US News

It is a decision that has maritime experts stumped and is at odds with standard procedure: Why were the passengers of the doomed South Korean ferry told to stay in their rooms rather than climb on deck? Evacuations can be chaotic and dangerous, and an important principle in maritime circles is that even a damaged ship may be the best lifeboat.

In this Aug. 6, 2006 file photo, Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow smiles after being sworn in as the "Dragon Head" of the Chee Kung Tong in Chinatown in San Francisco.

A preliminary investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has determined that a deadly explosion at a Tennessee ammunition plant was accidental.

General Motors waited years to recall nearly 335,000 Saturn Ions for power steering failures despite getting thousands of consumer complaints and more than 30,000 warranty repair claims, according to government documents released Saturday.

Polls have shown that voters love popular provisions calling for mandatory coverage for maternity care and extending coverage for young people up to age 26 to stay on their parents' health insurance policies.

As the hunt for the Malaysia Airlines plane hit the six-week mark, the Bluefin 21 unmanned sub began its seventh trip into the depths off the coast of western Australia.

As President Barack Obama travels through Asia this coming week, he will confront a region that's warily watching the crisis in Ukraine through the prism of its own territorial tensions with China.

The White House is not going far enough in sending aid to Ukraine, say top Republicans and Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee in a letter to President Obama that was obtained by CNN.

In a blunt exchange that hit on a major American divide, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, stood by his comments that militia groups involved in a ranch standoff are "domestic terrorists," while the state's Republican senator, Dean Heller, replied that he considers them "patriots."

An airplane that mysteriously ended up in Iran is registered to a Utah bank under an arrangement for aviation ownership that has prompted two warnings from a government watchdog in the past year.

The memo dated Friday, which The Associated Press obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, says the state auditor compared clients enrolled in the Medicaid database last June with state death records dating back to 1970.

The Obama administration is putting off its decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, likely until after the November elections, by extending its review of the controversial project indefinitely.

A Navy officer was relieved of duty Friday because of unspecified alleged misconduct while he was commanding officer of the Blue Angels precision flying team, the service said.

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday denied a request by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd to stay a lower-court ruling in a patent case that favored the developers of generic versions of Teva's top-selling multiple sclerosis drug.

For the more than 30 states that defaulted to the federal government under President Barack Obama's health care law, time may be running out to decide whether to create their own state-run insurance exchanges.

NASA's small moon-orbiting spacecraft LADEE is no more. Flight controllers confirmed early Friday that LADEE crashed into the back side of the moon.

Hawaii state Rep. Karl Rhoads listens during a House floor session at the Capitol in Honolulu on March 19, 2014.

Hillary Rodham Clinton's upcoming book will be called "Hard Choices," a title that reflects how the potential 2016 presidential candidate may try to define her record as President Barack Obama's secretary of state while she considers another White House campaign.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal says Metro-North Railroad has been fined $552,000 over the past decade for safety violations and defects.

Relatives of Chinese passengers on board the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 pray at a hotel conference room in Beijing, China, Friday, April 18, 2014.