The Hillary Step: National Public Radio reports it has learned that Hillary Clinton plans to formally declare herself a candidate for president on Sunday afternoon. The announcement could come by video or social media, NPR says.

It was only a question of “when” and so far Clinton has no obvious competition. Vice President Joe Biden is a possibility and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, historically a Republican, is making noise. Declaring now gives Clinton an enormous advantage in organization and fund raising.

Twister: A half-mile wide tornado touched down last night in Fairdale, Ill., killing one person and destroying as many as 20 homes. At least two tornadoes touched down in north-central Illinois and the damage is still being evaluated.

Gassed: Pacific Gas & Electric, one of the country’s largest utilities, has been fined $1.6 billion for violating safety regulations in the 2010 gas explosion that leveled 38 San Bruno homes and killed eight people. The ruptured line burned like a giant blowtorch.

It’s the largest fine ever levied against a utility on the US. About $850 million of the fine will be plowed back into improving pipeline safety.

Police Beat: Newly released dash cam video shows the traffic stop for a broken tail light that led to the shooting of 50-year-old motorist Walter Scott in North Charleston, SC. Officer Michael Slager pulls over Scott in a parking lot and speaks to him through the window. There was some question about ownership of the car Scott was driving. Another person was sitting in Scott’s passenger seat.

Slager returns to his squad to check Scott’s license. Scott steps out of his car briefly and Slager tells him to get back in. A few moments later Scott gets out of his car and bolts. The video does not show Slager shooting Scott in the back.

>In the California desert, San Bernardino County Sheriff deputies were filmed from a news helicopter beating a man trying to get away on a stolen horse. The man appeared to have fallen from the horse when hit by a Taser. Two deputies immediately fell upon him, punching and kicking. As many as eight deputies appeared to have landed blows while the suspect was face down on the ground. The Sheriff ordered an investigation.

Cuba Libre: The Obama administration is considering whether to remove Cuba from the list of countries that are state sponsors of terrorism. Taking Cuba off the list is an important step toward normalizing relations. President Obama is in Panama today for a meeting with Latin American leaders and there’s a possibility he will meet Cuban President Raul Castro.

The Obit Page: Ivan Doig, the respected novelist of the American West, has died in Seattle at age 75. He wrote 16 books, including three novels that told the first 100 years of Montana history through a fictional family.

>Richard Dysart, the bespectacled actor who played the senior firm partner in the long-running television series “LA Law,” died in Santa Monica at age 86. Dysart played Coach in the original Broadway production of “That Championship Season.” In movies and television he played everyone from Gen. Eisenhower to Harry Truman, and J. Edgar Hoover.

Macy’s Front Window: Prostitutes in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, are protesting the forced closure of some of their famous show windows in the city’s Red Light District. About 20 percent of the 500 windows have been closed in recent years. Traditionally the hookers have sat in the windows so men could shop, but the city is trying to straighten up the area, and for some working girls that means hawking their wares behind closed doors. They might have to hold distress sales.

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