Alabama is under a state of emergency as rescue teams hunt for survivors of Sunday's deadly tornado. At least 23 people are dead and dozens are injured. In Lee County, east of Birmingham, the tornado destroyed homes and snapped power lines. The twister packed winds of about 170 miles an hour. It's the deadliest tornado in the U.S. in more than five years. It was part of a powerful storm system that also tore through parts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant tweeted a picture of himself on Monday surveying flooding on the Mississippi River by helicopter. Bryant said levels on the river are expected to rise over the next few days and impact even more areas than currently speaking. Hydrograph information from the National Weather Service indicates the Mississippi at Natchez, Vicksburg and Arkansas City, Arkansas will reach major flood stage soon and stay there for at least a week. It's already at major flood stage in Tunica and will stay that way until this upcoming weekend, according to the weather service.
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler is making good on his vow to request documents from dozens of people close to President Trump and the White House. The New York Democrat says the documents requested yesterday will be part of his panel's investigation into obstruction of justice, corruption, and abuse of power. They involve more that 80 different people and entities, including as the White House, the Department of Justice, Donald Trump Jr., and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
President Trump is facing his first veto over his declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. The House has passed a resolution blocking the executive order and the Senate could do the same after Kentucky Republican Rand Paul announced he'll join three other Republicans in opposing the border declaration. Paul warned that it is a "dangerous thing" to inhibit congressional checks and balances. Under the emergency order, Trump aims to bypass Congress and divert Defense Department funds to help build a massive border wall.
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Deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide in the U.S. are the highest on record. The CDC reports deaths from those three causes in 2017 hit the highest levels since the federal government started keeping records in 1999. The Trust for America's Health and the Well Being Trust report today that suicides were more than double the average annual rate over the previous decade. The trusts and the CDC say deaths from synthetic opioids rose 45-percent.
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