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Storms and Tornadoes in the Midwest knock out electricity for over 500,000 people.

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Tornado
Chicago Sun-Times via AP

(VOR News) – On Monday night and early Tuesday morning, the Midwest was impacted by a significant number of tornadoes and severe storms, resulting in extensive damage throughout the region.

This resulted in the loss of electricity for over half a million energy company customers, and there was an ongoing escalation of apprehensions about the potential for inundation.

Approximately 330,000 electrical connections were lost in Illinois, 188,000 in Indiana, and over 20,000 in Iowa, according to PowerOutage.us.

The National Weather Service in Chicago has declared that “this storm is generating multiple tornadoes simultaneously!”

Tornadoes have been confirmed in Des Moines, Iowa.

Just prior to 10:30 p.m., a storm passed over the region, necessitating the Chicago meteorological service team to seek shelter until the storm cleared.

Local trains were canceled concurrently with the issuance of a ground halt order by Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The meteorological service reported that the airport experienced power surges during some of the most severe storms to have struck the region in recent years. Tornadoes were the most probable origin of these lightning flashes.

Kevin Jeanes, a meteorologist at NBC Chicago, stated, “We have not witnessed anything comparable in years.” “It’s been a very long time.”

Furthermore, cyclones struck Chicago on Sunday, an occurrence that is not frequent. This is an uncommon occurrence. According to meteorologist Paul Deanno, there had been a mere six documented cyclones in the seven decades preceding Wednesday.

The Chicago Fire Department has issued a warning to the general public to avoid touching the downed lines, as they may be charging the damp ground beneath them.

After a number of live electrical lines were taken down, this warning was issued. The organization stated that no complaints of injuries were received in connection with a post that was published on X.

The massive funnel cloud was captured on camera by weather observers in Oswego, which is situated west of Chicago, at approximately ten minutes past ten o’clock on Monday evening. Subsequently, the meteorological service reported that a tornado was in progress in the vicinity of Aurora and Sugar Grove.

The video, which has garnered significant attention on social media, appears to depict the warning sirens in the downtown area of Chicago wailing.

Furthermore, it demonstrated a substantial quantity of precipitation, as well as lightning that caused damage to trees in the adjacent suburb of Mokena.

In a video that he shared with his TikTok followers, Hart Turner declared, “That is the scariest wind I have ever heard in my time in Chicago.”

“I’ve lived in Chicago for a long time.” The video was captured from his apartment, which boasted a view of the Chicago skyline. My heart is still struggling to beat. Oh my gosh. I am deeply apologetic.

The Joliet police department issued a warning regarding downed power wires and trees, and a significant number of roads were halted.

Tornado motorists were advised to exercise “extreme caution.”

It is expected that the severe weather will continue to move southward and reach the basins of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, as well as the central Plains, by the evening of Tuesday.

A collision between a fresh air mass from Canada and the heat dome, which has been responsible for several weeks of high temperatures throughout a significant portion of the Lower 48 states, is the cause of this storm outbreak, according to the meteorological agency.

“A refreshingly cool and pleasant air mass tornado with highs in the 70s will overspread the northern Plains by Wednesday,” according to the National Weather Service. This implies that there will be some respite from the heat in the near future.

In the interim, over 150,000 individuals, the majority of whom resided in the Greater Houston area, were tornado still without electricity eight days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas.

Centerpoint, a regional energy provider, reported that it had repaired two million connections and forecasted that eighty-eight percent of those who were without power would have it restored by Wednesday at night.

The individuals have been compelled to endure the extreme heat by sleeping in their vehicles and selling their personal belongings in order to survive the outage. In order to ensure one’s survival, this has been implemented.

Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, issued a challenge to the firm over the weekend, requiring it to provide specifications by the end of the month regarding the ways in which it intends to improve its disaster preparedness methods in the future.

SOURCE: CNBC

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Salman Ahmad is a seasoned freelance writer who contributes insightful articles to VORNews. With years of experience in journalism, he possesses a knack for crafting compelling narratives that resonate with readers. Salman's writing style strikes a balance between depth and accessibility, allowing him to tackle complex topics while maintaining clarity.

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Joe Biden Commutes Sentences For 37 Of The 40 Federal Death Row Prisoners.

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Joe Biden
Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

(VOR News) – Joe Biden commuted 37 of 40 federal death row inmates to life without parole. Trump reinstated federal executions after 17 years, according to supporters.

Biden: “Let there be no doubt: I denounce these murderers, mourn their victims, and empathize with all the families who have endured profound and irreparable loss.”

My morals and experiences as a public defender, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, vice president, and president led me to abolish the federal death penalty. I will not allow another administration to violate my ethics.

The president commuted record-high death sentences. Former New Orleans police officer Len Davis was pardoned for running a cocaine protection racket and murdering Kim Groves after she filed a brutality complaint.

In 2022, three killers freed Davis after 28 years in prison.

Groves’ son, Corey, hailed Joe Biden’s commutation of Davis’ death sentence in a brief interview on Monday, saying he wanted the former police officer to serve decades.

“I desire Len to awaken on his 95th birthday still confronted with concrete and barbed wire,” said Groves, who received $1.5 million from the New Orleans city government and family in 2018 for his mother’s death. The president’s actions are worse than death, so I don’t care.

Holder altered his death sentence by murdering a security guard during a dual-participant bank heist. Prosecutors assert that Holder may not have discharged the lethal shot.

Daryl Lawrence was hanged for murdering Bryan Hurst, a Columbus cop. Former officer Donnie Oliverio remarked, “The President acted in accordance with our beliefs and values.” “Executing the individual who murdered my police partner and closest friend would not have afforded me any solace.”

All federal death row inmates save Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who bombed the Boston Marathon in 2013, Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and Robert Bowers, who slaughtered 11 Jews in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, are eligible for clem

Death Penalty Information Center executive director Robin Maher told The Guardian that 38% of the 40 federal execution detainees are Black. About 25% of the offenders were under 21.

Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, said: “Today signifies a crucial juncture in abolishing America’s tragic and flawed application of the death penalty.

Joe Biden claims the death penalty doesn’t improve public safety.

Son of Martin Luther King Jr.: “This is a historic day.” Reflecting the death penalty’s racially biased origins and unfairness, Joe Biden commuted these sentences, unlike any other president.

Biden has trouble with this. He supported a 1994 criminal measure introducing 60 death penalty charges as a senator. He said, “I am the individual who incorporated these capital punishments into this legislation.” The death penalty led to enormous incarceration, especially of Black men.

Presidential candidate Joe Biden promised to end federal capital punishment in 2020. He criticized unfair convictions and court racism.

The Biden administration stopped federal executions properly. The president has been requesting to commute federal death sentences in recent weeks. Corrections officials, CEOs, Black clergy, Catholics, civil and human rights advocates, prosecutors, former judges, and victim families wrote to him. Pope Francis publicly pushed President Joe Biden to pardon US death suspects.

Joe Biden’s decision will prevent future administrations from executing people.

Trump executed more federal convicts than the previous ten. The Republican administration executed Daniel Lewis Lee after 17 years and six others from July 16–September 24, 2020.

Two Democrats who supported bicameral federal death penalty ban legislation praised Monday’s announcement.

Senate Judiciary Committee head and majority whip Dick Durbin said, “I have consistently supported the elimination of the federal death penalty and commend President Joe Biden for this act of justice and mercy, as well as for his leadership.”

Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley termed Joe Biden decision a “historic and groundbreaking act of compassion that will save lives, rectify profound racial disparities in our criminal justice system, and convey a potent message regarding redemption, decency, and humanity

The White House claims Biden has granted more commutations than his first-term predecessors. He set a record by pardoning 1,500 inmates and promising community safety for one day this month.

The first president to pardon marijuana users and LGBTQ+ service troops for sexual orientation-related offenses was Joe Biden.

The president pardoned his son Hunter for federal weapons and tax charges that might have led him to prison earlier this month, triggering a political storm. Biden denied pardon twice before leaving office on January 20.

SOURCE: TG

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The IRS Will Give a Million People Up To $1,400. Their Identity—And Why Now?

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IRS

(VOR News) – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be able to give almost one million people who have already filed their tax returns additional incentives of up to $1,400 during the next several weeks.

Those qualified to get the cash will either be placed straight into their bank accounts or get a physical cheque delivered by mail.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would refund individual taxpayers who omitted a Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax returns for 2021 around $2.4 billion.

Those qualified for the credit were those who had either not gotten a COVID stimulus payment or one that was less than the whole amount. Conversely, the Internal Revenue Service declared on Friday that it had discovered a considerable percentage of eligible candidates had not.

“After reviewing our internal data, we came to the conclusion that one million taxpayers failed to claim this complicated credit when they were actually eligible,” said Danny Werfel, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service in his statement.

This taxpayer group may shortly be getting unexpected payments; the accompanying data provides specifics:

Could you kindly inform me about my chances of receiving a check from the IRS?

I’m sorry, but it most likely isn’t precisely that high. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reports that most qualified taxpayers—originally referred to as Economic Impact Payments—have already gotten their government stimulus money.

Those taxpayers who filed a tax return for the year 2021 but either left the Recovery Rebate Credit data box blank or entered $0 when they were actually eligible for the credit are qualified to get the special reimbursements announced by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The way this is going to be carried out?

Those eligible taxpayers are not required to perform any chores to be qualified. The funds are expected to be received either by cheque or direct deposit account by the end of January 2025. Automatic distribution of them is set for this month. The Internal Revenue Service will deliver them to either the bank account shown on the taxpayer’s 2023 return or the address the taxpayer keeps on file.

Though there will be several possible payments, the highest amount any one person can pay will be $1,400. The Internal Revenue Service has made available on the internet information on eligibility and the process used to ascertain the payment amount.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will send separate letters to taxpayers qualified for the special payment notifying of the payment.

Conversely, what would happen should I not yet have my 2021 tax return turned in?

You still might be able to turn around the money. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claims, however, that individuals must file a tax return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit before April 15, 2025.

This is still the case whether or not a job, business, or any other source of income earned had any bearing on it.

How many financing rounds did the COVID stimulus program have?

Households impacted by the epidemic alone received compensation totaling $814 billion overall; this was divided across three rounds of payments. These figures were calculated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considering the taxpayer’s income, tax filing status, and the count of dependents or children entitled for the tax deduction.

The CARES Act, which became operative in March of 2020, makes qualified persons eligible for a maximum of $1,200 per income tax filer and $500 each child.

Those qualified could get up to $600 for each child and $600 for each individual who submitted their income tax return according to the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December of 2020.

Those qualified under the American Rescue Plan Act received a maximum of $1,400 per child and $1,400 per person who paid their income taxes during the month of March in 2021. very

SOURCE: YF

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Cases Of The US Flu Season Are Rising, While Vaccinations Are Behind Schedule.

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Cases Of The US Flu Season Are Rising, While Vaccinations Are Behind Schedule.

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Flu Season
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

(VOR News) – The U.S. flu season has begun, according to health experts, who also noted a sharp rise in cases countrywide on Friday.

Significant increases were noted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in a number of indicators, such as laboratory tests and ED visits. “For the past few weeks, it has been increasing steadily.” “Yes, we are in flu season right now,” CDC’s Alicia Budd said.

Last week, flu-like sickness was reported at elevated or very elevated levels in 13 states, roughly twice as many as the week before. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, says Tennessee is seeing a spike in sickness in the Nashville area.

Schaffner said, “Influenza cases have been increasing, but they have increased significantly in the last week.” He noted that up to 25% of patients in a nearby clinic, which is a gauge of illness trends, have flu-like symptoms.

An early focal point was Louisiana.

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Centre, the largest private hospital in the state, in Baton Rouge, has infectious diseases specialist Dr. Catherine O’Neal, who said, “This week is a significant turning point as individuals are affected by the flu.” “Parents frequently say, ‘I have the flu and can’t go to work,’ and ‘Where can I get a flu test?'”

Fever, cough, sore throat, and other influenza-like symptoms are caused by a variety of viruses. COVID-19 is one of them. Another flu season common disease that causes cold-like symptoms but poses serious hazards to infants and the elderly is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Recent CDC numbers indicate a decline in COVID-19 hospitalisations since the summer. According to CDC wastewater data, COVID-19 activity is modest nationwide but elevated in the Midwest.

Although RSV hospitalisations are still marginally more common than flu admissions, they started to rise before flu season cases and currently show signs of perhaps stabilising. RSV activity is low nationwide, but wastewater data shows that it is high in the South.

Based on a number of indicators, such as laboratory results from hospitalised patients and outpatient clinics, as well as the percentage of ED visits that resulted in an influenza diagnosis at discharge, the CDC declared the start of the flu season.

According to Budd, it is too early in the season to determine the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine, and no type of virus seems to be more common.

The flu season last winter was classified as “moderate” overall, but it continued for 21 weeks, and the CDC estimates that 28,000 people died from the virus. With 205 paediatric deaths reported, the situation was particularly dangerous for kids. It was the largest number ever recorded for a conventional influenza season.

The prolonged flu season was probably one of the reasons, Budd added.

The lack of influenza vaccinations was one of the contributing factors. The CDC reports that 80% of children who passed away and had verified vaccination status and were of the right age for flu shots were not completely immunised.

Children’s immunisation rates are drastically lower this year. About 41% of people had a flu shot as of December 7, which is similar to the percentage at the same time last year. For youngsters, the figure is steady, although it is lower than in the previous year, when 44% received an influenza vaccination, according to CDC data.

About 21% of adults and 11% of children are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which is still a poor vaccination rate.

Influenza experts advise everyone to get vaccinated, especially as people get ready for holiday gatherings where respiratory diseases could spread widely.

“This virus also has the potential to spread from person to person at all those happy, pleasant, and heartwarming events,” Schaffner said. “flu season Vaccination remains a viable option.”

However, Louisiana’s health department announced on Friday that it was rescinding its COVID-19 and flu vaccination recommendations. According to an official, the department’s current position is that people should speak with their doctors about whether the immunisations are suitable for their situation.

The department’s spokesperson, Emma Herrock, did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the policy. Dr. Ralph Abraham, the state’s surgeon general, has expressed concerns in the past regarding the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness and safety.

SOURCE: AP

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