National News Stories from NBC

While Oklahoma begins to clean up after a ferocious tornado, the site of one of the worst twisters in American history — Joplin, Mo., a little more than 200 miles away — is marking a solemn anniversary.

The Arizona jury deliberating on whether Jodi Arias deserves the death penalty for the brutal murder of her former boyfriend questioned the judge in the case on Wednesday about what to do if they can't reach a decision.

Philadelphia Police say minutes after two men were kicked out of a gentleman's club, one of them returned, brandishing an AK-47. Surveillance video released today shows the man, who police identify as Henry Pettigrew, running from the parking lot into the…

For many, it's impossible to view the heartbreaking stories coming out of Oklahoma and not feel an overwhelming urge to do something. But following your first impulse to help could just lead to more heartbreak, as many charitable givers often fall prey to…

MOORE, Okla. – On a soggy, miserable afternoon in Oklahoma, the search for survivors hit home. Sgt. Jennifer Wehr has lived in the state for the last 10 years. “Words can't describe everything we've been seeing right now,” she said. The …

By Elizabeth Chuck and Gabe Gutierrez, NBC News A mother who sought shelter in a 7-Eleven that collapsed under the force of tornado winds, killing both her and her four-month-old son, are among the victims whose names were released by Oklahoma's chief med…

Cub Scout Pack 215 in rural Arkansas is waiting for a vote that could mean big changes for their tiny outfit. That’s because of a decision being made Thursday at the national Boy Scouts of America annual meeting that will have ramifications for thei…

A man with ties to the Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot and killed after attacking an FBI agent during questioning in Florida, law enforcement officials said on Wednesday. The man who was shot, Ibragim Todashev, 27, allegedly att…

The tornado that roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs earlier this week damaged or destroyed as many as 13,000 homes and did as much as $2 billion in damage, authorities said Wednesday. The figures underscored the colossal task facing emergency crews …

An area stretching from the lower Great Lakes to the Tennessee Valley was expected to be hit by severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, forecasters warned. The National Weather Service said that the “primary threats” would be damaging winds and lar…

Rhonda Crosswhite, a sixth-grade math at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., said the idea that school might be canceled Monday because of a looming tornado had never even crossed her mind. “We never think that’s an option,” …

Tornado warnings were in effect all over the map on Tuesday, with areas from the Midwest to the Northeast being advised to take precautions during what was another day of wild and severe weather. There were no significant tornado threats overnight, but…

MOORE, Okla. – In the rubble of their flattened home, under a car and in a smashed kennel, were the two remaining members of the Hendricks' family: a pair of chihuahuas, Lola and Louie, who survived the monster tornado that struck this Oklahoma town…

A 9-year-old girl who was "always smiling" is among the first of the Oklahoma tornado victims to be identified. Third-grader Ja'Nae Hornsby was one of the students who perished when the twister demolished Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla. on …

As evening drew to a close in Oklahoma, after a day of tireless searching for survivors among the debris left behind by a powerful tornado, officials said the operation could end by nightfall Tuesday. "We will be through every damaged piece of property in…