Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is focusing on reliably Republican Oklahoma with an appearance before the largest annual gathering of the Comanche Nation in the state where rival Elizabeth Warren was born.
Sanders' visit may remind some of a sensitive subject for Warren, still criticized after her October release of a DNA test meant to bolster her claim to Native American heritage. That was supposed to rebut President Donald Trump's mocking of the Massachusetts senator as "Pocahontas," but only intensified it.
Last month, Warren offered a public apology to Native Americans, trying to show that the issue won't be a political drag in her White House campaign.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders walks on stage to speak at the Polk County Democrats Steak Fry, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP PhotoCharlie Neibergall)
The Comanches, who are holding their 28th annual Nation Fair Powwow, are a Plains Indian tribe of about 17,000 enrolled members, with headquarters just north of Lawton, in southwest Oklahoma. Powwows are important social events for many tribes, and typically feature traditional dance, songs, food, regalia and other customs.
Sanders, a Vermont senator, won Oklahoma's 2016 Democratic primary over Hillary Clinton. The state votes next year as part of the earlier and expanded "Super Tuesday," which comes on March 3 and includes neighboring Texas.
University of Oklahoma political science professor Keith Gaddie said Sanders' powwow visit was unusual because the tribe, which well-known, is not a particularly large Native American nation.
"There's no reason, in order to win the state, that you'd have to go down to that event," Gaddie said.
Warren has made her family's down-home, financial struggles after her father had a heart attack and couldn't work — forcing her mother to get a minimum wage job — a central theme of her campaign. Sanders and Warren are friends who agree on many policy issues, including the "Medicare for All" universal health insurance plan.
Both also have refused to attack one another, ducking questions about whether they eventually will have to compete for the Democratic Party's most liberal wing. But a Des Moines Register-CNN-Mediacom poll released Saturday showed Warren outpacing Sanders in Iowa, which launches the 2020 Democratic nominating contest on Feb. 3, and running about even with former Vice President Joe Biden, who had been the crowded field's front runner.
Sanders planned a rally at the University of Oklahoma before speaking at the powwow.
DETROIT (AP) — Severe storms barreled through the Midwest early Wednesday, a day after two reported tornadoes struck one Michigan city and destroyed homes and commercial buildings, including a FedEx facility.
Tornadoes were first reported after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, while portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service. The storms came a day after a deadly twister ripped through an Oklahoma town.
As the storms raged on in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh warned that a tornado in northeastern Ohio could cross into Pennsylvania. Parts of West Virginia were also under a tornado warning.
Hancock County Schools in West Virginia closed schools Wednesday because of “extensive overnight weather issues” in the county. News outlets reported damaged buildings and power outages.
Hours earlier in southwestern Michigan, two reported tornadoes blitzed the city of Portage near Kalamazoo on Tuesday night, destroying homes and commercial buildings, including a FedEx facility that was ripped apart.
No serious injuries were immediately reported, but city officials said in a news release that the twisters knocked out power to more than 20,000 people. Most of them would be without power until late Wednesday, city officials said.
At one point, about 50 people were trapped inside the FedEx facility because of downed power lines. But company spokesperson Shannon Davis said late Tuesday that “all team members are safe and accounted for.”
More than 30,000 customers were without power in Michigan early Wednesday, and an additional 10,000 in Ohio, according to PowerOutage.us.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for four counties.
“My heart goes out to all those impacted by tonight’s severe weather in southwest Michigan,” Whitmer said in a message on social media. “State and local emergency teams are on the ground and working together to assist Michiganders.”
National Weather Service crews were working Wednesday to survey storm damage in several counties in Michigan’s southwest Lower Peninsula to determine whether tornadoes touched down in those areas, including the two reported Tuesday night in the city of Portage, said meteorologist Mike Sutton with the weather service’s Grand Rapids office.
He said the Grand Rapids office had received a total of 11 reports of tornadoes from storm spotters, emergency managers and the public from late Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night, but as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, it had not confirmed any tornado touchdowns.
Sutton said it could be a couple days before the storm surveys are completed and he stressed that some of the tornado reports could be duplicate reports passed along by people who saw the same storm.
“It’s quite possible those are multiple reports from the same tornado. The actual number of tornadoes may be lower depending on what they find when they’re out surveying,” he said.
Tuesday's storms came a day after parts of the central United States were battered by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and twisters. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.
Across the U.S., the entire week is looking stormy. The Midwest and the South are expected to get the brunt of the bad weather through the rest of the week, including in Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Cincinnati — cities where more than 21 million people live. It should be clear over the weekend.
On Monday night, a deadly twister in Oklahoma tore through the 1,000-person town of Barnsdall. At least one person was killed and another was missing. Dozens of homes were destroyed.
Aerial videos showed homes reduced to piles of rubble and others with roofs torn off. The twister tossed vehicles, downed power lines and stripped limbs and bark from trees across the town. A 160-acre (65-hectare) wax manufacturing facility in the community also sustained heavy damage.
It was the second tornado to hit Barnsdall in five weeks — a twister on April 1 with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) damaged homes and blew down trees and power poles.
At the Hampton Inn in nearby Bartlesville, several splintered two-by-fours were driven into the building. Chunks of insulation, twisted metal and other debris were scattered over the lawn, and vehicles in the parking lot were heavily damaged, with blown-out windows.
Hotel guest Matthew Macedo said he was ushered into a laundry room to wait out the storm.
“When the impact occurred, it was incredibly sudden,” he said.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who toured the twister's damage Tuesday, said it was rated by weather researchers as a violent tornado with winds reaching up to 200 mph (322 kph). Stitt said he and legislative leaders have agreed to set aside $45 million in this year’s budget to help storm-damaged communities.
Areas in Oklahoma, including Sulphur and Holdenville, are still recovering from a tornado that killed four and left thousands without power late last month.
Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press journalists around the country contributed to this report, including Rio Yamat, Heather Hollingsworth, Colleen Slevin, Jim Salter, Kathy McCormack, Sarah Brumfield and Beatrice Dupuy.
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People leave after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Multiple injuries were reported at the park. (J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)
Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)
Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)
Debris litters the ground near a damaged building after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)
An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Buildings appear damaged after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)
Police and rescue personnel work at the scene after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)
Debris litters the ground near damaged buildings after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Multiple injuries were reported at the park. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)
Tim and Joy King looks at their house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Oklahoma State Highway Patrol troopers search storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Brian Yazzie helps clean his mother's home after it was damaged by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
People look through a damaged property after powerful storms hit the area, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
A woman walks around debris and damage caused by powerful storms, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Joy King, left, and her granddaughter Crystal Maxey hug in front of King's house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. The two were looking for King's cats and salvaging what items they could. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
People check a storm damaged home at sunrise Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Paden Fincher looks to salvage items from what's left of his sister's home following a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. Fincher said his sister, her husband and their 3 children rode the storm out in the home. He said his sister was in surgery, but said she was going to be ok. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Debris and damage from powerful storms are pictured, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Carl Kelley and Jon Reynolds search through Kelley's mother's home after it was damaged by a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)
FedEx trucks sit outside a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)
