Al-Qaida eyes a more pragmatic and arguably more dangerous shift in tactics. The emerging message appears to be: Big successes are great, but trying can be just as good.

Merlin Olsen, a Hall of Fame defensive lineman and member of the Los Angeles Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” who followed up football with a successful television career in “Little House on the Prairie,” NFL broadcasts and commercials, has died. He was 69.

The largest aftershock since Chile's devastating earthquake rocks the South American country minutes before the inauguration of President Sebastian Pinera.

Twisters strike parts of Arkansas, killing one, injuring at least three and destroying a handful of homes.

Kansas City's school superintendent says the plan to shutter nearly half the district's schools, while "painful," will move forward  so that all the closures will be complete by fall.

Partial preliminary results from four of 18 provinces in Iraq showed the prime minister's bloc and a secular challenger winning two provinces each.

Fewer people are dying on America's highways as more motorists buy into buckling up and embracing safety innovations. A sour economy that dampened traveling instincts also is a contributor.