4 Americans killed since 2009 in US drone strikes
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that four American citizens have been killed in drone strikes since 2009 in Pakistan and Yemen. The disclosure to Congress comes on the eve of a major national security speech by President Barack Obama.... 5/22/2013 5:17 PM

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

Okla. tornado damage: Thousands of homes, $1.5-$2B
MOORE, Okla. (AP) -- The tornado that struck an Oklahoma City suburb this week may have created $2 billion or more in damage as it tore through as many as 13,000 homes, multiple schools and a hospital, officials said Wednesday as they gave the first detailed account of the devastation.... 5/22/2013 6:25 PM

Man shot to death while questioned in Boston probe
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A Chechen immigrant was shot to death by authorities 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 5:52 PM

In Arias trial, TV cameras never far behind
PHOENIX (AP) -- The Jodi Arias trial had all the ingredients of a circus the minute it started: sex and violence, a defendant more than willing to seek the spotlight, a judge who extended leniency in allowing lengthy testimony and cameras in court - and a media-savvy sheriff ready and willing to set up jailhouse interviews with his most famous inmate.... 5/22/2013 6:15 PM

Arias jury deadlocked but must keep deliberating
PHOENIX (AP) -- Jurors in the Jodi Arias murder said Wednesday they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether she should be sentenced to life in prison or death for killing her one-time boyfriend, prompting the judge to instruct them to keep on trying.... 5/22/2013 6:20 PM

Judge seals affidavit of Maine man in teen's death
BANGOR, Maine (AP) -- Police laid out their case Wednesday against a man accused of killing a 15-year-old girl whose body was found in a wooded area miles from her home, but the details remained hidden from public view after a judge sealed a crucial affidavit at the request of the suspect's lawyer.... 5/22/2013 5:45 PM

House panel moves to curb military sexual assaults
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Members of a House panel angry over the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the military took a key step toward tackling the problem by passing legislation Wednesday that would strip commanding officers of their longstanding authority to unilaterally change or dismiss court-martial convictions in rape and assault cases. Lawmakers believe the revision will lead to a cultural shift and encourage victims to step forward.... 5/22/2013 5:05 PM

WikiLeaks case file fight moves to federal court
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- The WikiLeaks organization and a handful of journalists are asking a federal judge in Baltimore to order greater transparency in the court-martial of an Army private who has acknowledged sending reams of classified documents to the WikiLeaks website.... 5/22/2013 6:04 PM

Man who kidnapped 2 Iowa girls had long record
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- When Michael Klunder enticed two girls to enter his pickup truck near a rural Iowa school bus stop Monday, it was at least his third kidnapping in a long criminal history in which he was ordered to receive sex offender treatment starting as a teenager.... 5/22/2013 5:48 PM