1 Oklahoma & Texas Hit Hard With Severe Storms, Flooding
Oklahoma and Texas have been getting pounded with severe weather and a series of tornadoes - at least 17 were reported. Powerful storms brought one possible tornado to the eastern part of the Oklahoma yesterday. And while there are no reports of major damage or injuries so far, but it’s not nearly over yet. Powerful storms hit the western and northern parts of Oklahoma yesterday with several tornadoes were spotted before sundown, with one in the southwestern town of Mangum causing damage to homes and other structures. Tornado watches remain in effect for many parts of the state. The news isn’t much better in Texas, where grapefruit-sized hail was falling. As the sun rises today, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued a high risk warning for a number of areas in Oklahoma and Texas. It’s the first time such a warning has been issued by the agency since May 2017.
2 Judge Rules In Favor Of House Panel Subpoena For Trump's Financial Records
While the White House continues to push back against the various congressional investigations, a judge has ruled in favor of one House Oversight Committee subpoena. The one that calls for the President's financial records. District Judge Amit Mehta has issued a 41-page long opinion saying President Trump cannot block the subpoena to the Mazars accounting firm. "It is simply not fathomable,” Mehta notes. “That a Constitution that grants Congress the power to remove a President for reasons including criminal behavior would deny Congress the power to investigate him for unlawful conduct — past or present — even without formally opening an impeachment inquiry.” Mehta went on to say that the committee is requesting the financial information for a legitimate legislative purpose and it's not for the court to question whether the Committee's actions are politically motivated. Trump's lawyers argued that the subpoena was unconstitutional because it wasn't linked to any sort of legislation.
3 U.S. Military In Iraq On High Alert After Rocket Attack
Members of the U.S. military in Iraq are on high alert after a rocket attack – the first such incident since September. A single rocket landed outside the U.S. embassy in Baghdad yesterday, but no casualties have been reported. The Trump administration has ordered U.S. diplomatic personnel out of Iraq due to heightened tensions with Iran. Since then, the President has amped up the rhetoric, saying "if Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran." But American civilian assets are paying attention as well. ExxonMobil employees have also begun evacuating from an oil field in the southern Iraqi province of Basra as tensions simmer.