May 7 top stories

Hello, it is May 7. Here are today’s top stories.

Nearly 100 million people are under severe storm threat

Dangerous storms battered the Plains region on Monday, including a powerful tornado that hit Barnsdall, Oklahoma, where extensive damage, at least one dead and several others injured was reported. Authorities in the county are responding to a gas leak after a tornado struck the area.

After a night of severe storms brought tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain across parts of the Central US, the severe storm threat heads to more populated areas of the East on Tuesday.

According to the Storm Prediction Center, nearly 100 million people from Texas to Pennsylvania are under a severe storm threat Tuesday. They warn: “A few tornadoes, potentially strong, large to very large hail, and severe/damaging winds all appear possible” in the region.

Hamas accepts ceasefire deal, IDF enters Rafah

Hamas said it has informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it has accepted their proposal for a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel last Monday.

Israeli PM Netanyahu said the proposal accepted by Hamas was far from Israel’s basic requirements but negotiations would continue.

Israel carried out air strikes on Rafah and its tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border after warning Palestinians to evacuate parts of the city Tuesday. It had long threatened an offensive against Hamas in the southern city and brushed off urgent warnings from close allies.

The Israeli incursion overnight appeared to be short of the full-fledged offensive into Rafah that Israel has planned, and it was not immediately known if it would be expanded.

The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into the city - Rafah.

Pa. gunman aims gun at pastor in church

An armed man gave no warning as he walked toward the front of the church in Pennsylvania on Sunday, raised a gun toward the pastor’s face and pulled the trigger. Luckily, the firearm failed to discharge. The pastor ran and hid behind a lectern, the church’s cameraman rushed the gunman and tackled him to the ground. The pastor quickly emerged from behind the lectern and helped subdue the suspect.

The incident was captured on the church’s livestreamed video. See a short video clip of the incident.

[video]

State police identified the suspect as 26-year-old Bernard Junior Polite. It is not clear why the suspect tried to shoot the pastor. The pastor at the church said he had never seen the gunman before Sunday.

After the attempted shooting at the church, police found the body of a man who was shot in Polite’s home. The homicide victim was identified as 56-year-old Derek Polite, a relative of the suspect.

Polite faces multiple serious charges. He was denied bail.

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Woman survives melanoma after having 100 abnormal moles removed

Two months after her mom died from melanoma, she had made an appointment to see a dermatologist to fulfill her mom’s wish to go see a skin doctor.

Theresa Kurtz was stunned to receive her own skin cancer diagnosis. Kurtz was 28 at the time and melanoma was everywhere on her body.

She had one confirmed melanoma and three severely abnormal moles that were on the verge of turning into it. The ordeal would ultimately lead doctors to remove and biopsy 100 suspicious moles on her body.

Kurtz has several visible scars from her ordeal. The spot, on her side underneath her right breast, required surgery that left a 9-inch scar. Nonetheless, she said she wears her scars proudly.

Experts warn that melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, can grow quickly and spread to any organ if not found and treated early.

See Alex’s report on Madonna’s free concert in Brazil.

Madonna closes Celebration Tour playing to 1.6 million fans in Brazil

1.6 million people flocked to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday night to watch a free concert by Madonna. It was her final show of her Celebration Tour.

The turnout is a new record for a stand-alone show.

Tour organizer Live Nation said the beach was turned into the world’s largest dance floor. Images showed hundreds of thousands of people on the beach in an area that is equivalent to over six city blocks.

Madonna’s team said the concert was free to show gratitude for her fans celebrating over 40 years of her music.

Thanks for that report. That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!

Nearly 100 million people are under severe storm threat

https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/tornado-storms-forecast-oklahoma-kansas-05-06-24/index.html

https://twitter.com/NWSNorman

Hamas accepts ceasefire deal, IDF enters Rafah

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/07/world/israel-gaza-war-hamas-rafah

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/06/1249360882/israel-hamas-cease-fire

Pa. gunman aims gun at pastor in church

https://6abc.com/gun-pulled-on-pastor-jesus-dwelling-place-church-north-braddock-pennsylvania-bernard-polite/14773062/

Woman survives melanoma after having 100 abnormal moles removed

https://www.today.com/health/womens-health/woman-melanoma-100-moles-removed-rcna150629