Mark Memmott

(We most recently updated the top of this post at 2:05 p.m. ET.)

The death toll from clashes Friday and into early Saturday in Egypt now stands at 36, authorities say. That estimate, released just before 11 a.m. ET, was up from the 30 deaths that had been reported when ...

Update at 5:50 p.m. ET. The prosecution concluded its case Friday in the trial of George Zimmerman. Afterward, the judge denied a request by the defense to acquit Zimmerman of second-degree murder. The defense had argued that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against him.

Our original ...

There were some terrifying moments Thursday night at the July 4th fireworks celebration in Simi Valley, Calif.

As videos from the scene show, something went wrong and a large number of the explosives detonated much too close to the ground. One such video is posted here.

The ...

Good morning.

Our early headlines:

-- Better Than Expected Job Growth In June.

-- Pope John Paul II Will Be Made A Saint.

-- Egypt On Edge: Nation Braces For Protests Of Morsi's Ouster.

-- Book News: Asteroid Named For Iain Banks, ...

The good news from the National Weather Service:

"The Western U.S. will begin to cool on Wednesday after several days of record-high temperatures. Temperatures will still be hot in many locations, but will be closer to normal for this time of year."

The not-so-good news if ...

Good morning.

Our early headlines:

-- Egypt Begins Dangerous New Phase As Interim Leader Steps In.

-- Here She Is: Statue Of Liberty Reopens On Independence Day.

-- VIDEO: Toledo Driver Rescued After Huge Sinkhole Swallows Car.

Other top news:

-- "Syria's Assad Says ...

It's an even more notable July 4th this year on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, where the Statue of Liberty is open for the first time since Superstorm Sandy pummeled the Mid-Atlantic region last fall.

As Eyder reported in March, the National Park Service had ...

After a day's worth of heavy news from Egypt, let's take a quick break with something completely different.

Wednesday in Toledo, a sinkhole opened up under driver Pamela Knox's Chevy Malibu, and the aftermath of the vehicle's drop beneath the ground produced some impressive videos.

Fortunately, ...

(Click here for updates.)

With President Mohammed Morsi out of sight and reportedly in military custody, Egypt has begun yet another dangerous new phase in its fitful transition to democracy. The nation is under the temporary leadership of interim President Adly Mansour. He and the military leaders who ...

Former South African President Nelson Mandela remains in stable but critical condition at a Pretoria hospital, where he's been since June 8 for treatment of a serious lung infection.

The anti-apartheid hero, who survived 27 years in jail and decades of oppression, is 15 days shy of his 95th ...

Military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi says that Mohammed Morsi is out as president and the country's constitution has been suspended. Egypt's chief justice will hold power during t...

Three reports Wednesday morning all offer at least modestly good news about the U.S. economy:

-- There were 343,000 first-time claims for jobless benefits last week, down 5,000 from the week before, says the Employment and Training Administration.

-- Job growth picked up in the private sector ...

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey tossed the second no-hitter of his major league career Tuesday night as his Reds beat the San Francisco Giants 3-0.

Much is being made this morning about how Bailey has now thrown Major League Baseball's last two no-hitters. (His other one came on ...

Declaring that "you are a modern day Paul Revere; summoning the American people to confront the growing danger of tyranny and one-branch government," the father of "NSA leaker" Edward Snowden on Tuesday released an open letter to his son.

Written with Washington, D.C., lawyer Bruce Fein, Lon ...

(Updated at 1:15 p.m. ET.)

Nearly four years after the mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in which 13 people were killed and 32 were wounded, the case against the Army psychiatrist who stands accused of the crimes got to the pleading stage Tuesday.

Maj. Nidal ...

Good morning.

Our early headlines:

-- VIDEOS: Solemn Salutes To Fallen Firefighters In Arizona.

-- Pressure Builds On Egypt's Morsi To Compromise or Step Down.

-- Snowden Seeks Asylum In 20-Plus Nations, Gives Up On Russia.

-- Book News: Neil Gaiman Revives ...

The simple, sobering sound of a bell ringing as each firefighter's name and age was read brings home the sad story from Prescott, Ariz., where 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died Sunday fighting a wildfire were remembered Monday.

The Associated Press has posted video from that ...

With about 24 hours to go before the deadline set by Egypt's military to work with opponents and craft a roadmap that moves the country past its political problems or have one created for him by the army, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is under intense pressure. He must ...

With help from a WikiLeaks lawyer, the young American who admits he leaked information about National Security Agency surveillance programs has now asked more than 20 nations to give him asylum.

But as NPR's Jean Cochran said early Tuesday on the network's newscast, Edward Snowden's chances ...

At South Africa's University of Cape Town on Sunday, President Obama noted that he was speaking at the same place where, in 1966, then-Sen. Robert Kennedy, D-N.Y., delivered what some historians believe was the best speech of his life.

Obama was discussing about how, as a young man, he had ...