National News

By MESFIN FEKADU, AP Music Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Snoop Dogg's Super Bowl week is almost as busy as that of the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots players competing on Sunday. He headlined BET's Super Bowl Gospel Celebration and debuted music from his upcoming gospel album on Thursday. He held a screening for his new…

By DAVID EGGERT and MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, Associated Press CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) — A distraught father seething over sexual abuse suffered by three daughters tried to attack former sports doctor Larry Nassar in a Michigan courtroom Friday after a judge rejected his request to confront the "demon" in a locked room, a stunning rush that reflected the…

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog foresees no early end to winter. Punxsutawney Phil's handlers announced Friday the weather prognosticator saw his shadow. Legend has it if the furry rodent casts a shadow on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, expect six more weeks of winter-like weather. Phil's prediction is decided ahead of time by…

By HEIDI BROWN, Associated Press CROZET, Va. (AP) — The safety arms at a railroad crossing where a train carrying Republican lawmakers slammed into a garbage truck appeared to be malfunctioning the day before the deadly crash, drivers who regularly cross over the tracks at the crash scene said Thursday. Gene Locke, who lives near the…

By AMANDA LEE MYERS, Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A girl believed to be 12 years old opened fire Thursday in a middle school classroom, critically wounding one classmate and injuring three others, authorities said. Police arrested the girl and recovered a gun after the shooting that happened just before 9 a.m. at Salvador B.…