NATIONAL BRIEFS

FLORIDA: Turbulence injures aircrew

Three crew members on a Brazil-to-Miami flight were injured during turbulence on the trip, American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan told the Miami Herald. Flight 980, carrying 136 passengers and nine crew members, landed just after 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Miami airport spokeswoman Maria Levrant said the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment.

THE SOUTHEAST: Storms spew hail, tornadoes

Strong winds, heavy rains and golf-ball-size hail lashed parts of Arkansas late Sunday, as forecasters issued tornado warnings and cautioned that storms could mete out damage to several southeast states into Monday. The potential for severe storms stretched from the Gulf of Mexico in Mississippi to southern Indiana and Ohio, according to AccuWeather.com meteorologist Bill Deger. Heavy rainfall had already begun to fall in Little Rock, with hail falling across the state and wind gusting up to 70 mph. Funnel clouds were spotted within 20 miles of Little Rock. Alabama was bracing for storms as a strong cold front from the west was combining with warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico.

ALASKA: Tanker completes mission

A Russian tanker that brought fuel to iced-in Nome is heading back to open water, once it gets through miles of sea ice. U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Adam De Rocher said its icebreaker, Healy, and the tanker Renda were about 100 miles south of Nome on Sunday. He said they left the town on Alaska's western coast on Friday. The icebreaker led the Renda to Nome by cutting a path through Bering Sea ice, allowing the delivery of 1.3 million gallons of fuel. Nome would have run out by spring after a November storm prevented its last pre-winter fuel delivery. Once the Renda hits open water, it will head for Russia. The Healy will go to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to drop off supplies before heading home to Seattle.