[U.S.] More than a dozen injured in Kansas City gas blast, fire, official says

More than a dozen injured in Kansas City gas blast, fire, official says
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fire-burns-kansas-city-shopping-district-18541888
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A massive fire triggered by a gas explosion engulfed an entire block of an upscale Kansas City shopping district and injured more than a dozen people, a city official said Tuesday evening.

Supreme Court declines, but execution gets last-minute stay
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0220/Supreme-Court-declines-but-execution-gets-last-minute-stay
The execution of a Georgia man who killed a fellow prisoner in 1990 was halted Tuesday at the last minute so courts could consider claims that he's mentally disabled and other issues.

OC shootings leave four dead, many questions
http://nation.time.com/2013/02/19/four-dead-in-southern-california-shootings/
The rampage began just as the morning commute was getting underway. Over the course of about an hour, authorities say, a 20-year-old college student killed a woman at his Ladera Ranch home and embarked on a string of shootings that stretched through ...

Stanford University Is 1st College to...
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/19/3241758/china-rejects-status-as-worlds.html
Stanford University has set a new record for college fundraising, becoming the first school to collect more than $1 billion in a single year, according to a report released Wednesday.

Fear holds Dorner target hostage
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lapd-chief-review-dorner-firing-18539612
Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Phil Tingirides - one of Christopher Dorner's main targets - says he now knows the meaning of fear, the kind that creeps up in your voice, the kind that sends you to the family garage to cry in private.

US Supreme Court Expands Use of Drug Dogs During Traffic Stops
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/40/4030.asp
Unanimous US Supreme Court strikes down Florida requirement of proof of drug dog efficiency for traffic stop searches. Drug dog America's highest court on Tuesday made it easier for police to use drug dogs to perform warrantless searches during traffic ...

Gay marriage group offers new ads
http://sdgln.com/causes/2013/02/19/first-2013-marriage-equality-poll-growing-bipartisan-support
A pro-gay marriage group is set to launch a $1 million media campaign in support of same-sex nuptials, with full-page ads in several major newspapers and a television spot featuring President Barack Obama, former first lady Laura Bush and former Vice ...

Cruz calls for Second Amendment protection at gun manufacturer visit
http://impactnews.com/articles/sen.-ted-cruz-makes-gun-control-speech-in-leander/
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, toured the LaRue Tactical manufacturing plant in Leander on Tuesday afternoon and voiced his strong opinions on protecting the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Colorado lawmaker Joe Salazar issues apology over rape remark
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/02/19/colorado-gop-want-joe-salazars-rape-comments-condemned/
The video of a Democratic lawmaker talking about rape while debating a gun bill involving college campuses has gone viral, with Republicans and Second Amendment activists likening Rep. Joe Salazar to failed Senate candidate Todd Akin.

Author Patricia Cornwell wins $51m in lawsuit over lost revenue
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/feb/19/patricia-cornwell-financial-management-lawsuit
The crime writer Patricia Cornwell has won nearly $51m in a lawsuit against her former financial management company and a former principal in the firm.

Police: NYC TV anchor threatened to kill wife while being arrested in attack at ...
http://www.eonline.com/news/389801/mug-shot-of-the-day-wcbs-anchor-rob-morrison-flashes-bloody-face-after-domestic-violence-arrest
A New York City TV anchorman issued a death threat against his wife as he was being arrested on charges of attacking her at their Connecticut home, according to a court document released Tuesday.