A high school athlete mysteriously fell ill and died last week while aiding in relief efforts after catastrophic flooding in Eastern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> ravaged several communities, swept away homes, and killed nearly 40 residents.
Aaron &#8220;Mick&#8221; Crawford, 18, became the 38th person to die last month due to flash flooding in the state&#8217;s Appalachian region.
Crawford&#8217;s family told media outlets that after Mick helped flood victims clean up debris and mud, he came home exhausted and complained that his arms felt heavy.
Ronda Crawford, his mother, told <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article264284031.html">Kentucky.com</a> earlier this week that her son went into cardiac arrest after feeling sick for about three days.
Mick was rushed to Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, where staff admitted him into intensive care before pumping air in and out of his lungs on a ventilator for about four days until he later died on August 5.
&#8220;We do not know the reason and have no explanation for what happened,” Crawford said.
Crawford described her son to the Herald-Leader as the &#8220;kindest sweetest kid.”
&#8220;I know everyone thinks their kid is the best, but he was special,” she said. &#8220;He wanted to help people even before the rain had stopped.&#8221;
Mick&#8217;s desire to serve stemmed from his deep-rooted faith in Jesus Christ.
His mother said he would pray for anyone he met and would not hesitate to ask if they knew about Jesus.
&#8220;If Mick could give us his final wish, it would be that everyone come to know Jesus because that&#8217;s the most important thing in this world to him,&#8221; she said.
Pastor and friend Perry County Sherrif Joe Engle echoed Crawford&#8217;s sentiments, and said that the teen&#8217;s death was a crushing loss for the community.
&#8220;He was just a joy to be around,&#8221; Engle told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-mick-crawford-teen-mysteriously-death-kentucky-flooding/">CBS News</a>.
Engle last heard from Mick when the teen asked the sheriff where he could assist victims while torrential rains flooded and swallowed up multiple counties across the region, causing residents to search for high ground until rescue teams could arrive.
&#8220;As soon as we understood we had a major disaster going on here, he messaged me,&#8221; the sheriff said. &#8220;I&#8217;m not sure it had even quit raining yet by the time he sent me a message on Facebook.&#8221;
&#8220;Wanting to know where to go. Wanting to know where to help,&#8221; Mick&#8217;s message reportedly said.
Engle said he believes Mick&#8217;s entire life was about making those around him better.
&#8220;That&#8217;s how he lived, and when he died, he made others — even strangers — lives better,&#8221; said Engle.
&#8220;I love him and will miss my friend,&#8221; Engle said.
Mick had also involved himself in high school sports, where he led the football and wrestling teams, showing up to practice every day ready to work, while displaying maturity beyond his years.
&#8220;He was just the type of kid, you know, he never came to practice in a bad mood,&#8221; Knott County Central athletic director Justin Amburgey told <a href="https://www.wymt.com/2022/08/08/knott-county-central-athletics-remember-aaron-mick-crawford/">WYMT</a>. &#8220;He was always very positive.&#8221;
Knott County Central wrestling coach Jonathan Aldana said, &#8220;Everything that he did, and everything that he was, he always wanted to make sure he was doing everything the right way.”
&#8220;When I heard the news about Mick, my heart just sank because you know that&#8217;s a person you want in your community,&#8221; Aldana said.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called Mick a &#8220;heroic&#8221; student on <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1556692416320651265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> early this week.
“Britainy and I are praying for the family of Aaron Crawford, a heroic high school student in Knott County who was bravely helping in the recovery efforts following the flooding,&#8221; Beshear said. “This is another tragic loss for Eastern Kentucky.&#8221; 
&#8220;Let us mourn together and honor Aaron, his compassion and kindness for his neighbors,&#8221; Beshear added.
Beshear established a relief fund for flood victims that will also help pay for the funeral expense for Crawford&#8217;s family.
Mick Crawford was the youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters. <a href="https://www.englebowlingfuneralhome.com/obituary/aaron-crawford">Funeral services</a> for Mick were held on Thursday.
State officials announced the death toll increased to 39 victims on Thursday.

US-WEATHER-FLOODING-KENTUCKY

Kentucky High School Student Dies Unexpectedly After Helping Victims In Historic Flash Floods

Andy Beshear

Death

High School

Kentucky

Natural Disaster

Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) said on Sunday that his state&#8217;s death toll from recent flooding has reached 26 and is expected to increase.
Beshear shared the update during an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with NBC&#8217;s Chuck Todd on &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221;
“Our death toll right now is at 26, but I know of several additional bodies, and we know it’s going to grow. With the level of water, we’re going to be finding bodies for weeks, many of them swept hundreds of yards, maybe a quarter mile plus from where they were lost,” Beshear said.
Four of the reported deaths were of children, the governor added.
“It’s tough. This is one of the most devastating, deadly floods that we have seen in our history. It wiped out areas where people didn’t have that much to begin with,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yesterday our first travel trailers arrived and we are working fast to establish additional shelter options. 
Let us wrap our arms around Eastern Kentucky and pray for those impacted. 2/3
&mdash; Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1553728196440457218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Saturday, Beshear provided an update regarding rescue and recovery efforts in the areas devastated by historic flooding.
“We continue to pray for the families who have suffered unfathomable loss,” the governor <a href="https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=GovernorBeshear&amp;prId=1430" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We also pray for the first responders. This mission has been especially challenging, and what they are experiencing firsthand is tremendously stressful and difficult. We thank all those involved for their tireless efforts.”
As of a Saturday, 1,432 people had been rescued. First responders included emergency workers from Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
The largest number of rescues have involved the Kentucky State Police. As of Saturday, law enforcement officers have assisted with at least 624 water rescues.
“We are so grateful to all those responders, and a special thank you to the Governors and the Guard of Tennessee and West Virginia,” Beshear said regarding first responders.
Saturday, President Joe Biden signed the Individual Assistance to the Major Disaster Declaration he approved for the people of Eastern Kentucky impacted by recent flooding.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deadly-kentucky-floods-kill-8-dozens-of-homes-damaged-gov-requests-federal-aid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that multiple counties in Kentucky across the Appalachia region had endured torrential rains since early Thursday morning. As a result, floodwaters completely swallowed up portions of the Kentucky River, sending residents searching for high ground until rescue teams could arrive.
National Weather Service reported that approximately six inches of rain had fallen in some areas, making it impossible to pass through many roads. 
More than 23,000 people lost power from the storms. The governor&#8217;s report stated that more than 18,000 people remained without power as of Saturday.
A total of 142 people are temporarily staying at state parks, with nearly all being housed at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. Others are being sheltered at Paintsville State Park Campground.
A State of Emergency has been declared and many roads and bridges remain closed across the flooded parts of Kentucky.
According to the state&#8217;s report, donations are encouraged to <a href="https://secure.kentucky.gov/FormServices/Finance/EKYFloodRelief" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund</a>, with the first funds going to pay for each victim’s funeral.

Kentucky flood

Kentucky Flood Death Count Up To 26 People, Governor Reports

Devastating flash floods throughout eastern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> have left eight residents dead, dozens of homes submerged in water, and others completely swept away from their foundations as Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear">Andy Beshear</a> (D) declared Thursday a state of emergency while the death toll rises.
&#8220;It&#8217;s awful,&#8221; Beshear told<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wkyt.com/2022/07/28/breathitt-county-courthouse-opens-flash-flood-shelter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> WKYT-TV</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been through two and a half years of a pandemic, multiple ice storms — the worst tornado event that we&#8217;ve ever seen — multiple rounds of flooding, and this one, which is going to be deadly and devastating.&#8221;
Beshear said authorities expect the death toll to reach double digits by the time the waters dry out, with &#8220;a lot&#8221; of families losing everything.
He called the natural disaster one of the &#8220;worst and most devastating events in Kentucky&#8217;s history.&#8221;
Multiple counties across Appalachia, Kentucky, have endured torrential rains since early Thursday morning as floodwaters began rushing down the hillsides and completely swallowing up portions of the Kentucky River, sending residents searching for high ground until rescue teams could save them.
National Weather Service reports that approximately six inches of rain had fallen in some areas, making it impossible to pass through some roads. Residents can expect another 1-3 inches more into Friday.
Beshear said air support has rescued between 20-30 people, with the U.S. National Guard using zodiac boats to save residents in some of the most challenging areas. At the same time, they watch as homes, trailers, and vehicles drift away.
<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wkyt.com/2022/07/28/breathitt-county-courthouse-opens-flash-flood-shelter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WKYT-TV</a> reports one such rescue involved a mother and her disabled son waiting on a porch until a team brought them to safety.
Some have braved the current to save their valuables.
Krystal Holbrook, of Breathitt County, told <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-storms-kentucky-power-outages-west-virginia-b79c12731d16e31dd501523ba4fb6644" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Associated Press</a> her family raced against the flood by gathering possessions before it became too late.
&#8220;It looks like a huge lake back here,&#8221; Holbrook said.
Roughly 23,000 residents lost power resources statewide, shutting down phone and internet service and the water systems. Beshear said that the state ordered truckloads of water for the families impacted by the disaster, among many other resources, after requesting federal assistance directly from President Biden.
&#8220;The damage suffered is enormous, and recovery will be a long-term effort,&#8221; the governor said in a <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1552810314185510915" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a>. &#8220;This assistance is critical to our efforts and essential for our people.&#8221;
However, one resident told <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wkyt.com/2022/07/28/breathitt-county-courthouse-opens-flash-flood-shelter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WKYT</a> that he and other residents impacted by the disaster are still waiting on federal help from the last flood in March 2021.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve done all the paperwork, sent pictures in like they told me, and I ain&#8217;t get one cent yet,&#8221; Michael Hollan, a Jackson resident, said. &#8220;Not one penny.&#8221;
Beshear <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZiraFR3IY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the state launched the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund on Thursday, which would go 100% to the families devastated by the disaster.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a way that we can make sure that we&#8217;re not just there for them today, tomorrow, and next week, but it&#8217;s going to take a long time to rebuild,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I wish I could tell you why we&#8217;ve been hit by so much between pandemic and ice storms, tornadoes, and now this, but what I can tell you is we see God in the response and the special people that are out there and the way people open their homes and their hearts to help each other,&#8221; the governor added.
&#8220;Stay strong, Kentucky.&#8221;

Deadly Kentucky Floods Kill 8, Dozens Of Homes Damaged; Gov. Requests Federal Aid

Deadly Kentucky Floods Kill 8, Dozens Of Homes Damaged; Gov. Beshear Requests Federal Aid

Biden Administration

National Guard

On Wednesday, the state legislature in Kentucky voted to override Democratic Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of a pro-life measure that bans abortions after 15 weeks.
On Wednesday, both chambers voted to override the veto, with the Kentucky House voting at 76-21, and the Senate at 31-6.
The <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/22RS/hb3/bill.pdf">bill</a> bans abortions after 15 weeks gestation except in the case of a medical emergency, including saving the life of the mother.
It also places new rules on abortion pills, requiring qualified physicians who wish to be “a nonsurgical abortion provider” to carry out several steps, such as informing “the patient that studies show babies born following the abortion reversal process have a rate of birth defects no higher than the general population,” and informing “the patient that studies show that following a reversal process or otherwise treating a pregnant patient with progesterone during pregnancy does not lead to increased mortality rates.”
The provider is also prohibited from giving out abortion pills to anyone who is past 10 weeks of pregnancy.
The law will likely make it more difficult for abortion providers to operate in the state.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/14/kentucky-abortion-republicans/">reported</a>, “The list of restrictions presents too many obstacles for clinics to continue providing care in the short term, said Alecia Fields, an abortion provider at the Planned Parenthood in Louisville.”
One such rule is the new regulation on fetal remains, which makes it so that abortion clinics must coordinate with funeral homes or crematoriums to bury or cremate the remains of aborted babies.
Beshear vetoed the bill on Friday, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/14/kentucky-abortion-republicans/">noting</a> that there was not an exception for either incest or rape.
“Rape and incest are violent crimes,” he said. “Victims of these crimes should have options, not be further scarred through a process that exposes them to more harm from their rapists or that treats them like offenders themselves.”
The legislature also voted to override another of Beshear’s vetoes concerning a bill prohibiting biological males from participating in girls sports from 6th to 12th grade, as well as women’s sports at the collegiate level.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kentucky-legislators-override-governors-veto-pass-law-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-girls-sports">reported</a>, “The override occurred after Beshear <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kentucky-governor-vetoes-transgender-athlete-bill">vetoed</a> SB 83, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, last week and claimed the legislation would likely not hold up under legal challenges. The bill originally passed in the Kentucky House of Representatives 70-23 and in the state Senate 26-9.”
“SB 83 requires a student to compete in sports according to the gender assigned at birth. Biological male athletes who seek to compete in female sports will not be allowed to participate,” The Daily Wire highlighted.
The move comes as other legislatures around the country are passing pro-life legislation in anticipation of an upcoming Supreme Court ruling on a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
On Thursday, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis (FL) signed a measure that bans abortions after 15 weeks gestation.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-bans-late-term-abortions-in-florida">reported</a>, “[t]he law, HB 5, allows exceptions when the mother’s life is at risk or in danger of ‘irreversible physical impairment,’ or if the unborn baby has a fetal abnormality. It does not offer exceptions for rape.”
“We are here today to protect life,” DeSantis said Thursday before the bill signing. “We are here today to defend those who can’t defend themselves.”
“This is a time when these babies have beating hearts, they can move, they can taste, they can see, they can feel pain, they can suck their thumbs, and they have brain waves,” he added, referencing babies who are 15 weeks or older. “And so this will represent the most significant protections for life that have been enacted in this state in a generation.”

Newborn Feet on changing table

Kentucky Legislature Votes To Override Governor’s Veto Of Pro-Life Bill

Abortion

Pro-Life Movement

Ron DeSantis

Supreme Court

On Sunday, following the devastating tornadoes that hit multiple states late last week, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper to discuss the damage, and ongoing rescue efforts.
Tapper initially asked about the mounting death toll, which Beshear said currently stands at “over 80,” but could climb to “more than 100.”
“This is the deadliest tornado event we have ever had. I think it&#8217;s going to be the longest and deadliest tornado event in U.S. history,” Beshear said, adding that one tornado covered more than 227 miles, 200 of which were in the state of Kentucky. “I have got towns that are gone, that are just, I mean, gone.”
Tapper continued, asking the governor about the rescue efforts.
“Well, we do have a lot of help. We have an amazing state of good people that have come in from other cities and towns where they weren&#8217;t hit. And so we have a lot of assistance that come in from other states,” Beshear stated.
The governor went on, praising the rescue efforts, but adding that “if we haven&#8217;t found somebody by now, it&#8217;s of really great concern.”
<blockquote>…our rescuers out there are incredible. They worked through the night while it was occurring, putting themselves in danger, through all of yesterday, hopefully caught a few hours of sleep last night. 
I was at our emergency operations center beginning at 1:00 a.m., I guess, yesterday. And hearing the reports coming in moment by moment, people trapped in a basement because their house is gone, and getting people to them, just a lot of amazing efforts.</blockquote>
As for those unaccounted for, the governor said that one town, Dawson Springs, has an “unaccounted for” list that spans about eight single-spaced pages.
Tapper also asked about the workers in a candle factory. Beshear said that there were “about 110 Kentuckians … working in that facility. About 40 of them have been rescued.”
“And I&#8217;m not sure that we&#8217;re going to see another rescue. I pray for it. It would be an incredibly welcome miracle, but I think it&#8217;s been since 3:30 yesterday morning that we have &#8212; that we found a live person,” the governor added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;I know we&#8217;ve lost more than 80 Kentuckians. That number is going to exceed more than 100. This is the deadliest tornado event we&#8217;ve ever had,&#8221; says Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on the tornado aftermath. <a href="https://t.co/wVBWOeoDSG">https://t.co/wVBWOeoDSG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNSOTU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CNNSOTU</a> <a href="https://t.co/OgEjXrnejm">pic.twitter.com/OgEjXrnejm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu/status/1470037604750053376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>TAPPER: How many confirmed deaths do you have in Kentucky? How many of your citizens are still unaccounted for?
BESHEAR: Well, the confirmation process is slow. I can tell you, from reports that I have received, I know we have lost more than 80 Kentuckians. That number is going to exceed more than 100.
This is the deadliest tornado event we have ever had. I think it&#8217;s going to be the longest and deadliest tornado event in U.S. history. We know that one of these tornadoes was on the ground over 227 miles. And, Jake, 200 were in Kentucky, I have got towns that are gone, that are just, I mean, gone.
My dad&#8217;s hometown, half of it isn&#8217;t standing. It is hard to describe. I know people can see the visuals, but that goes on for 12 blocks or more in some of these places. And it&#8217;s going to take us time. I mean, you think you’d go door to door to check on people and see if they&#8217;re OK. There are no doors.
The question is, is somebody in the rubble of thousands upon thousands of structures? I mean, it is devastating.
TAPPER: And there&#8217;s &#8212; meanwhile, there&#8217;s no electricity. It&#8217;s been below freezing. How are rescue efforts going?
BESHEAR: Well, we do have a lot of help. We have an amazing state of good people that have come in from other cities and towns where they weren&#8217;t hit.
And so we have a lot of assistance that come in from other states. Certainly, federal partners like ATF, Coast Guard, and others are also helping. But it&#8217;s just &#8212; the massive, widespread damage makes rescue efforts a challenge.
Now, if we haven&#8217;t found somebody by now, it&#8217;s of really great concern. The area that was hit the hardest, Mayfield, I was there yesterday, will be back to today. Certainly, a candle factory there that it&#8217;ll be a miracle if we pull anybody else out of that.
It&#8217;s now 15 feet deep of steel, cars on top of where the roof was. Just &#8212; just tough. But our rescuers out there are incredible. They worked through the night while it was occurring, putting themselves in danger, through all of yesterday, hopefully caught a few hours of sleep last night.
I was at our emergency operations center beginning at 1:00 a.m., I guess, yesterday. And hearing the reports coming in moment by moment, people trapped in a basement because their house is gone, and getting people to them, just a lot of amazing efforts.
TAPPER: Is there a number of Kentuckians who remain unaccounted for?
BESHEAR: Well, again, that&#8217;s region by region. I&#8217;ll just say, in Dawson Springs &#8212; again, it&#8217;s where my family is from. It&#8217;s a town of about 2,700. The list of unaccounted for was about eight pages single-spaced. Pretty bad.
TAPPER: And many of the likely deaths are at one particular candle factory. What do you know about whether those workers had a chance to get to safety or if they had a plan in place?
BESHEAR: My understanding is that they did have a plan inside the facility, that we believe most of the workers got to what is supposed to be the safest place in the facility.
But when you see the damage that this storm did, not just there, but across the area, I&#8217;m not sure there was a plan that would have worked. So, we had about 110 Kentuckians, mainly residents of Mayfield, that were working in that facility. About 40 of them have been rescued.
And I&#8217;m not sure that we&#8217;re going to see another rescue. I pray for it. It would be an incredibly welcome miracle, but I think it&#8217;s been since 3:30 yesterday morning that we have &#8212; that we found a live person.</blockquote>

Kentucky Gov Praises Rescuers, Provides Update: ‘If We Haven’t Found Somebody By Now, It’s Of Really Great Concern’

Tornado

Dozens of people have died after a series of tornadoes ripped through Midwest and southern states last night, with Kentucky being the hardest hit.
&#8220;Officials said that there were &#8216;confirmed fatalities&#8217; after a roof collapsed at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, that three had died in Tennessee and at least one at an Arkansas nursing home,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/11/us/tornadoes-midwest-south">reported</a>. &#8220;Kentucky’s governor said that at least 50 had been killed in a tornado’s path of over 200 miles, and that the state’s death toll was likely to increase to more than 70 in the coming hours.&#8221;
At least 30 tornadoes were reported throughout Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. The largest tornado that struck the region tore through more than 220 miles in Kentucky.
Hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power, including 136,000+ in Tennessee, approximately 60,000 in Kentucky, 25,000+ in Arkansas, roughly 24,000 in Illinois, and nearly 10,000 in Missouri.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency and requested that the Biden administration declare an emergency disaster for the state.
&#8220;One tornado struck the City of Mayfield which is reporting major damages to public facilities, businesses, and residences. It is reported that a Graves County factory has collapsed, trapping workers and we believe there are at least 50 fatalities,&#8221; Beshear said in a statement. &#8220;Debris covering emergency vehicle buildings has hampered search and rescue efforts. In Hopkins County, a train carrying hazardous materials has been derailed by a tornado. Vegetative and construction debris cover a multitude of county, state, and federal routes. At this point, at least 17 Kentucky counties have experienced tornadic activity and debris fields. The event is ongoing.&#8221;
More than 16 million Americans were subjected to tornado watches last night in nine states as the massive stormfront moved through America&#8217;s heartland.
AccuWeather <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/arkansas-missouri-kentucky-nighttime-tornadoes/1060335">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
The three-year average from 2018 to 2021 for tornadoes in December across the U.S. is 47, according to the SPC. Some Decembers are more active in terms of tornadoes compared to others. In 2018, there were 66 tornadoes reported, compared to just 18 in 2020.
AccuWeather meteorologists remain concerned that the risk of severe thunderstorms may extend as far north as southern Michigan and northern Ohio early Saturday. Following building warmth and humidity, the lid came off the atmosphere Friday evening as a cold front moved in from the west and lead to explosive thunderstorm development.
</blockquote>
During a press conference, Beshear said that as the day progressed, people needed to brace themselves for &#8220;more tough news.&#8221;
“It has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history,” he said. “Some areas have been hit in ways that are hard to put into words.”
Beshear said that in Kentucky alone he believes that up to 100 people died from the tornadoes.
&#8220;This will be one of the most significant, the most extensive disasters that Kentucky has faced,&#8221; Kentucky emergency management director Michael Dossett said, adding this was &#8220;one of the darkest days in the state&#8217;s history.&#8221;

Swath Of Tornadoes Tear Through Midwest

Dozens Dead After 30+ Tornadoes Strike At Least 5 States Over The Night: Reports

Weather

United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) commented on his position in the Senate after a bill was recently passed in the Kentucky state legislature regarding appointments to vacant Senate seats.
The bill, SB 228, requires the Kentucky governor to fill an empty seat in the Senate with a person from the same political party from the departing senator. It also makes it so that the governor must select a successor from a list of three people given to the governor by the executive committee of the same party of the departing lawmaker.
<a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/ky-general-assembly/2021/03/29/kentucky-lawmakers-nix-veto-mcconnell-backed-senate-vacancy-plan/7055091002/">The Louisville Courier Journal</a> reported,
<blockquote>SB 228 also includes fresh stipulations about how long the governor&#8217;s appointment to the Senate can last before voters get to elect someone to take over that seat — which depend largely on when the vacancy happens — as well as new rules about how such elections would work.
Kentucky hasn&#8217;t had a Democratic senator since January 1999, when former Sen. Wendell Ford retired. And with the state&#8217;s increasingly conservative electorate, SB 228 is designed to ensure the governor can&#8217;t appoint a Democrat to what&#8217;s likely to be a safe seat for Republicans.</blockquote>
Democratic Governor Andy Beshear <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article250124719.html">vetoed</a> SB 228 in early March, saying that it goes against the U.S. Constitution&#8217;s 17th Amendment, according to local reporting by the Lexington Herald Leader. Beshear said one of the goals of that amendment was to take away “power from political party bosses.”
“Senate Bill 228 violates that very purpose of the amendment by returning the power, specifically in law, to a political party to come up with names for a vacancy,” Beshear said.
On Monday, the Republican-controlled state legislature overrode the previous veto of the bill. McConnell reportedly supported the bill, which raised speculation for some regarding his future plans and whether or not he will remain in the Senate and serve out his term. McConnell spoke to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1038789846644877&amp;ref=search">press</a> in Kentucky on Tuesday, saying that the bill is similar to one in Wyoming.
“I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;re going to have a vacancy. I&#8217;m not going anywhere. I just got elected to a six-year term. And I&#8217;m still the leader of my party in the Senate, so this is a hypothetical,&#8221; McConnell said. &#8220;But I had watched this over the years in the Senate as various vacancies were filled and I thought this was the best way to go.&#8221;
McConnell said that after a vacancy is filled by a person of the same party, honoring the people&#8217;s choice in the last election, the next step is to &#8220;as rapidly as possible let the people decide rather than the governor.&#8221;
Referencing the former Republican Governor of Kentucky, McConnell said “I can assure you &#8230; I would have supported this had the governor been Matt Bevin. I think it&#8217;s a good idea for the people to elect the senator.&#8221;
“The goal here, that I support &#8230; was if such a vacancy were to occur to have the people as quickly as possible elect the new senator. And in the interim, honor the results of the last election,&#8221; McConnell said.

A45E23EF-E205-49C4-B1E4-C97BFAEA901E_1_201_a

McConnell Says ‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’ After Kentucky Legislature Passes Vacancy Bill

Mitch McConnell

Unearthed local news coverage indicates that Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear attended private school in first grade, though he claims to be a “proud product of public education.”
In a <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/437301807/">newspaper clipping</a> from 1985, a short article entitled “Security Rides” details the security measures taken to protect the children of former Governor Martha Layne Collins and Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear, Andy Beshear’s father. 
“The children of Gov. Martha Layne Collins and Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear are given rides by state police to school for security reasons,” the article <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/437301807/">reads</a>. 
The article proceeds to claim that Andy Beshear and his older brother were escorted to a private school. 
“Troopers take 24-year-old Steve Collins from Frankfort to the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington for law school classes and often drive Jeff Beshear, 11, and Andy Beshear, 7, to their private school in the capital,” the article reads.  
During a press conference last week, Beshear announced that he was vetoing a state-wide school choice bill, despite sending his children to private schools. When asked if it appears hypocritical to send his children to private schools while refusing to expand school choice options, Beshear claimed he was a product of Kentucky’s public school system. 
“I am a proud product of public education. A proud graduate of Kentucky’s public schools,” Beshear said. “My commitment to public education runs deep.” 
Last week, Beshear vetoed the “Education Opportunity Account Program,” (EOA) which expands school choice options to Kentucky residents. Families would be allowed to use money that is typically funneled into the public education system to pay for tuition, tutoring, uniforms, and other school-related expenses. 
The <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/21RS/hb563/bill.pdf">bill</a> and school choice advocates claim that EOAs are a way to address educational disparities that have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The purpose of the EOA program is to give more flexibility and choice in education to Kentucky residents and to address disparities in education options available to students,” the bill reads.
Beshear claims that EOAs divert state dollars away from public schools and educators, and broadly weaken the public education system.
“[This measure] represents a direct attack on public education that would significantly weaken our public education system here in Kentucky,” Beshear said in a press briefing. “State dollars are being diverted away from public schools and educators.”
Beshear’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 
According to a report in <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/education/527623-one-sector-is-flourishing-during-the-pandemic-k-12-private-schools">The Hill</a>, private schools nationwide have seen an increase in enrollment following the coronavirus pandemic. Based on survey results, one of the sole reasons private and charter schools gained enrollment was that they were more likely to remain open than the nation’s public schools.
In light of school shutdowns, parents are increasingly looking for alternative options to give their children the best education possible. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kentucky-gov-vetoes-school-choice-bill-despite-sending-kids-to-private-school">Kentucky Gov. Vetoes School Choice Bill Despite Sending Kids To Private School</a>

Report: Kentucky Gov. Attended Private School Despite Claiming To Be A ‘Proud Product Of Public Education’

Education

This was the most historic Easter that any of us have ever lived through, but for all the wrong reasons. For the first time in our history, the majority of Americans were legally barred from worshipping. Governors across the country have discovered that the word &#8220;non-essential&#8221; is a magical elixir that grants them unlimited power. All they need to do is declare a thing &#8220;non-essential,&#8221; and they will have the authority to shut it down indefinitely, upon penalty of imprisonment. It&#8217;s as simple and easy as that, apparently.
One Mississippi cop was rather blunt about it as he broke up a drive-in Easter service in Greenville. To be clear, these were people who gathered in a parking lot, in their cars, with the windows up, to celebrate the holiday. There was no plausible chance of any contagion being spread. But the gathering was descended upon by law enforcement in any case because, as the cop <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/our-rights-dont-come-from-authority-pastor-slams-mississippi-mayor-after-police-break-up-drive-in-service">explained</a> to an understandably infuriated pastor, &#8220;your rights are suspended&#8221; by &#8220;order of the governor.&#8221; Who knew that &#8220;governor&#8221; was another word for &#8220;emperor&#8221;?
The Emperor of Kentucky took things a step further. He instructed his law enforcement agencies to record the license plate numbers of anyone who commits the crime of going to church. Their information will be logged and registered, and the entire house will be forced into a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/12/kentucky-churches-hold-in-person-easter-services-despite-order/2980456001/">mandatory 14-day quarantine</a>. Anyone who fails to obey this command will be subject to &#8220;further penalties.&#8221;
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This brings me to a rather important point that many of us, myself included, have too often overlooked. The word &#8220;quarantine&#8221; does not mean what the media and certain governors want us to think it means. According to the department of Health and Human Services — and this definition is consistent with what you&#8217;ll find in any dictionary — a quarantine &#8220;separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.&#8221; Isolation, on the other hand, &#8220;separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.&#8221;
It is true that state governments have the authority to take these measures, as well they should. And I am fully in favor of COVID-19 quarantines and isolations. But that is precisely what most state governments are not doing. In the Kentucky example, those people who are caught going to church are being put under a punitive house arrest, not a quarantine. The government has no reason to think that any of them have been exposed to anything. It&#8217;s not as though someone with a confirmed case attended the service, or that Kentucky is a hotspot teeming with the virus. A quarantine is only a quarantine when people who have been exposed — or who have a high likelihood of having been exposed — are temporarily isolated. This is not that, and so we need a different term. House arrest seems closest to the mark, although, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, that term technically means &#8220;court ordered confinement to one&#8217;s own home.&#8221; What do we call it when the governor orders the confinement? Mass extra-judicial house arrest?
As of this morning, Kentucky had fewer than 2,000 confirmed cases of the virus and fewer than 100 deaths. Those numbers are not nearly high enough to assume that every person who attends a church service must have been exposed. Now, you might argue that there could be many more cases than testing has so far indicated. Perhaps so. But if that&#8217;s true, then the death rate is probably exponentially lower, which undermines the case for quarantines. So it seems that either way — if there are only a few cases or if there are a great many — the argument for calling these house arrests &#8220;quarantines&#8221; is, at best, extremely weak.
The same applies for most states across the country. We all talk about how we are in quarantine, but we use the term in a very colloquial way, often without knowing that we&#8217;re using it that way. In reality, because the vast majority of the people locked down are healthy and as far as we know haven&#8217;t been exposed to the virus, we cannot use the word to describe our situation. Arguably, we are all under a form of house arrest. The media sometimes prefers the phrase &#8220;shelter-in-place,&#8221; but the section about shelter-in-place orders on the <a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/shelterinplace.asp">CDC&#8217;s</a> website clearly describes an imminent emergency, like a chemical weapons attack or something along those lines, and most of the states currently under lockdown are not in a situation coming anywhere close to that. Indeed, unless we live in New York, Louisiana, or a handful of other hotspots, we have been remanded to our homes not in response to an actual emergency, but to projections and models that warn of a theoretical emergency.
This raises a number of urgent questions, the most urgent of which is this: what is the limitation on the government&#8217;s newfound power to lock millions of healthy people in their homes, and drastically curtail their civil liberties — &#8220;suspending&#8221; them, to use the cop&#8217;s phrase — on the basis of predictions? Even if you do not think that our current situation represents an abuse of that power, you must admit that the potential for abuse is immense. And perhaps that&#8217;s reason enough to oppose it altogether.

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