Weather warnings in South, SCOTUS confirmation hearings, Disney walkout: 5 things to know Tuesday
Weather warnings in place across the southern US
Dangerous storms are forecast for portions of the southern U.S. over the next three days, experts warned, and all modes of severe weather are possible, including tornadoes. On Tuesday, the area most at risk shifts east into Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, where the Storm Prediction Center warned that "significant and damaging tornadoes" are possible. Cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi, are all in the zone of greatest risk. The threat of severe storms will be ongoing in the morning and will last into the overnight hours. Heavy rain and flooding could also impact portions of the Ohio Valley into the South.
- What is a tornado? Everything you need to know about these violent storms
Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 Things podcast:
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faces confirmation hearings
Confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated to be the first Black female justice on the Supreme Court, are expected to continue Tuesday when she returns for questioning. On Monday, Jackson told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she decides cases from a "neutral posture" and would continue to do so if confirmed to be seated on the nation's highest court. Senators from both sides of the aisle celebrated the historic nature of Jackson's nomination, but they also started to draw their own battle lines before the real fireworks likely begin during questioning. Jackson will face questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee the rest of this week before members make a report on her confirmation to the full Senate. If confirmed, Jackson would replace retiring Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.
- Ketanji Brown Jackson's opening statement: I will 'support and defend the Constitution' on the Supreme Court
- Opinion: Being a black woman:It's exhausting to be a Black woman. Just ask Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Disney employees are walking out to demand more LGBTQ support
Disney employees are calling for the company to boost support for LGBTQ employees following the company's response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. They're staging a daylong walk out Tuesday with a list of demands, culminating a week of smaller protests. If signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Parental Rights in Education bill would prohibit "classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels." After initial public silence on the matter, Disney CEO Bob Chapek apologized for not being a "stronger ally in the fight for equal rights" and pledged a number of supportive measures, but some employees don't think that's enough. Walkout organizers and supporters want Disney to permanently cut off donations to lawmakers who backed Florida's bill. The company previously said it would pause political donations in the state and re-evaluate its framework for political contributions.
- Disney CEO (finally) speaks out on 'Don't Say Gay' bill. But where's the gay Disney fairy tale?
- Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill sparked national backlash. But more legislation is brewing.
Search efforts continue after Chinese airliner crashes with 132 on board
Rescue operations continued Tuesday after a plane airliner carrying 132 people crashed in China. But nearly a day after the crash, no survivors have been found, Chinese state media reported. The Boeing 737-800, operated by China Eastern Airlines, crashed in the southern province of Guangxi on Monday with 123 passengers and nine crew members on board. The crash sparked a large fire, big enough to be seen on NASA satellite images, that was later extinguished. Only debris from the wreckage had been found, according to rescuers who spoke to state-run Xinhua News Agency. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an "all-out effort" in the rescue operations and for any potential safety hazards to be investigated. While Boeing has come under fire previously for crashes, it was the company's Boeing 737 Max that generated some of the harshest criticism over safety concerns.
- A Boeing 737-800 crashed in China. Here's what we know about the aircraft and its safety.
- How it happened: The Chinese airliner had a frightening descent before impact
One year since Colorado supermarket shooting
Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of a man opening fire at the Table Mesa King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, killing 10 people. The date comes as the supermarket reopened last month following a redesign, according to the Associated Press, with about 50% of the employees who worked at the store on the day of the deadly shooting. The case against the man accused of the deadly shooting, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is on hold after a judge ruled in December that the alleged gunman was mentally incompetent to stand trial. Alissa faces 10 counts of first-degree murder among other related charges. The victims, whose ages ranged from 20 to 65, included shoppers and employees, as well as a police officer.
Contributing: The Associated Press