A vicious series of tornadoes and storms cut across the south yesterday, killing 61 in Alabama alone. As a result of the storms, flood waters are breaching levees across the Midwest. 

Reports say 194 people across the southern United States are dead after tornadoes and storms ripped across the region—and that number is expected to climb. An estimated mile-wide tornado struck the town of Tuscaloosa, where there's a University of Alabama campus. Katelyn Ingram is a sophomore there; she talks with us about her experience with the storm. Harold Brooks, research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, also weighs in.

The final run-up to Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding is in full swing. Are the flowers arranged just so? Is the guest list finalized and the seating arrangement appropriate? We check in with veteran BBC broadcaster Dan Damon, to get a preview of the noble affair taking place Friday. 

In 2008, the government offered an $85 billion bailout to American International Group Inc., one of the world's largest insurance companies, in order to prevent its collapse. When AIG accepted the bailout, it waived its right to sue banks over most of the mortgage securities that it had acquired. But, it did not give up its right to pursue legal action regarding $40 billion of mortgage bonds it purchased directly from banks. In an exclusive story for The New York Times, finance reporter Louise Story explains how AIG is now going after hedge funds and banks to try to recover billions in losses related to mortgage securities that caused the financial collapse in 2008. 

Despite reports over the weekend that Colonel Gaddafi's forces were pulling out of the city of Misrata, the uprising against Gadaffi and fighting there continues, as do his attempts to crush the rebellion. BBC reporter John Sudworth reports from the region.

Why are so many Americans so excited about the British royal wedding? Didn't we fight to get out from under the thumb of the monarchy? We talk with American royal wedding enthusiasts, a British-American souvenir shop owner, and a historian about our strange fondness for the British crown.

Hundreds of tornadoes touched down across the southern United States yesterday, and the death toll keeps rising, making it the worst single day for tornadoes in almost 40 years.

For our troops fighting in Afghanistan, there may be a new threat, beyond the constant worry of enemy fire which occurs in the field. This new threat is growing behind friendly lines. According to Stars and Stripes, at least 38 coalition troops have been killed by Afghan Security forces undergoing routine  training. Two weeks ago, 5 NATO troops were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber who enlisted as an Afghan National Army soldier.

The Tribeca Film Festival kicked off in New York last week. The festival, known to most for its celebrity backer, Robert De Niro, is in its tenth year and has become something of a showcase for independent film. It also features films by young people — students who are nurtured and educated through the Tribeca Film Institute.

President Obama is expected to announce this week new appointments for top posts in his national security team. Leon Panetta, the current director of central intelligence, will be named as defense secretary. General David Petraeus, who is currently the top commander in Afghanistan, is expected to be named as director of the CIA. These announcements come as Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans on stepping down from his post this summer. We talk with Mark Landler, reporter for our partner The New York Times, to help preview Obama's new national security team.

It was hard to tell who was more lucky last night: President Barack Obama being at a show with The Roots or The Roots being at a show with the president. But it wasn't luck that made it happen; President Obama's attendance at their concert follows a recent talk before Facebook nation at their headquarters in Palo Alto, and a speech on the economy at George Washington University. These appearances, plus the launch of Gen44, is an attempt by the President to reach out to America's youth — a key demographic that helped him secure his victory in 2008. We talk with Anna Sale, reporter for WNYC's politics website, It's a Free Country.

This spring, we’re having discussions some of America’s most fascinating elder statesmen: older Americans who are long past retirement age, but who are nonetheless still working to change how we live and work in this country. We’re calling this series “In My Experience.” Today, our guest is screenwriter, novelist, essayist, playwright, and gay rights activist, Larry Kramer. The Broadway revival of his 1985 critically acclaimed play “The Normal Heart,” opened this week.

At least 194 people across the southern United States are dead after tornadoes and storms ripped across the region. An estimated mile-wide tornado struck the town of Tuscaloosa, Ala. At least 128 people were reported killed by storms in Alabama alone, with 32 in Mississippi, 11 in Georgia and 1 in Tennessee and Virginia. Katelyn Ingram, a sophomore at the University of Alabama, tells us about her experience with the storm. Harold Brooks, research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory shares his expertise, and Takeaway news writer David Ingram, a Birmingham native, weighs in.

The largest wave of tornadoes in nearly 40 years has killed nearly 200 people. One tornado in the city of Tuscaloosa measured as an F-5 level twister, with winds of almost 200 miles per hour. John Deblock, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Ala., speaks with us about the storms. 

Yesterday, President Obama tried to dissuade Americans from getting distracted over whether he’s an American citizen. Then reality TV star and presidential hopeful Donald Trump quickly took credit for Obama’s move to release his long form birth certificate. Now Trump is flirting with the idea of prolonging the issue with concerns over the certificate’s authenticity and concerns over whether Obama should open up his academic records from his undergraduate work at Occidental College. Is the birther issue over?  And how do conspiracy theories like these become full blown political issues?