There were hugs and tears, smiles and laughter on Thursday, as students and teachers from Plaza Towers Elementary School, destroyed in Monday's tornado in Moore, Okla., reunited. The school district reopened all of its schools just for the day on what would have been the final day of classes before summer vacation.

In Moore, Okla., schools opened their doors today to give students and teachers a chance to reconnect once more before the summer.

Search and rescue teams continue digging through the rubble of demolished buildings in Moore, Okla., after Monday's devastating tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburbs. Officials there say there are still some people unaccounted for — exactly how many isn't clear.

Influential Chicagoan Penny Pritkzer has been tapped by President Obama to lead the Commerce Department.

"Poor Chicago." That's how a piece in the New York Times Sunday Book Review begins. The essay goes on to criticize the Windy City for everything from political corruption and violent crime to the weather and the Cubs never winning. Most of all, the author attacks Chicago's boosterism and swagger in spite of it's problems, and predictably, it's touched a nerve in the Second City.

The Mississippi's stakeholders met recently to discuss the river's pressing needs, any common ground and how to speak with one voice in advocating for the nation's largest river system. Currently, the river has what one stakeholder calls "800 parents" — and that leaves the river an orphan.

With the marathon bombing suspect captured and in the hospital, Boston is returning to a new kind of normal. Questions remain about how Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be investigated. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is asking everyone in his state to observe a moment of silence at 2:50 p.m. Monday.

The tension last week in Boston culminated in a day-long lockdown for most people. Public transit wasn't operating, stores were closed and kids stayed home from school. With the capture of the bombing suspect, Bostonians emerged from their homes and are slowly resuming life as usual. NPR's David Schaper reports.

Amid tense talk about renovating Wrigley Field, the grisly delivery has inspired talk of curses and threats in Chicago. When the head arrived, politicos immediately suspected the rough-and-tumble mayor. But his spokesman said Rahm Emanuel only sends dead fish.

Legendary Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, seems magical for some fans — with its red brick walls, green ivy and sun-splashed bleachers. But the nearly 100-old-building is falling apart. The Cubs want to spend $300 million to renovate Wrigley if they are allowed to change the landmarked structure. That's got Wrigley's neighbors crying foul. Nearby buildings have bleachers on their rooftops and the owners charge admission to watch games from there. The owners fear a renovation would include jumbotrons and the like, which would block their rooftop views. And they could be right. Every other major league team rakes in huge sums from advertising on massive signs and screens.

Students, parents and teachers at close to fifty Chicago public schools find out today that their schools will likely be closed this summer. Leaders in the nation's third largest school system say they need to close and consolidate underutilized schools to save money.

For only the second time ever, the Securities and Exchange Commission is charging a state with fraud, for allegedly misleading investors about the health of its pension funds. The SEC says the state of Illinois did not properly inform investors that its pension funds were significantly underfunded when selling bonds from 2005 to 2009. This is the latest fiscal black eye for a state with a pension shortfall approaching a whopping $100 billion. The state has agreed to settle the charges.

The Wells Street drawbridge carries cars, buses, bikes, pedestrians and elevated trains across the Chicago River. Half of the 91-year-old bridge will be replaced in just nine days. The project is so complex that one Chicago transportation official compares it to open heart surgery.

Former Illinois legislator Robin Kelly has captured the Democratic nomination in the race to replace disgraced former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. She is all but assured a win in April's general election because the Chicago-area district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

Federal taxpayers will pay the lion's share of the restoration for the Jersey shore damage caused by Sandy. But since most of those who will benefit are private landowners on the shore, one N.J. lawmaker wants to prohibit the shore towns from charging access fees to their public beaches.

A month after Hurricane Sandy pounded the New Jersey Shore, Atlantic City is back in business. Even though most of the casinos, restaurants and the famous boardwalk sustained very little damage in the storm, they're now suffering from a lack of visitors.