(WASHINGTON) — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to travel throughout Western Kentucky on Friday and Saturday to meet with local leaders and residents in the storm-ravaged state he’s represented in Congress for 36 years.
“It is still difficult to comprehend the vast scope of this storm,” McConnell said on the Senate floor earlier this week. “This is the worst storm to hit Kentucky in my lifetime.”
McConnell is expected to meet with volunteers and speak to reporters in Bowling Green on Friday before traveling Saturday to Madisonville and two of the hardest-hit areas — Dawson Springs and Mayfield — where President Joe Biden also surveyed storm damage this week.
The Republican leader’s trip comes two days after Biden’s, whose efforts in Kentucky McConnell has praised — a rare bipartisan gesture from the conservative leader.
“Kentucky’s congressional delegation came together to send multiple letters to the president in support of disaster relief. In response, President Biden cut through the red tape to approve our request at an accelerated pace, providing the rapid support we need to recover,” McConnell said on Monday.
In an interview with a Kentucky Spectrum news reporter ahead of heading home, McConnell applauded officials he says “got on the ground very quickly” — but also offered praise for another group that many Republicans have maligned.
Asked about the House select committee’s ongoing investigation into the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, McConnell said he’s watching it play out.
“It was a horrendous event, and I think what they are seeking to find out is something the public needs to know,” said McConnell, whose condemnation of the attempted coup has drawn the ire of former President Donald Trump.
Biden’s supporters have touted his response as a significant change from that of his predecessor, whose administration put up bureaucratic obstacles that stalled billions in hurricane relief to Puerto Rico, according to an Inspector General report. Trump also suggested that increased federal funding to states hurting early on from the impact of coronavirus was unfair to Republicans, “because all the states that need help — they’re run by Democrats in every case.”
“I don’t think the Republicans want to be in a position where they bail out states that are, that have been mismanaged over a long period of time,” Trump said last May.
Biden, having already approved a major disaster declaration for the state, announced during his visit to Kentucky that the federal government would boost its support to cover 100% of the disaster recovery there for the next 30 days, from debris cleanup to paying overtime for first responders.
Rep. James Comer — who represents Kentucky’s 1st District — was the only congressional Republican to accompany Biden on his visit to the area, which heavily leans Republican, though McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., were invited to travel with the president, according to the White House. The two Kentucky senators were in Washington on Wednesday for votes, and Paul surveyed storm damage in Bowling Green on Sunday.
“There’s no red tornadoes or blue tornadoes,” Biden said during his visit where he recommitted federal support. “There’s no red states or blue states when this stuff starts to happen. And I think, at least in my experience, it either brings people together or really knocks them apart.”
For many families, federal aid can’t come soon enough.
At least 77 people were killed in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday, in deadly storms that spanned across five states.
(NEW YORK) — The trial of former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter charged in the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot during a traffic stop, continues with Potter taking the stand to testify in her own defense.
Potter, 49, is charged with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11 incident. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The maximum sentence for first-degree manslaughter is 15 years and a $30,000 fine and for second-degree manslaughter, it’s 10 years and a $20,000 fine.
Wright’s death reignited protests against racism and police brutality across the U.S., as the killing took place just outside of Minneapolis, where the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd, was taking place.
Dec 17, 1:23 pm
Prosecution questions Kim Potter on training
Kim Potters was asked about the department’s Taser policy, which she said states “that all training should include performing reaction hand draws or cross draws to reduce the possibility of accidentally drawing and firing a firearm.”
She also maintained that she received extensive use of force training.
“Part of the reason for that is weapons confusion, right?” the prosecution asked.
“Yes,” Potter replied.
“And that was known in the field and has been known for a number of years,” the prosecution continued.
“We talked about it,” Potter said.
Potter wore her Taser on her left side and her firearm on her right side, according to her testimony. She said it’s been like this since 2016.
She said she has never deployed her Taser but has pulled it out for de-escalation purposes.
Dec 17, 1:06 pm
Potter describes fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright
Kim Potter was emotional on the witness stand as she described the fatal traffic stop. She shot and killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was being arrested by officers and attempted to flee.
“I remember a struggle with Officer [Anthony] Luckey and the driver at the door,” Potter testified. “The driver was trying to get back into the car … I went around Officer Luckey as they’re trying to get back in the door.”
She added, “They’re still struggling and I can see Officer Johnson and the drivers struggling over the gearshifts because I can see Johnson’s hand and then I can see his face.”
She then described Sgt. Mychal Johnson, who was holding Wright from the passenger side of the car.
“He had a look of fear on his face — nothing I’d seen before,” she said. “We’re trying to keep him from driving away. It just went chaotic. And then I remember yelling, ‘Taser, Taser, Taser,’ and nothing happened and then [Wright] told me I shot him.”
Dec 17, 12:57 pm
Kim Potter on why she pulled over Wright
Kim Potter said she would not have stopped Wright over the air freshener nor the expired registration tabs if she were not field training.
“An air freshener, to me, is not just an equipment violation,” she testified. “The COVID times, the high COVID times, the Department of Motor Vehicles was so offline that people weren’t getting tabs and we were advised not to try to enforce a lot of those things because the tabs were just not in circulation. Part of field training is that my probationer would make numerous contacts with the public throughout the day,” she said, regarding Officer Anthony Luckey, who she was training at the time.
She said that traffic stops can be dangerous for police officers.
“Sometimes there’s guns in the car,” she testified. “Sometimes there’s uncooperative people, you don’t know who you’re stopping.”
Dec 17, 12:33 pm
Potter says she likely never deployed her Taser
Kim Potter said she rarely took her Taser out and doesn’t believe she ever deployed it.
She testified that she sometimes took her Taser out to de-escalate a situation “or to prepare for what might be behind the door. Sometimes an officer has a gun and sometimes an officer has a Taser out.”
She said she received her new Taser almost a month before the fatal killing of Daunte Wright. She also said the training she had at the department was focused more on firearms than on Tasers.
Dec 17, 1:02 pm
Potter talks about her experience as a field training officer
Kim Potter was asked about her background with the Brooklyn Center Police Department. She was hired in 1995, making her a 26-year veteran of the department.
She was a field training officer for at least 10 years, she testified.
She said she was a field training officer because she “felt that I had knowledge and mentorship that I could help young officers develop into somebody I would want to work and my partners would want to work with.”
She was serving as a field training officer when she fatally shot Wright.
She was also on the domestic abuse response team, serving as a crisis negotiator within the domestic abuse program.
“Officers would go out on domestic abuse situations or domestic calls and if there was a victim of a crime or an arrest made — or not an arrest made — we would follow up the next day with the victims to see that they were getting the things they needed like domestic advocates, walking them through getting order for protections that they had questions, and then helping them, and checking in with them through the court process,” she testified.
As a crisis negotiator, Potter said she would respond to calls where people may be in danger to negotiate with the subject and get them to submit to being arrested.
She had also worked in crime prevention work and said she received a Taser and firearm training.
Dec 17, 1:04 pm
Kim Potter takes the stand
Kim Potter is testifying in her own defense about the April 11, 2021, events that led to the death of Daunte Wright, who she shot and killed during a traffic stop. She is charged with first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter. The defense said Potter meant to use her Taser on Wright but instead grabbed her firearm when she shot him in the driver’s seat of his car, a mistake her lawyers call an “action error.”
The defense has maintained that Potter was within her rights to use deadly force on Wright since he could have hurt or killed another officer with his car.
Dec 09, 3:09 am
Minnesota governor prepares National Guard ‘out of an abundance of caution’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that he is preparing the Minnesota National Guard to provide public safety assistance if necessary during Kim Potter’s trial, as requested by Hennepin County and the city of Brooklyn Center.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are prepared to ask members of the Minnesota National Guard to be available to support local law enforcement with the mission of allowing for peaceful demonstrations, keeping the peace, and ensuring public safety,” Walz said in a statement Wednesday evening.
A press release from Walz’s press office stated that, “at this time, the Minnesota National Guard will not be proactively assuming posts throughout the Twin Cities.” Guard members will only operate in support of local law enforcement “should they be needed,” according to the press release.
Dec 08, 6:49 pm
New body-cam footage shows Potter moments after shooting Wright
New body-worn camera footage played in the courtroom while the prosecution questioned Brooklyn Center officer Anthony Luckey showed the moments after Kim Potter shot Daunte Wright.
In the video, taken from Luckey’s body-worn camera, Potter can be seen falling to the curb.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” she said, before hyperventilating for several minutes with her face buried in the grass.
Luckey’s and Sgt. Mychal Johnson’s arms can be seen reaching down to Potter.
“Just breathe,” Luckey can be heard saying.
“I’m going to go to prison,” Potter said.
“No, you’re not,” Luckey said.
“Kim, that guy was trying to take off with me in the car!” Johnson said in the video.
Potter then sat up on the grass and repeatedly said, “Oh my God,” as her colleagues waved traffic by and discussed shutting down the street.
Court has wrapped for the day and will resume at 9 a.m. local time Thursday.
-ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik
Dec 08, 5:57 pm
Brooklyn Center officer recounts fatal shot that killed Daunte Wright
Brooklyn Center officer Anthony Luckey said during his testimony that he was to the right of Kim Potter when she fatally shot Daunte Wright.
He said he was holding on to Wright when he heard Potter yell “Taser,” several times.
“It was pretty much some intense thing when it happened,” Luckey said. “When she yelled, ‘Taser, Taser,’ that’s when I went back into the vehicle, realized that she said ‘Taser, Taser’ and right when I pulled back, that’s when the round went off.”
Then, he said he saw the flash of a gun and heard the bang. He said he was hit with a projectile.
Luckey said he did not know whose gun had gone off initially, but said he knew it wasn’t a shot fired by Wright.
“I just knew that it wasn’t Daunte’s because I was able to see his hands,” Luckey said.
Imagine wanting to take a picture with Taylor Swift and two other celebrities decide to crash the picture? That happened to Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang, who revealed just how lucky he was to have met the singer on the late-night sketch show.
Speaking to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the comedian admitted he was desperate to take a picture with the Grammy winner after she wrapped her SNL performance last month. She had performed the 10-minute version of her number one hit, “All Too Well.”
Bowen said he went up to her dressing room and just stood there because he was “not sure whether or not to knock on her door.” The comedian had worried, “After the show she’s probably riding high, she doesn’t want to talk to the riffraff like me,” but he eventually gathered the courage to knock.
The Emmy-nominee said he is glad he took that leap of faith because Taylor was thrilled he wanted to take a photo. She also asked if Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, the “star and muse” of the “All Too Well” music video, could join them. Bowen said things took an awesome turn when Taylor turned to ask the “other people in the dressing room” if someone could take the photo.
“And then, Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds was like, ‘I’ll do it,'” and managed to angle the camera so his reflection appeared in the mirror behind the smiling trio.
Bowen said he is “blissed out” by what happened and called the “willow” singer “a hero.”
Russell Dickerson is offering a stripped-down, acoustic perspective on three of his favorite songs from his latest album, Southern Symphony.
The singer dropped his Studio 900 Sessions this week, including a wedding version of his romantic, chart-topping ballad, “Love You Like I Used To.” The track list also includes an acoustic version of his top-20 single, “Home Sweet,” plus another one of his personal favorites, “Waiting for You.”
“The Studio 900 Sessions is an answer to the fans!” Russell explains. “Y’all have been asking for stripped-down versions and these are three of my favorite tracks from Southern Symphony.”
Just a couple of days before the project came out, he teased it on social media, garnering praise and excitement from Lady A band mate Charles Kelley. Lady A are featured on a special duet version of “Home Sweet,” which Russell released last month.
Southern Symphony, which is the singer’s second album, came out in 2020. You can catch Russell on the road next year during his headlining All Yours, All Night tour, which kicks off in January. He’s also the opening act on Tim McGraw’s McGraw Tour 2022.
It’s been over a decade since Katy Perry released “I Kissed a Girl,” and the singer says she’s still amazed by the impact her debut single has had on pop culture, and on the LGBTQ community.
Speaking to Out magazine, the Grammy nominee reflected on the controversy the 2008 hit sparked. The bi-curious anthem not only upset conservative parents, the LGBTQ community said the song was problematic because its lyrics seemingly wrote off a same-sex kiss as “not what good girls do.”
“For me in that time, bisexuality kind of got its label of sorts,” Katy recalled. “It was like, ‘Oh, so that is what this is,’ you know? This feeling or this experience or what have you. I was just writing about my own experience.”
The singer continued, “I came from a very sheltered upbringing where it wasn’t okay to be friends with anyone from that community. And now that is my community.”
The LGBTQ community has since embraced the song, and Katy said she’s heard countless stories about how the track has helped people come to terms with their sexuality. She said of the single’s evolution, “I wouldn’t have survived without the community and couldn’t, quite honestly. It’s amazing how full circle it’s come and how much growth has happened since I started.”
Katy’s also proud of her music’s lasting legacy, even though it makes her feel “old” that younger artists are now sampling her work and call it “nostalgic.” Most recently, Olivia Rodrigo shouted out the 2010 single “Teenage Dream” in her song “brutal.”
Even so, Katy said she’s proud that her songs are “coming back around,” because “it means that the music is still resonating. It means that the message still rings true for people.”
The 33rd installment of CBS’ Emmy-winning reality show The Amazing Race will finally air on January 5, the network has announced.
The season began filming in February of 2020, but then was halted during the pandemic. Host Phil Keoghan and the contestants reunited this fall, and shooting resumed for another race around the world.
The network also announced this year’s contestant teams:
Akbar Cook Sr. (45) and Sheridan Cook (44) — Married educators from Martinsville, N.J.
Anthony Sadler (29) and Spencer Stone (29) — Childhood friends from Sacramento, CA.
Arun Kumar (56) and Natalia Kumar (28) — Father and daughter from Detroit, MI.
Caro Viehweg (23) and Ray Gantt (25) — Dating couple from Los Angeles and Toms River, N.J., respectively.
Connie (37) and Sam (39) Greiner — Married couple from Charlotte, N.C.
Kim (45) and Penn (47) Holderness ––Internet personalities from Raleigh, N.C.
Marianela “Lulu” (37) and Marissa “Lala” (37) Gonzalez — Twins and radio hosts from North Bergen, N.J.
Michael Norwood (36) and Armonde “Moe” Badger (42) — Singing police officers from Buffalo, N.Y.
Raquel Moore (31) and Cayla Platt (30) — Flight attendants from Chicago, Ill. and Gulf Breeze, FL., respectively.
Ryan Ferguson (37) and Dusty Harris (38) — Best friends from Columbia, MO.
Taylor Green-Jones (38) and Isaiah Green-Jones (31) — YouTube personalities from Portland, OR.
Barack Obama loved enjoying live musical performances at the White House during his two terms as president, and Friday, he revealed his list of his favorite songs of 2021, curated for Spotify.
Obama has broad musical tastes, as his list proves with tracks from several genres, including rock, pop, jazz, hip hop, and R&B.
“I’ve always enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music, so it’s no surprise that I listened to a little bit of everything this year,” he commented as he revealed his list on Instagram. “I hope you find a new artist or song to add to your own playlist.”
The 60-year-old former president begins at number one with a song that was not a major hit, “The Only Heartbreaker” from Japanese singer Mitski, followed by “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” by Philadelphia rock band The War on Drugs, featuring Lucius.
Barack’s list is light on hip hop and R&B. However, he did select “Nobody,” by Nas featuring Ms. Lauryn Hill, at #14; “MONTERO” (Call Me By Your Name),” by Lil Nas X, at #16; “Headshots (4r Da Locals),” by Isaiah Rashad, at #22; and “Rumors,” by Lizzo featuring Cardi B, at #26. Obama also shows his love of dancehall with “Go Down Deh,” by Spice featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul, at #11.
Here is the full list of Barack Obama Favorite Music of 2021:
1. “The Only Heartbreaker” — Mitski
2. “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” (feat. Lucius) — The War On Drugs, Lucius
3. “Tala Tannam” — Mdou Moctar
4. “Magnolia Blues” — Adia Victoria
5. “Witchoo” — Durand jones & The Indications, Aaron Frazer
6. “Formwela 10” — Esperanza Spalding
7. “Broken Horses” — Brandi Carlile
8. “Gold Chains” — Genesis Owusu
9. “Woman” — Little Simz, Cleo Sol
10. “Pepas” — Farruko
11. “Go Down Deh” (feat. Shaggy and Sean Paul) — Spice, Shaggy, Sean Paul
12. “Freedom” — Jon Batiste
13. “Its Way with Me” — Wye Oak
14. “Nobody” (feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill) — Nas, Ms. Lauryn Hill
15. “Nightflyer” — Allison Russell
16. “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” — Lil Nas X
17. “Patria y Vida” — Yotuel, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osobo, El Funky
18. “Notice” — Tammy Lakkis
19. “Armash” — Teddy Afro
20. “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To” — Courtney Barnett
21. “Volvi” — Aventura, Bad Bunny
22. “Headshots (4r Da Locals)” — Isaiah Rashad
23. “Boomerang” — yebba
24. “In My Blood” — MO3, Morray
25. “YA” — YEИDRY
26. “Rumors” (feat. Cardi B) — Lizzo, Cardi B
27. “Walking at a Downtown Pace” — Parquet Courts
WILLOW and Yungblud are teasing an apparent collaboration.
In her Instagram Story, the “Transparent Soul” rocker shared a batch of photos of her and the “Fleabag” artist in the studio together.
A joint track between WILLOW and Yungblud almost seems inevitable, given that their both members of the ever-growing TBEU — the Travis Barker Extended Universe, of course. WILLOW worked with the Blink-182 drummer on her new album, lately I feel EVERYTHING, and its single, “Transparent Soul,” while Yungblud teamed up with him on his Halsey collaboration, “11 Minutes.”
In addition to hitting the studio, WILLOW and Yungblud will both be hitting the road in 2022, albeit separately. WILLOW will be opening for Billie Eilish on her U.S. arena tour beginning in February, while Yungblud will kick off a U.S. headlining tour in January.
Bring Me the Horizon has premiered a new remix of “DiE4u,” the band’s latest single.
Recording in collaboration with electronic outfit six impala, the updated recording gives “DiE4u” a hyperpop makeover that several YouTube commenters observe would make a good theme song for an animated show. You can listen for yourself now via digital outlets.
The original “DiE4u” was released in September. It’s the first preview off Horizon’s upcoming next entry in their Post Human EP series, the follow-up to 2020’s Post Human: Survival Horror.
Bring Me the Horizon will launch a European tour in 2022. They’re also hosting their own destination festival in Malta next May.
Dolly Parton fans already know that the singer’s one in a million, and now it’s official: She’s adding three new entries to the Guinness Book of World Records, one of which breaks a record she already held.
That record was for having more hits on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart than any other female artist. Dolly broke her own record this past October when “Does He Love You,” her duet with Reba McEntire, became her 109th song to enter the chart.
Dolly’s two new record-holding titles are also for her U.S. Hot Country Songs chart success. She earned a new accolade for being on the chart for the most decades of any woman ever — seven — and having more number-one hits than any other female artist — a whopping 25 singles.
Dolly also has a fourth Guinness World Record under her belt: In 2018, she joined the Book for having top-20 hits on the chart across six decades, more than any other artist.
The genre-transcending country superstar reflected on her newest accolades during a video interview, saying “This is the kind of stuff that makes you very humble and very grateful for everything that’s happened.”
“I had no idea that I would be in Guinness World Records this many times! I am flattered and honored,” she continued. “I’ve had a lot of people help me get here. Thanks to all of you and all of them for helping me have all of this.”
