Students safe after armed man reported at school

Armed officers and worried parents rushed to a Denver-area high school as students hunkered down in closets and classrooms Friday after a report of a gunman near campus on the last day of class before summer vacation, but the high anxiety faded after a police search turned up nothing.

No bail for Pa. parents in faith-healing death

After their 2-year-old son died of untreated pneumonia in 2009, faith-healing advocates Herbert and Catherine Schaible promised a judge they would not let another sick child go without medical care.

LA sanitation ends plans for dump near Joshua Tree

A regional garbage collection agency has tossed out plans to build a mega-landfill for Los Angeles' trash less than two miles from Joshua Tree National Park in the remote Southern California desert.

Suspect in killing of officer found dead in cell

A Utah Army veteran was found hanging dead Friday in his jail cell as he awaited trial on charges of killing a police officer and wounding five others during a raid that netted 13 pot plants and sparked a fierce debate about what happened that night.

Woman feared Iowa kidnapping suspect's release

The ex-girlfriend of a man suspected of kidnapping two Iowa girls this week worried that he would harm her and her family before his impending release from prison in 2011, citing prior sexual and physical abuse and threats, according to court records released Friday.

Can Tornado Alley become safer? Yes, within limits

In the wind-swept prairie called Tornado Alley, the scene is eerily familiar: Homes smashed to splinters. Trees and telephone poles snapped like twigs. Piles of bricks, overturned cars and dazed survivors sifting through rubble in search of a precious photo or heirloom. A town in ruins.

Principal recounts storm hitting Okla. school

The principal of the Oklahoma elementary school where seven children died in a tornado says her teachers did everything they could to save their lives.

Arias foreman: Sentencing decision unfair to jury

The jury foreman in Jodi Arias' trial says the panel just couldn't decide whether the killing of her boyfriend was enough to merit a death a sentence.

AP PHOTOS: Storm survivor looks for silver lining

Sabrina Mitchell is used to looking for silver linings.

After vote on gay youth, Scouts face more turmoil

The Boy Scouts of America will get no reprieve from controversy after a contentious vote to accept openly gay boys as Scouts.

Feds look for temporary fix after I-5 collapse

Federal officials were searching the country for a possible temporary replacement for a bridge that collapsed along the crucial Interstate 5 corridor, but Washington Gov. Jay Inslee cautioned Friday that major disruptions will last for weeks, if not months.

16 hurt in shuttle bus crash near Atlanta airport

Sixteen people were taken to the hospital Friday, at least two in serious condition, after they were hurt in a crash between a hotel shuttle bus and a tractor-trailer near Atlanta's airport, officials said.

Illinois judge charged with heroin, gun possession

A southwestern Illinois judge already under scrutiny after a colleague died of a cocaine overdose at his family's hunting lodge was charged Friday with possession of heroin and guns.

DA: Tenn. victims shot after drugs handed over

A former police officer, accused of killing two people during a robbery at an east Tennessee pharmacy, gunned down his victims after they complied with his demands for painkillers, a prosecutor said Friday.

Wis. farmers, firefighters partner on hazards maps

Without even thinking, Joe Ortner rattles off a list of items on his family's dairy farm that could kill you: 1,000 gallons of diesel, 500 gallons of gas, cleaning chemicals in the milking parlor, oil and lubricant for repair work and a 6-foot-deep manure pond in which you could drown.

Arellano Felix drug cartel leader pleads guilty

The last of the brothers accused of creating an infamous Mexican drug cartel pleaded guilty Friday to helping send hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds from the United States, marking one of the final milestones in an investigation that began nearly two decades ago.

'Unusual condition' seen before Conn. train wreck

The engineer of the commuter train that derailed last week in Connecticut observed an "unusual condition" on the track before the wreck, federal officials said Friday without explaining what the condition was, though they did say repair work was done last month in the area of the crash.

Man accused of killing 5 in Illinois takes stand

A man accused of killing five members of a central Illinois family with a tire iron has wiped away tears as he painted a horrifying picture of the murder scene to jurors.

Ill. House approves guns plan opposed by governor

Gun owners in the only state still banning concealed weapons would win that right under a plan approved by the Illinois House on Friday, but the governor and other powerful Democrats oppose the plan because it would wipe out local gun ordinances _ including Chicago's ban on assault weapons.

Lawyer wants documents in Maine teen death sealed

The lawyer for a Maine man charged with killing a 15-year-old girl wants a judge to keep affidavits and search warrants with details about the case under seal.

Evacuated residents of ND city returning home

As authorities suggested residents of a northeastern North Dakota city flee their homes earlier this week in case a rain-swollen dam burst, Daryl Thompson hurriedly prepared meals at his Main Street cafe for the emergency workers who would stay behind.

Summer travel forecast: Better, but no blowout

This summer, high rollers are flying to lavish vacation hot spots for their vacations. The rest of us are headed to places like nearby campgrounds.

Syria targeted Israeli jeep going to rebel village

UNITED NATIONS (AP) _ Syria said it targeted an Israeli vehicle that crossed a ceasefire line into its territory earlier this week because it was heading toward a village with a large rebel presence.

Arizona investigating angry email sent lawmakers

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has launched an investigation into lawmakers' safety after at least nine legislators received threatening emails over Gov. Jan Brewer's push to expand Medicaid.

Top 10 items found during 2012 coastal cleanup

The Ocean Conservancy, a Washington D.C.-based environmental organization, released its 2012 list of trash collected during its International Coastal Cleanup. More than 10 million pounds of debris was collected globally, with more than 769,000 pounds collected in California alone. The top items found during the cleanup: