December 11 top stories
It is December 11. Here are today’s top stories.
Severe storms kill 6 in Tennessee
CBS News said severe storms tore through central Tennessee on Saturday and tragically killed six people, including two children. The National Weather Service said an estimated 13 tornadoes hit the greater Nashville region. Three people, including a mother and a 2-year-old child, died in Madison when their mobile home park was hit. Another three people were killed in Clarksville, including a 10-year-old child. Many homes and buildings were severely damaged by the storms.
Trump leads Iowa poll
An NBC News poll asking Republican voters in Iowa on which presidential candidate they preferred showed that former President Donald Trump has a commanding lead with 51%, compared with Ron DeSantis’ 19% and Nikki Haley’s 16%. Other candidates had much lower support.
There are 35 days left until the Iowa caucuses. The poll shows that Trump has maintained his popularity despite his legal troubles and not showing up for Republican debates.
U. Penn president resigns after antisemitism criticism
AP News reported that the University of Pennsylvania’s president has resigned after she came under heavy criticism for not taking a strong stand against antisemitism. The president, Liz Magill, was asked last Tuesday by Congress whether calls on campus for the genocide of Jews violated the university’s conduct policy. Magill said it depended on the context and that if the speech turns into conduct then it can be harassment. AP News said, “criticism of Magill rained down from the White House, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, members of Congress and donors.” The presidents of Harvard and MIT also testified and provided similar answers and received similar criticism, but they are still in their posts.
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Special counsel asks Supreme Court to rule on Trump immunity
Special counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court to make a quick ruling on whether former President Donald Trump has presidential immunity from his actions surrounding the 2020 election.
Smith has charged Trump with trying to interfere in the 2020 election. Trump’s legal team argued that he has immunity. A D.C. judge rejected Trump’s arguments.
Smith is trying to bypass the appeals process and get the Supreme Court to make a decision so a trial scheduled for March 4 can proceed on time.
Smith asked the Supreme Court to answer whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
Skull of ancient sea monster extracted from cliff in England
BBC News said the skull of a huge marine reptile has been extracted from the cliffs of Dorset, England. The skull is more than six feet long and has huge, sharp teeth. The animal is called a pliosaur and it lived in the oceans about 150 million years ago. A local paleontologist said the skull is one of the best fossils he’s ever seen and they hope to be able to find and extract the rest of the animal’s fossil.
Shohei Ohtani signs record $700M deal
Baseball star Shohei Ohtani signed a record $700 million deal for 10 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is the biggest sports contract in history. Ohtani is Japanese and is regarded as the most talented baseball player in the world because he is both a top hitter and a pitcher, which is very rare.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/11/jack-smith-supreme-court-trump-immunity
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/11/trump-iowa-lead-poll-december
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/11/weather/tennessee-tornadoes-nashville-damage-monday/index.html