Wildfires continued to rip through western Oklahoma on Thursday, burning over 300,000 acres of land and leaving behind dozens of destroyed homes.
Flames broke out last week amid historic fire conditions, including dry weather and high winds. At least two people have been killed as a result of the fires, including a 61-year-old man who had been out hunting and a woman, who was found dead in her vehicle.
Exceptional droughts have plagued large parts of the southern plains, Todd Lindley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, told HuffPost. Some areas of the state have gone roughly 185 days without a quarter inch of rainfall, he said.
Tens of millions of people in the middle of the country are facing a three-day tornado threat — including places that were ravaged earlier this week by an outbreak of twisters.
A tornado touched down near Throckmorton, Texas, the National Weather Service said, but there were no reports of serious damage. Tornadoes were also seen touching down in Haskell and Wilbarger counties, also in Texas, on Friday, the NWS said.
Thunderstorms, carrying large hail, broke out across the Southern Plains Friday, and a tornado watch was posted for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico Friday night.
The threat extends through Sunday — Mother’s Day — and includes a busy weekend of commencement ceremonies. The University of Oklahoma already canceled graduation activities scheduled for Friday night due to “dangerous weather conditions.”
The U.S. Supreme Court was set on Wednesday to hear arguments in a case brought by three death row inmates challenging Oklahoma’s method of execution by lethal injection as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
The three-drug process used by Oklahoma prison officials has been under scrutiny since the April 2014 botched execution of convicted murderer Clayton Lockett. He could be seen twisting on the gurney after death chamber staff failed to place the intravenous line properly.
Richard Glossip, John Grant and Benjamin Cole, the inmates challenging the state’s procedures, argue the sedative used by Oklahoma, midazolam, cannot achieve the level of unconsciousness required for surgery, making it unsuitable for executions.
Oklahoma prosecutors are reviewing the shooting of an unarmed black man by a sheriff’s deputy who says he was unintentionally struck with a gun instead of Tasered during the fatal takedown.
Video released Friday shows the dramatic April 2 arrest of Tulsa man Eric Harris, 44, and the moment Reserve Deputy Robert Bates, 73, shoots him.
“Taser! Taser!” Bates is heard shouting, before firing a single round from his regular gun, hitting Harris, who was pinned to the ground by officers.
In the world, human beings are facing various problems. People who are full of greed, anger, and ignorance are seen to be fighting with each other in words and deeds. As the fighting continues, various problems such as civil wars, wars of aggression, and wars of aggression are occurring. As world peace is being destroyed, humans are facing unbearable problems. Innocent children and women are not getting the rights they deserve and deserve. I can't think of one thing every time. What is it? The United Nations. If we look at the responsibilities and duties of the United Nations, I think it is not suitable for solving the problems that are happening in the world today. In fact, the United Nations and the World Security Council, such an organization must rule the world, must be able to give orders, and must have various ways to obey orders. There must be no organization that can influence more than that organization. There should be experts from each country. They can even dominate the superpowers like the US, China, and Britain. Only then will global peace be achieved quickly. Now, if a country with power develops more militarily, economically, or socially than its own country, then powerful countries will jealously seek out enemies and wage war. Or they will attack with fighter jets. In this, innocent people are losing their lives. No one understands the value of a life. You should think about how to achieve global peace by controlling these. If the US continues to be the permanent president of the UN, world peace will never be achieved. If you think carefully, no one sees that they are working for the common good, but for their own benefit, for the benefit of their own country. The permanent president of the UN and the Security Council has rejected this, As a young Rohingya, I have come to realize that only by electing the president and secretary from among the countries in the world through a secret ballot system and governing the world fairly can we achieve global peace. The United Nations and the Security Council are organizations in which any country must govern, give orders, and make them obey their orders. For example, only when a defendant is tried in court can we hold the leaders of the countries in check and control them, can we achieve global peace smoothly. Otherwise, it will not be easy for powerful countries to use various excuses to end this war every year, every year, for the benefit of themselves and their countries. No country's leaders pay any attention to the words of the United Nations and the Security Council. If we look at it in practice, look at the Rohingya issue. Myanmar is a small country. Even that country has been under siege for 8 years. What action can be taken? Why is the UN and the Security Council Powerless? Without such Power, how can the organization bring about global peace? Everyone should think about it. Whether there is a veto or a strong one, all countries in the world can only achieve global peace if they are subject to the UN and the Security Council. Seek peace in the quiet embrace of nature. Peace is an indispensable need of the human race. It is not as if one person can kill another person, and it is as if one country can attack another country, but instead of trying to build peace, we must try to destroy the peace now, and the world is getting hotter and is on the verge of collapse. I especially appeal to all the world experts to urgently try to bring about peace in all parts of the world. Mr, Noor Muhamed Arkhan Rohingya Youth Myanmar
Film and Writing Festival for Comedy. Showcasing best of comedy short films at the FEEDBACK Film Festival. Plus, showcasing best of comedy novels, short stories, poems, screenplays (TV, short, feature) at the festival performed by professional actors.