national news
Oklahoma lowers tornado death toll amid frantic search

People look at the destruction after a huge tornado struck Moore, OklahomaBy Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Emergency workers searched for survivors in the rubble of homes, schools and a hospital in an Oklahoma town hit by a powerful tornado, but officials on Tuesday sharply lowered the number of deaths caused by the storm. The Oklahoma state medical examiner's office said 24 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of Monday's storm, down from the 51 they had reported earlier. The earlier number likely reflected some double-counted deaths, said Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer for the medical examiner. ...


Tue May 21 08:28:39 UTC 2013
U.S. appeals court rules bin Laden death photos can stay secret
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the U.S. government had properly classified more than 50 images of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden taken after his death, and that the government did not need to release them. The unanimous ruling by three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected a request for the images by a conservative nonprofit watchdog group. (Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Tue May 21 09:25:26 UTC 2013
Pentagon to take over some CIA drone operations : sources

A U.S. Marine, who is part of a military honor guard, takes his position before a welcoming ceremony for German Defense Minister de Maiziere at the Pentagon in WashingtonBy Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration has decided to give the Pentagon control of some drone operations against terrorism suspects overseas that are currently run by the CIA, several U.S. government sources said on Monday. Obama has pledged more transparency on controversial counterterrorism programs, and giving the Pentagon the responsibility for part of the drone program could open it to greater congressional oversight. ...


Mon May 20 20:35:27 UTC 2013
Witnesses describe deadly Oklahoma tornado: ‘All you could hear were screams’
[Updated at 8:30 a.m. CT] MOORE, Okla. – The hell he saw was harrowing, but it’s the sounds at Plaza Towers Elementary that Stuart Earnest Jr. says will haunt him forever. “All you could hear were screams,” Earnest said. “The people screaming for help. And the people trying to help were also screaming.” Plaza Towers, [...]
Tue May 21 08:59:33 UTC 2013