Desperate search for survivors as western Europe reels from a 'catastrophe of historic proportion'
CNN
The number of people killed in the catastrophic flooding across parts of western Europe rose to 157 on Saturday morning, as a desperate search for survivors continues despite rising waters, landslides and power outages.
At least 133 people died in Germany when the floods swept across the western states of North-Rhine Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatine and Saarland. In Belgium, 24 were confirmed dead, with authorities warning the number could go up. Luxembourg and the Netherlands have also been affected by the extreme rainfall, but have not reported any fatalities.Senate Democrats have confirmed some of President Joe Biden’s picks for the federal bench this week in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a total GOP blockade of judicial nominations – in part because several Republicans involved with the Trump transition process have been missing votes.
Donald Trump is considering a right-wing media personality and people who have served on his US Secret Service detail to run the agency that has been plagued by its failure to preempt two alleged assassination attempts on Trump this summer, sources familiar with the president-elect’s thinking tell CNN.