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American Idol 2013: Winner Candice Glover Admits She Used Online Criticism ... Candice Glover was crowned the winner of American Idol 2013 on Thursday evening (May 16), but the singer has now revealed that it wasn't all an easy ride and that she forced herself to use any negative comments to better herself for the week after.  Gay marriage now law in France - Sydney Morning Herald French President Francois Hollande signed a gay marriage and adoption bill into law on Saturday after it was cleared by the constitutional council, which turned down a challenge by the right-wing opposition. Mr Hollande, who had made ''marriage for all'' a  Federal judge blocks Arkansas 12-week abortion ban A federal judge has temporarily blocked an Arkansas law that would have prohibited abortions in the state from 12 weeks of pregnancy, pending a legal challenge from pro-choice groups. US district judge Susan Webber Wright granted a request Friday for a  Will Boy Scouts Accept Gay Youth? Vote... With its ranks deeply divided, the Boy Scouts of America is asking its local leaders from across the country to decide whether its contentious membership policy should be overhauled so that openly gay boys can participate in Scout units. The proposal to be  Jolie joins celebrity disease-prevention advocates - The Express Times In a personal essay published in the Tuesday New York Times, actress Angelina Jolie announced that from February until April of this year, she underwent a preventative double mastectomy. In a piece entitled "My Medical Choice," Jolie reveals her reasoning  Is Gawker's Rob Ford 'Crackstarter' Crowdfunding's Jump-The-Shark Moment? Never an outlet to shy away from controversy or a juicy political scandal, Gawker may have finally outdone itself. The devious minds at Nick Denton's flagship site have started a crowdfunding campaign to purchase a cellphone video of what they claim is the  Plane makes emergency belly-landing at Newark airport Sparks flew from the runway as the turboprop twin-engine plane touched down without its landing gear, which had failed to deploy despite repeated attempts by the pilot, Ed Powers. Mr Powers dumped the Dash 8-100 plane's remaining fuel while circling the  Could Tumblr turn into Yahoo's MySpace? Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer seems dedicated to remaking Yahoo's image and infusing the company with a new spirit that Tumblr embodies. Dan Farber. by Dan Farber. May 18, 2013 7:09 AM PDT Follow @dbfarber. Can Yahoo and Tumblr >>> (Credit: CNET  Nearly 30 years after first drinking wells closed, cleanup at NC Marine base in ... CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Purple wildflowers sprout in abundance around the bright-yellow pipe, one of several jutting from the sandy soil in this unassuming patch of grass and mud. A dirty hose runs from the pipe to an idling truck and into a large tank labeled,  Report: Justin Bartha of 'The Hangover' engaged to Lia Smith "The Hangover Part III" star Justin Bartha is reportedly engaged to Lia Smith. The actor, 34, who also starred in the recently canceled NBC comedy "The New Normal," popped the question to his fitness-trainer girlfriend while they were vacationing in Big Sur  Google's wearable Glass gadget: cool or creepy? Sat May 18, 2013 9:59am EDT. * Google expects Glass etiquette to evolve. * Casino has banned devices while gambling. * "Those things freak me out". By Alexei Oreskovic. SAN FRANCISCO, May 18 (Reuters) - Google staged four discussions expounding  New Xbox more than a game console for Microsoft Sat May 18, 2013 9:59am EDT. * Microsoft set to unveil new Xbox Tuesday. * Renews contest with Sony, Nintendo for $65 bln game market. * Xbox key to Microsoft's broader push into consumers' lives. By Malathi Nayak and Bill Rigby  CRAWFORD | Venturi left mark in Louisville, and around the golf world LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Longtime golf commentator and 1964 U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi died today, and there's nearly no need to add to the tributes that surely will come, because there's a great deal to be said for a man who not only brought class  Powerball jackpot grows to record $600 million and rising The jackpot for the Powerball lottery has soared to a record $600 million and the top prize may swell to nearly $1 billion if no one draws the winning numbers tonight, a lottery official said. The potential payout of Saturday's jackpot could mean a one-time lump  10 Things to Know about the Preakness _ and beyond BALTIMORE — There are only two outcomes when it comes to Saturday's Preakness Stakes — either the Kentucky Derby winner Orb wins the race to set up a Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes in three weeks, or another horse pulls an upset and prevents  North Korea Fires Missiles Into Sea The missiles posed no danger to neighboring countries. Analysts said the launches were likely intended as a protest against joint South Korean-U.S. naval drills earlier this week. South Korea's defense ministry said that North Korea had fired two missiles into  'Iron Man 3' Pulls in $1 Billion at the Box Office Worldwide "Iron Man 3" has reportedly pulled in $1 billion worldwide after only 23 days at the box office, according to The Los Angeles Times. According to the Los Angeles Times, this marks the 16th film that has ever hit the $1 billion amount. Six of the titles have been  Probe begins after Conn. commuter trains collide FAIRFIELD, Conn. Two commuter trains packed with rush-hour commuters collided in an accident that sent about 70 people to the hospital, severely damaged the tracks and threatened to snarl travel in the congested Northeast Corridor. Three patients  Watch: Space rock strikes moon with force of 5 tons of TNT The biggest explosion ever recorded on the moon was caused by a space rock roughly the size of a beach ball. It weighed 80 pounds and was just over 1 foot wide, but it was going incredibly fast, traveling through space at speeds of 56,000 mph. And when it  IRS probe ignored most influential groups WASHINGTON (AP) — There's an irony in the Internal Revenue Service's crackdown on conservative groups. The nation's tax agency has admitted to inappropriately scrutinizing smaller tea party organizations that applied for tax-exempt status. But the IRS  Android this week: Google I/O recapped; Better Bluetooth; Galaxy S 4 Google ... No new hardware appeared at Google I/O, but a recently released phone debuts as a Nexus-like device. Meanwhile, Google updated Android, without adding further fragmentation issues, through dozens of new services, apps and APIs. android-this-week  Tueart - Swift action was way to go Manchester City great Dennis Tueart believes the club were right to get the decision to sack Roberto Mancini out of the way this week. On Monday City axed the manager who memorably brought them Premier League success last year and FA Cup victory in  Serena Williams Reaches Italian Open Final A week out from the French Open, Serena Williams is one victory away from winning her fourth consecutive title this year. The top-ranked American overcame an early break of her serve to roll past Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 Saturday and  A Bad Week for Truth at the White House President Obama meets with the next acting IRS commissioner, Daniel Werfel in the Oval Office. Obama appointed Werfel after it was revealed the IRS had been targeting conservative groups for extra audits, leading to the resignation of the former  Waltz caught up in Cannes gun fire drama Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz was was left shaken after a French television interview at the Cannes Film Festival was interrupted by gunfire. 1 of 1. Christoph Waltz was rushed to safety when gun fire shots rang out in Cannes. Oscar-winning actor  Cloning stem cells: What does it mean? (CNN) -- A human embryo, containing about a couple hundred cells, is smaller than the period at the end of a sentence. Scientists need strong microscopes to see these precursors to life, and to take from them stem cells, which have the potential to become  'The Voice' brings back Aguilera, Cee Lo Green - Dawn News File photo shows, from left, Carson Daly, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera, from the reality television competition "The Voice", in Culver City, Calif. — AP Photo. NEW YORK: "The Voice" is leaving the judging drama to its  PSG president hints at Becks role PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has revealed that David Beckham has expressed an interest in staying with the club. The former England skipper announced that he will retire from the game following next Sunday's clash at Lorient and there has been plenty  Refocusing attention on economy, Obama says Washington politics miss what ... WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is calling attention to his economic proposals and efforts to expand the middle class. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says the U.S. should focus on attracting good jobs, educating workers and  For GOP, scandals could be an electoral plus - or minus As the Obama administration grapples with a series of recent controversies within its ranks, political observers in Washington have begun to calculate their potential political impacts. But while many Republicans believe the scandals could prove a boon to the  Atlanta Braves - PlayerWatch RHP Jordan Walden was placed on the disabled list Friday retroactive to May 12 because of shoulder inflammation. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Walden felt discomfort pitching at San Francisco last Saturday and the Braves needed six healthy  States cracking down on drunken boating - USA Today Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, Coast Guard says. drunken boating. This sign is posted at a boat launch on Lake Lanier where boating accidents claimed the lives of three children last summer in Buford, Ga. (Photo:  Weekend picks for book lovers - USA Today Spend your weekend racing through Dan Brown's cinematic new thriller, 'Inferno.' inferno. 'Inferno' by Dan Brown is a weekend book pick. (Photo: ). Story Highlights. Dan Brown and Robert Langdon are back %u2014 and it's a thrill; Sue Halpern learns life  Houston Astros - TeamReport MLB Team Report - Houston Astros - INSIDE PITCH It's been more than seven months since an Astros pitcher swung a bat in a meaningful game. That changed on Friday night when the first-year American League club played a National  Afghan police chief shot dead outside home Motorcycle-riding gunmen assassinated a police chief in front of his house after he led an anti-Taliban campaign in western Afghanistan, an official said today. Police Chief Abdul Ghani was leaving his driveway in his car outside his home in Farah province  'Please don't let me go,' Cleveland kidnap victim told officers (CNN) -- When officers arrived at Ariel Castro's home in Cleveland, a crowd had formed on the porch. But where was the woman they came for? Where was Amanda Berry? Then she stepped forward, holding a crying baby. It was really her, the missing girl  Tea Party groups prepare to sue IRS WASHINGTON – Jay Devereaux hadn't paid much attention to the daily drumbeat of partisan politics in D.C. He wasn't a Washington nerd, and didn't know who said what during congressional hearings -- nor did he care. But when news broke that the  For Harvey, the hits just keep on coming Chicago — The legend of Matt Harvey is growing almost as quickly as the size of tonight's Powerball drawing. Even an 18-year veteran like LaTroy Hawkins has been caught up in Harveymania. As the Mets' young star was meeting with the media on Friday  Fans of 'Kai the Hitchhiker' Attempting to Raise $3M in Bail Money Will fans of 'Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitcher' stand by him now that the Internet celeb has been arrested for the murder of Clark's Joseph Galfy? At least one fan is, and he's asking other supporters of Kai (whose real name is Caleb Lawrence McGillvary) to  Afghan parliament halts debate on women's rights law A debate by Afghan MPs about beefing up a law to prevent violence against women has been halted amid angry scenes. Parliament's speaker ended the debate after 15 minutes after traditionalists called for the law to be scrapped. A law banning violence  Google Play Music vs Pandora: three key music streaming differences Google Play Music is the new streaming music competitor to Pandora, the longtime reigning king of the music subscription market. The two offerings are quite similar on paper, with customers listening to internet based music channels on their computer or  Strong 6.1 earthquake strikes off Japan coast A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the northern coast of Japan's main Honshu island on Saturday, seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage. The quake hit at 2:48 pm (0548 GMT) in the  2 stubborn wildfires persist after week full of blazes off I-5 north of Los Angeles SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – A pair of tamed but persistent wildfires still burned in the hills and mountains around Interstate 5 after a wild week of burning brush in the area north of Los Angeles. A new fire that broke out Friday, the third major blaze in the area in a  Syrian rebels: Assad fired chemical mortars at citizens Syrian rebels were quoted by Al Arabyia as claiming that Syrian President Bashar Assad had used chemical weapons once again – in Damascus and in a town near the Turkish border. According to the report, citizens in the Al Asali district in Damascus were  Forum Flash | Jolie's big announcement - The Courier Angelina Jolie's story could help others | USA NOW...: Natalie DiBlasio hosts USA NOW for May 14, 2013, covering Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy and what it means for other women. Angelina Jolie's story could help others | USA NOW... Jolie the Latest  Drive On: Millionth Jeep is milestone worth celebrating - USA Today Making 1 million of anything is quite an achievement. But 1 million Jeeps is truly special. It happened Friday at Chrysler Group's Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio. As soon as the 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition rolled off the line, there  CDC finds mental health woes in one in five US kids Millions of U.S. children are living with mental health disorders, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC rounded up rates of various mental health conditions among U.S. children for its first  Adam Rosales hits go-ahead homer in eighth, Josh Donaldson also connects as ... OAKLAND, Calif. — No debating this home run by Adam Rosales. After being denied a game-tying homer last week in Cleveland that Major League Baseball said the umpiring crew should have reversed, Rosales hit a go-ahead shot leading off the eighth  Tornado damages downtown Athens ATHENS — Ladonna Lewter escaped the devastation of tornadoes that struck Limestone County in 2011 and 2012. On Friday afternoon, she looked out the front windows of her store and saw the sky swirl. Tornados touched down at least twice, striking  Bears, top pick Kyle Long agree to four-year deal - Chicago Sun The Bears agreed to terms Friday with first-round pick Kyle Long, the 20th overall selection, on a four-year contract with an option. Long was the final draft pick of their 2013 class to reach a deal. “I just know that Chicago is one of the most historic football towns  Death toll holds at 6 as Granbury digs through the damage Two days after tornadoes tore through the Granbury area, volunteers worked to clear debris while officials warned against scammers, shooed away gawkers and dispensed a shred of good news. The official death toll of six would, at least, go no higher. “At this  Alexander slams Obama, sees 'echoes of Nixon' WASHINGTON — By Thursday, after a week of fallout from a growing IRS scandal and the Department of Justice's raid on journalists' records, Tennessee's senior senator wasn't the first Republican to link President Barack Obama with President Richard  Alexander slams Obama, sees 'echoes of Nixon' WASHINGTON — By Thursday, after a week of fallout from a growing IRS scandal and the Department of Justice's raid on journalists' records, Tennessee's senior senator wasn't the first Republican to link President Barack Obama with President Richard  Ousted IRS director: I did not lie The ousted head of the IRS went on the defense yesterday during a Congressional hearing investigating the agency's targeting of conservative groups, claiming he never lied in previous testimony and didn't have any names to offer lawmakers as they  Judge: Prison will photograph Dzhokhar A federal judge yesterday rejected a request by lawyers for accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to allow them to take periodic photos of the 19-year-old bombing suspect to show changes in his physical and mental condition and help  Nation & world: Carl Edwards takes pole for NASCAR All-Star race NFL. Jets RB Goodson in trouble with law. New York Jets running back Mike Goodson is facing drug and weapons charges after he was found in a car with an acquaintance early Friday morning on Interstate 80 in New Jersey. According to state police,  Report: Michael Phelps Planning Comeback Is Michael Phelps planning a comeback? A report Friday night from WBBH, an NBC television affiliate in Fort Myers, Fla., said Phelps will return to swimming with an eye toward competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The three-paragraph story on the station's  Indians 6, Mariners 3, 10 innings, Seattle, Cleveland. ab, r, h, bi, ab, r, h, bi. MSndrs cf, 5, 0, 0, 0, Bourn cf, 5, 1, 3, 0. Ackley 2b, 5, 0, 1, 0, Kipnis 2b, 4, 1, 2, 3. Seager 3b, 3, 0, 1, 0, ACarer ss, 4, 0, 0, 0. KMorls dh, 5, 1, 1, 1, Swisher 1b, 3, 1, 0, 0. Smoak 1b, 4, 1, 1, 0, CSantn c, 3, 1, 1, 0. Ibanez lf  Flesh-eating disease victim gets prosthetic hands ATLANTA — A metro Atlanta woman who lost both hands, her left leg and right foot after contracting a flesh-eating disease was on her way back from Ohio today after being fitted with prosthetic hands. Aimee Copeland, 25, is returning from Hilliard, Ohio,  Lawyer denies OJ Simpson's claims OJ Simpson's former lawyer has rebutted claims by his former client he botched his defence in an armed robbery case. Yale Galanter told a court that Simpson, 65, knew his associates had guns when they seized sports memorabilia at a Nevada hotel. He also  Ousted IRS chief defends against partisan charges WASHINGTON — The ousted head of the Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday for the agency's "foolish mistakes" in singling out conservative groups for intrusive and time-consuming scrutiny, but said that the effort was not driven by partisan motives.  California jobless rate falls to 9% No one ever said the economic recovery would be pretty. California eked out more growth in April as employers added 10,400 jobs, bringing the net total added over the year to 273,000. The state's unemployment rate dropped to 9% from 9.4% the month  Changes to psychiatric manual ignite debate over grief, mental illness and faith Each year 90,000 parents in the U.S. confront the profound suffering that follows the death of a child or adolescent. Some of those rely on faith to help them through their grief. Others look to psychiatrists, who offer therapy or prescribe antidepressants to help  Markey defends lack of public events this week The lack of public events with voters from Representative Edward Markey (center) means he runs the risk of appearing to repeat the mistakes of Attorney General Martha Coakley, who was accused of running a lackluster campaign and snubbing voters before  UN panel: Sanctions delaying NKorea nuke program UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. expert panel's report says North Korea is still trying to import and export nuclear and ballistic missile-related material but financial and trade sanctions are slowing progress on their prohibited weapons programs. Key parts of  Budget Office Says Obama Plan Would Cut Deficit by $1 Trillion WASHINGTON — President Obama's budget proposal, if enacted into law, would cut more than $1.1 trillion from the government's projected deficits over the next 10 years, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said on Friday. It would bring deficits  Seahawks' Irvin Suspended for Four Games Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin has been suspended for the first four games of the 2013 season after the league announced he violated the N.F.L. policy on performance-enhancing substances. (AP)  Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL killed during training exercise An investigation is underway after a Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL was killed and seven others were injured, during a training exercise Wednesday according to WTKR. Authorities announced Friday that Special Warfare Operator Third Class (SEAL)  Mourinho: "Worst season of my career" There are still three matches remaining in the La Liga season but for all intents and purposes for Jose Mourinho, the campaign is over and it has ended in failure. Aside from a Spanish Super Cup victory over Barcelona, Madrid's 2012-13 season ended with  What Republicans Already Knew About The White House Benghazi Emails Sources with knowledge of key congressional briefings earlier this year on administration emails regarding the Sept 11, 2012 Benghazi attack tell TPM that those in attendance were provided clear information that the White House remained neutral in  Pictured: Moment singer George Michael is airlifted to hospital following rush ... George Michael is used to delivering show-stopping performances when he takes to the stage. But on Thursday, the stage was the M1 near St Albans, Hertfordshire, which was closed after the singer was involved in a crash in his Range Rover during rush  5.2 magnitude Earthquake rattles Ontario, Quebec Earthquake trends map (Trendsmap.com Photo). Tweet. Change text size for the story; Print this story. Report an error. Related Stories. Frustration rises from rubble of China's deadly quake · China quake rescuers struggle to reach disaster zone · Deadly  No Debt-Limit Showdown Before Labor Day WASHINGTON—The U.S. government will bump up against the federal borrowing limit this weekend, though a series of emergency steps will allow it to continue paying all of the nation's bills until after Labor Day, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a letter  If Beyonce's Pregnant, What Does It Mean For Album And Tour? Singer's first baby with Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, didn't slow her down in the least. By Rob Markman (@RobMarkman). Beyoncé is no stranger to the rumor mill, but have you heard the latest? Word is, Queen Bey and hubby Jay-Z are expecting their second child, and  'Ruby the Heart Stealer' testifies in Berlusconi trial The woman at the centre of a sex scandal involving former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has testified in a Milan court. Karima el-Mahroug, better known by her stage name Ruby the Heart Stealer, testified for the first time at a trial of three people  Roskam: IRS saying it's 'just incompetent' The former trial lawyer in 6th District congressman Peter Roskam emerged in a House committee's questioning of how much an IRS commissioner knew about the revenue service targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. During a five-minute  Investigator says he told top Treasury officials of IRS probe in June of campaign ... WASHINGTON — Senior Treasury officials were made aware in June 2012 that investigators were looking into complaints from tea party groups that they were being harassed by the Internal Revenue Service, a Treasury inspector general said Friday,  SAC Capital won't fully cooperate with government: letter NEW YORK | Fri May 17, 2013 5:35pm EDT. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Steven A. Cohen's hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors told investors on Friday it would no longer cooperate "unconditionally" with the U.S. government's insider trading investigation. In a brief  Nokia Lumia 928 Verizon Price: New Windows Phone 8 Smartphone Deals from ... Verizon Wireless customers can now purchase the new Nokia Lumia 928 through the carrier, however, other websites are offering the Windows Phone 8 smartphone at considerably lower prices. The Nokia Lumia 928 (Photo Credit: Nokia). The Lumia 928 is  IRS Timeline: What We Know So Far There are still plenty of unanswered questions about how Internal Revenue Service agents in Cincinnati started targeting certain groups applying for tax-exempt status, like who first issued the directive to start looking for “tea party” groups. But testimony Friday  Incoming IRS chief asked to conduct "thorough review" of agency WASHINGTON | Fri May 17, 2013 4:43pm EDT. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Incoming acting Internal Revenue Service chief Daniel Werfel has been asked to spearhead a "thorough review" of the scandal-plagued agency and report back to President Barack  Hagel orders military to recertify all who have roles in sexual abuse prevention ... WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday ordered the military to recertify all 25,000 people involved in programs designed to prevent and respond to sexual assault, an acknowledgement that assaults have escalated beyond the Pentagon's  Two Dems in top races voted with GOP on health care repeal File Photo: Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., works in his office in the Rayburn building on Capitol Hill on Thursday, August 2, 2012. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, File). As the GOP-controlled House once against voted to repeal President Barack Obama's  Memphis Grizzlies' coach Lionel Hollins talks Spurs and contract with Dan ... Head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, Lionel Hollins, does not have a contract after this season. While many teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats among others want him to coach their teams, Hollins will most likely be  Was the new Nexus 7 leaked in Google+ Hangout video? Though it didn't happen at Google I/O, Google may still be planning to soon release a new version of the Nexus 7 Android tablet (shown above). An official Google+ Hangouts promo video may accidentally include a preview look at the next Nexus 7 tablet.  Appeals court upholds Greig's 8-year sentence A federal appeals court panel today upheld the eight-year prison sentence for Catherine E. Greig, the longtime girlfriend of accused murderer James “Whitey” Bulger, after she pleaded guilty to crimes including helping the mobster during their 16 years on the  Bombs Targeting Iraqi Sunnis Kill 70 - VOA A series of bomb attacks has targeted Sunnis in Iraq, killing 70 people and increasing fears of renewed sectarian conflict. The deadliest blast Friday struck Sunni worshippers who were leaving a mosque in Baquba, just north of Baghdad, and was followed by  'Foolish' -- but was it a crime? Investigations into IRS will probe whether laws ... The outgoing IRS commissioner claimed Friday that his agency's practice of singling out conservative groups for extra scrutiny was "foolish" and "horrible" -- but not illegal. That determination, however, is up to the Justice Department to make as it begins to  Michelle Obama at Bowie State In her commencement speech, the first lady encourages the Class of 2013 to live up to the legacy of their university's founders and the leaders of the civil rights movement by promoting the importance of education in the black community. First lady Michelle  Jewels Stolen During Cannes Festival PARIS—Hours after the Cannes Film Festival premiered Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring," depicting a gang of Hollywood jewel thieves, a real-world heist lifted $1.4 million of jewelry from a hotel in Cannes, French prosecutors said. The jewels were stolen in  Student, armed suspect killed in overnight house break-in near NY's Hofstra ... UNIONDALE, New York — A Hofstra University junior sharing an off-campus house with her twin sister and several other college students was shot and killed during an early morning break-in Friday that also left the armed intruder dead, police said.  Illinois Senate approves marijuana for medical uses CHICAGO | Fri May 17, 2013 2:43pm EDT. CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Illinois Senate on Friday voted to approve the use of marijuana for medical purposes, paving the way for Illinois to soon join more than a dozen states with such laws. The Senate voted  'I couldn't stop screaming': Witnesses describe Texas tornadoes While residents in north Texas begin to recover from a deadly twister that tore apart the town of Granbury, one woman recounts riding out the tornado in the bathtub of her home. NBC's Jay Gray reports. By Matthew DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News. Survivors of  GOP Lawmakers Criticize IRS WASHINGTON—The outgoing Internal Revenue Service commissioner, testifying Friday at the first congressional hearing on the agency's targeting of conservative groups, offered few answers to how the practice began and persisted, prompting outrage from  $4.85 mln lotto ticket found in US cookie jar CHICAGO — A US man who dug a handful of old lottery tickets out of his cookie jar was shocked to find out one of them was worth $4.85 million, officials said. Ricardo Cerezo's wife asked him to take the 11 lotto tickets that had been sitting around the house to  'Mother's instincts': NM woman chased abductor ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A mother who chased down an abductor and ran into his car after he grabbed her 4-year-old said Friday her "mother's instincts" kicked in when she launched her pursuit. Melissa Torrez told The Associated Press that she began  IRS hearing: the takeaways The ousted head of the IRS was grilled for four hours Friday, but we still don't know how the tea party targeting really started. What we do know from the first hearing since the scandal broke: IRS officials haven't convinced lawmakers they played it straight with  New Orleans parade shooting: Arrests show city's reworked approach to policing With the capture of two suspects following a Mother's Day parade shooting, New Orleans has become the second major US city this year – Boston being the first – to endure episodes of large-scale street violence allegedly initiated by brothers, a massive  Outgoing IRS chief deflects Republican attempts to link scandal to White House Republican attempts to turn the row over the IRS into a scandal engulfing the White House fizzled on Friday when the ousted head of the agency delivered a public apology at a congressional heading into the affair. Steven Miller, who was fired on Wednesday  UK Coroner Rules to Keep Crucial Litvinenko Evidence Secret LONDON, May 17 (RIA Novosti) - The British coroner heading the inquest into the 2006 death of former Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agent Alexander Litvinenko has reluctantly upheld an application to keep crucial evidence in the case secret,