John Glionna

Alicia McCowan had just finished her shift at the Sonic drive-in when the blast erupted nearby, leveling buildings in a wide circle. Above, a mushroom cloud bloomed against a yellow-pink sky. he knew the source -- the West Fertilizer Co. plant

When it comes to electing politicians, seems like Nevada voters like to keep an open mind. Just ask Lance Gilman. The owner of the infamous Mustang Ranch brothel recently became the first of his kind to win election to public office in Nevada since prostitution was legalized here in 1971.

A newly released report vividly portrays the doubts confronted by the Japanese government in the first hours and days after the March 11 tsunami overran a coastal nuclear power plant, and a fear that officials might have to evacuate Tokyo.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the mercurial strongman who styled himself as a "Dear Leader" while ruling over an impoverished police state, died at 69, according to North Korean state media.