Topic: Mike Smith

Joplin, Missouri, tornado: Warnings pale in season of violent twisters

Residents of Joplin, Missouri, had about 20 minutes of warning before a tornado strike Sunday. But this spring, early warnings have not been enough to prevent high death tolls from tornadoes.

St. Louis tornado strongest so far for this season

St. Louis tornado on Friday flattened houses and shredded the roof of a crowded airport terminal. It is rated the second-highest level on the Enhanced-Fujita tornado damage scale, EF-4, a first for this year's tornado season. No one reported to be killed.

Six lessons from the BP oil spill

What the tragedy of the BP oil spill has taught us about regulations, technology, and how our energy diet must change.

Google Chrome OS, Mac browser get polished for the holidays

Google's OS is said to be a week away, and developers are putting the final touches on a public beta of the Mac version of its browser.

Kids on the fast track

Drifting Leaves: They’re all legs

Why didn’t S.C. paper publish Sanford’s love letters sooner?

The State received the governor’s missives to his Argentine lover in an anonymous e-mail in December.

Google on Chrome for Mac: "Please don't download!"

America’s wind corridor

From Minnesota to Texas, wind power sweeps new jobs into old-tech towns.

How prudent donors can follow their dollars

Accountability means treating a gift as an investment to ensure a quality return.