Obama Visits Joplin
Exactly a week after Joplin was hit by the deadliest tornado to strike the U.S in decades, President Barack Obama visited the Missouri city to offer hope to survivors and promises of help. Obama took to the stage during the Joplin Community Memorial Service, delivering a message of hope and support.
Along with promises to help rebuild the devastated community, Obama honored some of Joplin’s “heroes,” whom he says acted swiftly – often at the expense of their own lives – to save those around them.
“In a split-second moment, where there’s little time for internal reflection or debate, the actions of these individuals were driven by love: love for a family member, love for a friend, or just love for a fellow human being," said Obama.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon also reflected on Joplin residents and volunteers from all over the country.
“That storm, the likes of which we have never seen, has brought forth a spirit of resilience, the likes of which we’ve also never seen," said Nixon.
More than 130 people were killed in the storm. Authorities are still trying to identify victims and volunteers are combing through the demolished neighborhoods.
Thirty-nine People Still Unaccounted for in Joplin
The Missouri Department of Public Safety says there are now 39 people who remain unaccounted for, plus four others whose families have reported them dead a week after a massive tornado hit Joplin, Mo. DPS says those four haven't been officially confirmed dead, however.
More than 130 people have been reported killed in the storm that hit Joplin a week ago. The tornado - an EF-5 packing 200 mph winds - injured more than 900 people. Tallying and identifying the dead and the missing has proven a complex and sometimes confusing exercise for authorities and loved ones.
Ill. House Rejects Overhaul of Workers' Compensation System
A major overhaul of Illinois' costly workers' compensation system has failed in the House. The vote Sunday night was 55-39. It needed 60 votes to pass.
Before the vote, supporters said that if the overhaul was rejected they would move forward with a plan to completely eliminate workers' compensation in Illinois.
The overhaul was supposed to cut business costs by more than $500 million. It reduced fees businesses pay to doctors by 30 percent. It also established guidelines for determining an injury's severity, created a medical network for handling workers' compensation cases and capped awards for carpal tunnel syndrome. Critics said it did not go far enough.