Cold and snow returns after brief period of warmth
CHICAGO (AP) -- Another storm dealt yet another wintery blast to the snow-weary Midwest and a blizzard warning was issued in upstate New York on Wednesday after a day or so of spring-like temperatures teased the region....

California pushes to finish driverless car rules
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- California is trying to do something unusual in this age of rapidly evolving technology - get ahead of a big new development before it goes public....

APNewsBreak: Defense contractor to plead guilty
HONOLULU (AP) -- A civilian defense contractor accused of giving military secrets to a Chinese girlfriend half his age will be entering a guilty plea, his attorney said Tuesday....

Key figure in NJ scandal surfaces for hearing
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- A key figure in a political payback investigation involving Gov. Chris Christie's administration voluntarily came to court to watch lawyers argue over whether her subpoena from a legislative investigatory panel should be quashed....

Federal jury soon to get NYC kidnap-rape plot case
NEW YORK (AP) -- No one disputes that a retired high school librarian and an auto mechanic bonded over discussions of ghastly fetishes: abducting, raping and killing women and girls....

Fla. House race could be warning for Democrats
CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- After months of railing against President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, Republicans scored a key victory in a hard-fought congressional race that had been closely watched as a bellwether of midterm elections in November....

$600K taken from safe at Osteen's megachurch
HOUSTON (AP) -- Authorities are investigating after $600,000 in checks and cash was stolen from a safe at Pastor Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch, which has one of the largest congregations in the country....

San Francisco firefighters stop big blaze spread
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- San Francisco firefighters prevented a five-alarm fire from spreading from a condominium construction site to nearby buildings on Tuesday....

Dad's murder trial starting in death of NJ girl, 2
FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) -- A murder trial is scheduled to start Wednesday morning for a New Jersey man charged with tossing his 2-year-old daughter into a creek while still strapped into her car seat in 2011....

Facebook headquarters cleared after false threat
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) -- Police flooded Facebook's headquarters in Northern California to investigate a threat they later found wasn't credible....