Boston bombing: Tamerlan Tsarnaev's body is finally laid to rest

The body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died after a gun battle with police, has found its final resting place, ending more than a week of confusion and anger about how to deal with the remains of the suspected Boston Marathon bomber.

Ariel Castro's bail set at $8 million in Cleveland abduction case

Ariel Castro, a former school bus driver, was arraigned Thursday on rape and kidnapping charges in connection with the disappearance of three Cleveland women, and his bail was set at $8 million.

Cleveland suspect Ariel Castro: A troubling portrait emerges

When three young women emerged from a Cleveland home Monday evening after being held captive for about a decade, neighbors were thunderstruck. Ariel Castro, 52, who owns the home and who faces kidnapping and rape charges, was known as a sunny face, someone who was good with children.

Jodi Arias says after murder conviction she prefers death penalty

PHOENIX — Jodi Arias said in a post-conviction interview with a TV station that she prefers the death penalty over life in prison.

Plans shelved for coal export terminal in Oregon

SEATTLE — The battle over plans for a series of massive coal export terminals across the Pacific Northwest took a new turn Wednesday when the energy company Kinder Morgan announced it was dropping its plan to build a $200-million facility on the Columbia River in northern Oregon.

'Big bully' Ariel Castro charged with rape, kidnapping

CLEVELAND -- Ariel Castro, described by police as a "big bully," was charged Wednesday with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape after three women, missing for about a decade, escaped from his house this week.

Gina DeJesus, captive since age 14, returns home with a thumbs-up

CLEVELAND – As a curbside crowd joyfully chanted her name, Gina DeJesus, who disappeared in 2004 and was held prisoner for years in a house with two other women, arrived home on Wednesday.

Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder

PHOENIX — Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the gruesome killing of her onetime boyfriend in Arizona after a four-month trial that captured headlines with lurid tales of sex, lies, religion and a salacious relationship that ended in a bloodbath.

San Diego man charged with cold case murder in Arizona

Tucson police have arrested a San Diego man on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with a case they have been pursuing for 37 years.

Cleveland kidnapping suspect had history of abuse, former lover said

CLEVELAND -- One of the men suspected of imprisoning and abusing three recently freed young women was earlier accused of a series of violent acts against the mother of four of his children and was ordered to complete domestic violence and substance abuse counseling.

Marine recruitment effort targets Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders

SAN DIEGO -- The Marine Corps on Wednesday began an advertising campaign targeted toward encouraging enlistment by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, two groups that make up only a tiny percentage of the Corps.

Amanda Berry, captive for a decade, arrives home to family embrace

CLEVELAND – Amanda Berry, one of the three women who was kidnapped and held prisoner for about a decade in a Cleveland house, returned to the embrace of her family on Wednesday.

Chains, ropes found in Cleveland house where women were held

CLEVELAND -- Chains and ropes have been removed from the home where three women were rescued on Monday after being held captive as long as 11 years, Cleveland’s chief of police said Wednesday as authorities planned to file charges against three brothers. 

Theater shooting suspect James Holmes to enter insanity plea

CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- James E. Holmes, suspected of carrying out the Aurora movie theater massacre that killed 12 and injured 70 last summer, will plead not guilty by reason of insanity in court next week, his defense lawyers signaled Tuesday in a court filing.

Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard react to Cleveland kidnapping

The news that three female kidnapping victims had been held against their will for roughly a decade each has shocked Cleveland and the nation. But such cases are not without precedent.

Cleveland kidnappings: Suspect Ariel Castro had 'no flaw,' neighbor says

CLEVELAND – Ariel Castro, the former school bus driver who is a suspect in the kidnapping of three women who escaped years of incarceration, was a friendly man who befriended area children and gave no hint of what was happening behind the locked doors of his Seymour Avenue house, his neighbors say.

Gun crime has plunged, but Americans think it's up, says study

Gun crime has plunged in the United States since its peak in the middle of the 1990s, including gun killings, assaults, robberies and other crimes, two new studies of government data show.

Police: Girl, 6, is daughter of 10-year Ohio captive Amanda Berry

CLEVELAND — A girl found in the house where three women were held after they were separately abducted about a decade ago is believed to be the daughter of the one of the victims, police said on Tuesday.

Three Cleveland kidnapping victims leave hospital, officials say

CLEVELAND -- Three women, missing after they were kidnapped a decade ago, were released from a hospital Tuesday, hours after they were freed from their captivity, authorities said.

Latinos now less likely to report crimes to police, poll says

WASHINGTON – Many Latinos say they are less likely than before to report crimes because local police are increasingly involved in enforcing immigration laws, leading to a sharp increase in deportations, according to a new study.

Three women, missing for years, rescued from Cleveland home

Three women who had been missing as long as 11 years were rescued from a Cleveland home on Monday, police said, an announcement that rocked the city and prompted celebrations in the street.

Air Force sex-assault chief arrested on sexual battery charges

The man leading a U.S. Air Force program responsible for preventing sexual assault has been arrested on suspicion of drunkenly groping a woman in an Arlington, Va., parking lot, officials said Monday.

Officials pass the buck on burying Tamerlan Tsarnaev

Officials continued to deflect responsibility for burying Tamerlan Tsarnaev on Monday. The bombing suspect's remains are still above ground more than two weeks after his death.

New database to help identify migrants who died in desert

TUCSON -- The Sonora desert claims the lives of hundreds of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border each year. Many of the dead -- about one out of three -- go unidentified. Now, there may be an easier way to put a name to some of these suspected border-crossers who died north of the international boundary.

Watching and waiting for verdict in Jodi Arias murder case

PHOENIX -- It has become a real-life soap opera watched by people around the world and dozens of fanatics who camp out on a Phoenix sidewalk in the middle of the night to get into the show. One seat even sold for $200.

Federal authorities said they believe they have stopped a potential terrorism attack in western Minnesota, the FBI said on Monday.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev's body rejected for burial in Cambridge

There may be no place in the earth for Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Giffords accepts Kennedy 'Profile in Courage' award

Courage comes in many guises. In Boston on Sunday, Gabrielle Giffords was praised for having the courage just to carry on.

Texas plant that exploded had $1 million in liability insurance

The fertilizer plant that exploded last month in West, Texas, holds just $1 million in liability insurance, a negligible amount compared to the estimated cost of the damage caused by the blast, lawyers said.

Harvard professor sorry for remark on economist Keynes' sexuality

Well-known Harvard professor Niall Ferguson apologized Saturday for what he called “stupid and tactless remarks” suggesting sexual orientation influenced the polices of famed economist John Maynard Keynes.

Arizona law bans destroying guns purchased in buyback programs

TUCSON — City- or county-sponsored gun buybacks — often used in larger cities to entice people to give up their handguns — have become effectively pointless in Arizona with legislation signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

Solar-powered plane completes first leg of cross-country journey

The solar-powered aircraft making a landmark cross-country flight successfully completed its first leg early Saturday, and will rest about a week in Arizona before taking to the skies again.

NRA pledge on gun rights: 'We will never surrender'

HOUSTON — Vowing that “we will never surrender,” the leader of the National Rifle Assn. claimed victory over recently defeated gun control legislation and denounced “political and media” elites for vilifying gun owners and supporting laws that would limit their rights rather than stop criminals.

Iowa court: Married same-sex parents must be on birth certificate

Iowa parents in same-sex marriages must be allowed to have both their names listed on their newborn’s birth certificate, the state’s Supreme Court has unanimously ruled.

Widow of "American Sniper" speaks at NRA convention

HOUSTON -- The widow of slain former military sniper Chris Kyle made a surprise appearance at the annual National Rifle Assn. convention on Friday, addressing a packed auditorium of hundreds.

Houston airport shooting hot topic at NRA convention

HOUSTON -- When the annual National Rifle Assn. convention opened Friday, the day after an incident in which a gunman died at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, attendees didn't shy away from discussing the incident.

Houston airport gunman left note citing 'monster within me'

Just before pulling the pistol he would use to shoot himself at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Carnell Moore apparently tried to keep bystanders out of harm’s way, authorities said.

The straps have it.

Proposed New Mexico horse slaughterhouse likely to get permit soon

The battle over the opening of the nation’s first domestic horse slaughterhouse since a government ban six years ago has ramped up as a company in Roswell, N.M., moves closer to reinstituting the practice.

Blue skies prompt Washington school to cancel classes for 'sun day'

From the standpoint of sun-scorched Southern California, the message splashed across the website of a Washington state private school almost looked like a joke.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev's body is released for Muslim funeral rites

The remains of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the men suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon, has been turned over to a funeral parlor in Worcester, Mass. for proper Muslim funeral rites.

Amy Meyer was standing outside a slaughterhouse in Draper City, Utah, in February and said she saw what she had suspected: wounded animals being dragged to their deaths. Then she did what she had come for in this YouTube age and took out her cellphone to record it.

NRA convention gets underway; Sarah Palin and Ted Nugent on tap

HOUSTON -- The National Rifle Assn.’s annual convention begins in earnest Friday in Houston, with leaders who have spent the year defending the group in the wake of mass shootings emboldened by the recent defeat of federal gun control legislation and ready to rally around this year’s theme: “Stand and Fight.”

Tamerlan Tsarnaev met with militants in Dagestan, official says

Russian intelligence officials believe Tamerlan Tsarnaev may have met with militants while living in a Russian province in 2012, a U.S. counter-terrorism official told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

Spire heads skyward at World Trade Center construction site

New York showed its colors on Thursday as flag-draped pieces of the silver spire, designed to be the crown of the reconstructed World Trade Center, were hoisted into the sky.

Terminal at Bush airport is closed during shooting investigation

Most of Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport was open to travelers Thursday except for one terminal that remained closed as officials investigated a shooting that left a gunman seriously wounded.

FBI adds first woman to its Most Wanted Terrorists List

WASHINGTON – A 65-year-old American woman and member of the Black Liberation Army was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List Thursday, the first woman to appear on the list.

Man shoots himself at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

A man shot himself at Bush Intercontinental Airport in north Houston early Thursday afternoon, the Houston Police Department said.

May Day clashes in Seattle

May Day in Seattle turned violent after an "anti-capitalism" march resulted in clashes between demonstrators and police. By the end of the night, police were using pepper spray against protesters, some of whom were smashing windows and hurling rocks, bottles, metal rods and fireworks.

Part of wing ripped as airliners clip each other on ground at Newark

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into why two airplanes clipped each other on a taxiway as they readied for takeoff at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday.

Midwest hit by snowstorm as California battles wildfires

It may be spring, but the United States on Thursday found parts of its midsection caught in the grip of record snow and ice while in part of California wildfires were spreading woe.

Seattle May Day erupts into destructive clashes with police – again

SEATTLE — A year ago, when rowdy demonstrators swarmed through the city streets on May Day, smashing storefront windows and swarming police, downtown business owners were outraged. A federal grand jury was convened, and Mayor Mike McGinn ordered a thorough review, vowing to do better.

May Day: Phoenix immigration rally includes workplace issues

PHOENIX — Brenda Juarez has been in this country so long that she doesn’t remember what Mexican state she was born in. She hopes she and her mother will be allowed to stay.

Transit cop shot in Boston bombing chase recovering, cracking jokes

Richard “Dic” Donohue Jr. came to the edge of death after a bullet to his right thigh severed his femoral vein and artery.

May Day in New York: Protesting just about everything

NEW YORK -- There are many things to protest against in the world, and people rallying against a fair number of them took to one of New York’s iconic squares on May Day as part of nationwide rallies in celebration of the traditional workers holiday.

'Lol,' Boston bombing suspect texted friends as their suspicions grew

Even before authorities released photos of the suspected Boston Marathon bombers, friends of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev noticed something unusual two days after the bombing, when Tsarnaev showed up with his unruly hair cut short.

Jamestown settlers ate 14-year-old girl, researchers say

The early American settlers called it "the starving time," and accounts of the winter of 1609-1610 were so ghastly, and so morbid, that scholars weren't sure if the stories were true.

N.Y. police remove airplane part found near 9/11 terrorism site

New York police on Wednesday removed what is believed to be a part from one of the airplanes that struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Iowa jury returns record $240-million judgment in ADA abuse case

A jury has awarded $240 million to 32 mentally disabled former workers at a turkey processing plant in Iowa, in what officials on Wednesday said was the largest such judgment in a federal abuse and discrimination case.

PHOENIX — Two groups that rarely see eye to eye — immigrants rights activists and labor organizers — are expected to join forces here Wednesday, marching a mile and a half from the state Capitol to join a picket at the Hyatt Regency hotel where they will demand that an immigration system overhaul include fair rights for workers.

Boston bombing: 3 to be charged with obstruction, officials say

WASHINGTON -- The FBI has taken three people into custody in Massachusetts and prosecutors prepared to charge them with obstruction of justice and making false statements to investigators after the Boston bombing case, officials said, but authorities do not believe they played a role in planning the attack.

3 new arrests made in connection with Boston Marathon bombing

Three additional arrests have been made in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing case, Boston police said Wednesday. The three who were detained were not immediately identified but were taken into custody by the FBI, police said.

Kentucky boy, 5, accidentally shoots to death 2-year-old sister

A 2-year-old Kentucky girl was accidentally killed by her 5-year-old brother who fired a rifle he had been given as a gift, officials said Wednesday.

Affidavit: Martial arts teacher tried to toss ricin evidence

A Mississippi martial arts teacher tried to throw away ricin-tainted materials and had a manual about the poison on his computer, according to a federal affidavit unsealed Tuesday.

Bombing survivor: 'Just like the movies, all the sound went away'

After the first blast, nobody needed to tell Jarrod Clowery to run.

Abortion doctor's murder case goes to jury in Philadelphia

After six weeks of testimony, a Philadelphia jury began deliberating the fate of a veteran doctor accused of four counts of murder while performing late-term abortions in his clinic that served poor women.

Trayvon Martin case: Zimmerman waives 'stand your ground' hearing

SANFORD, Fla. — The former neighborhood watch leader charged with fatally shooting Trayvon Martin told a judge Tuesday that he agrees with his defense attorneys' decision not to seek an immunity hearing under the state's “stand your ground” self-defense law.

Jet part believed to be wreckage from 9/11 attacks under scrutiny

NEW YORK -- Coroner's officials entered a narrow, closely guarded alley in Lower Manhattan early Tuesday to begin searching the area around a newly discovered chunk of a jet airliner to determine if human remains from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks might be buried there.

Library of hate: KKK, racist writings join university collection

“U.S. GOVERNMENT INITIATES OPEN WARFARE AGAINST AMERICAN PEOPLE,” blared one headline.

Theater rampage: Holmes' lawyers object to Colorado insanity law

CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Defense attorneys for accused movie theater gunman James E. Holmes renewed their objections Monday to the constitutionality of the state’s insanity defense, giving another hint about how they hope to save their client’s life.

Female DNA found on Boston Marathon pressure-cooker bomb

WASHINGTON -- The FBI has found female DNA on at least one of the two homemade bombs detonated during the Boston Marathon on April 15, according to a law enforcement official.

Six months later, Superstorm Sandy's impact still being felt

The Obama administration approved $1.83 billion to help New Jersey recover from the effects of Superstorm Sandy, which six months ago to the day pounded through the state and metropolitan New York City areas, bring flooding, destruction and death.

When man attacked Albuquerque choir, the law was only a step away

An off-duty Albuquerque policeman and several church parishioners were credited Monday for their quick actions after they subdued a man who attacked the choir of a Catholic church.

Mayor of West, Texas: The face of a ravaged town

WEST, Texas — The two-tone brown Ford F-150 careens into the downtown parking space and out jumps Tommy Muska, a mayor on the move.

Student shoots himself in Roman Catholic school in Cincinnati

A student at a Cincinnati parochial school was in critical condition after he pulled out a gun in a classroom and shot himself in an apparent suicide attempt, officials said.

Suspect in ricin-letter case ordered held without bail in Mississippi

A karate instructor appeared in federal court in Mississippi and was ordered held on a charge that he produced the poison ricin and sent it in letters to President Obama and others.

Boston bombing: Mysterious 'Misha' turns up in Rhode Island

For days since the Boston Marathon bombings, people have been searching for the mysterious “Misha,” the friend with the thin red beard who supposedly tutored bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the ways of more pious Islam.

An Indianapolis police officer who faces drunk-driving charges for allegedly crashing into two motorcycles with his patrol car in 2010, killing one rider,  has been arrested again on suspicion of drunk driving.

Boston bombing: Lawmakers say Tsarnaevs might have had help

WASHINGTON -- Congressional leaders briefed on the FBI’s investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing said Sunday it was still possible that the two Tsarnaev brothers received help and support from others in building the bombs and carrying out the lethal attack.

At least four people were hurt at an Albuquerque church Sunday when a visitor jumped out of the pews and stabbed a choir member during a song, police and witnesses said.

Midwest states continue to fight record flooding

After months of drought, many areas of the Midwest on Saturday continued to fight off flooding from rising rivers that are not expected to crest for several more days.

'We are Martin's firefighters': Victim honored at Little League game

The front of their red and white shirts bore a poignant statement: “We are Martin’s firefighters.”

Five dead in Georgia house fire; 11-year-old girl sole survivor

An 11-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a house fire that killed four other children and an adult early Saturday in the western Georgia city of Newnan, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta.

Martial arts instructor arrested in case of poisoned letters

TUPELO, Miss. — FBI agents arrested a Mississippi martial arts instructor early Saturday in the bizarre case of poisoned letters sent to President Obama, a U.S. senator and a local judge.

Parents of suspected Boston bombers delay trip to U.S.

BOSTON — The parents of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev said Saturday they have no immediate plans to travel to the U.S., in part because of the mother’s fears she is also under suspicion.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer breaks shoulder in bike crash

Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer broke his shoulder in a fall from his bicycle and underwent surgery Saturday morning, according to a court spokeswoman.

TUPELO, Miss.  — A Mississippi karate instructor whose home and business were searched as part of an investigation into poisoned letters sent to President Obama, a U.S. senator and a local judge has been arrested in the case.

Mormon bishop comes to rescue with samurai sword: 'I drew on him'

Some intruder picked the wrong house to menace. That’s what happened this week when a gate-crasher in Salt Lake City came face to face with a Mormon bishop — wielding a Samurai sword.

Mystery surrounds discovery of possible parts from 9/11 jet

NEW YORK -- A large chunk of an airplane part believed to be from one of the jetliners hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001, was found with a piece of rope twined around it, adding to the mystery of how it ended up wedged between two buildings in Lower Manhattan for the past 12 years.

Train collides with transit bus in Pennsylvania; 1 dead, 10 hurt

One woman died and 10 people were hurt Friday when a freight train collided with a rural transit bus in Evans City, Pa., about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Woman accidentally swallows diamond at Tampa charity event

Miriam Tucker took a $5,000 sip of champagne at a fundraising luncheon in Tampa, Fla., the other day. 

Boston marathon victim: Suspect looked like "an odd guy"

A man who lost both legs in the Boston Marathon bombings described on Friday how he locked eyes with one of the bombing suspects minutes before the twin explosions took place near the finish line.

Landing gear believed to be from 9/11 jet found near N.Y. site

NEW YORK -- A piece of a landing gear believed to be from one of the commercial jetliners that crashed into the World Trade Center towers during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has been discovered wedged behind a building that became the site of a controversial Muslim center in Lower Manhattan.

Heart of Boston : Marathon sneakers form iconic image

A Boston Magazine cover of multi-hued sneakers shaped into a heart, framing the headline “We Will Finish the Race,” is drawing acclaim as a symbol of hope and recovery in the aftermath of the deadly marathon bombings.

Missing your head? College crew team pulled it out of Hudson River

America has lost its head. Really.

Boston Marathon bombing suspect moved to federal medical center

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, charged in the bombing of the Boston Marathon, has been moved from a civilian hospital to a medical facility run by the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Boston bombing suspect transferred to federal site

BOSTON -- The surviving Boston Marathon bombings suspect has been released from a civilian hospital and transferred to a federal medical detention center in central Massachusetts.

Mormon Church to Boy Scouts: Gay Scouts proposal OK

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a message for the Boy Scouts of America's plan to allow gay Scouts: We're fine with it.

Obama praises Texas blast responders at memorial for the dead

WACO, Texas — With the flag-draped coffins of 12 first-responders before him, President Obama  lauded the courage of the volunteer firefighters who rushed toward the scene of a massive fertilizer plant explosion and gave their lives trying to help their neighbors.

Body of missing Brown student Sunil Tripathi pulled from river

It was a mystery that ended in sadness: A body found in the Providence River earlier this week has been identified as missing Brown University student Sunil Tripathi, Rhode Island officials announced Thursday.

Nevada's dead bills: From strippers to state dog, it was a no-go

LAS VEGAS -- Consider it a time capsule of what was and was not politically correct in Nevada this year -- a document that might be unearthed by future inhabitants as a clue to what this often-outlandish desert culture was thinking, or not, in the year 2013.

Laughs, cheers and 'deep gratitude' at Bush library dedication

DALLAS -- When five presidents assembled at Southern Methodist University on Thursday for the dedication of George W. Bush's presidential center they traded wit and smiles, earning approval from the conservative crowd.

Boston victim opts for amputation, sees better life with prosthetic

Every year on Patriots Day, Heather Abbott and her friends take the train from Providence, R.I., to Boston and watch the Red Sox game before meeting other friends for drinks. The 38-year-old and two girlfriends had just arrived at a bar on Boylston Street and were waiting in line when Abbott heard an explosion near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Three critically burned in barge explosions in Mobile, Ala.

Three people were in critical condition with burns Thursday after a series of blasts and fires tore through two barges in Mobile, Ala.

Boston suspects spontaneously targeted Times Square, officials say

WASHINGTON — Top New York officials announced that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, arrested in the Boston Marathon bombing, told federal interrogators that he and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, had planned to drive to Manhattan and set off another series of explosions in Times Square.

Boston bomb suspects targeted New York City next, official says

WASHINGTON -- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, charged with using a weapon of mass destruction in the Boston Marathon bombing, has told federal interrogators that he and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, next planned to travel to New York City to set off another explosion, an official said Thursday. 

'Oh, happy day,' George W. Bush says, dedicating his Texas library

DALLAS -- Led by the only people who really understand what it means to sit in the Oval Office, the nation commemorated the presidential administration of George W. Bush on Thursday at the dedication of the library, museum and policy center that bears his name.

Executives' immigration dilemma: 'We can't find the workers'

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Aslam Khan, owner of 165 Church’s Chicken eateries, still has the text message — a plea from a general manager at one of his restaurants in Indiana: