CBS News
Storms cause damage across Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee; millions still face severe weather warnings
A surge of destructive storms lashed multiple states across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Tuesday, with various tornado watches impacting millions and severe weather warnings spreading over a much wider slice of the country, from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes.
Violent wind gusts and heavy rain had already caused serious damage to some areas by mid-afternoon, wrecking buildings and forcing highway closures as crews worked to clear downed power lines, trees and other debris.
Large sections of Ohio and Kentucky were contending with the most serious risks, along with a stretch of far-eastern Indiana. The Storm Prediction Center’s most recent severe weather outlook ranked threats in parts of those states at Level 4, of five levels, just before 12 p.m. CDT. Level 4 corresponds with “moderate” on that scale. Much of Kentucky and southern Ohio received that warning, including major cities like Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Lexington and Louisville.
A tornado watch was also in effect for parts of central Kentucky and Tennessee, including Nashville and its surrounding areas. They are set to expire at 3 p.m. CDT, although meteorologists warned that powerful “and potentially long-track tornadoes are possible from Indiana and Ohio southward into the Mid South.”
Storm Prediction Center / National Weather Service
“A threat for strong tornadoes may focus this evening into tonight across parts of Alabama and Georgia,” according to the storm prediction center.
A separate tornado watch was in effect until 6 p.m. for parts of western Kentucky, southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana and southeastern Missouri.
Overall, forecasts anticipated that an outbreak of severe thunderstorms could touch portions of each of those states in addition to northeastern Mississippi, southeastern Illinois and southwestern Virginia throughout Tuesday, noting that “a few intense” tornadoes were among the primary hazards alongside damaging, and potentially hurricane-force, winds and scattered hail that could be baseball-sized in some places.
April 2nd: A significant outbreak of severe storms, including strong tornadoes & widespread damaging winds, is expected today & tonight across the Ohio & Tennessee Valley regions into parts of the Southeast. For the latest forecast & watch info, visit https://t.co/QMmU4tCxt1. pic.twitter.com/gKj0hjUJDR
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) April 2, 2024
Winds are considered “hurricane-force” on the Saffir-Simpson Scale when their sustained speed reaches 74 miles per hour or higher. All thunderstorms have the potential to cause tornadoes, but atmospheric conditions need to be unstable in a particular way in order for that to happen. Meteorologists will issue a tornado watch when a mixture of atmospheric conditions and severe weather events suggest the formation of a tornado is possible in the area, but it does not necessarily mean that a tornado will occur.
Powerful storms had already uprooted trees in Kentucky by midday on Tuesday. CBS affiliate WKYT shared a video of some of the damage, which included large branches, trunks and other debris splayed out over an intersection in a residential part of Lexington. In Nicholasville, another city nearby, authorities said they were investigating “a significant weather event” that impacted an industrial area. Images shared on social media appeared to show at least one structure partially torn apart after the incident.
“We have responded to a significant weather event,” said a spokesperson for the Nicholasville Police Department in a statement to CBS News. “There are no reported injuries.”
Meanwhile, a series of brutal storms barreled through parts of West Virginia throughout the day on Tuesday, with video footage capturing powerful gusts of wind picking up debris in the city of Charleston. The National Weather Service said radar indicated that there was a tornado in the Charleston area on Tuesday morning. Meteorologists forecasted those storms to abate to some degree as the system tracked toward Virginia.
John Raby / AP
The tumultuous storm system ripped through other parts of the country as it has continued traveling east. Earlier, as it struck Oklahoma, a 46-year-old woman in Tulsa was swept away by flooding on Monday night. Andy Little, the public information officer for the Tulsa Fire Department, told CBS News that crews were still searching for her on Tuesday morning.
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, meteorologists said there is “a slight risk” that regions along a huge stretch of the East Coast and somewhat inland could be hit Wednesday with strong and severe storms. Those storms could potentially bring hail, damaging winds and one or two tornadoes to places within the risk area, from the Chesapeake Bay all the way down to Florida.
Hearing the voice of Sir Laurence Olivier catch you up on work memos may not offer the same thrill as watching the acclaimed English actor on stage or screen, but it could make your morning commute more interesting.
That’s the vision of artificial intelligence startup ElevenLabs, which this week announced that fans of Hollywood icons such as Judy Garland and James Dean can now listen to the voices of the deceased film stars narrate books, articles and other digital text.
The company said it had reached agreements with the estates of Olivier, Garland, Dean and Burt Reynolds to add their voices to a library of AI-generated voices on ElevenLab’s new Reader App. The product lets users listen to text on your phone, with the actors’ voices available for individual streaming.
ElevenLabs did not provide details about any financial compensation it is offering to the actors’ estates.
“We deeply respect their legacy and are honored to have their voices as part of our platform,” Dustin Blank, head of partnerships at ElevenLabs said in a blog post. “Adding them to our growing list of narrators marks a major step forward in our mission of making content accessible in any language and voice.”
Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland’s daughter and the representative of her estate, said in the post that her family is excited to “see our mother’s voice available to the countless millions of people who love her.”
Using AI to recreate a version of someone’s voice has drawn negative attention after being used in nefarious ways, including the creation earlier this year of a phony robocall from President Joe Biden urging people not to vote in New Hampshire’s presidential primary.
In another incident, actress Scarlett Johansson is May said she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” after discovering that a voice option on OpenAI’s ChatGPT app sounded like her. Johansson had declined OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s offer to voice ChatGPT’s text-to-speech product. Altman said the voice is not Johansson’s.
AI was a key issue in the SAG-AFTRA strike last year. A new actor contract includes limits on artificial intelligence. Producers for TV and film must get consent from actors to use a digital replica, and performers are also entitled to compensation for using AI to create their virtual likeness.
CBS News
Candidates in pivotal French legislative elections drop out in tactical move ahead of final vote
Paris – As France prepares for a decisive second-round vote Sunday, political parties from all persuasions are scrambling to secure seats in the National Assembly. However, more than 200 candidates – mostly from left and centrist parties – have dropped out in a tactical move to block the far right.
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party and its allies led the first round vote with 33.4%. However, after the significant number of withdrawals to avoid splitting the vote against the far right, it’s unlikely the RN can secure an absolute majority in this second round and form a government.
The RN is anti-immigration and has been accused of being antisemitic and anti-Muslim. It wants to roll back the power of the European Union in France and has threatened to pull the country out of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.
There are 577 seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. Just 76 deputies were elected with an outright majority in the first round so the majority of seats are still up for grabs. A total of 289 seats is needed for that crucial absolute majority.
Final opinion polls on Friday predicted the RN and its allies would again lead the field – but would now only secure between 175 and 205 seats, well below the majority needed to form a government on their own, and below predictions in the immediate aftermath of the first round. However, that is more than double the number of seats held before these elections.
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images
The leftist group, Nouveau Front populaire, or New Popular Front, is predicted to take between 145 and 175 seats. That grouping of traditional left, hard left and green parties was hastily formed after President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections in June.
Macron hoped to rally voters against the far right after the RN did well in early June elections for the European parliament, which governs the European Union.
However, political analyst Douglas Webber told CBS News: “President Macron made a colossal error in judgment”.
His Ensemble – Together – centrist coalition for these parliamentary elections is tipped to win just 145-175 seats.
Polls predict voter turnout for this second round will be as high as 65%. That’s similar to the numbers for the first round on June 30. Turnout was unusually high as many voters said they either wanted to block the far-right, or just get rid of Macron’s government.
“Right now, we have big problems with the right wing,” said one young woman after the first round vote. “We want more democracy, you know, we don’t want people to feel afraid or scared about living in France.”
These elections have been marred by attacks on candidates. The interior ministry said 51 candidates or party activists – from different parties – were attacked during the short campaign. For Sunday’s vote, 30,000 police have been drafted in case of violence during polling or after the results are announced.
Initial predictions will be available shortly after the polls close in France on Sunday night. However, in the absence of an outright majority for one party or grouping, it may be days – or even weeks – before a government emerges.
RN president Jordan Bardella – who wants to be prime minister – has suggested that he would refuse to form a government if his party and allies do not win an outright majority. He argued that without a majority, his government could achieve little and, therefore, would not be worth it. Whether that is simply posturing to encourage all far-right supporters to vote in large numbers remains to be seen.
There is talk of a rainbow coalition of traditional left and right parties and centrists. But Macron made it clear on Wednesday at a meeting with his Council of Ministers, that blocking the far right did not mean that he would name a government led by the hard left LFI – La France Insoumise, or France Unbowed – led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. It remains to be seen if there would be enough deputies without the two extremes to form a government.
There is a third option. President Macron could decide to postpone forming a new government until after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which open on July 26. He could ask the current Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to continue in a caretaker role and then deal with the fallout of the elections once the Games are over.
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Your home is a big investment, and for many homeowners, it’s their largest. If you’re trying to meet the money goals you’ve set to solidify your financial future, though, you could be trying to free up cash to make other types of investments.
And, while it makes sense to try and find room in your budget to allocate more toward investing, you may have other options. For example, your home equity might be worth tapping into for investing via a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC). These equity-tapping options allow you to borrow against your home equity, typically with competitive interest rates compared to unsecured loans.
But is it a good idea to use money from your home’s equity for investing? Here’s what experts have to say.
Find out how low your home equity rate could be now.
Should you use your home equity to make an investment? Experts weigh in
There are times it makes sense to consider using your home equity to make an investment and times it doesn’t, experts say. Here’s what to factor in as you make your decision:
The interest charges
While home equity loans and HELOCs typically offer competitive interest rates, it’s important to consider the cost of the interest you’ll pay and how it relates to your expected return before using one or the other to invest.
“It depends on the rate you can get for a loan on your home equity,” says Alex Blackwood, co-founder and CEO of Mogul Club, a real estate investing app. “You have to approach it as a relative cost of capital. For example, if you can get an interest rate at 8% and make an investment that will achieve a 10% return, you should definitely make that investment because you are earning an incremental 2%.”
If your interest rate on the home equity loan or HELOC is higher than your rate of return, though, the investment likely wouldn’t be worth the total cost of the loan.
Access more investment capital using your home equity today.
The tax implications
If your investment is profitable, you may need to pay capital gains taxes on your profits. As such, be sure to factor in the potential cost of any tax implications that could arise when determining whether to tap into your home’s equity for investing purposes.
“If you are confident that your after-tax returns will exceed the cost of capital, then it could be considered,” says Matt Willer, managing director of capital markets at Phoenix Capital Markets, an investment management firm.
Other funding options
While many experts say that certain situations warrant using your home equity for investing, some say you should avoid doing so, as it may be too risky.
“I can’t think of a situation when using home equity to make an investment is a good idea or in one’s long-term best interests,” says Rob Burnette, investment advisor representative at the financial planning firm, Outlook Financial Center.
“I typically don’t recommend using home equity to make an investment,” says William “Billy” Hatton, CFP, owner of Billfold Budget Counseling. “While you may be diversifying your real estate exposure, you’re still taking out debt for an investment, which is a risky proposition.”
In turn, you may want to consider weighing any other funding options you have instead.
Talk about your home equity borrowing options with a professional today.
The bottom line
Whether or not it makes sense to use your home’s equity to fund your investments depends on a range of factors. As you decide whether it’s the best path for you, be sure to weigh the cost of the loan and the tax implications of the investment against your potential returns as you make this decision. And, in some cases, you may want to avoid this route altogether and consider the other funding options you have before tapping into your equity.
