April 29 top stories
Hello, it is April 29. Hope your weekend was good. Here are today’s top stories.
Oklahoma tornadoes: at least 4 dead, 100 injured across the state
More than a dozen tornadoes touched down across Oklahoma on Saturday, with most of them occurring after sunset. The storms killed four people, injured at least 100 people, flattened buildings in the heart of one rural town and left thousands without power.
Two people died in Holdenville, one was a 4-month-old baby.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported another person died on I-35 near Marietta, and one person died in Sulphur.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said during a visit to Sulphur, the hard-hit town: “You just can’t believe the destruction. It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed.”
More than 20,000 people were still without electricity hours after tornadoes began late Saturday night.
White House officials said President Biden spoke to Gov. Stitt on Sunday and offered the full support of the federal government.
Gunman shoots 3 police officers, 2 bystanders outside New Orleans
Local sources reported that at around 9:45 a.m., police were called after two people were shot outside a home in Kenner, Louisiana about 15 miles west of New Orleans Sunday. Kenner police believed that the victims were either going to or coming from church, they just happened to stop there in front of that residence and that’s when they were shot.
The two victims showed responding officers the home where the gunfire came from.
Kenner police said when a SWAT team entered the home, they immediately began receiving fire. At least one SWAT member returned fire. Three officers were shot before a sniper was then able to fatally shoot a gunman.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Matthew Lathers.
The injured officers were taken to a hospital after being shot. The three police officers and the other two victims were all listed in stable condition.
Driverless semis will soon carry freight along Texas highways
The self-driving semi, outfitted with 25 laser, radar and camera sensors, is owned by Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation. Late this year, Aurora plans to start hauling freight on I-45 between the Dallas and Houston areas with 20 driverless trucks.
Within three or four years, Aurora and its competitors expect to put thousands of such self-driving trucks on America’s public freeways. The goal is for the trucks, which can run nearly around the clock without any breaks, to speed the flow of goods, accelerating delivery times and perhaps lowering costs.
The vehicles have drawn skepticism from safety advocates, who warn that with almost no federal regulation. But Aurora and other companies that are developing the systems argue that years of testing show that their trucks will actually be safer than human-driven ones. They note that the vehicles’ laser and radar sensors can “see” farther than human eyes can. The trucks never tire, as human drivers do. They never become distracted or impaired by alcohol or drugs.
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Floods kill at least 42 in central Kenya after dam bursts
Local police said at least 42 people have been killed in floods in central Kenya’s Mai Mahiu area after a dam burst early on Monday, and the number of deaths could rise. They said they have so far recovered 42 bodies, which include 17 minors.
The latest deaths bring the toll from heavy rains and flooding since last month to more than 140. Excluding the Mai Mahiu incident, government figures show 103 people had been killed and more than 185,000 displaced as of Monday.
The floods have caused widespread damage to infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
A government spokesman said hydroelectric dams were filled to capacity, which could lead to a massive overflow downstream.
Scientists say climate change is causing more intense and frequent extreme weather events.
See Alex’s story about a 35,000-pound load detaching from a trailer. Here you go.
Oversized load causes deadly collision
Thanks, Callie.
On Saturday morning in Temple, Texas, an oversized load that is about 350,000 pounds came off a trailer and hit a car that was carrying three people. Tragically, two of these people were killed.
First responders worked for over four hours to remove the third person, who was the driver, and transport the person to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The oversized load is a huge metal cylinder. It seems like a piece of equipment for energy production.
Authorities said the cause of the collision is still under investigation.
Thanks for that story. That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
***Correction: The headline in the first story is wrong. It is supposed to be, "Oklahoma tornadoes: at least 4 dead, 100 injured across the state."
Oklahoma tornadoes: at least 4 dead, 100 injured across the state
Gunman shoots 3 police officers, 2 bystanders outside New Orleans
Driverless semis will soon carry freight along Texas highways
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/31/autonomous-semi-truck-jobs-regulation/
Floods kill at least 42 in central Kenya after dam bursts
https://www.dw.com/en/kenya-flooding-leaves-dozens-dead-after-dam-collapse/a-68946608
Oversized load causes deadly collision