As Kentucky braces for more flooding, death toll rises to 26
Devastated communities across eastern Kentucky began began digging out in earnest Sunday as the state’s death toll rose to 26 and another round of storms threatened to expand the historic flooding. Dozens of people remained unaccounted for, and some areas remained inaccessible to search and rescue teams. Spotty cellphone service added to the chaos. “We’re going to be finding bodies for weeks,” Beshear said. Excessive runoff from showers and thunderstorms Sunday and Monday could result in additional flooding of rivers, creeks and streams across much of central and eastern Kentucky, the National Weather Service warned. Rainfall rates of up to 2 inches an hour could spark flash flooding, especially in areas that see repeated rounds of thunderstorms.
Biden tests positive for COVID-19 for a second time
President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday after testing negative earlier this week in a “rebound” case that can occur in patients who are treated with Paxlovid, Biden’s doctor said. Biden has not has a resurgence of symptoms, but he has returned to isolation, as the CDC recommends people with rebound cases should do for an additional five days. Paxlovid is an at-home antiviral therapy for those at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. He was treated with it given his old age. He has been vaccinated and boosted against the virus.
Real quick
Lucky Illinois ticket wins $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, 2nd largest in game’s history
A shopper at a Speedway gas station and convenience store in Des Plaines, Illinois, became very lucky Friday night. They won the whopping, almost $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, according to the lottery game’s website. The lucky ticketholder in Illinois won it all, beating the 1 in 303 million odds of winning the game’s jackpot. Mega Millions didn’t identify the ticket holder by name as of Saturday morning. The closely-watched jackpot, which climbed by hundreds of millions in just the last week alone, is the second-largest in Mega Millions’ history. It also marks the nation’s third-highest lottery prize yet, across all games. The winning numbers for the $1.337 billion jackpot (with an estimated cash option of $780.5 million) were: 13-36-45-57-67, Mega Ball: 14.
New York declares state disaster emergency for monkeypox outbreak
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul late Friday declared New York’s rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a state disaster emergency as authorities raced to distribute vaccines to curb the virus’ spread. The measure comes as New York’s monkeypox infection count approached nearly 1,400 cases, with most infections in New York City, which is the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S. The executive order specifically extends the pool of eligible individuals who can administer monkeypox vaccines, including EMS personnel, pharmacists and midwives. It also allows physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue non-patient specific standing orders for vaccines, and requires providers to send vaccine data to the state Health Department. As of Wednesday, the U.S. currently has about 4,600 reported cases, USA TODAY reported.
NBA icon and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell dies at 88
Bill Russell, the ultimate NBA champion, one of basketball’s greatest players, a consummate teammate and a voice for social justice who was the soul of the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1950s and ’60s, died on Sunday. He was 88. On the basketball court, William Felton Russell cared about one thing: winning. And he did whatever necessary to accomplish that, from scoring to rebounding to passing to defending. Russell won better than anyone. He had 11 championships with the Celtics, including eight consecutive titles. There was not a Finals MVP until 1969. Today, the Finals MVP award is named after him.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi starts Asia trip without Taiwan listed on her itinerary
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi began her trip to the Indo-Pacific region without a mention of a stop in Taiwan. Pelosi’s office on Sunday said the congressional delegation she’s leading will visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, with a “focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region.” A potential stop in Taiwan has risen as a tension point between Washington and Beijing. China has warned of “consequences” should the speaker visit. It views Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign country. The U.S. has long embraced a murky middle ground that seeks to support Taiwan without infuriating Beijing. If she makes a stop in Taiwan, she would be the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit there since then-speaker Newt Gingrich went in 1997.
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This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributing: The Associated Press
