Nation & World

O.J. back in court; Day 4 of bid for new Vegas trial

LAS VEGAS — O.J. Simpson, a former star athlete who once lived for the spotlight, was back on stage telling the grim story of the Las Vegas afternoon in 2007 that sent him to prison.

Obama: No special prosecutor to investigate IRS

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama dismissed the idea of a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue Service Thursday, saying probes by Congress and the Justice Department should be able to figure out who was responsible for improperly targeting tea party groups when they applied for tax-exempt status.

Cambodian shoe factory collapse kills 2, injures 7

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The ceiling of a Cambodian factory that makes Asics sneakers collapsed on workers early Thursday, killing two people and injuring seven, in the latest accident to spotlight lax safety conditions in the global garment industry.

Dems rally behind White House on Benghazi

WASHINGTON — Democrats rallied behind President Barack Obama in the long-running, bitter dispute over the administration's handling of the Benghazi attack, arguing that the White House's latest email disclosure undermines Republican claims of a cover-up.

10 tornadoes whipped through Texas; 6 dead

A rash of tornadoes slammed into several small communities in North Texas overnight, leaving at least six people dead, dozens more injured and hundreds homeless. The violent spring storm scattered bodies, flattened homes and threw trailers onto cars.

Officials: ‘Multiple fatalities’ in Texas tornado

GRANBURY, Texas (AP) — Officials report a tornado caused “multiple fatalities” as it tore through two neighborhoods of a North Texas town.

IRS commissioner ousted over targeting of Tea Party

Obama speaks of unspeakable 'misconduct' by agency employees

WASHINGTON — Hurrying to check a growing controversy, President Barack Obama ousted the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service late Wednesday amid an outcry over revelations that the agency had improperly targeted tea party groups for scrutiny when they filed for tax-exempt status.

Russians attempt to topple Google in Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam's booming Internet scene is littered with failed startups that tried to take on Google and other entrenched U.S web companies. That's not deterring a newly launched Russian-Vietnamese outfit which believes it can unseat the American search engine in this fast-growing Asian market and also contend with a jittery, authoritarian government seeking to clamp down on freedom of expression online.

Conn. chef set to feast on cicadas during invasion

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Connecticut chef Bun Lai is already known for his Mexican grasshopper dish and his fried rice with meal worms and crickets. But he might soon also be recognized as the cicada chef.

Judge declines to nix '79 NYC child-killing case

NEW YORK — A man charged with murder decades after one of the nation's most infamous child disappearances can go to trial, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Stem cells recovered from cloned human embryos

NEW YORK — Scientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. In Wednesday’s edition of the journal Cell, however, scientists From Oregon Health & Science University report harvesting stem cells from six embryos created from donated eggs. Two embryos had been given DNA from skin cells of a child with a genetic disorder, and the others had DNA from fetal skin cells.

Dems, GOP raise concerns over subpoenas to AP

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress Wednesday that a serious national security leak required the secret gathering of telephone records at The Associated Press as he stood by an investigation in which he insisted he had no involvement.

Update: Hagel informed Obama of latest sex abuse case

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel informed President Barack Obama of the latest sexual assault allegations against a soldier who was assigned to prevent such crimes — the second soldier involved in similar accusations — and the president made clear he wants that behavior stopped, officials said Wednesday.

Holder: Potential civil rights violations at IRS

WASHINGTON — The FBI’s criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service could include potential civil rights violations, false statements and potential violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in some partisan political activities, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday.

Russia's FSB: Another alleged U.S. spy expelled

MOSCOW — Russian state television aired footage Wednesday from Russia's security services claiming that another alleged American spy was expelled earlier this year.