice-chair of the select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol on 6 January. — Mark Meadows and Liz Cheney, who’s vice-chair of the choose committee investigating the assault on the Capitol on 6 January. {Photograph}: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs

The Home choose committee investigating the Capitol assault yesterday voted to advocate the felony prosecution for the previous Trump White Home chief of workers Mark Meadows, punishing Donald Trump’s most senior aide for refusing to testify in regards to the 6 January revolt.

The choose committee superior the contempt of Congress report for Meadows unanimously, sending the matter to a vote earlier than the complete Home of Representatives, which is predicted to approve the quotation as quickly as right now.

Bennie Thompson, the chair of the choose committee, mentioned in a gap assertion that Trump’s former White Home chief of workers displayed willful noncompliance in his defiance of his subpoena.

What did Thompson say? “When the data increase questions – as these most actually do – you must are available in and reply these questions. And when it was time for him to observe the regulation, are available in, and testify on these questions, he modified his thoughts and instructed us to pound sand. He didn’t even present up.”
What else occurred? The choose committee’s vice chair, Liz Cheney learn out texts Meadows obtained because the 6 January riot unfolded, together with from Trump’s eldest son, Don Jr, who implored him “we want an Oval Workplace tackle” to cease the Capitol assault.

Protesting voting rights activists arrested as Biden meets with Manchin

Poor People’s Campaign protest to urge Congress to pass Build Back Better bill, in WashingtonDavid Barrows joins a Poor People’s Campaign march near the U.S. Capitol to urge the Congress to pass President Biden’s Build Back Better bill, which aims to bolster the social safety net and fight climate change, in Washington, U.S. December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst — Protesters throughout a Poor Folks’s Marketing campaign march close to the Capitol in Washington DC. {Photograph}: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Throughout an important week for Biden’s agenda that may most likely function a political showdown on his Construct Again Higher laws within the Senate, voting rights activists are turning up the strain in Washington.

Because the US president had a gathering with a key centrist Democrat who has acted as a roadblock to his plans – the West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin – greater than 60 folks had been arrested as they protested, singing songs and blocking site visitors close to the US Capitol.

The various group of activists got here to Washington from across the nation and had been centered totally on points round voting rights and poverty. When the main target turned to voting rights, the discuss grew to become extra centered on Manchin and the White Home’s obvious incapacity to use all of its energy to cross federal laws to guard the vote.

In the meantime, voting rights watchdogs have warned of a robust internet of attorneys and teams who’ve spent hundreds of thousands selling new and onerous voting legal guidelines that many key battleground states have enacted.

In different information …

Elon Musk and his son, X Æ A-12, on stage in New York. {Photograph}: Theo Wargo/Getty Photographs for Time

Time journal’s determination to make Elon Musk its particular person of the 12 months for 2021 has been criticized due to his angle to tax, unions and Covid-19. Describing him as a “clown, genius, edgelord, visionary, industrialist, showman”, the journal emphasised that its annual acknowledgement was not an award, however reasonably, “recognition of the one who had probably the most affect on the occasions of the 12 months, for good or for in poor health”.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has used a go to to Indo-Pacific to induce China to stop “aggressive actions” within the area, as Washington seeks to bolster alliances towards Beijing. The Biden administration is making an attempt to reset relations and reassert its affect in Asia after the Trump period.
The US air pressure has discharged 27 folks for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine. They’re considered the primary service members to be eliminated for disobeying the mandate. The pressure gave its forces till 2 November to get the vaccine. 1000’s both refused or sought an exemption.
Navy prosecutors have alleged {that a} sailor charged with setting the hearth that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard final 12 months was “disgruntled” after dropping out of Navy Seal coaching. Mays has denied igniting the amphibious assault ship that burned for practically 5 days and injured dozens aboard.

Don’t miss this: Meet the individuals who had their first tattoo after 60

Sarah Browne, a person over 65 who got their first tattoo. She was badly burned as a child, and has a tattoo on the middle of her back over the worst of her skin grafts. for G2 — Sarah Browne: ‘That is me saying that is my physique – I’m going to rejoice it!’ {Photograph}: Anna Gordon/The Guardian

For a lot of older folks, tattoos got here with baggage. Now, social mores have modified and for these of their 60s, 70s and 80s: “The stigma related to prisoners’ tattoos, or sailors or misfits getting them, has disappeared,” says Louise Krystahl, a tattoo artist. Which may be why she now will get plenty of shoppers over the age of 60, who really feel prepared for his or her first tattoo. She as soon as tattooed a ladybird on the wrist of a girl in her 80s. “For older folks, it’s often a sentimental cause, not simply that they fancy a butterfly,” says Krystahl.

Local weather test: Vanessa Nakate’s battle for the forgotten nations of the local weather disaster

Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist — ‘It’s rather more troublesome to construct a social motion on the web in Africa,’ says Vanessa Nakate. {Photograph}: Hajarah Nalwadda/AP

Launching a tough dialog about local weather reparations and environmental imperialism on a world stage will not be the place Vanessa Nakate thought she was heading three years in the past however when she began to analysis international warming, she realised the influence it was having. Nakate began a youth strike in Uganda – then simply saved going. “I had this realisation that I couldn’t let one other week cross with out talking up,” she says. “It wasn’t local weather change – it was a local weather disaster.”

South Dakota teachers scramble for cash during half-time show — ‘This simply feels demeaning … lecturers shouldn’t should sprint for {dollars} for classroom provides.’ {Photograph}: Annie Todd/Argus Chief

Final Factor: South Dakota lecturers scramble for greenback payments in ‘demeaning’ sport

A contest pitting 10 lecturers towards one another to scramble for greenback payments to fund faculty provides in a metropolis in South Dakota has been described as “demeaning” and drawn comparisons with the Netflix hit sequence Squid Sport. The Argus Chief reported $5,000 (£3,770) in single greenback payments had been laid out in the course of the Sioux Falls Stampede hockey sport, and lecturers from close by faculties competed to seize as many as attainable in lower than 5 minutes. The corporate and the Sioux Falls Stampede has since apologised.

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