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42 minutes ago
During Tornado, Trapped Students Had Nowhere to Hide
When the sirens began wailing and teachers at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., heard that a huge tornado was heading toward them, there was nowhere to hide.
They crouched in hallways and bathrooms, waiting, hoping and praying. Then "the school started coming apart," one neighbor who sought shelter at the school told The Associated Press. A teacher told NBC station KFOR that she draped herself on top of six children in a bathroom to shelter them. The twister hit the school at about 200 mph at 3 p.m. local time, tearing off the roof and killing seven children. Officials said the children drowned in a pool of water. As of Tuesday morning, it is still unclear if any other children were killed or trapped alive.
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42 minutes ago
More "Devastating" Tornadoes Possible Tuesday
About 9.5 million people remained under the threat of more "large and devastating" tornadoes Tuesday as the storm system that devastated the suburbs of Oklahoma City moved east, forecasters warned.
Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said early Tuesday that the threat area appeared to be east and south of Oklahoma City.
"Tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail are possible throughout the threat area," Roth said.
He added that cities including Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Shreveport, Texarkana and Little Rock were among the cities "close to the the larger tornado threat." The National Weather Service said storms were expected Tuesday "from the Great Lakes across the Mississippi River Valley and into central Texas."
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17 minutes ago
WATCH: IRS Officials Face Questions on Scandal
Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, the Bush-era appointee who served during much of the time that the IRS targeting of conservatives took place, testified Tuesday that he was not aware of all the facts surrounding the abuses until earlier this month. Steven Miller, the acting IRS commissioner who resigned last week amid outrage over the scandal, also testified before the Senate Finance Committee. He said he was responsible for having another IRS official, Lois Lerner, answer a planted question at an American Bar Association panel discussion to publicly reveal the targeting of Tea Party groups and other conservatives, NBC News reported. Miller said his original plan for was the IRS to simultaneously brief Capitol Hill about the forthcoming inspector’s general report that detailed the abuses. “Obviously, the entire thing was an incredibly bad idea,” Miller said.
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42 minutes ago
How to Help Tornado Victims
AP
Local schools, churches and community organizations are coordinating food and shelter for displaced residents and accepting donations of food, blankets and other items in the wake of a massive tornado that struck Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon. The Red Cross has set up shelters in various communities. You can donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund here, and the organization also suggests giving blood at your local hospital or blood bank. You can also donate to the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief fund and donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." The Salvation Army is organizing disaster response units to serve hard-hit areas in central Oklahoma, including Moore, where it is sending mobile kitchens that can serve meals to 2,500 people a day, and to South Oklahoma City.
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42 minutes ago
WATCH: Time-Lapse of Tornado's Path of Destruction
A massive two-mile-wide tornado rips through southern Oklahoma City on Monday. This footage has been sped up by 10X.
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 3:32 PM
White House Aides Learned of IRS Details in April, But Didn't Tell Obama
The White House learned of a report that detailed the IRS' targeting of conservative groups in late April, but the administration's top spokesperson maintained on Monday that President Barack Obama was not notified at the time, NBC News reported. White House press secretary Jay Carney said in his daily press briefing on Monday that White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler was informed of the report on April 24, which she in turn told senior staff, though those details were never conveyed to Obama, Carney said. Carney characterized the administration's handling of the information as fairly routine. The new details from Monday's briefing come amid growing Republican clamor for more information about who in the White House knew about the IRS investigation and when.
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 11:32 PM
Arias Witness Withdraws Amid Death Threats
AP
Convicted killer Jodi Arias' childhood friend planned to testify, but decided on Monday that she could not go through with it, NBC News reported. The potential witness, Patricia Womack, planned to testify about Arias' abusive childhood, but backed out because she said she was receiving death threats and was deeply conflicted about the case. “I couldn’t do it,” she told NBC News in an email. “I feel there is so much good in Jodi to be saved but then also someone’s dear life was taken.” The sentencing phase of Arias' trial continued on Monday to determine whether to sentence her to death or life in prison for the killing of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. Last week, the jury ruled that Arias acted with extreme cruelty, making her eligible for the death penalty. Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi is attempting to secure a life sentence for his client. Arias was briefly placed on suicide watch after her conviction on May 8. In an interview with KSAZ-TV of Phoenix, Arias said she would "rather get death than life" and that death was the "ultimate freedom."
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Arizona Killer Jodi Arias Set to Take Stand in Defense of Her Life
AP
Convicted killer Jodi Arias will take the stand on Monday to address the jury before they make a decision whether to sentence her to death or life in prison for the killing of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander, NBC News reports. Last week, the jury ruled that Arias acted with extreme cruelty, making her eligible for the death penalty. Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi is attempting to secure a life sentence for his client. "When you understand who Ms. Arias is, you will understand that life is the appropriate sentence,” he told jurors at the start of the sentencing process last week. Arias was briefly placed on suicide watch after her conviction on May 8. In an interview with KSAZ-TV of Phoenix, Arias said she would "rather get death than life" and that death was the "ultimate freedom."
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 10:36 AM
Kerry: Diplomatic Missions Dangerous Well Before Benghazi
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 12:44 PM
Car Bomb Explosions in Baghdad Kill More Than 60
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 9:00 AM
Small Fla. Town Awaits Reveal of Powerball Winner
NBC 6 South Florida
Zephyrhills, Fla., has been known for its bottled water and as a place where thrill seekers come from around the world to skydive. Now the town of 13,337 about 30 miles northeast of Tampa is famous for being where Saturday’s sole winning $590.5 million Powerball ticket was sold. Residents are wondering if one of their neighbors bought the winning ticket at a Publix supermarket. It typically takes days or weeks for big winners to come forward.
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 6:45 AM
“Extremely Challenging” Commute Expected After Conn. Train Crash
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy warned of an “extremely challenging” commute Monday following Friday’s train crash and suggested that those planning to head into New York stay home instead. He said highways in southwest Connecticut could turn into a giant “parking lot” at rush hour should the 30,000 who normally take the train to the Big Apple drive instead, NBC News reported. Malloy said that residents should “plan for a week’s worth of disruptions” as authorities work to repair damage to the Metro-North commuter rail line. Seventy-two people were injured Friday after one train heading east from New York derailed then was struck by a westbound train outside Bridgeport.
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 6:17 AM
North Korea Fires More Missiles, Condemns U.S and South
AP
North Korea fired two short-range missiles on Monday, making six launches in three days, Reuters reported. North Korea fired both missiles into the sea off the North's east coast, according to South Korean officials. The launches come after more than two months of threats from North Korea that it would wage a nuclear war against South Korea and the United States. The North Monday reiterated its condemnation of joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises, which ended in late April. "Our military is conducting these exercises in order to cope with the mounting war measures from the U.S. and South Korea, which is the legitimate right of any sovereign country," North Korea's KCNA news agency quoted the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea as saying.
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1 minute ago
Tragedy in Oklahoma: Search and Rescue
AP
Rescue teams combed through flattened homes for survivors Tuesday and President Obama vowed to help victims get needed assistance "right away" after a massive tornado tore through the suburbs of Oklahoma City, killing at least 24 people, NBC News reported. Gov. Mary Fallin said there were 237 injuries "that we know of" and there were no firm numbers on those killed. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office earlier confirmed that nine children were among 24 confirmed dead. There were 19 people killed in heavily hit Moore, police said. Seven of the dead were children who drowned at Plaza Towers Elementary School, where a teacher said she huddled with students in a bathroom as the storm hit. Forecasters said the tornado, with winds up to 200 mph, could be an EF4, the second-strongest category. The tornado tore a 20-mile path during its 40 minutes on the ground, while kicking up a cloud of debris perhaps two miles wide. "Our prayers are with the people of Oklahoma today," Obama said after earlier declaring a major disaster for Oklahoma and ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area. He pledged to "back up those prayers with deeds."
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Monday, May 20, 2013 at 6:26 AM
U.S. Diplomat in Spy Flap Leaves Moscow, Russian TV Reports
AP
The U.S. diplomat who Russia claimed tried to recruit one of its intelligence officials to spy for the CIA has left Moscow, according to NTV, a Russian TV station loyal to the government. The NTV broadcast appeared to show the U.S. embassy employee, Ryan Christian Fogle, moving through security at a Moscow airport on Sunday. His flight left on Sunday, according to The Associated Press and the BBC, although it was unclear where Fogle was heading. The U.S. Embassy has refused to comment on details of the case.
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