Midday Roundup: Sen. Frank Lautenberg dies

Obituary. A Democratic aide announced today that New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg died after a bout of viral pneumonia. He was 89. Lautenberg served five terms in the Senate, starting in 1982. He announced in February he would not seek reelection. He was the chamber’s last remaining World War II veteran, serving in the United States Army Signal Corps from 1942 to 1946. During his time in the Senate, Lautenberg served on the powerful Appropriations Committee, as well as on the Environment and Commerce committees.

On trial. Court marshall proceedings for Pfc. Bradley Manning, the intelligence officer accused of giving classified files to the website WikiLeaks, begin today. The trial will be held at Fort Meade, in Maryland, about 30 miles north of the White House. Manning is charged with indirectly aiding the enemy and faces life in prison if convicted. He has admitted to sending the documents to WikiLeaks, saying in February he wanted the public to know how the American military was fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with little regard for human life. Manning worked as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2010.

More deadly storms. Oklahoma City is cleaning up from another deadly tornado this morning. Friday’s twister killed 13, including three storm chasers—Tim Samaras, the 54-year-old star of television’s Storm Chasers, his son Paul Samaras, 24, and their colleague, Carl Young, 45. The storm’s violent winds pulled Young and Paul Samaras from the car they were traveling in with Tim Samaras, who was found with the vehicle. Search and rescue teams are still looking for six people who remained missing Monday. Although this storm didn’t do as much damage as one that wrought havoc two weeks ago, it left a nasty side effect—floods. Surging water killed three in Missouri and four in Arkansas as the storms moved across the plains.

Treaty failure. The United States will not be among the major Western allies signing an arms treaty today at the U.N. in New York. The document is designed to regulate the $85 billion a year global arms trade. But opponents in the U.S., including the National Rifle Association, lobbied against it, noting much of the regulation has already been put in practice. The U.S. currently regulates overseas sales of small arms, missile launchers, tanks, warships, and attack helicopters. Although President Barack Obama supports the U.N. measure, administration officials say it doesn’t have enough support to pass through the Senate.