Posted below you will find a live up-to-date news feed of CNN Top Stories. The world is interconnected, and it is vital to remain current in global affairs.

• Those who witnessed the violent tornado that tore through Missouri's capital say it 'felt like an earthquake' May 23, 2019 1:57 pm
  As many were sleeping late Wednesday night, Missouri's capital took a direct hit from a tornado -- one of many bringing chaos to the central United States.
• It's morning in Jefferson City. Here's what it looks like now. May 23, 2019 2:02 pm
• Flooded river swallows whole house May 23, 2019 1:19 pm
  A series of tornadoes struck the central US, damaging homes and businesses in Missouri's capital, Jefferson City, and across the state. Floods have also hit Oklahoma and Kansas.
• A trucker was on the road when a tornado hit. It blew a house underneath his trailer May 23, 2019 1:28 pm
  David Bell was in his truck on the side of the highway when a tornado hit Missouri's capital of Jefferson City. As the winds shrieked around him, houses collapsed, transformers blew out in flashes and trees snapped.
• Jefferson City resident: Area looks like a war zone May 23, 2019 8:28 am
  Eric Cunningham, an eyewitness to the tornado that ravaged Jefferson City, Missouri, details how electrical power lines in the city snapped and were "tossed like toys."
• Tornado sent debris 13,000 feet into the air May 23, 2019 6:23 am
  A tornado in Missouri caught sleeping residents off guard late Wednesday night, as a series of storms continued to bring chaos across the state, Oklahoma and Kansas.
• Trump walkout marks point of no return May 23, 2019 12:45 pm
  President Donald Trump seems to have realized that despite the end of the Mueller probe, his administration may never escape the vise handed to Democrats by their midterm election wins last year.
• Cooper: Here's what Trump does when he's lying May 23, 2019 12:36 am
  CNN's Anderson Cooper says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comment that she believes that President Donald Trump is engaging in a "cover-up," is getting under Trump's skin.
• Tillerson told lawmakers Putin was more prepared than Trump in meeting May 23, 2019 12:46 pm
  Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told lawmakers that Russian President Vladimir Putin was more prepared than President Donald Trump for their meeting in Hamburg, Germany, putting US officials at a disadvantage, a Democratic House Foreign Affairs committee aide told CNN Wednesday.
• Dow tumbles nearly 400 points as trade war worries weigh on markets May 23, 2019 1:41 pm
  The Dow fell more than 300 points Thursday as investors grow increasingly worried about the US-China trade war.
• Analysis: Most presidents don't pardon murderers. Trump did, and may again. May 23, 2019 5:44 am
  Where the military sees possible war crimes, President Donald Trump sees injustice.
• Trump tweets that Tillerson is 'dumb as a rock' May 23, 2019 1:15 pm
  White House press secretary Sarah Sanders reacts to President Trump's tweet calling Rex Tillerson "ill prepared and ill equipped to be Secretary of State."
• Analysis: The 10 Democrats most likely to be the 2020 nominee, ranked May 23, 2019 2:12 pm
  The first debates are coming.
• Burnett: This struck a nerve with Trump May 22, 2019 11:38 pm
  CNN's Erin Burnett looks at President Trump's response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's claim that she believes Trump is "engaged in a cover-up."
• Prisoner believed to have spent the longest time in solitary confinement dies May 23, 2019 1:39 pm
  Thomas Silverstein, a triple murderer who spent decades in solitary confinement in federal prison, died at a Colorado hospital this month, officials said Wednesday.
• India's Modi appears to have won a resounding victory
• Avlon: Infrastructure again derailed by partisanship May 23, 2019 1:14 pm
  CNN's John Avlon breaks down the fallout from President Trump's Infrastructure Week feud with Democrats.
• Documents: Disabled woman who gave birth at care facility was likely pregnant before May 23, 2019 1:24 pm
  A disabled woman who gave birth at an Arizona long-term care facility had been raped repeatedly, and had likely been pregnant before, new documents allege.
• Geoffrey Rush wins $1.9 million payout on #MeToo defamation case May 23, 2019 11:34 am
  Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush has been awarded $2.9 million Australian dollars (over $1.9 million USD) after winning his defamation case against a Sydney newspaper publisher and journalist, CNN affiliate SBS News reported Thursday.
• Yes, abortion activists use religious language. But it's still about politics May 23, 2019 1:52 pm
  When Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed her state's new abortion law, she called it a "powerful testament" to the belief that "every life is a sacred gift from God."
• Trump admin announces $16 billion farmer bailout plan amid China trade war May 23, 2019 2:06 pm
  The federal government will spend an additional $16 billion to help farmers hurt by the US-China trade war, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Thursday.
• Student dies in fall while taking photos May 23, 2019 12:41 pm
  An Oregon State University student died Sunday after falling approximately 100 feet while taking photographs at a scenic coastal viewpoint along Highway 101, according to the Tillamook County Sheriff's Office.
• 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh is released
• Mario Batali faces criminal charge May 23, 2019 12:41 pm
  Celebrity chef Mario Batali is facing a criminal charge in Boston after a woman reported that he groped her in March 2017.
• Bucks head coach is over Drake's sideline antics
• Thousands of cancer diagnoses tied to a poor diet, study finds May 22, 2019 6:09 pm
  Your diet may have more impact on your cancer risk than you might think, a new study has found.
• Jamie Foxx and Will Ferrell perform sitcoms live May 23, 2019 5:14 am
  Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel paired up with show creator Norman Lear to do a one-time live performance of iconic sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons."
• NBA star threatened to go back to Europe
• Cop schools playground kids with half-court shot May 22, 2019 4:48 pm
  A police officer in Los Angeles surprised kids by nailing a blind half-court shot.
• Softball team uses hidden ball trick to win
• Car hit by train after avoiding crossing arm May 22, 2019 3:40 pm
  A police cruiser was struck by an oncoming train when a Texas sheriff's deputy drove around a lowered crossing arm.
• Disney's plan to expand the Star Wars galaxy: Make the fantasy real
• J.J. Abrams reveals how Carrie Fisher is incorporated in new film May 23, 2019 4:45 am
  Disney knew it wouldn't recast Princess Leia in the new movie "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." And a digital version of the late Carrie Fisher wouldn't do her or the character justice. But the director found another option.
• Watch 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' trailer April 12, 2019 9:03 pm
  Disney is coming out with the last movie in the Skywalker saga. Here's why "Star Wars" has been a cash cow for the company.
• We got a look at Disney's 'Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge' May 3, 2019 5:49 pm
  "Star Wars" fans have a lot to look forward to in 2019. "The Mandalorian" debuts on Disney+ in November and "The Rise of Skywalker" hits theaters the following month. But for those who want to feel like they've truly been transported to a certain galaxy far, far away, nothing will rival the immersive experience of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
• Disney announces dates for three 'Star Wars' films May 8, 2019 8:16 pm
  Disney announced on Tuesday that it is producing three more "Star Wars" films that will hit theaters starting in 2022.
• A healthy dog was euthanized so it could be buried with its owner May 23, 2019 2:08 am
  Emma, a healthy Shih Tzu mix, was euthanized to fulfill her late owner's dying wish that the dog be put down -- and then laid to rest with her.
• A flamingo in a zoo had to be put down after a child threw a rock at it May 22, 2019 6:28 pm
  A Miller Park Zoo flamingo was euthanized Monday after an elementary school student threw a rock inside the animal's exhibit.
• 25 horses have died at Santa Anita Park since December May 21, 2019 1:04 am
  One day after suffering a rare pelvis injury during a race, a 3-year-old thoroughbred named Spectacular Music was euthanized, becoming the 25th death this season at Santa Anita Park in California.
• Rihanna moved to London and didn't tell us May 23, 2019 2:07 pm
  You are truly a boss when you can just casually pick up and move out of the country and people only find out much later.
• How Amsterdam is fighting back against mass tourism May 23, 2019 12:35 pm
  Famous for its tolerance as much as its narrow houses and broad canals, Amsterdam is undergoing a radical change of attitude when it comes to the millions of tourists that flock to see it each year.
• Robot delivers packages to your doorstep May 22, 2019 5:48 pm
  The human-like robot, Digit, is integrated with Ford's autonomous vehicles and can walk up stairs to deliver your packages right to your front door all by itself.
• Banksy crashes Venice Biennale with street stall May 23, 2019 9:54 am
  Street artist Banksy appears to have turned up unannounced at the Venice Biennale, and may have even been kicked out of one of the city's most famous piazzas for running a stall without a permit.
• Here's the worst-case scenario for the US-China trade war May 23, 2019 1:36 pm
  It turns out trade wars are not short and not so easy to win, as President Donald Trump once tweeted. As the US-China trade war drags on, economists are sharpening their pencils, forecasting what a protracted trade war would cost.
• The smartphone industry could completely change after Qualcomm's disastrous ruling May 22, 2019 5:06 pm
  Qualcomm, the world's largest maker of smartphone modems and microchips, illegally charges companies sky-high prices to license its technology, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
• This is the biggest 2020 mistake the Democrats could make May 22, 2019 10:16 pm
  The economy, voters say, is strong. Most Americans say they are better off financially than they were in 2016; more say that things stayed the same than say they got worse. And yet many more voters say President Donald Trump is doing a poor job than say he's doing a good one.
• Trump plays hardball. Congress whiffs May 22, 2019 5:29 pm
  We are in the middle of a monumental battle between two branches of government, and thus far the executive branch has mercilessly pummeled the purportedly co-equal legislative branch. Much of that is a function of motivation: The White House, fighting for its survival, is willing to bite, eye gouge and kidney punch, while Congress -- torn between pursuing justice and political expediency -- isn't even sure if it wants to fight at all.
• Brutal creature wiping out everything besides itself May 22, 2019 10:32 pm
  Something is wrong with humanity. We have a broken relationship with the world.
• Richard Branson: We're at the dawn of new era May 22, 2019 2:59 pm
  We need a shift in human thinking to be able to solve some of the greatest questions of our time -- and I believe space is part of the answer.
• The White House official who stood up to Trump May 22, 2019 10:08 am
  The former White House counsel -- and, according to CNBC, the most cited witness in Robert Mueller's report -- Don McGahn may have heeded the President's demand that he not testify before the House Judiciary Committee, but McGahn's background and willingness to defy the President's questionable requests in the past, hints at the notion that he possesses some moral strength. However, until he speaks, we only know that he is less vulnerable than others when it comes to the President's methods.
• O'Rourke made things personal in his town hall May 22, 2019 2:12 pm
  Beto O'Rourke showcased the natural charisma that helped make him a national figure during a losing Senate campaign in Texas last year during his CNN Town Hall Tuesday night.
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• Modi poised to secure resounding victory in India elections May 23, 2019 1:10 pm
• NBA player made history in 16 seconds May 23, 2019 1:37 pm
• UK did even worse at Eurovision May 23, 2019 11:41 am
  The UK's last-placed Eurovision entry scored even worse than previously thought, after its dismal tally of 16 points was revised down to 11.
• Why director's romance film was banned in Kenya May 23, 2019 1:54 am
  Wanuri Kahiu's role model is an African feminist icon who dedicated her life to planting trees -- and fighting the Kenyan authorities.
• RV driver led police on wild chase May 22, 2019 3:27 pm
  A suspect who led California Highway Patrol officers on a wild high-speed chase through the San Fernando Valley Tuesday evening has been arrested.
• Fired lunchroom worker hadn't charged student for 3 months, her former employer says May 22, 2019 4:22 am
  A lunchroom worker in New Hampshire who said she was fired for allowing a student to take food without paying hadn't been charging the student for anything for several months, her former employer said.
• First US state legalizes composting of human bodies May 22, 2019 9:09 pm
  Washington has become the first state in the nation to pass a law allowing composting as an alternative to burial or cremation of human remains.
• Yiddish translation of New York's measles message riddled with errors May 22, 2019 6:01 pm
  Late last year, officials at the New York State Department of Health knew they had to act fast to stem the tide of a growing measles outbreak in ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities.
• Why Anna Wintour always wears sunglasses April 9, 2019 2:51 pm
  Anna Wintour's omnipresent status, crafted over a three-decade-long career at the helm of Vogue, is unrivaled in the fashion industry. Her reputation has transcended that of the magazine she edits, her image -- immaculately sliced bob, sunglasses -- now instantly recognizable in silhouette or line sketch.
• The hottest looks from the Cannes red carpet May 20, 2019 11:16 am
  This month, Hollywood's brightest stars are descending upon the French Riviera for the annual Cannes Film Festival. Against the idyllic background of the sun-soaked Riviera, this is where some of the world's most high-profile directors premiere the films that they hope will excite critics and viewers alike -- and, if they're lucky, win awards.
• Jeff Koons' Rabbit sculpture sells for record $91M May 16, 2019 3:33 pm
  A playful rabbit sculpture by Jeff Koons has become the most expensive work by a living artist ever to sell at auction.
• What was Leonardo da Vinci doing at your age?
• Crazy history of the 'Back to the Future' car May 15, 2019 8:01 am
  The unpainted stainless steel body, the gull-wing doors, the rear-mounted engine. When John DeLorean set out to create his own sports car, he knew these features would set it apart from everything else.
• How India's political parties got their symbols April 12, 2019 4:58 am
  A ceiling fan, a bungalow, a broom and a mango -- these are just some of unusual symbols Indian voters can expect to see on their ballots as they head to the polls over the coming weeks.
• What you missed on the 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons' special May 23, 2019 4:54 am
  Timeless is the word that comes to mind when watching modern-day actors read words Norman Lear and his staff of television writers penned 45 years ago.