From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

A powerful storm that wreaked chaos across the middle west US is continuing. It's east toward March, bringing with it rain, powerful winds and possibly more tornados. Kentucky residents say they have sighted twisters today. They are part of a large powerful system that have killed at least 9 people in multiple states. Among the hardest communities is the Harrisburg, Illinois where at least 6 deaths are reported. Jennifer Fuller is with WSIU Radio, she says that not everyone may have been aware the warning Illinois had gone off.   There were warnings going out throughout this morning, at this time of the March, It crossed southern Illinois from the Mississippi River, and Mississippi River to the Ohio River. But there probably were people who had little or no notice. Because it was night time and they were asleep.It's ironic that just this week the Illinois emergency management agency was telling people to be ready for storm season in March and have those weather radios handy. So hopefully there were a few people that they heeded that warning and had them. Jennifer Fuller reporting.

Missouri is reporting three more deaths from the overnight storm. from member station KSMU in Springfield says the damage there is widespread.

Houses are destroyed, cars destroyed, you know, trees are just uprooted all over the place. Just volunteers right now that are cutting  down trees and down the power lines all over the place. People can't get in, people can't get out. I believe over 6,000 people are without power and drinks in this area right now. of KSMU.

In Syria, fighting has intensified in the embattled city of Homs. NPR's Kelly McEvers reports residents say the Syrian armies try to enter one embattled neighborhood and opposition rebels are fighting back.

Activists inside the Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, say the army which had been bombarding the area from a far is now surrounding it up close. They say armed rebels are fighting fierce clashes with the army. One Syrian official had threaten to clean the area by the end of  the day. The neighborhood that has seen some of the most fierce resistance to the government has been under government siege for nearly a month. This latest fighting comes after a group of dozens of journalists and activists trying to flee Baba Amr was ambushed. That group managed to help British photo journalist Paul Conroy and several Syrian activists to flee the country. But as the Humanitarian crisis gets worse, many other  activists, civilians and western journalists remain. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Beirut.

Here we come. Dave Jones, a former member of the 1960s made-for-TV pop band, the Monkees, has died. A spokesperson for the actor and musician says Jones passed away this morning in Florida of an apparent heart attack. Dave Jones was 66 years old.

You are listening to NPR News.

The Air Force's top general Norton Schwarz says the decision by a military mortuary to incinerate a dump in landfill, the remains of some people killed in 911 attacks was in line with instructions from a top Pentagon official at the time. NPR's Craig Windham reports Schwarz says the guidance came from David Chu who was the Pentagon's personnel chief during the George W. Bush Administration.

A new Pentagon review has found the remains in question could not be tested or identified at the Dover Air Force Base mortuary, so they could have been for either victims or hijackers. But Air Force Secretary Michael Donley says the remain should not have ended up in a landfill.

Prayer practices were not appropriate.

Retired General John Abizaid who led the Pentagon probe says the mortuary changed its practices in 2008.

The fallen remains are taken out to sea and they are buried at sea.

Abizaid said that applies to unidentified remains and to partial remains of troops whose families give permission for bury at sea. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

A search continues for three people who on board a US Coast Guard helicopter when it crashed on Alabama's gulf coast last night. Authorities say a fourth crew member has died. Divers were attempting to get inside the aircraft that submerged in Mobile Bay, near Point Clear. Fog has hampered the air search.