The St. Louis Cardinals have exceeded all expectations so far this season. A big 14-7 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies gave the team nine wins in its last 10 games, and it now finds itself just a game back of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.
This year was supposed to be a reset, a chance for the team to take its medicine and see what it had in its young pieces. But then a funny thing happened: Those young pieces proved a bit more ready than anyone realized, accelerating that timeline dramatically. Breakouts abound, from Victor Scott II and Lars Nootbaar in the outfield to Ivan Herrera behind the plate and Matthew Liberatore in the rotation. The most impressive of all, though — and the one that means the most for the team’s short- and long-term future — has come at shortstop.
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Masyn Winn is making the leap in year two with the Cardinals
A second-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, it took a little while for St. Louis to see what they had in Winn, who struggled in his first taste of pro ball. From there, though he rocketed through the Cardinals system — and up prospect rankings, thanks to his combination of elite shortstop defensive, tremendous athleticism and contact-oriented approach at the plate.
Winn held his own as a rookie in 2024, a league-average bat who more than looked the part with the glove. But he was more solid regular than the star the Cardinals fans had dreamed he might become — the star this team has been searching for over much of this decade. Of course, he was also just 22 years old, raising the possibility that he might improve with experience at the highest level.
And boy, has he ever. Some fans were punishing the panic button after he slogged through a dreadful spring training at the plate, and he failed to record a single hit over his first 21 regular-season at-bats. Since then, though, he’s been scorching hot: A four-hit attack on Wednesday night has bumped Winn’s slash line to .333/.414/.552 over his last 28 games, with five homers, six doubles and two steals. The defensive is as good as ever; if this is anything like who he can be with the bat — he’s hitting the ball harder and hitting it in the air more often than he did in 2024 — then suddenly the Cardinals have a bonafide All-Star on their hands.
Granted, that’s a small sample size. But it’s backed up by his physical tools, and his approach at the plate is much improved. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Winn to blossom into a 20-20 (or even 20-30, if he can refine his base-stealing instincts a bit) player in his prime, which would give Chaim Bloom a foundational piece to build around as he looks to get this team back into contention. Scott II, Nootbaar and Co. are nice, but what this team needs is a star, and Winn is their best shot at one in quite some time.
A little over ten years ago, tragedy struck the St. Louis Cardinals with the death of their young superstar in the making, outfielder Oscar Taveras. They’ve spent the last decade chasing that next homegrown star.
They traded for a 25-year-old Jason Heyward, but he left them in free agency the following season. John Mozeliak was so high on Dylan Carlson that he said the only way he’d be traded was “if you’re willing to pry him through my dead hands.” Nolan Gorman was a top-20 prospect in baseball due to his massive power potential, and Jordan Walker, whom some considered to be the best prospect in baseball prior to the 2023 season, was supposed to be the best talent they’d had since Taveras.
For all of the chasing the Cardinals have been doing, it turns out that the next star may have been sitting under their nose for years now, and he’s finally getting a full opportunity to showcase that talent this year.
Like many of their prospects, the Cardinals got a little trigger-happy with the development of Ivan Herrera, aggressively promoting him through the minor leagues as his bat continued to mash and Yadier Molina was in the twilight of his career. As a 22-year-old, Herrera made his MLB debut, playing in 11 games (22 plate appearances) but was overmatched both offensively and defensively, causing the Cardinals to pivot and sign Willson Contreras the following offseason.
Since that cup of coffee (if you can even call 22 plate appearances that), Herrera has done nothing but mash anytime he’s been at the plate for the Cardinals. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Herrera has posted a slash line of .311/.388/.475, walking 10% of the time and striking out in just 20.9% of his plate appearances. His 143 wRC+ ranks 12th in all of baseball, ahead of names like Bryce Harper, Bobby Witt Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Gunnar Henderson.
Now, we have to acknowledge that it’s just 340 plate appearances, a small sample size when you’re talking about three seasons, but enough of a sample size to at least tell me he’s got some talent. Beneath the hood during that stretch, Herrera’s walk rate ranks among the top 25% of hitters in baseball, and he has one of the lowest strikeout rates among the top 20 hitters in wRC+ since 2023. Digging even deeper, Herrera ranks 38th out of 445 batters with at least 300 plate appearances in HardHit%, and he is fourth among all of those hitters in line drive%.
I fully recognize that this is a bold claim to pronounce Herrera as that bat the Cardinals have been searching for, and the next 300 plate appearances of his career could bring this opinion back down to earth. But here’s why I feel confident making it: Everything Ivan Herrera has done at the Major League level in his career indicates he is an elite bat.
Ivan Herrera is the star bat the Cardinals have been looking to develop for over a decade
Herrera’s season was limited by a monthlong stint on the injured list already, but again, when he’s been on the field, he has done nothing but rake, slashing .385/.457/.872 with a 255 wRC+ in his 46 plate appearances. So far this year, Herrera leads all of baseball with a Hard-hit% of 51.6%, and his home run to fly ball rate is an insane 62.5%.
No one has to explain to me that his performance so far is unsustainable. He’s been better than Aaron Judge at the plate in this small sample size, and we all know how historic a year he is having. Yes, Herrera will come back down to earth offensively, but considering he was a 121 wRC+ guy in 2023 and a 127 wRC+ hitter in 2024, I think it’s also fair to wonder what heights he can reach offensively.
There are a lot of numbers working in Herrera’s favor that indicate this performance is real. His xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, Barrel%, average exit velocity, Hard-Hit%, LA Sweet-Spot%, bat speed, Whiff%, and BB% are all among the best in baseball in his brief sample.
This isn’t new for Herrera either. Over the last two years, his expected numbers have always been off the charts, his bat speed has graded out extremely well, and his LA Sweet-Spot% has been optimal as well. He’s always been a guy who takes his walks with the best of them, and he does not whiff often. Combine all of that, and you have a very exciting hitter on your hands.
For all of the talk about Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker this offseason, it is Herrera who has emerged as their impact bat. The Cardinals are right to keep hoping Gorman and Walker can break out as well, but not enough is being made of Herrera’s ceiling, in my opinion.
Most of the conversation around Herrera has focused on his need to improve his arm strength behind the plate, and while people know he can hit, I feel like the heights he continues to reach offensively have been downplayed. If this were Walker or Gorman performing like Herrera has so far, I think it would be the biggest story in St. Louis and catch the eyes of national media. Instead, Herrera seems to often times get lumped into the secondary part of the Cardinals’ core, when he should actually be front and center as of today,
Herrera, in the very near future, should be hitting in the heart of the Cardinals’ order, whether that is second, cleanup, or possibly in the five hole. He has been far too impactful to run out as the sixth hitter every day, and while Nolan Arenado is producing better than he was last year, his current production does not warrant a spot in the lineup that is higher than Herrera’s. Nootbaar, Winn, Donovan, and Contreras are all thriving in their roles, so I think the easiest swap is to exchange Arenado and Herrera in the batting order.
Until proven otherwise, Herrera deserves to be the central focus of the Cardinals’ young core. Everything he has shown us to this point in his big league career suggests he is one of the elite hitters in baseball, and even with natural regression set to happen (because now, I am not trying to say he is going to outproduce Aaron Judge this year), he’ll still be in the caliber of bats that the Cardinals just have not had outside of career years from Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
If Herrera can stick at catcher long term, with incremental improvements to his arm behind the plate, while maintaining his production or growing as a hitter, he is truly one of the best players in all of baseball. Even if he ends up needing to switch positions to first base or become a full-time DH, if the bat produces like it is right now, that’s an elite player in today’s game.
It’s a shame we never got to see how Oscar Taveras’ career unfolded. It was for the best that Jason Heyward decided to skip town for the Chicago Cubs. The Dylan Carlson experience was a massive failure, but there is still time for Nolan Gorman, and especially Jordan Walker, to change the narrative on their trajectories as players.
But as we stand today, Herrera has been exceptional in his young big league career, and everyone should be taking notice.
Wayne Gretzky’s daughter Emma graduates from SMU (Image via: Getty Images)
Emma Gretzky, youngest daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, has proudly graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU), celebrating a significant personal and academic achievement that highlights her dedication and perseverance. Sharing a heartfelt Instagram post on Friday, Emma posed in her navy blue cap and gown, holding her diploma with a bright smile. Her simple caption, “4 years later!”, perfectly captured the years of hard work behind this milestone. More than just a graduation, this moment marks Emma’s journey of forging her own path beyond the shadow of her family’s hockey legacy.
Wayne Gretzky’s daughter Emma wraps up SMU career
While many may know her as the daughter of the “Great One,” Emma Gretzky has been quietly building her own legacy, one grounded in discipline, balance, and determination. She wasn’t just a student at SMU—she was also a committed athlete, proudly representing the university as part of the SMU Mustangs women’s tennis team, where she competed in both singles and doubles throughout her collegiate career.Emma began playing tennis at the age of 12, training at Westlake Village School in California before making the leap to Division I competition. At SMU, she contributed in both singles and doubles play, recording a key singles win against Tarleton and partnering with Cambelle Bouchard for a notable doubles victory over Richmond during the 2022–23 season.Her time on the court mirrored her academic journey—disciplined, determined, and quietly resilient. In a world where famous last names often define the narrative, Emma made sure hers was written by effort, not entitlement.
Proud family moment for Gretzkys as Emma graduates from SMU
Though the Gretzky name will forever be associated with hockey greatness and legendary achievements on the ice, Emma’s graduation is a refreshing reminder that true greatness comes in many different forms. It’s not about spotlight moments or legacy expectations; it’s about personal growth, relentless dedication, and celebrating success on one’s own unique terms.Also Read: Rick Tocchet’s return to Philadelphia signals new chapter but what’s ahead for the Flyers?Wayne Gretzky, known for his stoic demeanor and unwavering support for his family, was undoubtedly a proud father witnessing his youngest daughter close one important chapter and confidently open another full of promise and opportunity.
Get IPL 2025 match schedules, squads, points table, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
The New York Yankees led the majors in home runs last season and sit atop the standings again this year heading into the Saturday MLB schedule. However, the Dodgers are only two homers back of the Yankees and will try to add more against Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson, who has allowed seven home runs in eight starts. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has gone yard four times in his last three games and is pacing the majors with 16 long balls. He is +190 to go yard in the Saturday MLB home run odds from BetMGM.
Teammates Andy Pages (8), who is listed at +475 to hit a home run, and Freddie Freeman (9). who is +450. have each been crushing homers this season as well, so the Dodgers are loaded with firepower. Should you include any of them in your MLB HR bets on Saturday? With MLB props available for almost every player in every game at sportsbooks, SportsLine’s proven computer model can help you find value to add to your MLB home run picks.
The model simulates every game 10,000 times and is on a 10-5 roll on all top-rated MLB money-line picks since the start of the season. The model has hit at least one MLB home run prop in seven of the last 14 days and is up 32.6 units on its MLB HR picks during the last 39 days. Now, the model and SportsLine’s team of Data Scientists have revealed their projections for some of the most-bet MLB HR prop bets on Saturday. These three picks can also be parlayed for +11626 odds and would pay out $581.30 on a $5 bet at FanDuel, where the newest FanDuel promo code is good for $200 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins.
James Wood, Nationals (+450)
Wood is not pacing too far behind the league’s home run leaders, as the outfielder has hit 12 homers through his first 45 games. He is batting .317 in the month of May and went yard against Baltimore in the series opener on Friday night. Wood is facing Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, who has allowed seven homers in just three starts this season. Left-handed batters have been particularly strong against him, batting .480 with four homers.
“The Home Run Index is an 8 out of 10 today in Baltimore and given Wood’s splits against RHPs and Gibson getting hammered against lefties, we set the line at +400 for Wood to homer,” SportsLine data analyst Jacob Fetner said. Bet365 is offering the best line at +450, but FanDuel’s line of +420 will be used for the parlay. Plus, the latest Bet365 promo code CBSBET365 is good for $150 in bonus bets instantly on your first $5 wager.
Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks (+310)
Marte missed nearly the entire month of April due to an injury, but he has homered five times since making his return on May 2. He has a pair of multi-homer games during that stretch, including one against the Giants on Wednesday. Marte has a .910 OPS against Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez, who has an 8.27 ERA across eight starts this season.
“Marte is our top pick out of any player in the majors to hit a HR today ahead of even Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani,” Fetner said. “We set the line at +240 for Marte to hit a HR tonight.” FanDuel is offering the best price at +310. There’s no FanDuel promo code required to get $200 in bonus bets if your first $5 wager wins.
Zach Neto, Angels (+475)
Neto hit 23 home runs last year in his first full MLB campaign, and he has already hit six homers in 24 games this season. He went yard in back-to-back games against San Diego last weekend before recording a multi-hit game against the Dodgers on Friday. The 24-year-old is facing Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, who is making his first start of the season after pitching in just seven games last year. Neto hit .360 against left-handed pitchers last year.
“This is a case where we are probably getting better value based on the name alone with Clayton Kershaw pitching rather than his recent stats,” Fetner said. BetMGM has the best price at +475, while FanDuel’s +450 line is in the parlay. The latest BetMGM promo code CBSSPORTS is good for up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses.
Where to bet MLB props on Saturday
Here is a look at sportsbooks that will offer MLB player props on Saturday:
The LA Dodgers (29-16) welcome the Los Angeles Angels (18-25) to Dodger Stadium Saturday for the second game of their 3-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Angels vs. Dodgers odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Angels lead 1-0
The Dodgers snapped a 2-game win streak with a 6-2 loss as -294 home favorites vs. the Angels in the Friday opener. The Dodgers have been streaky, going 7-6 over their last 13 contests. They’re 7-2 in their last 9 home games.
The Angels snapped their 2-game losing streak Friday, fueled by 2 RBIs apiece from each of their first 3 batters in the lineup. Despite the win, they’ve allowed 5 or more runs in 4 of their last 5 games and sit at 16-27 on the run line this season.
Angels at Dodgers projected starters
LHP Tyler Anderson vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw
Anderson (2-1, 2.58 ERA) makes his ninth start. He has a 1.06 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and 7.7 K/9 through 45 1/3 innings.
Last start: Loss, 5 IP, 1 ER (3 R), 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K in 7-3 home setback vs. Baltimore Orioles Sunday
2025 away stats: 1-0, 2.70 ERA (16 2/3 IP, 5 ER), 11 H, 8 BB, 15 K in 3 starts
Career vs. Dodgers: 3-7, 4.65 ERA (81 1/3 IP, 42 ER), 1.50 WHIP, 6.9 K/9 in 15 starts and 1 relief appearance
Kershaw (2-2, 4.50 ERA in 2024) makes his season debut. He had a 1.50 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9 and 7.2 K/9 in 30 innings across 7 starts last year.
Making his first start since season-ending knee and big toe injuries in 2024
Has won 3 Cy Young Awards
2024 home stats: 0-1, 5.27 ERA (13 2/3 IP, 8 ER), 20 H, 4 BB, 16 K in 3 starts
Career vs. Angels: 10-2, 1.99 ERA (108 1/3 IP, 24 ER), 0.92 WHIP, 9.4 K/9 in 16 starts
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Moneyline (ML): Angels +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Dodgers -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Angels +1.5 (+100) | Dodgers -1.5 (-120)
Over/Under (O/U): 9 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Angels at Dodgers picks and predictions
Prediction
Dodgers 5, Angels 3
PASS.
There’s no value on the moneyline at current odds.
The Angels (+200) are far too risky to take to win a second straight road game, while the Dodgers (-250) aren’t worth the expensive price.
BET DODGERS -1.5 (-120).
The Dodgers are 9-6 ATS following a loss and 13-9 ATS at home. Having scored at least 8 runs in 3 of their last 5 games, they should have the firepower to pull ahead by more than 1 run.
The Angels’ last 15 losses have all been by at least 2 runs. They are 3-5 ATS in their last 8 games and 16-27 ATS on the season. Considering those trends, back DODGERS -1.5 (-120).
BET UNDER 9 (-105).
The Angels have scored 4 or fewer runs in 4 of their last 7 contests, going 3-4 O/U.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, have allowed 3 or fewer runs in 4 of their last 6 games.
Like many past and present Fox News anchors, Tomi Lahren loves a glam moment. Her everyday beauty look is replete with generous blush, filled-in brows, dark eyeliner, and long false lashes. Also like other Fox alums, Lahren tends to divide audiences. Fueled by their distaste for her conservative, pro-Trump rhetoric, critics often take aim at Lahren’s carefully painted appearance. Her daily commitment to a full-glam aesthetic has even drawn fire from rapper The Game, who has a notorious beef with the pundit. In a 2019 Instagram post — since deleted for its offensive language — the “How We Do” performer called Lahren every name in the book and told her to “go find a bathroom mirror, strip down all that cheap makeup, and look at the real you.” He also accused Lahren of extensive plastic surgery and said that she looked “like a peeled orange” without cosmetics (via XXL).
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Now, this vitriol wasn’t exactly constructive, and people should be given support to stop comparing themselves to unrealistic beauty standards — not fresh new insults to worry over. But a peeled orange? With a comparison like that, we obviously had to go see what all the fuss was about. There aren’t too many bare-faced photos of Lahren circulating online, but what we did find surprised us — mostly because we got zero citrusy vibes. Far from The Game’s harsh evaluation of her looks, we came to our own conclusion: However you feel about Lahren’s politics or personality, she’s gorgeous without makeup.
Tomi Lahren’s natural beauty without makeup is softly stunning
It’s certainly true that right-wing commentator Tomi Lahren prefers a pronounced, head-turning approach to cosmetics. A clean girl, she is not. But she’s also not above sharing the occasional peek behind her proverbial makeup curtain. In September 2018, the public got a rare peek at Lahren’s clean face when she posted a makeup-free selfie on Instagram. The result was ethereal. Without the endless layers of self-tan and contouring, Lahren’s complexion was clear and radiant, and the lack of cosmetics actually made her naturally pink lips and doe-like eyes pop more. Even her untouched brows felt gentle and dreamy — perhaps because flat brows like Lahren’s count among the three eyebrow shapes that can make you look younger.
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Fans were effusive in their praise for the look. “Sooo beautiful with and without makeup!” one wrote in the comments, while another said, “In all honesty, I think you look better … with less makeup on.” It would be easy to get a big head from this flood of compliments, but for someone so seemingly image-conscious, Lahren has a refreshing attitude toward physical beauty. In a 2019 Instagram post clapping back at The Game’s criticisms, she wrote, “Beauty isn’t about your hair, makeup, eyebrows, weight, or any of it. Beauty radiates when you have the confidence to stand up for and love yourself, regardless of who tries to pull you down.”
Of course, Lahren isn’t the only conservative journalist to skip her makeup regimen for a day. To get a bare-faced peek at some of Lahren’s colleagues, check out what these Fox News anchors look like makeup-free.
Rayah Marshall gears up for the Washington Mystics in her Connecticut Sun WNBA regular-season debut
This weekend marks the start of the 2025 WNBA season. On Sunday morning, Rayah Marshall and the Connecticut Sun will host Kiki Iriafen and the Washington Mystics in a USC-flavored home opener for Connecticut. Mystics-Sun will start just after 10 a.m. Pacific time on WNBA League Pass, the league’s live streaming service.
You might have noticed that on Thursday, the Connecticut Sun officially released their roster for the upcoming campaign. Included on the roster was USC alum Rayah Marshall, whom the team selected in the second round of last month’s draft.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Marshall said following the news. “I’m here and my entire family lives in Los Angeles. I’m going to embrace this as long as possible.”
Marshall had a decorated USC career. Arriving on campus at the same time as Lindsay Gottlieb, she helped revitalize the Trojans’ program, taking USC to a Big Ten regular season title, a Pac-12 Tournament title, three NCAA Tournaments, two No. 1 seeds, and two Elite Eights. In two of her four seasons as a Trojan, Marshall averaged a double-double.
Now, she heads across the country to Connecticut to begin her professional career. Marshall and the Sun will try to slow down Iriafen’s Mystics, who scored 94 points in their season-opening win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night.
Severe storms rip through Kentucky, Indiana—some dropping tornadoes
Storms moving into the region on Friday may be strong to severe, with all modes of severe weather possible.
Updated: 11:38 PM EDT May 16, 2025
YES, ERIC, LET’S GO OVER THE LINKS TOO, BECAUSE WE’RE GETTING THESE EXTREME WIND GUSTS. WE’RE NOW STARTING TO REALLY GET A GOOD IDEA OF THE POWER OUTAGES THAT ARE OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE AREA. SO AS WE LOOK AT LINKS TO WILL QUEUE FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY, AND YOU CAN SEE WE’RE ABOUT 24,000 WITHOUT POWER HERE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. AS YOU GET DOWN INTO BULLITT COUNTY, WE’RE CLOSE TO 8500 ACROSS THE RIVER OVER INTO SOUTHERN INDIANA, CLARK COUNTY. WE’RE ABOUT 6500. AS YOU GET DOWN IN THE HARDIN COUNTY, 3500. SO, YEAH, WE ARE GETTING A GOOD BIT OF SOME POWER OUTAGES BEGINNING TO SHOW UP DUE TO THOSE GUSTY WINDS. WE’RE ALSO GETTING A REPORT OF A PRETTY GOOD TREE COMPLETELY BLOCKING A NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD IN THE PEACE AVENUE IN MOUNT WASHINGTON. SO I’M SURE WE’RE GOING TO GET MORE OF THESE REPORTS NOW THAT THE WORST OF THE STORMS HAVE KIND OF MOVED OUT TO JEFFERSON, AND MUCH OF THE VIEWING AREA PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO GET OUT AND ASSESS WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I’M SURE THE REPORTS ARE REALLY GOING TO START TO COME IN NOW AS THINGS START TO CALM DOWN A LITTLE BIT. OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO GO OVER TO RICK AND VICKY HERE IN JUST ONE QUICK SECOND. WHAT I’D LIKE TO DO IS GO BACK OVER TO LINKS ONE SHOW THE RADAR. SHOW THE DOPPLER RADAR. ONCE AGAIN, LET’S GO TO THE DOPPLER RADAR HERE REAL QUICK. IF WE COULD, THAT WOULD BE LINKS ONE. OKAY, THERE WE GO. SUZANNE, LET’S GO OUT TO THE FULL VIEWING AREA. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE THE STORMS LEFT OVER HERE. IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. MARION COUNTY, TAYLOR GREEN AND ALSO HART COUNTY. THIS IS WHERE THE STORMS ARE RACING OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST. THIS IS WHERE THEY ARE STILL PRODUCING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME HIGH WINDS. WINDS THAT COULD BE 50 TO 60, EVEN LOCALIZED 70MPH. THIS WIND FIELD SHOULD BE MOVING OUT OF THE VIEWING AREA ALL TOGETHER WITHIN THE NEXT 15 TO 30 MINUTES OR SO, AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN SAY GOODBYE TO THIS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. BUT UNTIL THAT TIME, WE’RE GOING TO STAY WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. GET IT OUT OF THE VIEWING AREA. ALL TOGETHER. AND THERE’S THAT WIND FIELD THERE. THERE IS THAT WIND. SAY THAT AGAIN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THERE’S THAT WIND FIELD AGAIN THAT’S RUNNING FROM MARION COUNTY AND POINTS OFF TO THE SOUTH. BUT RICK, VICKY, HERE’S THE DEAL. THIS WIND FIELD IS GOING TO BE MOVING OUT OF THE VIEWING AREA ALTOGETHER, LIKELY WITHIN THE NEXT 15 TO 30 MINUTES. IT IS CERTAINLY DONE IN THE METRO, BUT BOY, WHAT A NIGHT IT HAS BEEN. AND NOW IT’S ALL ABOUT CLEANING UP AFTER SOME OF THIS HIGHER WI
Severe storms rip through Kentucky, Indiana—some dropping tornadoes
Storms moving into the region on Friday may be strong to severe, with all modes of severe weather possible.
Updated: 11:38 PM EDT May 16, 2025
See how Friday night’s storms unfolded below:Strong storms pummeled parts of Kentucky and Indiana Friday evening.Tornadoes were reported just north and south of the Louisville region, and strong storms knocked out power for tens of thousands in the area. We’ve already had several reports of trees down in several parts of the region.Have storm damage to show us? Email newstips@wlky.comThe region was under a moderate risk for severe weather or a level 4 out of 5.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
See how Friday night’s storms unfolded below:
Strong storms pummeled parts of Kentucky and Indiana Friday evening.
Tornadoes were reported just north and south of the Louisville region, and strong storms knocked out power for tens of thousands in the area.
We’ve already had several reports of trees down in several parts of the region.
Have storm damage to show us? Email newstips@wlky.com
The region was under a moderate risk for severe weather or a level 4 out of 5.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – West Virginia native, actress and philanthropist Jennifer Garner is back in her hometown of Charleston.
On Friday, she served as the keynote speaker for the West Virginia Education Summit.
WSAZ’s Taylor Eaton got the chance to sit down with Garner to chat about her passion to help children, giving back to her home state and how her upbringing here has shaped her.
It was also a very special time for her to be home because Friday is her mom’s birthday.
NEW YORK (AP) — The slang term at the center of a political brouhaha swirling around former FBI Director James Comey is an old one, likely originating as food-service-industry jargon before extending to other contexts. Some of that spread has given rise to accusations from Republicans that it was meant as a threat to President Donald Trump.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” to accompany a photo of shells displayed in the shapes of “86 47.”
He said in a follow-up post that he took it only as a political message since Trump is the 47th president, and to “86” something can be to get rid of it, like a rowdy patron at a bar or something that is no longer wanted.
But Trump and other Republicans took it more ominously. They say Comey, with whom Trump has had a contentious relationship, was advocating violence against the Republican president, given that the slang term has at times been used as a way to mean someone’s killing.
It probably started in restaurants nearly a century ago
The slang origins of “86” go back to codes used in diners and restaurants as staff shorthand in the 1930s or so, said Jesse Sheidlower, adjunct assistant professor in Columbia University’s writing program and formerly editor-at-large for the Oxford English Dictionary.
It meant that something on the menu was no longer available. Over time, he said, related uses developed.
“The original sense is, we are out of an item. But there are a bunch of obvious metaphorical extensions for this,” he said. “86 is something that’s not there, something that shouldn’t be there like an undesirable customer. Then it’s a verb, meaning to throw someone out. These are fairly obvious and clear semantic development from the idea of being out of something.”
He said there have been uses of it as a euphemism for killing someone, as in certain fiction stories, but that usage is not nearly as widespread. More likely it means to jettison something that is no longer useful — a definition parodied in the popular 1960s TV show “Get Smart,” whose lead character was known — wink, nudge — as Agent 86.
That type of meaning is reflected in the entry for “86” from Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press. That definition says the meaning is “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” While referencing that there have been uses of it to mean killing, the dictionary said, “We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”
But Trump and his administration insist that was the intent of the usage in Comey’s initial post Thursday.
“He knew exactly what that meant,” Trump said during a Fox News interview Friday. “A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”
The usage has prompted a federal investigation
Trump’s administration is investigating.
Comey said on social media: “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.”
The relationship between the president and Comey has been strained for years. Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017, early in Trump’s first term. In 2018, in a book, Comey said Trump was unethical and “untethered to truth.”
That a slang reference can cause this kind of agita is not surprising, especially not at a time like the one we are living in, said Nicole Holliday, acting associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.
“I think that because we are in a hyperpartisan, polarized culture, everything is a Rorschach test,” she said. “We’re very sensitive about any indication that people are part of our in group or part of the out group.”
Language can be a fraught subject because language and the meaning of words can be fluid based on context or culture or other factors. “We’re always kind of navigating this issue of, ‘Well, I said this word and it meant X. But you heard this word and you thought it meant Y,’” she said.
That navigation can be hard enough when it’s person-to-person direct conversation. Taking it online the way much of our modern discourse is makes it even more so, she said.
“In real life, when you have a conversation with a human being, you are negotiating meaning. (But) when somebody posts … There’s no space. This is why people are always arguing themselves to death in the comments,” Holliday said.
“We’re not meant to communicate like this about serious issues,” she said. “Really, we’re not.”
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Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
