Tuesday morning news: March 5, 2019

Death toll continues to rise from Alabama tornado » Rescue crews in Alabama continued to dig through piles of lumber and twisted metal on Monday hoping to find more survivors.

They used chainsaws to cut through rubble, while dogs and drones searched for any signs of life.

Sunday’s tornado strike is now the deadliest in the U.S. in nearly six years.

HICKMAN: It sounded just like a train went through our house.

Lee County resident Liz Hickman survived the twister. She said the ordeal lasted about two or three minutes.

HICKMAN: We could hear stuff hitting the house and trees cracking, and then when it was over, I went and opened the door and looked out, and I was just shocked at what I seen. 

What she saw was total devastation—trees ripped from the ground and entire buildings wiped away.

The death toll now stands at at least 23, but officials said Monday that dozens remain missing.

At least one tornado also touched down in western Georgia. Governor Brian Kemp told reporters…

KEMP: Almost two dozen homes just completely destroyed, up to 40 that have some sort of damage, and a couple businesses that were destroyed.

But Kemp said fortunately, no one in Georgia died.

Senate will vote to block president’s emergency declaration for border funds » President Trump may have to use his veto pen to keep his emergency declaration for border wall funding in place. The declaration would allow Trump to access about $3.5 billion in funds for a wall. But some Republicans say the president is out of bounds. WORLD Radio’s Leigh Jones has more.

LEIGH JONES, NEWS EDITOR: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday it is “clear” that “there will be enough votes to pass the resolution of disapproval.”

At least four GOP senators now appear poised to join Democrats in voting to block the president’s emergency declaration. The House voted last week to stop the move.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is the latest Republican to break rank. In a column for FoxNews.com, Paul said, quote—“I think he’s wrong, not on policy, but in seeking to expand the powers of the presidency beyond their constitutional limits.”

GOP Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis also plan to back the resolution of disapproval. That gives the measure the 51 votes needed to pass. President Trump has vowed to veto it.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Leigh Jones.

Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper announces presidential campaign » Another Democrat has announced a White House bid. The governor of Colorado says he’s the man to beat President Trump in 2020.  

AUDIO: I’m John Hickenlooper. I’m running for president because we’re facing a crisis that threatens everything we stand for. As a skinny kid with coke bottle glasses and a funny last name, I’ve stood up to my fair share of bullies. 

That, part of a video announcement released Monday.

Hickenlooper has hedged on supporting Democratic rallying cries like so-called “Medicare for All” and the “Green New Deal.” He’s campaigning as something of a pragmatist. He said, quote—“we need dreamers in Washington, but we also need to get things done.”

The geologist-turned-businessman was elected mayor of Denver in 2003 and governor in 2010.

U.S. deploys advanced missile defense system in Israel » As Iran continues to develop increasingly powerful missiles, the United States has deployed a highly advanced missile defense system in Israel for the first time.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD. The system’s deployment is temporary, but Netanyahu called it a testament to the strength of the two countries’ military ties.

The THAAD battery shoots down long- and intermediate-range missiles. It will bolster Israel’s existing advanced missile defense systems.

China accuses Canadians of spying as Huawei sues » The dispute between China and Canada over the arrest of a Chinese business executive is heating up. WORLD Radio’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The Chinese government is accusing two detained Canadians of working together to try and steal state secrets. That came just days after Canada said it’s moving ahead with an extradition request from the United States for Chinese business executive Meng Wanzhou.

China arrested Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian businessman Michael Spavor in December, just days after Canada arrested Wanzhou at the request of the United States. The U.S. government says she misled banks and violated sanctions with Iran.

Also this week, lawyers for Meng filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government, saying officials violated her rights during her arrest. The civil claim said authorities held Meng for three hours without access to a lawyer and that officials “unlawfully opened and viewed the contents” of her iPad and personal computer.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Meanwhile, Huawei is reportedly preparing to sue the U.S. government over a federal ban on its devices.

The Defense Authorization Act President Trump signed into law last year bars government agencies from using tech from Huawei and others. The Huawei ban is partly due to Iran sanction violations but also because the U.S. suspects Huawei has used its devices to send intelligence back to the Chinese government.

Actor Luke Perry dead at 52 » Actor Luke Perry died Monday after suffering a severe stroke last week. He was best known for his role as Dylan McKay on the Fox TV series Beverly Hills 90210.

CLIP: Hey Dylan. Hey Kelly. Bren and I were just talking. What do you think guys like best on girls, long or short hair? Hmmm that’s a deep question. Personally, I prefer blondes. 

More recently he starred as TV dad Fred Andrews on the CW drama Riverdale.

Luke Perry was 52 years old. His publicist said he was surrounded by his fiance and his family.

(Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP) Hunter Lashley searches through the debris that was his home near Beauregard, Ala., on Monday, March 4, 2019. 

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