Jury foreman says life or death decision unfair

They were 12 ordinary citizens who didn't oppose the death penalty. But unlike spectators outside the courthouse who followed the case like a daytime soap opera and jumped to demand Jodi Arias' execution, the jurors faced a decision that was wrenching and real, with implications that could haunt them forever.

Judge: Ariz. sheriff's office profiles Latinos

A federal judge has ruled that the office of America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff systematically singled out Latinos in its trademark immigration patrols, marking the first finding by a court that the agency racially profiles people.

No quick fix for downed bridge on holiday weekend

Washington state officials are scrambling to find a temporary fix for a bridge that collapsed on an important interstate highway and, incredibly, left just three motorists with injuries. Whatever the solution, it won't come in time to help with Memorial Day's highway hoards.

Journalist and author Haynes Johnson dies at 81

When Haynes Johnson visited Selma, Ala., months after a civil rights crisis there gripped the nation, he wrote in The Washington Evening Star that he'd found "no discernible change in the racial climate of the city." When it came to employment, housing or education, blacks had made no real gains.

Angel Flight crashes in NY, 2 killed, 1 missing

The crash of a volunteer Angel Flight in upstate New York that killed at least two people is under investigation, and the search for the missing pilot is ongoing, authorities said.

Quotations of the day

"Obama said that there would be more limits on targeted killings, a step in the right direction. But a mere promise that the U.S. will work within established guidelines that remain secret provides little confidence that the U.S. is complying with international law." _ Kenneth Roth, executive director at Human Rights Watch, on the president's new policy guidelines that he says will restrict how and when the U.S. can launch targeted drone strikes.

Jury convicts former South Texas DA of corruption

A former Texas prosecutor and one-time candidate for Congress was convicted Friday of accepting bribes in exchange for court favors, including an $80,000 payment in a scheme that allowed a convicted murder to escape.

Dead Pa. baby's dad believes in 'divine healing'

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.

Sandy-damaged NYC aquarium reopens this weekend

Playful sea lions and trusty penguins are welcoming visitors back to the New York Aquarium for the first time since the Coney Island marine haven was damaged by Superstorm Sandy.

Teen in devastated Okla. town handing out hugs

The people of the Oklahoma town where a deadly tornado struck could use just about everything _ cleaning supplies, food, water, shelter.

Suspects in Denver bar slayings plead not guilty

Three men accused of fatally stabbing five people at a Denver bar that authorities say was set on fire to cover up the killings have pleaded not guilty.

'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.

Ohio kidnap case hero not endorsing free burgers

The man who famously put aside his Big Mac to help rescue three women held captive in a Cleveland house said Friday that he's not endorsing a group of restaurants that are offering him free burgers for life and wants his name kept out of it.

Journalist and author Haynes Johnson dies at 81

Haynes Johnson, a pioneering Washington journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the civil rights movements and migrated from newspapers to television, books and teaching, died Friday. He was 81.

Healthy 5-pound gorilla born at central Ohio zoo

A baby gorilla has been born to first-time parents at an Ohio zoo.

Key figures in racial profiling lawsuit in Ariz

Key figures in a lawsuit that alleges that an Arizona sheriff's office has racially profiled Latinos in its immigration patrols. A judge ruled Friday that Arpaio's office systematically racially profiles Latinos:

Elite NYC school apologizes for past abuse

The Horace Mann School, one of New York City's most prestigious private schools, has apologized for more than three decades of sexual abuse perpetrated by some of its teachers and administrators, according to a letter posted on its website Friday.

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 two decades ago.

Students safe after armed man reported at school

A high school student whose class project included a soldier memorial display with a replica AK-47 was carrying it to his mom in the parking lot Friday around the time another student and a teacher said they saw someone outside with what looked like a rifle, police said.

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.

Principal recounts tornado hitting Oklahoma school

Teachers and students at Plaza Towers Elementary School hunkered down against the storm just as they had been taught in countless tornado drills, their principal said Friday, recounting how she walked the halls until the twister was on the doorstep, then announced on the intercom, "It's here."

Officials scale back search for abducted Iowa teen

Authorities are scaling back their search for a missing Iowa teenager abducted from a rural school bus stop this week.

Parolee indicted in theft of Gold Rush jewelry box

A parolee was indicted by a federal grand jury in the theft of a valuable Gold Rush-era jewelry box from the Oakland Museum of California, authorities said Friday.

Man accused of killing 5 in Illinois takes stand

A 34-year-old man accused of killing five members of a central Illinois family with a tire iron took the witness stand Friday, wiping away tears as he painted a horrifying picture of the murder scene.

Ill. House approves guns plan opposed by governor

Gun owners could carry concealed weapons in Illinois, the last state in the nation to prohibit it, under legislation that swept through the House Friday with the backing of the powerful Democratic speaker from Chicago, a city torn by violence despite what critics claim are the nation's toughest firearms restrictions.