As Kentucky braces for more flooding, death toll rises to 26
Devastated communities in eastern Kentucky began digging in earnest on Sunday as the state’s death toll rose to 26 and a new series of storms threatened to extend historic flooding. Dozens of people remained missing and some areas remained inaccessible to search and rescue teams. Flawless cell phone service added to the chaos. “We’re going to find bodies for weeks,” Beshear said. Excessive runoff from rain and thunderstorms on Sunday and Monday could lead to additional flooding from rivers, creeks and streams across much of central and eastern Kentucky, the National Weather Service warned. Rainfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour can cause flash flooding, especially in areas with repeated thunderstorms.
Biden tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time
President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday after testing negative earlier this week in a “rebound” case that can occur in patients treated with Paxlovid, Biden’s doctor said. Biden has not had a flare-up of symptoms, but he has returned to isolation, as the CDC recommends that people with rebound cases should do another five days. Paxlovid is a home antiviral therapy for people at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. He was treated with it because of his advanced age. He has been vaccinated and boosted against the virus.
Very quick
Lucky Illinois ticket wins $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the second largest in the game’s history
A customer at a Speedway gas station and convenience store in Des Plaines, Illinois, got very lucky Friday night. They won a whopping nearly $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, according to the lottery game’s website. The lucky Illinois cardholder won it all, beating the 1 in 303 million chance of winning the game’s jackpot. Mega Millions did not identify the cardholder by name Saturday morning. The closely watched jackpot, which has increased by hundreds of millions in the past week alone, is the second largest in Mega Millions history. It also marks the country’s third highest lottery prize to date, across all games. The winning numbers for the $1,337 billion jackpot (with an estimated cash option of $780.5 million) were: 13-36-45-57-67, Mega Ball: 14.
New York declares state of emergency for monkey pox outbreak state disaster
New York government Kathy Hochul declared the rapidly spreading monkey pox outbreak in New York a state disaster late Friday as authorities rushed to distribute vaccines to curb the spread of the virus. The move comes as the number of monkeypox infections in New York neared 1,400 cases, with most infections in New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. staff, pharmacists and midwives. It also allows physicians and certified nurses to issue non-patient-specific standing orders for vaccines, and requires suppliers to send vaccine data to the Department of Health. As of Wednesday, the US currently has about 4,600 reported cases, USA TODAY reported.
NBA icon and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell dies at age 88
Bill Russell, the ultimate NBA champion, one of the best basketball players, a consummate teammate and a voice for social justice who was the soul of the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s, died on Sunday. He was 88. On the basketball court, William Felton Russell only cared about one thing: winning. And he did everything it took to achieve that, from scoring to rebounding to passing and defending. Russell won better than anyone. He had 11 championships with the Celtics, including eight consecutive titles. There wasn’t a Finals MVP until 1969. Today, the Finals MVP award is named after him.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Begins Asia Trip Without Taiwan on Her Itinerary
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi began her journey to the Indo-Pacific region without mentioning a stop in Taiwan. Pelosi’s office said on Sunday that the congressional delegation she leads will visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, with a “focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region”. A potential stop in Taiwan has emerged as a point of tension between Washington and Beijing. China has warned of “consequences” if the speaker comes to visit. It considers Taiwan a part of its territory while Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign country. The US has long embraced a dark middle ground that aims to support Taiwan without enraging Beijing. If she makes a stop in Taiwan, she would be the highest-ranking US official to visit there since then-speaker Newt Gingrich went in 1997.
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This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributions: The The Bharat Express News
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky Floods, NYC Monkeypox, Bill Russell Dies: The Weekend’s Biggest News
