School storm protection is spotty in tornado zones
MOORE, Okla. (AP) -- With its single-story design and cinder-block walls, Plaza Towers Elementary School may have seemed sturdy when it was built a couple of generations ago. But a powerful tornado revealed the building's lack of modern safety standards, destroying the school and killing seven students.... 5/22/2013 5:29 PM

$2B in Okla. tornado damage means hard recovery
MOORE, Okla. (AP) -- All that is left of Shayne Patterson's three-bedroom home is the tiny area where his wife hunkered down under a mattress to protect their three children when a tornado packing winds of at least 200 mph slammed through his neighborhood.... 5/23/2013 3:13 AM

Youngest Okla. tornado victims remembered by kin
MOORE, Okla. (AP) -- Nine-year-old Sydney Angle was "everywhere at once" when she was out on the softball field. Kyle Davis, 8, was nicknamed "The Wall" because of his size and presence on the soccer field. JaNae Hornsby, also 9, was the life of the party.... 5/23/2013 3:15 AM

Man shot to death while questioned in Boston probe
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A Chechen immigrant was shot to death by authorities in central Florida early Wednesday after he turned violent while being questioned about his ties to one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, officials said.... 5/22/2013 8:49 PM

Nearly all US states see hefty drop in teen births
NEW YORK (AP) -- The nation's record-low teen birth rate stems from robust declines in nearly every state, but most dramatically in several Mountain States and among Hispanics, according to a new government report.... 5/23/2013 12:20 AM

Urban renewal? Big US cities showing strong growth
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Urban renewal? New census estimates show that most of the nation's largest cities further enhanced their allure last year, posting strong population growth for a second straight year.... 5/23/2013 12:21 AM

Obama to push for transparency in face of threats
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amid lingering concerns about his national security policies, President Barack Obama is outlining measures to clarify the deadly use of drones against terror suspects, make good on a pledge to close the controversial prison at Guantanamo Bay and warn Americans about dire threats they continue to face - even from fellow citizens.... 5/23/2013 3:18 AM

Broke no laws, IRS official says _ then takes 5th
WASHINGTON (AP) -- At the center of a political storm, an Internal Revenue Service supervisor whose agents targeted conservative groups swore Wednesday she did nothing wrong, broke no laws and never lied to Congress. Then she refused to answer lawmakers' further questions, citing her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself.... 5/22/2013 7:24 PM

For Philadelphia bicyclist, a cat is his co-pilot
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- For bicyclist Rudi Saldia, you could say a cat is his co-pilot.... 5/23/2013 3:17 AM

37-year-old man charged in Wash. state ricin scare
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A man was arrested Wednesday in a case involving last week's discovery of a pair of letters containing the deadly poison ricin.... 5/22/2013 11:13 PM