This winter's record warmth provided the key ingredient for a Midwest outbreak of deadly tornadoes and damaging gorilla hail that hit parts of the Midwest Wednesday and Thursday, tornado experts said.

Noncompete agreements are a common part of physician contracts restricting their employment options. Hospitals love them, most physicians hate them and some states are trying to limit them. A new law in Indiana is facing its first real test in courts.

Although experts maintain the region could be a strong aquaculture producer, the number of aquaculture farms in the Midwest has fallen to roughly 271 from 336 a decade ago.

The Midwestern alliance joins pacts on the West Coast and in the Northeast that were announced this week.