Good morning. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Al Qaeda Confirms Death of #2 Official in Airstrike
Al Qaeda confirmed Tuesday that the group's No. 2 official, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, was killed in a U.S. airstrike. Al-Wuhayshi was a former aide to Osama Bin Laden and the leader of al Qaeda's powerful Yemen affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP. The terror group said it had named a successor, Qassim al Rimi. Read more in NEWS.
2. Tropical Storm Barrels Toward Texas Coast
Tropical Storm Bill was set to make landfall in Texas between 10 a.m. and noon (11 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET) Tuesday. Whipping winds and high surf would impact a large stretch of the coast, and parts of the state could get up to 12 inches of rain by Wednesday night. The storm comes on the heels of record-breaking rainfall in many parts of the state last month. Read more in WEATHER.
3. Rachel Dolezal Speaks Out in NBC, MSNBC Exclusives
Rachel Dolezal, who is accused of pretending to be black when she is actually white, broke her silence during an exclusive live interview on TODAY. Dolezal, who resigned from her leadership role on Monday, will sit down for subsequent interviews with Savannah Guthrie for "NBC Nightly News" and Melissa Harris-Perry for MSNBC. She will also be interviewed by NBCNews.com’s NBCBLK. Read more in NEWS.
4. Joyce Mitchell May Have Wanted Escapees to Kill Her Husband
Joyce Mitchell, the woman charged with helping two convicted killers escape from a New York prison, may have wanted them to kill her husband, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News. The escapees, David Sweat and Richard Matt, were still on the run Tuesday as authorities continued to pursue an extensive manhunt. Read more in NEWS.
5. Judge Agrees to Secrecy in Dennis Hastert Case
U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin ruled Monday that some evidence in the Dennis Hastert case would remain secret. Hastert, who led the House for eight years, is accused of making under-the-radar bank transactions so that he could pay a person identified as "Individual A" in court papers. Durkin's decision means "Individual A" might not be identified. Read more in NEWS.
6. Jeb to Campaign in N. Hampshire, Drop by ‘Tonight Show’
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will head to campaign in New Hampshire Tuesday, a day after officially announcing his bid for the White House. Later, Bush will appear on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Bush's message during his speech in Miami Monday focused on improving economic progress for the middle class and education. Read more in POLITICS.
7. Chicago Blackhawks Claim Stanley Cup
For the third time in the last six years — and for the first time in Chicago since 1938 — the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup with a 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay Lightning. Read more in SPORTS.
NIGHTLY SPOTLIGHT
Contractors renovating a school in Oklahoma uncovered chalkboards from nearly 100 years ago with lessons, drawings and notes in-tact.