Man dies in hospital, consumed live bugs

The Associated Press • October 9, 2012

MIAMI (AP) — The winner of a roach-eating contest in South Florida died shortly after downing dozens of the live bugs as well as worms, authorities said Monday. About 30 contestants ate the insects...

Skydiver to free fall for spacesuit research

The Associated Press • October 9, 2012

ROSWELL, N.M. — Skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s attempt at the highest, fastest free fall in history Tuesday is more than just a stunt. His planned 23-mile dive from the stratosphere should provide...

Protester gives up St. Peter’s protest

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

VATICAN CITY — An Italian man gave up his protest atop the St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday evening, after more than 24 hours perched on the 130-meter-high (426-foot) dome to demonstrate against...

Turkey fires back after Syrian shelling

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

BEIRUT — Turkish artillery fired on Syrian targets Wednesday after shelling from Syria struck a border village in Turkey, killing five civilians, sharply escalating tensions between the two neighbors...

Ind. farm tied to salmonella outbreak unclean

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — A federal inspector found two strains of salmonella and unclean conditions at an Indiana cantaloupe farm’s fruit-packing plant during inspections prompted by a deadly outbreak...

Chicago police find about 1,000 pot plants in city

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

CHICAGO — In Chicago, a bustling urban metropolis where skyscrapers are as likely to sprout up as anything a farmer might plant, someone decided there was just enough room to grow something a little...

Rare meningitis cases at 26 in 5 states, 4 deaths

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  — An outbreak of a rare and deadly form of meningitis has now sickened 26 people in five states who received steroid injections mostly for back pain, health officials said...

Gay pride march banned in Serbia

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s police on Wednesday banned a Gay Pride march in Belgrade, citing security concerns but also complying with a request from Serbia’s Christian Orthodox church. Police...

Obama and Romney delve into the details

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

DENVER — Americans demanded details and, boy, did they get them. In their first debate, President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney delved into dense discussions on taxes, health care,...

Rangers swept by A’s, face Orioles in Wild Card game Friday

The Associated Press • October 4, 2012

OAKLAND, Calif. — Josh Hamilton made one thing clear: The Texas Rangers will forget their stunning season-ending sweep at Oakland and regroup as an American League Wild Card. So much for a third...

Iran’s currency falls to record low

The Associated Press • October 2, 2012

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s currency has fallen 16 percent in a single day to hit a record low against the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies in street trading. Street traders said Monday...

Nuclear tensions deemed volatile

The Associated Press • October 2, 2012

UNITED NATIONS — A North Korean minister says the Korean peninsula has become the world’s most dangerous hotspot where a spark could set off a nuclear war. Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil Yon...

Security company fired after breach

The Associated Press • October 2, 2012

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The security contractor at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee has been fired after authorities say three activists cut through fences this summer and vandalized a building. The...

Conversion therapy restricted for minors

The Associated Press • October 2, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO — Gay rights advocates are making plans to get other states to join California in banning psychotherapy aimed at making gay teenagers straight, even as opponents prepared Monday to...

Deadline nears on judge’s Pa. voter ID law ruling

The Associated Press • October 2, 2012

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A court-imposed Tuesday deadline is looming for a judge to decide whether Pennsylvania’s tough new law requiring voters to show photo identification can remain intact, a ruling...

Woman arrested, accused of stabbing

The Associated Press • October 1, 2012

HOUSTON — Authorities say a Houston woman accused of fatally stabbing her roommate and then asking a friend’s boyfriend to help her dispose of the body has been charged with murder. Adele...

Police clear stadium after bomb threat

The Associated Press • October 1, 2012

 SAN ANTONIO — Officials say a high school football game in San Antonio that was suspended this weekend due to a bomb threat will resume Monday. The San Antonio Express-News reports Saturday...

Clinic procides care to 1,200 uninsured

The Associated Press • October 1, 2012

DALLAS  — Nearly 1,200 uninsured people received free health care at a Dallas event this weekend. The Communities Are Responding Everyday Clinic was held at the Dallas Convention Center on...

TSU band involved in hazing scandal

The Associated Press • September 28, 2012

HOUSTON — Texas Southern University has suspended its famous marching band after university officials received a report of hazing among its members. The “Ocean of Soul” band canceled...

Man pleads guilty to extorting Redskins QB Griffin

The Associated Press • September 28, 2012

DALLAS (AP) — A former Baylor basketball player pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to extort $1 million from Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III by threatening to expose damaging information,...

Austin City Council endorses same-sex marriage

The Associated Press • September 28, 2012

(AP) — The Austin City Council has voted to make the capital city of Texas the first in the state to formally endorse the legalization of same-sex marriages. The Thursday vote was unanimous. The...

Nigerian women pilgrims detained en route to Mecca

The Associated Press • September 27, 2012

ABUJA, Nigeria — The detention of hundreds of female Nigerian pilgrims heading to Mecca at Saudi Arabia’s busiest airport over a rule requiring them to travel with a husband or male relative...

Student kills self at Okla. junior high

The Associated Press • September 27, 2012

STILLWATER, Okla. — A gunshot rang out at an Oklahoma junior high school before classes began Wednesday, terrifying teenagers who feared a gunman was on the loose. Soon, though, students learned...

Group claims Da Vinci painted early Mona Lisa work

The Associated Press • September 27, 2012

GENEVA (AP) — A Zurich-based foundation says it will prove to the world Thursday that Leonardo Da Vinci painted an earlier version of the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa Foundation, which has been working...

11 killed in Mexican shootout near church

The Associated Press • September 27, 2012

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities say troops have clashed with an armed group near a church in southern Mexico, leaving 11 people dead, including a soldier and one woman. The Guerrero state...

Egypt newspaper fights cartoons with cartoons

The Associated Press • September 27, 2012

CAIRO (AP) — Amid outrage sparked by perceived insults to Islam, one Egyptian newspaper has decided to fight cartoons with cartoons. Al Watan daily says it is responding to the crude caricatures...

Obama views Libya attack as terrorism

The Associated Press • September 27, 2012

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — The White House said Wednesday that President Barack Obama considers the deadly assault on the U.S. consulate in Libya a terrorist attack. White House spokesman Jay Carney...

New York City hospitals cracking down on junk food

The Associated Press • September 25, 2012

NEW YORK — People waiting around in New York City hospitals for loved ones to come out of surgery can’t smoke. In a few months, they can’t have a supersized fast-food soda. And soon,...

City to decide on housing proposal

The Associated Press • September 25, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco may soon give new meaning to the word “downsizing.” Supervisors are set to vote on Tuesday on a proposed change to the city’s building code that would...

New SARS-like virus detected in Middle East

The Associated Press • September 25, 2012

LONDON — Global health officials are closely monitoring a new respiratory virus related to SARS that is believed to have killed at least one person in Saudi Arabia and left a Qatari citizen in critical...

Condolences pour in for 6-day-old panda cub

The Associated Press • September 25, 2012

WASHINGTON — As condolences poured in from around the world, National Zoo officials waited Monday for word on why a 6-day-old panda cub died and lamented a heartbreaking setback to their closely...

Anti-Islam film prompts boycott

The Associated Press • September 25, 2012

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s culture minister said Monday that his country will boycott the 2013 Oscars in the wake of the anti-Islam video made in the United States that denigrates the Prophet Muhammad. An...