
Texas man accused of carving pentagram into son
A North Texas man carved a large pentagram into his 6-year-old son's back Wednesday, telling a 911 dispatcher that he did it because "it's a holy ...

Ex-megachurch worker gets 55 years for sex crimes
A former janitor at a Tulsa megachurch who admitted to sex crimes against three girls told his victims Wednesday that "no one's perfect" in an ...

Far from the Shire, a Hobbit house in Pa. country
Worlds away from the Shire, a stone cottage tucked into the Pennsylvania countryside would make Bilbo Baggins feel like he was back home with his ...

Del. day care workers plead guilty in fight case
Two Delaware day care workers charged with encouraging and videotaping a fight between two 3-year-old boys have pleaded guilty to assault and ...

Del. man sues Boy Scouts, Mormons over sex abuse
A Delaware man sued the Boy Scouts of America and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Wednesday over childhood sexual abuse committed ...

U. Iowa adds optional LGBT question to application
The University of Iowa has become the nation's first public university to include optional questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on ...
Oil rises on Fed stimulus plan
Oil traders got what they wanted Wednesday: another big move by the Federal Reserve to stimulate the slow-growing U.S. economy. The Fed said it will ...
Handcuffed suspect who took squad car arrested
Police say the theft suspect who managed to escape from the back of police squad car while handcuffed and make his getaway in the car has been ...

NYPD: Getaway car found in slaying of Calif. man
Police revealed Wednesday that they found a getaway car used in an execution-style daylight slaying of a Los Angeles man on a busy Manhattan street ...

To give on the street? In cities, a daily calculus
During her two decades living in Houston, Caroline Oliver, like any urban dweller, frequently encountered people in the streets asking for money.

Gunman opens fire in Portland mall; 3 dead
A masked gunman wearing camouflage opened fire Tuesday in a busy Portland mall, leaving the gunman and two others dead and forcing the mall's Santa ...

Notable shootings at shopping malls worldwide
Notable shootings at shopping malls worldwide: — Dec. 11, 2012: A masked gunman wearing camouflage opened fire at the Clackamas Town Center in ...

Chicago man gets 10 years in suicide-bomber plot
A Chicago man who pleaded guilty to a plot to attend a Somalia training camp with the dream of becoming a suicide bomber was sentenced Tuesday to ...

Police suspect LA man was lured into NYC ambush
Someone wanted Brandon Lincoln Woodard dead — bad enough to apparently lure him to a midtown Manhattan block for what looked like a professional hit.

3 dead, including gunman, in Oregon mall shooting
A gunman opened fire in a suburban Portland shopping mall Tuesday, killing two people and wounding another as people were doing their Christmas ...

Mexico: Rivera's plane hit with 'terrible' impact
The plane carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera plunged almost vertically from more than 28,000 feet and hit the ground in a ...

Florida executes ex-cop for killing 9 in 1986
A former police officer who murdered nine people during a 1986 crime spree was executed Tuesday after his attorneys' last-minute appeals were rejected

Americans finding dozens of ways to mark 12-12-12
A Michigan sixth-grader will put aside her nerves and get her ears pierced on her 12th birthday. Two law-enforcement officials will exchange wedding ...
Senator: Rock removal on Mississippi to start soon
Crews might be allowed to begin destroying two rock pinnacles impeding barge traffic on the Mississippi River as early as next week, more than a month ...

Families fear Sandy killed cottages, traditions
The small yellow cottage has always been more than a house to Bob Bratek and his family. It was their tiny slice of oceanfront heaven, a repository ...
Somali woman gets prison for terror support
A Somali-born woman has been sentenced in San Diego to eight years in prison for routing money to a terrorist organization in her native country. U.S.

Mayan prophecy sparks dread, celebration worldwide
The clock is ticking down to Dec. 21, the supposed end of the Mayan calendar, and from China to California to Mexico, thousands are getting ready for ...

UK regulator steps up compliance rules for HSBC
Britain's financial regulator says it is taking steps to force HSBC to improve its legal compliance after the bank agreed to pay $1.9 billon to settle ...

Philly dancers set 'Soul Train' line record
Almost 300 dancers who strutted, shimmied and shook their way down a Soul Train line set a world record earlier this year in Philadelphia.
Trayvon Martin shooter to stay on 24-hour monitor
George Zimmerman must remain under 24-hour GPS monitoring while awaiting trial in the fatal shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin and must stay ...