Q&A on the News

Q: Who are the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee? STEVE CARR, ATLANTA

A: The chairman is Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member is Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Republicans on the com- mittee are: Sens. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; Michael S. Lee, R-Utah; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Ben Sasse, R-Neb.; Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Kennedy, R-La. Dem- ocrats on the committee are: Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Amy Klo- buchar, D-Minn.; Christopher A. Coons, D-Del.; Rich- ard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii; Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif.

Q: Other than North Amer- ica, where else do tornadoes occur? NELSON MARSHALL, KENNESAW

A: Tornadoes also occur in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and South America, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Outside of the United States, Bangla- desh and Argentina have “two of the highest concentrations of tornadoes,” the NSSL website notes.

In Australia, for example, tornadoes occur throughout the year, but are more frequent in late spring to early summer, according to its Bureau of Meteorology. “Winter time tornadoes are relatively regular visitors to southern coastlines and they even form in the outer bands of thunderstorms associated with tropical cyclones,” according to its website.