Thousands walk, run final mile of Boston Marathon

Rosy Spraker was only a half-mile from the finish line of her seventh Boston Marathon when the bombs went off. She received her medal later in the mail at her Lorton, Va., home. But she couldn’t bring herself to wear it until today, when she and thousands of other athletes joined victims of the blast to run and walk the last mile of the race.

NTSB: Bridge collapse in Washington is wake-up call

Seattle — The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday the bridge collapse in Washington state is a wake-up call for the nation.

Missouri highway buckles after rail cars hit overpass

Chaffee, Mo. — A highway overpass in southeast Missouri collapsed early Saturday when rail cars slammed into one of the bridge's pillars after a cargo train collision, authorities said. Seven people were injured, though none seriously.

French soldier stabbed in throat outside Paris

Paris — A French soldier was stabbed in the throat in a busy commercial district outside Paris on Saturday, and the government said it was trying to determine if there were any links to the brutal killing of a British soldier by suspected Islamic extremists.

San Antonio flooding kills 2; 200-plus rescued

San Antonio — Torrential rains swamped San Antonio with flash floods on Saturday, leaving at least two people dead as emergency workers rushed to rescue more than 200 residents stranded in cars and homes.

Toronto mayor denies he smokes crack cocaine

Toronto — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denied that he smokes crack cocaine and said he is not an addict, breaking a week of silence over reports of a video purportedly showing him using the drug. Critics were not appeased, with one city councilor questioning whether the mayor told "the whole truth" and another calling on him to resign.

Graduates in tornado-raked Okla. town vow to stay

Oklahoma City — Seven tornadoes have swept through their town since they were born, but as new graduates donned caps and gowns to say goodbye to their high schools Saturday, they vowed they wouldn't say goodbye to Moore.

Deaths at Atlanta VA hospital prompt scrutiny

Atlanta — Four deaths at the Atlanta VA Medical Center mark the latest in a series of problems plaguing Veterans Affairs, prompting outrage from officials and congressional scrutiny of the largest integrated health care system in the country.

Female suicide bomber injures 12 in Russian region

Makhachkala, Russia — A female suicide bomber identified as a widow of two killed Islamists blew herself up in the southern Russian region of Dagestan on Saturday injuring at least 12, including two children and five police officers, police said.

Hezbollah chief says group is fighting in Syria

Beirut — The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Saturday that the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime would give rise to extremists and plunge the Middle East into a "dark period," and vowed his Shiite militant group will not stand idly by while its chief ally in Damascus is under attack.

Philadelphia bicyclist, cat co-pilot are big hits

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

Mutant cockroach species starts to lose its sweet tooth

Roaches that have been hard to exterminate may be a variety that have decided sugar doesn't taste quite so sweet as bait anymore, researchers found.

After vote on gay youth, Scouts still in turmoil

The Boy Scouts of America will get no reprieve from controversy after a contentious vote to accept openly gay boys as Scouts.

Jersey shore cuts ribbon on revival

Seaside Heights, N.J. — New Jersey used a record-breaking gesture Friday to celebrate its recovery from a record-setting storm, proclaiming to the nation ...

Syria peace talks face skepticism

Beirut — Syria's government has agreed to attend a U.S.-Russian-brokered peace conference, according to Moscow. While this development might seem at ...

Feds seek temporary fix in Washington state bridge collapse

Federal officials were searching the country for a possible temporary replacement for a bridge that collapsed along the crucial Interstate 5 corridor, but ...

Okla. disasters 3rd most in the nation

Washington — Many states get hit frequently with tornadoes and other natural catastrophes, but Oklahoma is Disaster Central.

Feds look for temporary fix after Washington bridge collapse

Federal officials were searching the country for a possible temporary replacement for a bridge that collapsed along the crucial Interstate 5 corridor, but ...

Toronto mayor says he doesn’t smoke crack cocaine

Toronto — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denied Friday that he smokes crack cocaine and said he is not an addict after a video purported to show him using the ...

U.K.-bound Pakistan plane diverted, 2 men arrested

London — Britain scrambled fighter jets Friday to intercept a commercial airliner carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, diverting it to an ...

After vote on gay youth, Boy Scouts face more turmoil

The Boy Scouts of America will get no reprieve from controversy after a contentious vote to accept openly gay boys as Scouts.

Jury foreman says Arias testimony didn’t help her in murder case

Phoenix — As jurors in Jodi Arias' murder trial filed one by one from the courtroom after a dramatic five months of gut-wrenching testimony and gruesome ...

Community stunned as boy, 15, held in deaths of 2 younger siblings in Utah

West Point, Utah — A 15-year-old boy is in custody after authorities investigating the stabbing deaths of his younger adopted brothers found him miles ...

No bail for Pennsylvania parents in baby's faith-healing death

Philadelphia — After their 2-year-old son died of untreated pneumonia in 2009, faith-healing advocates Herbert and Catherine Schaible promised a judge ...

16 hurt in shuttle bus crash near Atlanta airport

College Park, Ga. — Sixteen people were taken to the hospital Friday, at least two in serious condition, after they were hurt in a crash between a ...

Hurricane center: Beware of the storm surge

Miami — During a hurricane, storm surge is one of the greatest threats to life and land, yet many people don't understand the dire warnings from ...

Jersey shore reopens for 1st post-Sandy summer

Seaside Heights, N.J. — New Jersey rolled out some of its big guns Friday to proclaim that the shore is back following Superstorm Sandy, using Gov. Chris ...

5.7-magnitude quake widely felt across Northern California

Greenville, Calif. — An earthquake in far northeastern California was felt by thousands of people as far away as San Francisco and in two other states, ...