Police probe mail thefts from 48 victims in NE Ga.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Dozens of northeast Georgia residents say their mail was stolen in a mystery that involves plastic bags full of mail found in the bed of a pickup truck.

UGA unveils redesigned license plate

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - The University of Georgia has revamped its specialty license plate in the hopes of getting even more backers of Bulldog Nation to show their support.

Stocks edge higher as energy stocks rebound

Bombing suspect charged, could face death penalty

BOSTON (AP) - Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged in his hospital room Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, and he could face the death penalty if convicted.

State fire investigators: Church blaze was arson

COCHRAN, Ga. (AP) - State fire investigators say a blaze that destroyed a 50-year-old church in central Georgia over the weekend was arson.

Stocks edge down at the start of big earnings week

Legislature's inaction puts drug effort at risk

ATLANTA (AP) - A new program designed to combat prescription drug abuse in Georgia might run out of money to operate only a few months after it gets under way in June.

Witherspoon ' embarrassed' by arrest; hearing set

ATLANTA (AP) - A court hearing on a disorderly conduct charge is scheduled for actress Reese Witherspoon, who said she's "deeply embarrassed" by what she said to a state trooper during a traffic stop in Atlanta.

The stories of 2 brothers suspected in bombing

Boy Scouts propose to lift gay ban for youth

NEW YORK (AP) - Searching for compromise on a divisive issue, the Boy Scouts of America is proposing to partially lift its long-standing exclusion of gays - allowing them as youth members but continuing to bar them as adult leaders.

Tornado warning for Walton and Morgan counties+

ATLANTA (AP) - The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for areas of Morgan and Walton counties in north central Georgia.

Deal signs bill incentivizing dual credit classes

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has signed a bill to give high school students an incentive to take dual credit courses and earn college credit.

Boston suspect's father says he's a 'true angel'

Official: 12 bodies recovered after Texas blast

Police go door-to-door in search for Boston bomber

WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) - State police say officers are going door-to-door, but the Boston Marathon suspect is still on the loose.

Texas woman's execution halted; DA won't appeal

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Dallas County prosecutors say they aren't appealing a state judge's decision to halt the scheduled Tuesday evening execution of a Texas woman. She would have been the first woman put to death in the U.S. since 2010. State District Judge Larry Mitchell issued a reprieve for 51-year-old Kimberly McCarthy less than five hours before she could have been taken to the death chamber for the 1997 slaying of a neighbor. Dallas ...

Stocks advance, pushing Dow toward 14,000

NEW YORK (AP) - Drugmaker Pfizer gave the Dow a lift on Tuesday after posting a strong earnings report. That helped push the index closer to 14,000.

Study: leafy greens top food poisoners

NEW YORK (AP) - A big government study has fingered leafy greens like lettuce and spinach as the leading source of food poisoning, a perhaps uncomfortable conclusion for health officials who want us to eat our vegetables.

Former Ga. Gov. Perdue won't run for US Senate

ATLANTA (AP) - Former Gov. Sonny Perdue won't run for the U.S. Senate in 2014. The popular Republican confirmed his intentions in a lengthy statement Tuesday, four days after Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss announced he will not seek a third term. Perdue, who is 66, left the governor's office in 2011 after two terms to return to the private sector. He said in his statement that he's disappointed over the dysfunction in Washington, D.C., but ...

Delta plans outdoor airport decks in Atlanta, NY

ATLANTA (AP) - Delta Air Lines plans to open the airline's first-ever outdoor airport terraces at Delta Sky Clubs in Atlanta and New York.

Senate panel approves Kerry nomination

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday swiftly and unanimously approved President Barack Obama's choice of Sen. John Kerry to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state.

Study says leafy greens top food poisoning source

NEW YORK (AP) - A government study has fingered leafy green vegetables as the leading source of food poisoning illnesses. However, the most food-related deaths were from contaminated chicken and other poultry. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study Tuesday. It's based on an analysis of food poisoning cases from 1998 through 2008. It's the agency's most comprehensive attempt to identify which foods most often carry germs that make us sick. The ...

Stocks mixed on Wall Street, indexes near highs

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks were mixed on Wall Street, keeping the Standard & Poor's 500 close to its highest in more than seven years, as investors digested the latest round of earnings reports. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 5 points to 13,888 points as of 10:10 a.m. The Standard and Poor's 500 slipped two points to 1,498 points. The Nasdaq composite dropped 20 points to 3,134. Stocks have been taking a ...

Ga. House speaker to propose lobbyist gift ban

ATLANTA (AP) - A leading Republican will formally propose banning lobbyist gifts to Georgia state lawmakers.

Storms to bring wing gusts of up to 50 mph

ATLANTA (AP) - Forecasters say severe storms will blow into Georgia on Wednesday, bringing wind gusts of up to 50 mph to northern parts of the state.

Obama launches push for immigration overhaul

WASHINGTON (AP) - Seeking swift action on immigration, President Barack Obama on Tuesday will try to rally public support behind his proposals for giving millions of illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship, as well as making improvements to the legal immigration system and border security. The president will launch his push in a campaign-style event in Las Vegas, a day after a bipartisan group of senators unveiled their own plan for addressing an issue that ...

Report: States force jobless to pay needless fees

WASHINGTON (AP) - Jobless Americans are paying millions in unnecessary fees to collect unemployment benefits because of state policies encouraging them to get the money through bank-issued payment cards, according to a new report from a consumer group.

US stocks close mixed on uneven economic signals

U.S. stocks meandered between small gains and losses Monday, cooling off after a rally that had pushed the Standard & Poor's 500 index above 1,500 for the first time since December 2007. Encouraging news about manufacturing provided an early boost, but stocks fell later after a report on the pace of home sales fell short of expectations.

Money fears vs. real benefits in Medicaid choice

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama thinks his health care law makes states an offer they can't refuse.

Defense set in gruesome Ariz. boyfriend slaying

PHOENIX (AP) - Jodi Arias was adamant at first. She said she knew nothing about her lover's death, didn't slit his throat, stab him nearly 30 times or put a bullet in his forehead.