National News

Obama signs payroll tax cut extension into law
President Barack Obama has signed an extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut through the end of the year.More >>
Lesbian federal worker wins health benefits case
A federal judge in San Francisco ruled Wednesday that the U.S. government cannot deny health benefits to the wife of lesbian court employee by relying on the 1996 law that bars government recognition of same-sex unions.More >>
Texas man gets life in prison in torture case
A Texas man who kidnapped his former neighbor and tortured her while holding her captive nearly two weeks was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.More >>
Argentine train slams into station, killing 49
The first two cars were packed as usual for the morning rush, so tightly that people stood pressed flesh to flesh, sandwiched between bicycles and the few seats, many without so much as a strap to hold onto.More >>
Police say love triangle led to CA murder-suicide
A 73-year-old gunman entangled in a love triangle shot and killed the treasurer of a remote-controlled airplane club who police said was having an affair with the estranged wife of the attacker.More >>
Police: Girl forced to run 3 hours dies; 2 charged
At the end of a dirt road leading to a doublewide trailer in rural Alabama, authorities say 9-year-old Savannah Hardin was being forced to run for three hours as punishment for having lied to her grandmother about eating...More >>
Union sues to block Indiana's right-to-work law
Union members went to federal court Wednesday to ask a judge to block Indiana's new right-to-work law from being enforced, the first lawsuit and latest conflict over the divisive legislation.More >>
Teen arrested in flight ruckus sang of bin Laden
A Saudi Arabian teenager who authorities say swung his fist at a flight attendant and mentioned Osama bin Laden during a flight from Portland to Houston has appeared in court.More >>
8-year-old critical after Wash. school shooting
An 8-year-old girl was in critical condition Wednesday after she shot in the abdomen at her elementary school near Seattle, and one of her classmates was detained, authorities said Wednesday.More >>
Poll: Obama benefitting from improving economy
President Barack Obama is reaping political benefits from the country's brighter economic mood. A new poll shows that Republicans and Democrats alike are increasingly saying the nation is heading in the right direction...More >>
Natural gas drillers pay $15M to settle case
Half a dozen drilling companies have agreed to pay $15 million to the federal government over allegations that they underpaid royalties on natural gas produced from leased federal and Indian land.More >>
2nd degree murder verdict in lacrosse death trial
Jurors found a former University of Virginia lacrosse player guilty of second-degree murder Wednesday in the slaying of his ex-girlfriend that was fueled by jealousy over her relationship with another lacrosse player.More >>
Teenage girl dies after inhaling helium at party
Last weekend, 14-year-old Ashley Long told her parents she was going to a slumber party. But instead of spending the night watching videos and eating popcorn two blocks away, she piled into a car with a bunch of her friends...More >>
DC police official in celeb escort flap to sue
A former District of Columbia police commander whose division provided a police escort to actor Charlie Sheen last April has given notice that he intends to file a whistleblower lawsuit against the city, saying he was...More >>
Judge says Wash. can't make pharmacies sell Plan B
Washington state cannot force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the state's true goal was to suppress religious objections by druggists - not to promote...More >>
Mayor's office: Top cop didn't mention spy program
The former head of Newark's police did not tell Mayor Rahm Emanuel about a secret NYPD operation that spied on Muslims in New Jersey's largest city before Emanuel hired him to lead the Chicago force, the mayor's...More >>
Boston College fights release of secret IRA tapes
Boston College is challenging a federal judge's order to hand over interviews with seven former Irish Republican Army members to U.S. government officials.More >>
Newark mayor: NYPD Muslim files 'deeply offensive'
The mayor and police director of New Jersey's largest city said Wednesday the New York Police Department misled their city and never told them it was conducting a widespread spying operation on Newark's Muslim...More >>
El Paso residents accustomed to gunfire in Mexico
El Paso residents say they're accustomed to hearing gunfire across the border in Juarez, Mexico, and won't be taking any additional safety measures after a woman shopping in the West Texas city was struck by one of...More >>
Report: Maryland man at Gitmo reaches plea deal
The U.S. has reportedly reached a plea deal with a former Maryland man held at Guantanamo accused of joining al-Qaida and participating in a series of post-Sept. 11 terror plots.More >>
Restitution gap in massive credit card scheme case
Attorneys for a Canadian man convicted in what investigators said was one of the largest credit card schemes in U.S. history tediously denied Wednesday that he owes nearly $750,000 in restitution by challenging dozens of his...More >>
Congressional offices receive mailed threats
Some congressional offices outside Washington and media organizations have received threatening letters containing a suspicious powdery substance that was tested and proved to be harmless, the FBI and the Senate's top...More >>
Va. House scraps invasive pre-abortion requirement
Amid a public uproar that prompted Virginia's governor to withdraw his support, Republican legislators on Wednesday dropped a bitterly contested proposal to require that women seeking abortions undergo invasive...More >>
Conn. mom pleads guilty in school residency case
A Connecticut woman who was homeless has pleaded guilty to fraudulently enrolling her son in the wrong school district.More >>
New operator chosen for Niagara Falls tour boats
A new company has been chosen to operate the tour boats that chug to the base of Niagara Falls from the Canadian shore.More >>
Police: Ga. victims related in Korean spa shooting
A gunman walked into the Su Jung Health Sauna, argued with someone and then opened fire, killing two of his sisters and their husbands, then himself, authorities said WednesdayMore >>
Suspect in Capitol bomb sting waives court hearing
A man charged with plotting a suicide bombing inside the U.S. Capitol as part of an FBI sting will remain in jail while he awaits trial after he waived his right to a detention hearing Wednesday.More >>
High winds, winter weather delay flights in Denver
Strong wind gusts have delayed flights in Denver, downed power lines in Boulder, and prompted evacuations near a small grass fire in Boulder County.More >>
Ohio county finds ballot fix after candidate death
Elections officials in southwest Ohio have come up with a quick ballot fix after the death of a coroner candidate running unopposed in a Democratic primary.More >>
Police: 2 Ga. children reported missing found safe
Two young children who police say were kidnapped from the side of an Atlanta-area interstate early Wednesday are safe but authorities are looking for the man who took them and later dropped them off with friends, authorities...More >>
Report: Crime at US public schools on the decline
Violent crime at the nation's schools is declining, and students and schools are reporting less bullying and gang activity.More >>
NY court decision bolsters anti-fracking movement
A New York court decision has bolstered a movement among towns determined to prevent the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas within their borders.More >>
Authorities trace phone of mountain man's family
Authorities are using a court order to determine if a serial cabin burglar in the southern Utah wilderness is using a cell phone to call his family.More >>
Canadian on Montana death row says he's changed
A Canadian awaiting execution in Montana for a 1982 killing said Wednesday that he thinks there is a good chance the governor will spare his life now that he's a far different person than the out-of-control youth that...More >>
Immigration chief seeks to reassure Silicon Valley
The Obama administration's top immigration official said Wednesday he wants to keep more foreign-born high-tech entrepreneurs in the U.S. But to make that happen, he said he needs those entrepreneurs to turn their...More >>
Man's childhood comic collection fetches $3.5M
The bulk of a man's childhood comic book collection that included many of the most prized issues ever published sold at auction Wednesday for about $3.5 million.More >>
Woods not a top seed, but still a target
Tiger Woods had to go the distance to get to the second round of the Match Play Championship.More >>
With Mardi Gras a memory, New Orleans sobers up
By dawn on Wednesday, stately St. Charles Avenue, where tens of thousands spent Mardi Gras feasting, drinking and scrambling for beads, was cleared of mountains of trash left behind by revelers.More >>
Lawsuit: Prominent scoutmaster abused boy in 1970s
A Georgia man filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Boy Scouts of America, contending he was sexually abused as a teenager by a nationally prominent Iowa scoutmaster in the 1970s.More >>
Recall news
By The Associated Press The following recall has been announced:More >>
Obama seeks corporate tax rate cut, loophole limit
President Barack Obama rolled out a corporate tax overhaul plan Wednesday that lowers rates but also eliminates loopholes and subsidies cherished by the business world. A long-shot for action in an election year, the plan...More >>
Russia warns against 'hasty conclusions' over Iran
Russia said Wednesday the world should not draw "hasty conclusions" over Iran's most recent rebuff of U.N. attempts to investigate allegations the Islamic Republic hid secret work on atomic arms, but the U.S. and its...More >>
Shelling kills 2 Western journalists in Syria
Syrian gunners pounded an opposition stronghold where the last dispatches from a veteran American-born war correspondent chronicled the suffering of civilians caught in the relentless shelling. An intense morning barrage...More >>
Parents defend ex-Ala. prof in brother's shooting
The parents of an Alabama professor accused of shooting three of her colleagues to death in 2010 say she was a well-adjusted, "family-oriented" girl growing up and didn't deliberately kill her brother in Massachusetts in...More >>
New black history museum rising on National Mall
Frederick Douglass was black and that was enough for the Smithsonian Institution to bar the famed abolitionist from speaking at a lecture series intended to convince President Abraham Lincoln that he should end slavery as...More >>
US drafts plan to fight feared Alzheimer's disease
The Obama administration declared Alzheimer's "one of the most-feared health conditions" on Wednesday as it issued a draft of the nation's first strategy to fight the ominous rise in the mind-destroying disease.More >>
NH jury chosen in Rwanda genocide case
The trial of a New Hampshire woman charged with lying about her role in the 1994 Rwanda genocide is expected to transport jurors back almost 18 years to a roadblock outside a family owned hotel in Butare where prosecutors...More >>
Pa. court closes boy's trial in pregnant killing
A juvenile court trial for a boy who was 11 when he was accused of grabbing a shotgun and killing his father's pregnant fiancee and unborn son will remain closed to the public despite appeals by three newspapers, the...More >>
Santorum mocks Romney ahead of Arizona GOP debate
Rick Santorum acknowledged Wednesday that he's probably running behind Mitt Romney in Arizona, but he implored a tea party crowd not to settle for "a Johnny-come-lately to the conservative cause."More >>
2 shot, 1 dead at Va. Wal-Mart distribution center
An employee of a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. distribution center in Virginia shot and wounded his manager Wednesday, then killed himself as deputies approached him, authorities said.More >>
Trial opens in Calif for alleged drug gang members
Two members of a breakaway Mexican drug gang dissolved their victims' corpses in vats of acid in a gruesome display of Mexican cartel tactics played out on U.S. soil, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday.More >>
Jurors weigh murder case of ex-Va. lacrosse player
Jurors in the murder trial of a former University of Virginia lacrosse player deliberated for hours Wednesday whether he battered his ex-girlfriend to death in a drunken, jealous rage or if his intent to talk with her...More >>
High court torn over law banning lies about medals
Free speech cases before the Supreme Court often lead justices to consider far-fetched scenarios, and Wednesday's argument over a law making it a crime to lie about having received top military honors was no exception.More >>
High court rules for power company over Mont. dams
The Supreme Court sided with a power company Wednesday in a dispute with Montana over who owns the riverbeds beneath 10 dams sitting on three Montana rivers, although the governor of Montana quickly declared that the state...More >>
Ohio church offers drive-thru for Ash Wednesday
An Ohio church is offering a drive-thru Ash Wednesday blessing for parishioners pressed for time or reluctant to come inside the church for the Lenten observance.More >>
States may tap mortgage money to fill budget gaps
The ink wasn't even dry on a settlement with the nation's top mortgage lenders when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon laid claim to a chunk of the money to avert a huge budget cut for public colleges and universities.More >>
Tribe seeks order to limit beer sales in Neb. town
Leaders of a South Dakota American Indian tribe who are suing beer makers, distributors and retailers are now asking a judge to restrict alcohol sales in a tiny Nebraska town that borders their reservation.More >>
Stepmom, grandmother charged in Ala. girl's death
Authorities say they've charged a grandmother and stepmother in the death of a 9-year-old Alabama girl who died after being forced to run as punishment.More >>
AP Exclusive: National meth lab busts up in 2011
Methamphetamine lab seizures rose nationally again in 2011, further evidence the powerfully addictive and dangerous drug is maintaining a tight grip on the nation's heartland, according to an Associated Press survey of...More >>
UN chief sending humanitarian official to Syria
A U.N. spokesman says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is dispatching his top humanitarian official to Syria.More >>
Scientist admits taking, leaking think-tank papers
In the field of climate science, when someone - especially skeptics - did something ethically questionable or misrepresented facts, scientist Peter Gleick was usually among the first and loudest to cry foul. He chaired a...More >>
Michigan man pleads guilty in explosives case
A Michigan man accused of buying and hiding more than 4,000 pounds of explosives with enough potential firepower to equal the Oklahoma City bombing has pleaded guilty to one count, though his attorney insisted Wednesday that...More >>
Man's childhood comic collection fetches $3.5M
The bulk of a man's childhood comic book collection that included many of the most prized issues ever published has sold for about $3.5 million.More >>
11 children removed from Texas home in abuse case
Texas authorities said Tuesday they removed 11 children from a crowded home where a registered sex offender lives after they found eight confined in a small, dark bedroom with restraints tying some to their beds.More >>
Santorum blasts Obama's motives on power, abortion
A surging Rick Santorum is making increasingly harsh remarks about President Barack Obama, questioning not just the president's competence but his motives and even his Christian values.More >>
W.Va. mine boss charged with fraud in deadly blast
Federal prosecutors investigating the West Virginia coal mine explosion that killed 29 men are working their way up the corporate ladder with criminal charges.More >>
Ark. man pleads not guilty in death of teen
A convicted rapist accused of killing a 16-year-old girl he met online pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder Wednesday, several days after authorities found the girl's body in a blue, plastic barrel in western...More >>
Gov. McDonnell balks at contentious abortion bill
Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell - facing outrage from women, national ridicule from television comedians and appeals from GOP moderates - came out Wednesday against a bill that would require transvaginal ultrasounds for women...More >>
Consumer finance agency will probe overdraft fees
Of all the bank fees that customers love to hate, overdraft charges on checking accounts have to be near the top. The government's new consumer protection agency appears to agree.More >>
Grand jury in Mo. expected to hear Maher case
A federal grand jury is to hear the case of a British man who's accused of robbing an armored car in England and now faces a federal weapons charge in Missouri.More >>
American war reporter Marie Colvin killed in Syria
She was instantly recognizable for the eye patch that hid a shrapnel injury - a testament to Marie Colvin's courage, which took her behind the front lines of the world's deadliest conflicts to write about the...More >>
Pa. parole board fights man's recommended release
The Pennsylvania parole board is fighting a judge's recommendation to release an elderly man who remains behind bars nearly two years after his acquittal on murder charges.More >>
Court seems split on double jeopardy question
The Supreme Court seemed divided Wednesday on whether to allow an Arkansas man to be retried on murder charges even though a jury forewoman said in open court that they were unanimously against finding him guilty.More >>
Groups challenge Shell Oil's Arctic air permit
Environmental and Alaska Native groups will try to keep Shell Oil out of Arctic waters this summer by appealing an air permit that was granted by the Environmental Protection Agency.More >>
NJ gov: Report of spying on Muslims 'disturbing'
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is calling a report of a police surveillance operation targeting Muslims in Newark "disturbing." He also says he doesn't recall ever being briefed about the spying in 2007 while he was the...More >>
Quran burning incites deadly riots in Afghanistan
Clashes between Afghan troops and protesters angry over the burning of Muslim holy books at a U.S. military base left at least seven people dead and dozens wounded Wednesday as anger spread despite U.S. apologies over what...More >>
Charles Wells, Ky labor leader, dies in house fire
A longtime Kentucky labor leader and Democratic activist, Charles Wells, has died in a fire at his central Kentucky home. He was 52.More >>
Newark mayor: NYPD misled city on Muslim spying
Newark Mayor Cory Booker and his top police official say the city was misled by the New York Police Department and never would have authorized such wholesale spying on Muslims if they had known about it.More >>
Court returns Calif. Medicaid case to lower court
The Supreme Court has thrown out a federal appeals court ruling allowing patients and health care providers to sue over California's cuts in Medicaid payment rates.More >>
W.Va. mine boss charged with fraud in deadly blast
The superintendent of the West Virginia coal mine where an explosion killed 29 men was charged Wednesday with conspiracy to defraud the federal government, becoming the highest-ranking employee to face criminal prosecution...More >>
Italy: Divers find 8 more bodies in ship wreckage
Divers searching the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship found eight bodies Wednesday on one of the passenger decks, including that of a missing 5-year-old Italian girl, authorities said.More >>
Netflix shares fall on worries about big new rival
Netflix's stock dropped 5 percent Wednesday amid worries that the Internet video service's subscriber growth will dwindle and licensing fees will rise now that cable-TV provider Comcast is offering an alternative...More >>
UC Davis students sue over pepper-spray incident
A California university where campus police pepper-sprayed peaceful student demonstrators last year is facing a federal lawsuit.More >>
A comparison of corporate tax proposals
By The Associated Press A comparison of corporate tax proposals by President Barack Obama, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Rick...More >>
2 shot at Wal-Mart distribution center in Va
A fire department spokeswoman says two people have been shot at a Wal-Mart distribution center in central Virginia.More >>
Prosecutor: Glock lawyer used role to steal money
A Georgia prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that a former attorney for gun manufacturer Glock Inc. was essentially running the company's U.S. operations and used his position to steal millions from his employer.More >>
Authorities: 2 Georgia children reported kidnapped from roadside have been found safe
Authorities: 2 Georgia children reported kidnapped from roadside have been found safeMore >>
British man gets probation in KBR bribery scheme
A British man has been sentenced to probation for helping a former Halliburton Co. subsidiary steer massive bribes to Nigerian officials to win more than $6 billion in construction contracts.More >>
'Occupy' to hold national conference in Philly
A group of protesters affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement plans to elect 876 "delegates" from around the country and hold a national "general assembly" in Philadelphia over the Fourth of July as part of ongoing...More >>
Feds award health overhaul grants to 10 states
Federal officials say another 10 states are getting a total of $230 million to set up new health insurance markets under President Barack Obama's overhaul.More >>
Charger, Dodge's large sedan, impresses
By ANN M. JOB For The Associated Press Forget about retro, nostalgia stuff. The 2012 Dodge Charger is an impressive, large, rear-wheel drive sedan for today's buyers who want to stand out from the crowd.More >>
Mayor's office: Spying 'not who we are' in Newark
The New York Police Department is facing fresh criticism about its spying on Muslims, this time from the mayor in Newark, where Muslims were put under surveillance and cataloged in NYPD files.More >>
Fact sheet: 2012 Dodge Charger
By The Associated Press 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8More >>
Tony Blair's wife sues over UK phone hacking
The wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair is suing Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper company over phone hacking, her lawyer said Wednesdsay.More >>
Oil price lower after 4-day rise
A four-day rise in oil prices stalled Wednesday following a weak report on Chinese manufacturing and lingering concerns about Greece's bailout.More >>
Official: Findings in Quran burning probe due soon
A spokesman for the international military force in Afghanistan says findings from an investigation into the burning of Muslim holy books at a NATO base may come out as early as Wednesday.More >>
Court says police cannot be sued over warrant
The Supreme Court said Wednesday that California police officers cannot be sued because they used a warrant that may have been defective to search a woman's house.More >>
UN votes to increase African force in Somalia
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to authorize an increase in the African Union force in Somalia from 12,000 to about 17,700 and expand its areas of operation in an effort to intensify pressure on...More >>
Ejected passenger dragged by NY Amtrak train dies
Authorities in upstate New York are investigating the death of an Amtrak passenger apparently dragged by a train after being kicked off for drunkenness.More >>
A $1M donor for every presidential hopeful
Just two dozen ultra-wealthy donors are behind a surge of million-dollar contributions to the new breed of political committees during the presidential campaign.More >>
NC terrorism convict faces new beheading plot case
A North Carolina man recently convicted in a homegrown terrorism plot faces new charges that he attempted to hire a hit man to behead three witnesses who testified against him.More >>
Remains confirmed as 'Speed Freak' victims
Human remains uncovered in Northern California with the help of a convicted serial killer have been confirmed as two of his victims.More >>
FDA: New suppliers to ease 2 cancer drug shortages
Federal regulators said Tuesday that they've approved new suppliers for two crucial cancer drugs, easing critical shortages - at least for the time being - that have left patients and parents frightened about missing...More >>
Panel: All adults should get whooping cough shots
A federal advisory panel wants all U.S. adults to get vaccinated against whooping cough.More >>
Venezuela's Chavez says his cancer is likely back
President Hugo Chavez has raised serious doubts about whether he'll have the stamina for a successful re-election bid, revealing that he needs to return to Cuba to have a lesion removed that is probably malignant.More >>
Wounded vets regain bit of camaraderie in kitchen
Julio Gerena is in a wheelchair, his long career in the U.S. Navy and Army forever behind him. But the 52-year-old recaptured some of the old military camaraderie while peeling potatoes and chopping cilantro in a crowded...More >>
Ex-director: Local NJ police didn't spy on Muslims
A former police director of New Jersey's largest city says no local officers were used in a spying operation that monitored and catalogued his city's Muslim neighborhoods.More >>
Feds: Leader of NY-based Folk Nation gang arrested
Federal authorities say they've arrested a fugitive leader of a violent New York City gang linked to a series of armed robberies and shootings.More >>
3 teens in Colo. burn snowmobile to stay warm
Three teenagers stuck for a night in Colorado's mountains during a blizzard survived by burning what they could, including their snowmobile.More >>
Indiana lawmaker says Girl Scouts promote abortion
Undaunted by ridicule from the leader of his own party, an Indiana lawmaker is standing by his allegations that the Girl Scouts is a radical organization that promotes abortions and homosexuality.More >>
Clinton heads abroad to push Syria diplomacy
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is trying to ramp up diplomatic efforts against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime on a trip to North Africa this week, as some countries begin to explore the possibility of...More >>
Oil dips below $106 amid Greek woes, Iran tensions
By PABLO GORONDI Associated Press Oil prices slipped below $106 a barrel on Wednesday as concerns about the debt crisis in Europe were countered by the threat of conflicts over Iran's nuclear program...More >>
Sugarland attorneys: Injured Ind. fans share blame
Attorneys for country duo Sugarland said concertgoers were at least partly to blame for injuries suffered in a stage collapse, drawing a sharp reaction from fans Tuesday and prompting the band's manager to issue a...More >>
U.Va. lacrosse slaying trial goes to jurors
Jury deliberations are under way in the trial of a former University of Virginia lacrosse player charged in the slaying of his former girlfriend in a drunken rage.More >>
Teacher investigated 3 times for sexual misconduct
A substitute teacher in the nation's second-largest school district was investigated three times for sexual misconduct with students before he quit in 2007 to work for a neighboring district.More >>
US, NKorea to hold first post-Kim Jong Il talks
The U.S. and North Korea reopen nuclear talks Thursday that will provide a glimpse into where Pyongyang's opaque government is heading after Kim Jong Il's death and test its readiness to dismantle nuclear programs...More >>
NYPD built secret files on NJ, Long Island mosques
Americans living and working in New Jersey's largest city were subjected to surveillance as part of the New York Police Department's effort to build databases of where Muslims work, shop and pray. The operation in...More >>
Boy brings unloaded gun to Ohio day care
Police say a 5-year-old boy in Ohio brought an unloaded handgun to the day care he attends after finding it in the grass at his apartment complex.More >>
Ex-Playboy playmate gets $1.2M in suit vs. NYPD
A New York City jury has awarded a former Playboy playmate $1.2 million for injuries she suffered during a 2006 scuffle with police based on a taxi driver's false accusation that she was armed and dangerous.More >>
Costumes, beads give way to ashes in New Orleans
Officers on horseback cleared Bourbon Street early Wednesday, declaring an end to Carnival 2012 in New Orleans as Mardi Gras revelers began to prepare for the beginning of Lent, the period of fasting and repentance before...More >>
AP source: Obama seeks 28 percent corp. tax rate
President Barack Obama is proposing to cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent and wants an even lower effective rate for manufacturers, a senior administration official says, as the White House lays down an...More >>
Police search for motive after 5 killed at Ga. spa
Police were interviewing witnesses at a spa outside Atlanta where a gunman opened fire, killing five people in what authorities described as a murder-suicide.More >>
UN nuclear agency reports failed Iran talks
The U.N. nuclear agency acknowledged renewed failure Wednesday after a trip to probe suspicions of covert Iranian nuclear weapons work, in a statement issued just hours after an Iranian general warned of a pre-emptive strike...More >>
Spanish treasure to leave via US military base
Leaving nothing to chance, the U.S. military is making sure the transfer of 17 tons of shipwreck treasure to Spain later this week is handled safely.More >>
Source: ICE agent who shot gunman fought sex crime
By AMY TAXIN and ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Perry Woo earned praise for his courage and quick thinking after he fatally shot a colleague who opened fire on a...More >>
2 children killed when car crashes into La. bayou
Authorities say two children were killed when the car they were in went off the road and into a bayou in southeast Louisiana.More >>
Colorado woman must turn over computer hard drive
Readily available, easy-to-use software can encrypt a computer hard drive so thoroughly it would take years for a hacker to break in. But that seems to be no impediment for government prosecutors, who have obtained an order...More >>
Medical officials find mercury in lightening cream
California health officials became alarmed when a 39-year-old Mexican-American woman in Alameda County was diagnosed with mercury poisoning, giving her headaches, numbness, depression and forgetfulness.More >>
Prop. 8 backers seek review of gay marriage case
Same-sex couples in California will have to wait a while to find out if they have regained the right to get married, after the backers of the state's gay marriage ban petitioned a federal appeals court to review a split...More >>
Ex-Gov. Jeb Bush rallies Kansas business leaders
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sidestepped talk of presidential campaign politics to focus on business issues Tuesday during a speech at the Kansas Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner.More >>
Ga. authorities say 5 dead in spa shooting
Authorities say five people are dead in an apparent murder-suicide at a suburban Atlanta spa.More >>
Obama joins Jagger, B.B. King, to belt out blues
The president just couldn't say no: Mick Jagger held out a microphone almost by way of command, and soon Barack Obama was belting out the blues with the best of them.More >>
Loughner's lawyers ask judge to reconsider ruling
Attorneys for the suspect in the Tucson shooting that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords are objecting to prosecutors' receiving a prison psychologist's personal notes on their client.More >>
Feds: Ohioan against fur planned murder-for-hire
An Ohio woman who compared animal-welfare work to the liberation of World War II concentration camps has been charged with soliciting a hit man to fatally shoot or slit the throat of a random fur-wearer, federal authorities...More >>
NYC mayor, Yale pres on police checking on Muslims
By The Associated Press Yale President Richard Levin condemned the New York Police Department's monitoring of Muslim student associations in a letter on Monday:More >>
Gay marriage on hold in California
Same-sex marriage was on hold in California after opponents petitioned a federal appeals court Tuesday to review a split decision by three of its judges that struck down a voter-approved measure that limited marriage to a...More >>
3 Texas gun-trafficking suspects sentenced
Three Texas men whom federal officials say were linked to a gun used in a U.S. agent's death in Mexico were sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to weapons charges.More >>
Ex-Palin aide fined for using state emails in book
A former aide to Sarah Palin has been fined for using confidential emails to write a tell-all book.More >>
Source: Agent who shot colleague fought sex crime
By AMY TAXIN and ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent believed to have fatally shot a colleague who opened fire on a supervisor has won acclaim for investigating sex...More >>
Report on man's death shows no intent to deceive
A California police department had no intent to deceive the public by releasing an old booking photo of a homeless man who died after a confrontation with officers or information about officers' potential injuries from...More >>
Loss of license ordered in Kansas abortion case
A state administrative judge has ordered the revocation of a Kansas doctor's license over her referrals of young patients to the late Dr. George Tiller for late-term abortions, concluding their care was "seriously...More >>
Woman in Texas struck by bullet from Mexico
A woman shopping on a busy downtown El Paso street became the first victim of bullets flying across the border from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Tuesday when she was hit in the calf and wounded, authorities said.More >>
Mother visits ex-Marine sentenced to death in Iran
The mother of a former U.S. Marine sentenced to death in Iran on a spying conviction has visited her son in an Iranian prison, a spokesman for the Michigan family said Tuesday.More >>
Texas man guilty in sexual assault of ex-neighbor
A Texas man who abducted his former neighbor and tortured the woman while holding her captive for nearly two weeks was convicted Tuesday.More >>
Neb. city's illegal immigration law to be nuisance
A Nebraska city's attempt to fight illegal immigration with a newly court-approved ordinance appears likely to be more of an inconvenience for legal residents than a deterrent to illegal immigrants.More >>
Authorities ID mountain man suspect in burglaries
Authorities on Tuesday identified a man sought for more than five years in dozens of cabin burglaries in the mountains of southern Utah.More >>
Authorities: Debt-collector scam bilked millions
A phone scam in which callers in India posed as debt collectors bilked millions of dollars out of more than 10,000 U.S. residents by using threats of arrest or the loss of their jobs, U.S. authorities said Tuesday in what...More >>
Ariz. AG to look into sheriff misconduct claims
An embattled Arizona sheriff said Tuesday that the state's top prosecutor has agreed to conduct a comprehensive independent investigation into allegations made against him and his office.More >>
Calif. man convicted of threatening federal judge
A federal jury in San Diego has found an inmate serving time for murder guilty of making threats against a federal judge in California.More >>
Memorial in Oklahoma planned for Anthony Shadid
The family of Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Shadid will hold a memorial service for the late journalist next month in his hometown of Oklahoma City.More >>
Romney says Obama has 'fought against religion'
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Tuesday that President Barack Obama's administration has "fought against religion" and sought to substitute a "secular" agenda for one grounded in faith.More >>
NY group: Online journalists censored, attacked
A global coalition against censorship is needed to protect online journalists and bloggers who are being targeted by repressive governments, a leading advocacy group said Tuesday.More >>
Former US Rep. Katie Hall of Indiana dies at 73
Former Indiana U.S. Rep. Katie Hall, a key sponsor of the 1983 legislation that established a national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has died. She was 73.More >>
NYPD monitoring of Muslim students sparks outrage
The mayor faced off with the president of Yale University on Tuesday over an effort by the city's police department to monitor Muslim student groups for any signs that their members harbored terrorist sympathies.More >>
Defense: Ga. suspect says angel told him to kill
Prosecutors urged jurors Tuesday to dismiss a murder defendant's assertions that an angel who looked like Olivia Newton-John ordered him to fatally shoot a co-worker's husband outside a preschool. They say Hemy...More >>
Wolf reintroduction in Mexico off to rocky start
The reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves to a mountain range just south of the U.S.-Mexico border as part of an effort to re-establish the endangered species is off to a rocky start.More >>
Police: Calif mom was getaway driver in stabbing
A California woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after police say she drove the getaway car for her teenage son who allegedly stabbed a boy.More >>
Ex-Fiesta Bowl top executive enters guilty plea
The Fiesta Bowl's former top executive pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge stemming from a political donations scandal that nearly jeopardized the bowl's role as a regular host of college football's...More >>
Portuguese reject govt call to work on Carnival
Portuguese workers issued a spontaneous "Ja chega!" - "That's enough!" - to the government, rejecting its appeal to stay at their jobs during Carnival, one of their most beloved holidays.More >>
Informant dubbed a 'trailer park Mata Hari'
She has been dubbed the "trailer park Mata Hari," an attractive ex-stripper recruited by the feds to befriend identical twin brothers accused of a white-supremacist bombing and to get them to admit to the crime.More >>
Federal judge delays Utah immigration law ruling
A federal judge is postponing a decision on Utah's immigration enforcement law until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a similar law in Arizona.More >>
Victim's sister testifies in Ala diving death case
A man charged with murdering his wife by drowning her during a 2003 honeymoon diving trip in Australia said he was done grieving her death by the time her funeral was being planned back home in Alabama, the woman's...More >>
UN: W. Africa cocaine trade generates $900M a year
The U.N. agency that fights drugs and crime estimated that cocaine trafficking is generating some $900 million annually in West and Central Africa as South American cartels use the shortest route to transport drugs to Europe.More >>
Crane owner goes on trial in deadly NYC collapse
A construction crane collapsed and killed two workers because its money-hungry owner skimped on a vital repair job, prosecutors said Tuesday as the owner went on trial in a manslaughter case that his lawyers said...More >>
Greece bailout wards off Europe meltdown
The bailout has saved Europe, for now, but it's unlikely to save Greece.More >>
Southern Baptist leaders OK 'Great Commission'
Some Southern Baptists worry that their denomination's name still carries the stigma of a 19th century split with northern Baptists over slavery. Others who fought hard to build the brand and its conservative theology...More >>
Head of Oregon firm indicted in NYC in fraud case
The president of an Oregon investment research firm has been indicted on securities fraud charges in New York City.More >>
Court: NYC can't implement new homeless policy now
The city cannot go forward with a new policy requiring single people to prove they have no other options before they enter homeless shelters, a court ruled Tuesday.More >>
Police: Southern Calif. baby wasn't abandoned
Authorities say a newborn baby girl wasn't abandoned outside a Southern California gas station as originally thought.More >>
NRC officials doubted US claim on Japan crisis
Top Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials debated the accuracy of public statements made by the agency's chairman about a pool holding spent fuel rods at a crippled Japan nuclear plant, newly released transcripts show.More >>
Speed puts community colleges front and center
Fitzpatrick Manufacturing Co. is a high-tech job shop, crafting super-precise parts for machines used in everything from robotics to aerospace to oil exploration. Macomb Community College lies a few miles down the road in...More >>
Jury selection almost set in Glock corporate case
Opening statements are set in a Georgia case against a former attorney for gun manufacturer Glock Inc., accused of theft and racketeering.More >>
ADM says job-cuts plan now will eliminate 1,200
Archer Daniels Midland Co. said Tuesday that it is firing 175 people at its headquarters in Illinois as part of a plan to cut what it now says will be 1,200 mostly salaried jobs across the company.More >>
Ex-LA teacher pleads not guilty to lewd acts
A former teacher whose arrest sparked a scandal at an elementary school that led to the replacement of all of its teachers pleaded not guilty Tuesday to committing lewd acts with 23 children in his classroom.More >>
SEALs hope film blitz draws recruits
Navy SEALs never expected the film "Act of Valor," starring real, active-duty Navy SEALs, to be this big.More >>
Dow breaks 13,000 but can't hold gains
It came and went in a flash each time, a number on a board for mere seconds, but its symbolic power couldn't be dismissed.More >>

AP National News Video More>>

Obama joins Jagger, B.B. King, to belt out blues

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Mild winter concerns some maple syrup producers

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APNewsBreak: FDA to probe safety of inhalable caffeine, which is sold as a dietary supplement

NYPD monitored Muslim students all over Northeast

NYPD monitored students at colleges across Northeast; sent agent on rafting trip, noted prayer. (Graphic by AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) More>>

Tyler Perry speaks at Whitney Houston's funeral

Movie, music stars mourn Whitney Houston in NJ hometown funeral with gospel hymns, prayer More>>

John Glenn looks back 50 years after historic flight

John Glenn fever takes hold of Cape Canaveral as 1st American in orbit recalls 50 years ago More>>

Foreclosure activity edges higher in January

US home repossessions accelerate in January and are expected to climb in 2012 More>>

FCC plans to nix wireless network that may jam GPS

FCC plans to kill wireless broadband network that threatens to jam some GPS devices More>>

Private funeral for Houston announced for Saturday in NJ

Funeral for singer Whitney Houston to be held Saturday at NJ church where she sang as a child More>>

Raw footage: Obama on the payroll tax cuts

Lawmakers weigh GOP gambit for year-long extension of payroll tax cuts as negotiations falter More>>

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