Nation & World

Storm took town's youngest as it swept through

MOORE, Okla. — One loved the spotlight. Another was nicknamed "The Wall" because of the force he brought to the soccer field.

For Philadelphia bicyclist, a cat is his co-pilot (with video)

PHILADELPHIA — For bicyclist Rudi Saldia, you could say a cat is his co-pilot.

Obama endorses more oversight of drone strikes

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Thursday defended America’s controversial drone attacks as legal, effective and a necessary linchpin in an evolving U.S. counterterrorism policy. But he acknowledged the targeted strikes are no “cure-all” and said he is haunted by the civilians unintentionally killed.

Pakistan arrested American who was killed by drone

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — An American citizen killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan in 2011 was arrested by Pakistani authorities three years earlier but escaped after being released on bail, officials said Thursday.

WHO: 22 deaths worldwide from coronavirus

GENEVA — World Health Organization officials said Thursday that their probe into the deadly new coronavirus that has now claimed 22 lives is being delayed because of a dispute over the ownership rights to a sample.

U.K. attack suspects part of previous investigations

LONDON — Two men accused of butchering a British soldier had been part of previous investigations by security services, a British official said Thursday, as investigators searched several locations and tried to determine whether the men were part of a wider plot to instill terror on the streets of London.

Canada businessman's corruption trial begins in Cuba

HAVANA — A Canadian businessman caught up in a corruption probe in Cuba apparently went on trial Thursday, nearly two years after he was detained and his import company, Tri-Star Caribbean, was shuttered.

Between economy and trouble, Obama approval steady

WASHINGTON — The economy is recovering, the White House is dealing with multiple controversies, and President Barack Obama appears generally unaffected either way.

Man shot by FBI had ties to Boston bombing suspect

ORLANDO, Fla. — A Chechen immigrant shot to death in Florida after an altercation with an FBI agent implicated himself in a triple slaying that officials believe may have been connected to Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, authorities said.

Birth control coverage up for federal appeal

DENVER — In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is asking a federal appeals court Thursday for an exemption from part of the federal health care law that requires it to offer employees health coverage that includes access to the morning-after pill.

Colorado killer's reprieve sharply criticized

DENVER — Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper's decision to block the execution of convicted killer Nathan Dunlap for as long as he is governor infuriated victims' relatives and drew quick criticism from Republicans ahead of the 2014 election.

Funerals begin for those killed in Oklahoma tornado

Thunderstorms slow cleanup

MOORE, Okla. — A band of thunderstorms battered the Oklahoma City area Thursday, slowing cleanup operations in the suburb where a tornado killed 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes this week. The first of the funerals, for a 9-year-old girl killed at a Moore elementary school that took a direct hit in Monday’s storm, took place Thursday morning.

AAA: 31.2 million expected to hit road for holiday weekend

It's going to be another busy Memorial Day weekend on the nation's highways.

Polish man gets quick face transplant after injury

WARSAW, Poland — A 33-year-old Polish man received a face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest time frame to date for such an operation. It was Poland's first face transplant.