Pavilion Township, Michigan – Severe storms swept into the Midwest early Wednesday, a day after two tornadoes ripped through a Michigan city and surrounding area, demolishing homes and business structures, including a FedEx factory.

According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes were initially recorded after dark Tuesday in sections of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Tornado watches were also in effect in Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. The storms struck a day after a fatal tornado blasted through an Oklahoma town.

Travis Wycoff left his southwestern Michigan home Tuesday night after seeing on radar that a tornado had touched down in the Portage region. About five minutes later, he discovered the aftermath.

“There were a lot of people running through the streets trying to find people and their pets,” Wycoff stated. “It was just a lot of chaos.”

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Severe Storms Batter The Midwest, Including Reported Tornadoes That Shredded A FedEx Facility

Wycoff claimed he assisted an elderly couple get out of their partially collapsed home and liberated a service dog from a property whose owner was at work.

On Wednesday morning, he distributed water and volunteered to assist in cutting down fallen tree branches around the Pavilion Estates mobile home park.

“It is community. “I can’t sit a mile away from here when I was completely safe,” Wycoff added. “I couldn’t sit there in good conscience and not come down to try to help somehow.”

The National Weather Service verified that a tornado with a preliminary EF-0 rating and winds of 85 mph (137 kph) came down early Wednesday in southern Indiana, damaging homes in a subdivision north of Sellersburg, which is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) north of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Clark County Emergency Management Agency reported that the storm damaged 24 structures.

Candice Holmes, a Lewis & Clark condominium homeowner north of Sellersburg, said she, her husband, and son took refuge in their bathroom when they heard the approaching storm and “the wind just picked up all at once.”

“My husband and son went outside, opened the door, slammed it, and hurried back to the restroom. “And they held the bathroom door shut as it passed through,” Holmes told WDRB-TV. “It was done as soon as it began, but it was a frightening experience. And I’m delighted we’re still alive.

According to Jeff Craven, the meteorologist in charge of the weather service’s Pittsburgh office, survey teams will go out Wednesday to evaluate whether tornadoes affected Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia regions.

Tornadoes were detected on radar in Hancock County, West Virginia, and Jefferson County, Ohio, but according to Craven, teams will need to assess the damage to determine their rating.

Hancock County Schools in West Virginia canceled classes Wednesday due to “extensive overnight weather issues” throughout the county. News outlets reported damaged structures and power disruptions.

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Severe Storms Batter The Midwest, Including Reported Tornadoes That Shredded A FedEx Facility

According to forecaster Tabitha Clarke, a National Weather Service team was also heading to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to assess the damage and strength of a tornado that struck early Wednesday morning.

The tornado damaged homes, toppled trees, and knocked down power lines. According to the state Division of Emergency Management, there were no initial reports of tornado-related injuries.

In Michigan, two tornadoes slammed through Portage and the nearby Pavilion Township, demolishing houses and commercial structures, including a FedEx facility.

No significant casualties were reported immediately, but municipal officials claimed in a news release that the tornadoes knocked off electricity to more than 20,000 residents. According to city officials, the majority of them will be without power until late Wednesday.

Due to broken electrical lines, approximately 50 people were trapped inside the FedEx building. However, corporate representative Shannon Davis confirmed late Tuesday that “all team members are safe and accounted for.”

According to Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller, more than a dozen mobile homes in Pavilion Township were “totally destroyed.” At least 16 individuals were hurt there, he said, although the injuries were not life-threatening.

“We found homes in the roadway,” the sheriff stated late Tuesday. “We found houses in our neighbors’ homes. We discovered huge trees in residences.

On Wednesday, the sound of chainsaws and tree limbs snapping filled the air as cleanup at a mobile home park began.

“The cleanup efforts are enormous. We’re looking at homes across this community that have been completely demolished,” Fuller said Wednesday at the Pavilion Estates mobile home park.

A house with seven occupants “is totally on its top,” he remarked. They were able to self-rescue, get somewhere safe, and come back today.”

Pavilion Township is approximately 137 miles (220 kilometers) west of Detroit.

According to PowerOutage.us, over 30,000 people in Michigan lost power early Wednesday, with another 10,000 in Ohio.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed a state of emergency in four counties.

National Weather Service crews were surveying storm damage in several counties in Michigan’s southwest Lower Peninsula on Wednesday to determine whether tornadoes touched down there, including the two reported Tuesday night in the Portage area, according to meteorologist Mike Sutton of the weather service’s Grand Rapids office.

He said the Grand Rapids office had received 11 tornado reports from storm spotters, emergency managers, and the general public between late Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night, but no tornado touchdowns had been confirmed as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

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Severe Storms Batter The Midwest, Including Reported Tornadoes That Shredded A FedEx Facility

“It’s possible that these are numerous reports from the same storm. The real number of tornadoes could be fewer depending on what they uncover while surveying,” Sutton said.

The storms on Tuesday followed a day of torrential rain, strong winds, hail, and tornadoes in parts of the central United States. Tornadoes wreaked havoc across the Plains and Midwest this spring.

Across the United States, the entire week looks stormy. The Midwest and South are likely to bear the brunt of the poor weather for the remainder of the week, including Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, which have more than 21 million populations. It should become evident over the weekend.

On Monday night, a catastrophic tornado ripped through the 1,000-person community of Barnsdall, Oklahoma. At least one person was killed, and another is missing. Dozens of homes have been damaged.

It was the second tornado to strike Barnsdall in five weeks; on April 1, a twister with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) damaged homes and blew down trees and power poles.

Oklahoma communities, including Sulphur and Holdenville, are still recuperating after a tornado that killed four people and left others without electricity late last month.

SOURCE – (AP)

Travis Kelce keeps himself busy as his famous girlfriend, Taylor Swift continues her global Eras tour.

The NFL player has joined the cast of “American Horror Story: Grotesquerie.”

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Travis Kelce Lines Up Another TV Job And Joins FX’s ‘American Horror Story: Grotesquerie’ Season

Late Tuesday, cast member Niecy Nash uploaded a series of Instagram videos showing herself on set with Kelce.

“Guys, guess who I am working with on ‘Grotesquerie’?” Kelce enters the scene and adds, “Jumpin’ into new territory with Niecy.” A later video with the caption “late night shenanigans” shows the two in what seems to be a red convertible. “Look at this guy,” she comments. Buckle up!” Kelce exclaims.

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Travis Kelce Lines Up Another TV Job And Joins FX’s ‘American Horror Story: Grotesquerie’ Season

A last video showed the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, embracing Kelce and saying, “You were wonderful.” Off camera, Nash inquires, “How do you feel?” Kelce said, “Whoo!” “I’m just glad I didn’t hurt anyone.”

The Kansas City Chiefs’ three-time Super Bowl-winning tight end has had a busy offseason with new gigs. He also hosted “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” on Prime Video.

Kelce hosted an edition of “Saturday Night Live” last year.

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Travis Kelce Lines Up Another TV Job And Joins FX’s ‘American Horror Story: Grotesquerie’ Season

Murphy has a history of making unusual casting choices for his TV productions. In 2015, he cast Lady Gaga in “American Horror Story: Hotel.” She won a Golden Globe for her performance. Last year, he also cast Kim Kardashian opposite Emma Roberts in “American Horror Story: Delicate”. Kardashian received excellent feedback for her performance and has further acting TV projects in the works.

SOURCE – (AP)

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance filed a lawsuit in federal court in the United States on Tuesday, seeking to overturn a law signed by President Joe Biden that would require the divestment or prohibition of the short video app used by 170 million Americans.

The corporations filed their action in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, claiming that the statute violates the U.S. Constitution for various reasons, including violating First Amendment free speech protections.

Biden signed the measure on April 24, giving ByteDance until January 19 to sell TikTok or face a ban.

“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban,” the firms claim in their case.

The lawsuit stated that the divestment “is simply not possible: not commercially, technologically, or legally.” There is little doubt that the Act (law) will compel the shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere.”

The White House has stated that it wants to restrict Chinese ownership for national security reasons, not a ban on TikTok. The White House and the Justice Department have declined to comment on the case.

TikTok’s political uncertainties

The complaint is TikTok’s latest measure to stave off efforts to shut it down in the United States. Competitors like Snap and Meta seek to profit from TikTok’s political uncertainties and steal advertising dollars from its competitors.

Driven by concerns among U.S. senators that China may use the app to acquire data on Americans or spy on them, the bill was passed by Congress overwhelmingly just weeks after it was presented.

TikTok has denied sharing U.S. user data and accused American politicians of raising “speculative” fears in the case.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the lead Democrat on a House Committee on China, stated that the proposal is “the only way to address the national security threat posed by ByteDance’s ownership of apps like TikTok.”

“Instead of continuing its deceptive tactics, it’s time for ByteDance to start the divestment process,” he stated.

The rule prevents app stores such as Apple and Alphabet’s Google from supplying TikTok and internet hosting providers from supporting It unless ByteDance divests by January 19.

The suit stated that the Chinese government “has made clear that it would not permit a divestment of the recommendation engine that is critical to TikTok’s success in the United States.”

Conflicts between the United States and China

The firms urged the D.C. Circuit to prevent U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland from executing the statute, arguing that “prospective injunctive relief” is necessary.

According to the lawsuit, global institutional investors such as BlackRock, General Atlantic, and Susquehanna International Group hold 58% of ByteDance, while the company’s Chinese founder owns 21%, and employees, including around 7,000 Americans, own another 21%.

The four-year battle over TikTok represents a crucial battleground in the ongoing conflict between the United States and China over the internet and technology. In April, Apple announced that China had asked to remove Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China because of national security concerns.

According to the lawsuit, TikTok spent $2 billion on steps to secure U.S. users’ data and made additional pledges in a 90-page draft National Security Agreement established through negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

According to the claim, TikTok agreed to a “shutdown option” under which the U.S. government could stop TikTok in the U.S. if it violated specified requirements.

According to the lawsuit, CFIUS discontinued significant conversations concerning the transaction in August 2022, and in March 2023, CFIUS “insisted that ByteDance divest the U.S. TikTok business.”

Biden Campaign Using TikTok

CFIUS is an interagency body chaired by the United States Treasury Department that investigates foreign investments in American enterprises and real estate that raise national security issues.

In 2020, judges ruled against President Donald Trump’s attempt to prohibit TikTok and WeChat, owned by Tencent (0700. H.K.).

Resides in the United States. Trump, the Republican candidate running against Democrat Joe Biden in the November 5 presidential election, has shifted course, stating he does not support a ban but that security concerns must be addressed.

If Biden believes ByteDance is progressing, he may extend the January 19 deadline by three months. According to the lawsuit, Biden’s presidential campaign’s continued usage of TikTok “undermines the claim that the platform poses an actual threat to Americans.” The Trump campaign does not use TikTok.

Many experts have questioned if any potential buyer has the financial capacity to acquire TikTok and whether Chinese and U.S. government authorities would authorize a sale.

According to the lawsuit, moving the TikTok source code to the United States “would take years for an entirely new set of engineers to gain sufficient familiarity.”

Source: Reuters