Authorities said two people died in Oklahoma after a possible tornado hit Wednesday night.

McClain County Sheriff’s Office confirmed two deaths and said in facebook post that the crews were responding to reports of injuries and people trapped in their shelters.

Residents of Cole, a county town about 25 miles south of Oklahoma City, were ordered to take shelter immediately Wednesday evening. The County Emergency Management Agency reported at 7:39 p.m. that a dangerous tornado was raging over the city.

“Based on the damage and the reports we’re receiving, however significant, there could reasonably be more injuries or deaths that we don’t know about at this time,” McClain County Deputy Sheriff Scott Gibbons told reporters earlier. there was one confirmed death.

Helicopter video from NBC affiliate KFOR in Oklahoma City showed ruined houses in and around Cole, city ​​around 620

Oklahoma Highway Patrolman Eric Foster told reporters that Cole was seriously injured, with trees and power lines downed.

He said the rural nature of the community and the state, and the damage, mean searchers need time to check on damaged property and storm shelters.

“We have to park and walk miles to get to a lot of these places, so it will take us a while to find them,” Foster said. “We know that there are victims. We know the property has suffered significant damage.”

In Norman, just east of Cole, the University of Oklahoma has ordered everyone on its campus to immediately seek shelter and stay out of windows as dangerous storms approach. The tornado threat later passed.

In Pottawatomie County, the weather service warned of a tornado storm approaching Shawnee, a city of about 30,000 people. It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries.

The extent of the damage was also not immediately clear. Footage transmitted to KFOR shows broken power lines and damaged signs in the city.

The Pottawatomie County Office of Emergency Management said in Facebook posts that roads and streets were blocked by debris or power lines, “too many to list.” He urged people to stay at home so that rescuers can do their job.

Oklahoma Baptist University at Shawnee said classes were canceled Thursday and Friday and students were ordered to stay in their residences Wednesday night, citing debris and downed power lines.

“There were no reports of injuries, but the damage to the campus is significant, ”the university said in a statement. facebook post.

The weather service on Wednesday predicted the possibility of severe thunderstorms, as well as tornadoes in parts of the Great Plains due to a cold front.

The resolution was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 229 to 189, with some Democrats voting along with Republicans.

The vote comes just weeks after the Senate signed a GOP-backed measure to block the county’s new criminal code. President Joe Biden, despite loud criticism from some Democrats, signed a resolution disapproving of the Republican Party.

But this time, the White House said Biden would veto a resolution on policing. The administration’s policy statement said Biden would not support pushing to reverse “sensible” changes, such as banning chokeholds, limiting the use of force and lethal force, improving access to body-camera footage, and requiring officers to be trained in de-escalation and the use of force.

“Congress must respect the right of the District of Columbia to take action that enhances public safety and public confidence,” the White House said in a statement. “The President also continues to urge Congress to pass common sense police reform legislation.”

Democratic Affairs. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s non-voting representative in the House of Representatives, criticized D.C.’s resolutions during a speech Tuesday as “deeply undemocratic, paternalistic legislation,” telling House members to “keep your hands off D.C.”

PHOENIX. The left-wing watchdog group on Wednesday announced a settlement of more than $150,000 in a lawsuit against the Arizona Senate, which has fought to keep emails, text messages and other records relating to partisan scrutiny of the 2020 election.

American Oversight, which promotes government transparency, will receive $153,000 from the State Senate. Under the agreement, which both parties originally signed in March, they mutually absolve each other from legal action. The agreement also states that the settlement is not indicative of any wrongdoing.

The lawsuit also extended to Cyber ​​Ninjas, a now-defunct Florida firm that led the Senate review of ballot-counting machines, computers, and ballots in Maricopa County.

Shortly before the settlement was signed, lawyers for the Arizona Republic argued that some of the records held by the Senate should still be public.

American Oversight said in a statement that the whole ordeal was worth it “in time to provide much-needed transparency” to the audit.

Corey Langhofer, a Senate attorney, did not immediately respond to a voice message asking for comment.

In 2021, the Republican-led Senate initiated a review after Joe Biden was declared the winner in Arizona over then-President Donald Trump, sparking unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and other campaign collusion.

Shortly thereafter, American Oversight filed a lawsuit.

Between various lawsuits and court rulings, the Senate released over 20,000 entries. But legislators also held on to some documents, justifying it with legislative privilege.

In August, the Arizona Supreme Court sided with the Senate, ruling that emails and other documented communications are confidential.