Zendaya and Val Chmerkovskiy after their performance finale on Monday night's 'Dancing with the Stars.' Tonight's final is at 9 p.m. on WRTV (Channel 6). / Screenshot from ABC.com

The monstrous tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs, flattening entire neighborhoods with winds up to 200 mph, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. Here, teachers carry children away from Briarwood Elementary after its destruction Monday.

KFOR-TV and NBC News reported that seven of the dead were children who drowned at Plaza Towers Elementary, where 75 students and staff members were huddled when the tornado struck around 3 p.m. (4 p.m. EDT). U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, who has lived in Moore for more than 50 years, told CNN the school did not have an underground shelter, just interior rooms with no windows.

Estimates of the tornado’s size ranged from a half-mile to two miles wide; video showed a large debris ball at its base at some points. The National Weather Service preliminarily categorized it as an EF-4 in strength.

Expect another sticky and hot day, with a high in the 80s, and stay alert for scattered showers and storms, Poteet says. Many residents already heard plenty of thunder overnight: Thousands were without power following an overnight line of storms that downed trees and took down power lines.

The fire ravaged the home of Stephanie Eppert, who lived there with her four children, three of whom have autism. Two of them, brother and sister Genesis Eppert, 9, and Forrest Eppert, 8, were killed in the blaze. The family was expected to move this year into a new home specially built by Habitat for Humanity for the children.

“Shame on Vogel for not genuflecting when he mentioned the Heat, or for volunteering to kiss James’ ring — ring singular, not rings,” wrote the columnist, tongue firmly in cheek. If you recall, Vogel said on Saturday that Miami was simply the “next” team in the Pacers’ way to an NBA Finals; James took it for an insult. The teams meet next on Wednesday night for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The poverty rate rose faster in Indianapolis in the last decade than in all but seven other large cities, according to a book released Monday on poverty in metropolitan areas. The share of the city’s population in poverty increased from 11.95 percent to 21.4 percent between 2000 and 2011. The suburban poverty rate in metro Indianapolis rose from 5 percent to 7.7 percent. Said Robert Wilson of Gleaners Food Bank: “We’re just not creating jobs fast enough, and we’re not creating enough good paying jobs that you can support a family on. So we are continuing to distribute record-breaking amounts of food.”

The lawsuit pits seven stylists at Lou’s Creative Styles in Lawrence against a former co-worker, Christina “Christy” Shaw, who holds the winning ticket in a Feb. 16 Hoosier Lottery drawing worth an estimated $9.5 million. Shaw’s co-workers says they are due a share of the winnings.

Between 2009 and 2012, the company shielded at least $74 billion in profits by setting up shell companies in Ireland, the report said. While the practice of using foreign operations to avoid U.S. taxes is legal and common, Apple’s scheme was unprecedented in its use of multiple affiliates that had no semblance of a physical presence, Senate staffers said. Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to vehemently defend the company before the panel on Tuesday, arguing that Apple does not break any tax laws, according to a copy of the firm’s prepared testimony.

Manzarek succumbed to bile duct cancer, according to his manager, Tom Vitorino. He founded the groundbreaking band in 1965 with the singer and lyricist Jim Morrison, later joined by drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger. While Morrison died young and achieved legendary status, Manzarek also played a crucial role in developing their sound and popularity.

When the comedian was just starting out, he struck up a friendship with Elizabeth “Mimi” Haist, a woman who volunteered at a Los Angeles laundromat and depended on tips from customers, the New York Daily News reports. When Galifianakis learned a few years ago that his friend, 87, had fallen on hard times and was homeless, he got her an apartment and started taking her to red carpet events. “I’m looking forward to it, I like the excitement of it,” Haist said of his latest movie premiere.

Zendaya has a 1-point edge on Kellie Pickler after Monday night’s performance final. One casualty beyond the other two teams: Val Chmerkovskiy bloodied his face when he bashed it during Monday rehearsals when Zendaya accidentally hit him just above the eye with her elbow. Tonight’s two-hour finale at 9 p.m. on WRTV (Channel 6) will include one last "instant" dance for the stars. Scores will be added to the public vote to determine a winner.