The National Weather Service warning of excessive heat in several states predicts “oppressive heat” with temperatures at least in the 90s.
Retailers to bring fresh produce to many without
Wal-Mart and other retailers announced a plan over the next five years to open or expand 1,500 stores in areas without easy access to fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.
Minnesota Somali pleads guilty to terror charge
Omer Abdi Mohamed, 26, of St. Anthony pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, specifically admitting that he helped provide people in a conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim people in a foreign country.
Ireland unveils new report on Catholic child abuse
The report is a state fact-finding probe about how church leaders protected their reputation for decades.
Strong earthquake rocks northeastern Japan
A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 hit Japan’s northeastern coast on Sunday, prompting a tsunami warning for the area still recovering from a devastating quake and killer wave four months ago. Residents in coastal areas were warned to evacuate, but no damage was reported immediately afterward.
Fort Hood shooting suspect will face death penalty
Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 shooting spree on the Texas Army post.
Cleanup under way after massive Ariz. dust storm
The huge dust wall that crossed the metro Phoenix area Tuesday night drastically reduced visibility, halting all flights coming in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport until conditions improved. Winds ripped up trees, tossed around lawn furniture and caused hazardous driving conditions. WITH VIDEO
Pakistan college holds praise bin Laden contest
A competition at the prestigious Punjab University of Lahore, Pakistan, will reward the best poem or essay praising Osama bin Laden, indicating the gains made by hard-line Islamists on college campuses.
British allege Iran conducted missile tests
Iran has conducted covert tests of ballistic missiles in addition to a 10-day program of public military maneuvers, Britain alleges, including covert ballistic missiles tests and rocket launches, with some missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload.
Boston gangster story is a tale of 2 brothers
Generations of Boston residents have watched the story play out of former Democratic Senate President William “Billy” Bulger and his older brother, reputed gangster James “Whitey” Bulger. At the heart of the story, at least for the younger Bulger, was a fierce loyalty to family and the shared experience of growing up in the working class Irish-American enclave of South Boston, where the line between brawling and bare-knuckled politics was easily blurred.
Joplin school district tries to rebuild, reinvent
The twister that laid waste to much of Joplin, Mo., last month hit the school system especially hard: It killed seven students and one teacher, and destroyed three school buildings, including the only public high school. Seven other buildings were badly damaged. In the aftermath, the resurrection of Joplin High and other public schools has become a rallying point for the whole community.
Author’s trial nears end in Ariz. sweat lodge case
A self-help author killed three people by ratcheting up the heat in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony and ignoring pleas to help those who were passed out on the dirt floor, vomiting or having trouble breathing, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday as she urged them to convict James Arthur Ray of manslaughter.
Duncan working on ‘plan B’ for US schools
Frustrated by what he called a “slow motion train wreck” for U.S. schools, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he will give schools relief from federal mandates under the No Child Left Behind law if Congress drags its feet on the law’s long-awaited overhaul and reauthorization.
Bin Laden’s No. 2: Muslims will destroy America
Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy, warned Wednesday that America faces not individual terrorists or groups but an international community of Muslims that seek to destroy it and its allies. He was delivering a 28-minute videotaped eulogy to slain al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Minnesota girl who helped others now in need
Megan Wegge twice donated her long, blond hair to “Locks of Love” and started her own business to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Now diagnosed with a rare form of cancer herself, she and her mom are temporary residents of Bloomington, Ind., preparing for a form of radiation treatment available in nine places in the country.