KTTZ

Tornado In Moore, Okla.: Friday's Developments

Mark Memmott — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

As the residents of Moore, Okla., and surrounding communities continue to recover from Monday's devastating tornado that killed at least 24 people and injured more than 375, we're keeping an eye on the news from there:

-- Oklahoma City's KOCO-TV reports that "Moore Police will be removing checkpoints into affected areas in the city

Community Surprised Okla. Tornado Death Toll Wasn't Higher

Hansi Lo Wang — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:49:00 +0000

Monday's tornado in Moore, Okla., killed 24 people and caused an estimated $2.2 billion worth of damage. As the community reflects on what happened, one question is: How did so many managed to survive such devastating destruction?

Lifelong Oklahoman Kristi Freeman has seen her share of tornadoes, but she says the twister that tore through her neighborhood was something else.

"This tornado was like a monster. It was like something that was alive. It destroyed your peace, your comfort," she says.

Developing: Explosion, Gunfire In Kabul

Mark Memmott — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:34:00 +0000
There's been an explosion followed by the sound of gunfire in Kabul, NPR's Sean Carberry and other journalists report from the Afghan capital.
Reuters reports that the explosion occurred "at about 4 p.m. local time in a downtown district. ...

Assad Regime Agrees To Attend Peace Conference, Russia Says

Mark Memmott — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:13:00 +0000
Representatives of President Bashar Assad's regime have agreed "in principle" to attend an international peace conference aimed at ending more than two years of brutal warfare in Syria, Russia's foreign ministry said Friday.
But NPR's Corey Flintoff reports from Moscow that Russian diplomats also said it's not known just when such talks might start because it's unclear who would speak for the groups who have been fighting to overthrow the regime.

Book News: Judge's Comments Bruising To Apple's Price-Fixing Case

Annalisa Quinn — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:32:00 +0000
The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.
U.S.

'White Flash And Cold Water' After Bridge Collapse In Wash.

Mark Memmott — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:03:00 +0000
Miracle is the word that comes to Dan Sligh's mind after he and his wife, Sally, survived a plunge off a highway bridge in Washington State on Thursday evening.
Sligh tells The Seattle Times that they were driving on Interstate 5 near Mount Vernon, Wash., around 7 p.m. local time when he saw a truck carrying a heavy load strike the southbound side of a bridge over the Skagit River.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Uses Wrong Skyline On His Homepage

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:01:00 +0000
Some photos on Twitter ended Anthony Weiner's congressional career. The latest online image was not quite as damaging. Weiner has launched his campaign to be mayor of New York City. A gorgeous city skyline showed up on his homepage. But it wasn't of New York. It was Pittsburgh's skyline.

Germany's Beer Makers Come Against Fracking

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:56:00 +0000
Fracking is a way of bringing up natural gas by pumping water and chemicals into the ground. Germany's powerful beer industry is worried that fracking would pollute groundwater.

Boy Scouts 'Moving Forward' Vote To Allow Gay Members

Kathy Lohr — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000
The Boy Scouts of America has decided to allow openly gay Scouts to join the organization but not gay Scout leaders. Sixty-one percent of the National Council members who cast ballots supported the controversial proposal.

Obama Tweaks U.S. Vision For Fight Against Terrorism

Dina Temple-Raston — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000
President Obama discussed America's counter-terrorism strategy — including the use of drones and the prison at Guantanamo Bay — during an address at the National Defense University on Thursday. He rejected the idea that the country can fight an open-ended "global war on terror."