US Top Stories from Associated Press (AP)

Fifty years ago Thursday, the fourth child from a family of Italian sharecroppers convened a epochal meeting of Roman Catholic Church leaders designed to "open the windows" of the nearly 2,000-year-old institution and let some of the modern world's "fresh air" inside.

LOS ANGELES (AP) , A man dressed in a bulletproof vest and fire-resistant pants was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after a smoke grenade, gas mask, leg irons and weapons were discovered in his luggage, federal authorities said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) , The Obama administration is preparing to warn car owners whose air bags have been replaced in the past three years that dangerous counterfeit bags may have been installed, according to auto industry officials who have been briefed by the government.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) , NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the suspensions of Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith on Tuesday for their role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal and reduced penalties for Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove.

WASHINGTON (AP) , The State Department said Tuesday it never concluded that the consulate attack in Libya stemmed from protests over an American-made video ridiculing Islam, raising further questions about why the Obama administration used that explanation for more than a week after assailants killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

WASHINGTON (AP) , Amtrak trains carried 31.2 million passengers in the fiscal year ending in September, the highest annual ridership since the railroad was formed in 1971, the nation's intercity passenger railroad said Wednesday.

DENVER (AP) , Authorities scoured a suburban Denver neighborhood for clues Tuesday and urged people to watch out for a 10-year-old girl who disappeared four days earlier on her way to school. Westminster police released more photos of Jessica Ridgeway along with a short home video, saying it would help the public learn her mannerisms and the sound of her voice.

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday: 1. SANDUSKY'S RAMBLING TALK DOESN'T SWAY JUDGE The former Penn State assistant coach gets 30 to 60 years in prison after lamenting that hopefully "something good will come out of this." 2. WHAT AN EMBASSY OFFICIAL WARNED THE STATE DEPT. BEFORE LIBYA ATTACK

NEW YORK (AP) , One Direction is Pepsi's newest pop star. The soda company is partnering with the boy band and NFL star Drew Brees for an ad that will debut this week. The clip shows One Direction and Brees in a head-to-head competition for a can of Pepsi. Brees also performs with the group.

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) , A nude University of South Alabama freshman had taken LSD and assaulted others before he chased the campus police officer who fatally shot him, authorities said Tuesday, though the student wasn't armed and didn't touch the officer.

In response to a disappointing ruling on the government's plan to put graphic warnings and pictures on cigarette packages, the Justice Department filed papers Tuesday asking for a full-court review. In August, a three-judge panel of the U.S.

SEATTLE (AP) , Alaska Airlines said flights were running close to normal late Monday after a fiber-optic outage shut down its ticketing system for more than four hours, causing the airline and its regional carrier to cancel 78 flights, affecting nearly 7,000 customers.

ATLANTA (AP) , Dick Pettys, a longtime political reporter for The Associated Press who was a fixture at the Georgia state Capitol for more than three decades and a well-respected mentor to other journalists, died Monday. He was 66. He died following a massive heart attack Monday afternoon at his north Georgia home just outside of Clarksville, said his son, Richard R. Pettys Jr.

DETROIT (AP) , Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand says the franchise is deeply saddened to learn of Alex Karras' condition. The Detroit Free Press and Detroit News reported Monday that the former All-Pro defensive lineman and actor has kidney failure and has been given only a few days to live.

NEW YORK (AP) , Daredevil David Blaine has finished what could be called his most electrifying stunt. The magician emerged shortly before 9 p.m. Monday after spending three days and three nights standing in the middle of 1 million volts of electric currents at New York's Pier 54.