Several dead after tornadoes sweep through Midwest

[KARAH RUCKER]

SEVERAL PEOPLE INCLUDING AN INFANT ARE KILLED AFTER TORNADOES SWEEP THROUGH THE MIDWEST

AND — DEMONSTRATIONS BY DUELING GROUPS TURN PHYSICAL ON THE CAMPUS OF UCLA

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS MONDAY, APRIL 29.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE ARE DEAD – INCLUDING A YOUNG CHILD – AFTER TORNADOES SWEPT THROUGH OKLAHOMA ON SUNDAY – JUST ONE OF SEVERAL STATES IN THE MID-WEST THAT ARE RECOVERING FROM DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS.

“Everything’s flying there. Oh no. Look at the stuff flying up in there.” And loud alarm going off.

THIS WAS THE SCENE IN NEBRASKA ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A TORNADO PLOWED THROUGH SUBURBAN OMAHA.

DOZENS OF HOMES AND BUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED – BUT NO FATALITIES WERE REPORTED here.

ONE LOCAL HEALTH official CALLING IT “MIRACULOUS” THAT THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES.

THERE MORE THAN 100 TORNADOES REPORTED IN SIX STATES AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND – INCLUDING IN IOWA – WITH ONE PERSON CRITICALLY WOUNDED IN THE STORM and LATER DYING FROM HIS INJURIES.

LESS THAN 36 HOURS LATER – THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYING EF-3 TORNADOES STRUCK OKLAHOMA – LEAVING MORE THAN 20 THOUSAND PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER.

OFFICIALS REPORTING “SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE” ACROSS THE STATE.

ONE PERSON WAS KILLED WHEN FOUR SEMI-TRUCKS OVERTURNED ON INTERSTATE 35 IN MARIETTA.

OFFICIALS IDENTIFIED ANOTHER VICTIM AS 4 MONTHS OLD.

OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT HAS SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER DECLARING A DISASTER EMERGENCY IN THE STATE.

IT WAS A CONTENTIOUS SCENE ON THE CAMPUS OF UCLA ON SUNDAY –  DUELING DEMONSTRATIONS OVER THE WAR IN GAZA CLASHED AS PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS AND PRO-ISRAELI PROTESTERS GOT INTO PHYSICAL ALTERCATIONS.

SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAYING THE PROTESTS HAD REMAINED PEACEFUL UNTIL A BARRIER SEPARATING THE GROUPS WAS BREACHED.

MEMBERS OF BOTH GROUPS TRADED SHOVES AND PUNCHES.

CAMPUS POLICE – ARMED WITH BATONS – WERE ABLE TO SEPARATE THE DEMONSTRATORS.

THE UCLA VICE CHANCELLOR SAYING THE UNIVERSITY IS “HEARTBROKEN” THAT VIOLENCE BROKE OUT ON THE CAMPUS.

UCLA HAD ALLOWED THE TWO GROUPS TO PROTEST ON CAMPUS – BUT SAID – THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY INVOLVED IN BOTH DEMONSTRATIONS.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN HAS TRAVELED TO SAUDI ARABIA WHERE HE IS SPEAKING WITH LEADERS OF SEVERAL ARAB NATIONS ABOUT THE WAR IN GAZA.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYING BLINKEN SPOKE WITH SAUDI ARABIA’S MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS THIS MORNING ABOUT ONGOING EFFORTS TO RELEASE THE HOSTAGES STILL BEING HELD CAPTIVE BY HAMAS – AS WELL AS A “PATHWAY TO A PALESTINIAN STATE WITH SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR ISRAEL.”

BLINKEN IS EXPECTED TO SPEAK WITH ARAB AND EUROPEAN leaders LATER IN THE DAY TO DISCUSS EUROPE’S PART IN REBUILDING THE GAZA STRIP.

BLINKEN’S ARRIVAL IN SAUDI ARABIA COMES A DAY AFTER PRESIDENT BIDEN SPOKE WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ON THE PHONE ABOUT A POSSIBLE CEASE-FIRE AND WARNING AGAINST AN ISRAELI ATTACK ON THE GAZA CITY OF RAFAH.

AS PART OF BLINKEN’S TRIP TO THE MIDDLE EAST – HE WILL NEXT HEAD TO JORDAN THEN ISRAEL.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS MET PRIVATELY FOR BREAKFAST IN MIAMI ON SUNDAY – TO DISCUSS RAISING FUNDS FOR TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

THE TALKS BETWEEN THE PRESUMPTIVE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE AND HIS ONE-TIME RIVAL LASTED SEVERAL HOURS AND WERE DESCRIBED AS “FRIENDLY.”

THIS ENCOUNTER COMES JUST WEEKS AFTER NBC NEWS REPORTED DESANTIS PLEDGED TO DONORS DURING A PRIVATE EVENT THAT HE’LL help fundraise FOR TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN.

DESANTIS SUSPENDED HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IN JANUARY — AND ANNOUNCED HE WAS BACKING TRUMP – DESPITE MONTHS OF heated primary BETWEEN THE TWO.

TESLA CEO ELON MUSK HAS MADE AN UNEXPECTED VISIT TO BEIJING, COINCIDING WITH THE CITY’S FIRST MAJOR AUTO SHOW IN FOUR YEARS.

DURING HIS VISIT, MUSK MET WITH CHINESE PREMIER LI QIANG. (chang)

THIS MEETING COMES AS TESLA ANNOUNCES THAT LOCAL CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE LIFTED RESTRICTIONS ON ITS CARS AFTER THE VEHICLES PASSED CHINA’S DATA SECURITY STANDARDS.

TESLA IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH A CHINESE TECH GIANT TO USE ITS MAPPING AND NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGY, ALLOWING DATA COLLECTION ON CHINA’S PUBLIC ROADS FOR ITS FULL-SELF DRIVING FEATURE.

THE REPORTED DEAL COULD LEAD TO TESLA’S DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM  — KNOWN AS FULL SELF DRIVING — BEING OFFERED IN CHINA.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IS ADDRESSING AN ERROR – NOT ONE MADE BY PLAYERS – BUT ONE BEING BLAMED ON NIKE.

IN A MEMO REPORTED ON BY ESPN AND THE ATHLETIC – THE MLB PLAYERS ASSOCIATION SAYS THE LEAGUE WILL MODIFY THE UNIFORMS –FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS FROM PLAYERS AFTER CHANGES WERE MADE TO THEIR STANDARD JERSEYS AND PANTS THIS SEASON.

MLB IS PLANNING TO FIX SUCH ISSUES AS RETURNING TO LARGER LETTERING ON THE BACK OF JERSEYS, MAKING SURE COLORS OF THE TOPS AND BOTTOMS MATCH, AND FIXING THE PANTS – WHICH PLAYERS HAVE CRITICIZED AS BEING SEE-THROUGH.

THE UNIFORMS WERE DESIGNED BY NIKE AND MANUFACTURED BY FANATICS – WITH THE MEMO READING “THIS HAS BEEN ENTIRELY A NIKE ISSUE.”

MLB SAYS THE UPDATES WILL OCCUR BY THE BEGINNING OF THE 20-25 SEASON.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS MONDAY.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!