Hundreds turn out to oppose downsizing of Fort Leonard Wood The Pentagon recently said the fort could lose 5,400 jobs in five years. ...

Winter weather wanders back on Wednesday, then sun takes over The next round of winter weather is on the way to the Ozarks. Find out when it will arrive and what till fall out of the sky by watching the forecast. ...

Springfield police take extra step to help domestic abuse victims Aggravated domestic assaults are calls that police are responding to more than ever; their number is up 20 percent from the previous year. "What we don't want is a victim that is involved in a minor assault, and then be a victim later in a bigger assault," said Springfield Police Officer JJ Tauai.  "So we want to make sure they don't fall through the cracks." That's why ...

Photos: Pentagon listening session at Fort Leonard Wood Dozens of politicians and hundreds of civilian and military employees from Fort Leonard Wood attended a "listening session" at Nutter Field House on Monday evening to try to convince the Pentagon not to downsize  the post by 2020.  The politicians included Gov. Jay Nixon, Sen. Claire McCaskill, U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, and former U.S. Sen. Kit Bond. (photos by photojournalist Robin Foster) ...

Man dies at home that burned in Springfield A man died in a house that burned in the 700 block of East Morningside Street on Monday morning.  Two firefighters also received minor injuries when debris from the burning home fell on their heads. Firefighters found the man's body in the kitchen while they were fighting the fire, which was reported about 11 a.m.  The fire department says five adults and a baby escaped from ...

Funerals are set for 7 murder victims in Texas County Psychological experts and investigators are piecing together the many crime scenes in Tyrone, Mo., following a rural rampage there last week.  State investigators said  Joseph Aldridge intentionally shot eight people, killing seven, before taking his own life. "We always look for answers why somebody would commit these types of crimes, and without that person living we won't know," said Jim Markusic, a counselor and teacher who ...

Mourners view body of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov
MOSCOW (AP) — One by one, thousands of mourners and dignitaries filed past the white-lined coffin of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov on Tuesday, many offering flowers as they paid their last respects to one of the most prominent figures of Russia's beleaguered opposition.

Indiscriminate cuts threaten Italy's healthcare successes
By Gavin Jones CROTONE, Italy (Reuters) - When an inter-city bus smashed into Giovannina Caprara's car five years ago, she was fortunate to be admitted to coma rehabilitation clinic Istituto Sant'Anna, a rare world class medical institution in one of Europe's poorest regions. Despite its excellence, Sant'Anna is struggling to maintain its services because of Italy's decision to handle its public finance problems with indiscriminate, "linear" spending cuts that are being imposed across the board regardless of the quality of its medical care. Giovannina, 49, is cared for at home by her daughter Maria Teresa and husband Domenico, while doctors supervise from Sant'Anna 40 miles away. "We've been very lucky, the clinic has been wonderful," Maria Teresa, 30, told Reuters during a recent visit.

North Korea has power to deter U.S. 'nuclear threat:' foreign minister
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong warned on Tuesday that his country had the power to deter an "ever-increasing nuclear threat" by the United States with a pre-emptive strike if necessary. In a rare speech to the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament, Ri said joint military exercises being staged by South Korea and the United States were "unprecedentedly provocative in nature and have an especially high possibility of sparking off a war". "The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) cannot but bolster its nuclear deterrent capability to cope with the ever-increasing nuclear threat of the U.S. Now the DPRK has the power of deterring the U.S. and conducting a pre-emptive strike as well, if necessary," Ri told the Geneva forum. His remarks were consistent with Pyongyang's stance on the annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which the North denounces as a preparation for war, and with the verbal threats that the isolationist government frequently makes.

Libyan forces hit oil ports with air strikes, minor damage: official
A warplane belonging to the forces controlling the Libyan capital Tripoli bombed the oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sidra on Tuesday, causing only minor damage, according to a security official allied with the internationally recognised government. Oilfields and ports are increasingly a target in Libya's conflict, which pits two rival governments and their armed forces against each other, nearly four years after the uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. "They targeted the civil airport in Ras Lanuf, and oil tanks in Es Sidra.

Afghan avalanches bury more homes in freezing north
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan disaster official says three districts in a remote part of northern Afghanistan have been cut off by avalanches, just a week after nearly 200 people died when snow buried their homes in a valley not far from the capital, Kabul.