Dow Jones industrial average back above 15,000

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow Jones industrial average was headed for its first close above 15,000 Tuesday as Wall Street followed world markets higher.

Ga. to release new grades for public schools

Rain boosts bacteria levels in Chattahoochee River

ATLANTA (AP) - Authorities say recent rains have sent bacteria levels soaring in the Chattahoochee River.

Girl wounded by knife in Savannah middle school

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Authorities say a girl was taken to a hospital after an attack involving a knife inside a Savannah middle school.

Limo driver, survivor views differ on fatal fire

Transcript of long-missing woman's 911 call

Former MLB outfielder Otis Nixon arrested

CANTON, Ga. (AP) - Former Major League outfielder Otis Nixon has been arrested on drug charges following a weekend traffic stop in suburban Atlanta.

East about to be overrun by billions of cicadas

Deal signs law limiting Ga. lobbyist spending

Stocks are little changed after record week

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock indexes were little changed in early Monday trading, following a record-setting week for the market.

Report looks at numbers of child deaths in Georgia

MACON, Ga. (AP) - A state agency has issued its first-ever yearly report on deaths of children involved in the child protection system. It found unusually high numbers of deaths in some parts of Georgia.

Flood watches, warnings continue after heavy rain

ATLANTA (AP) - Several parts of northwest Georgia remained under a flood watch. Others were under flood warnings as rivers and creeks were spilling over their banks.

Court upholds law on tree-cutting for billboards

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia's highest court has upheld a Georgia statute that allows trees to be chopped down under certain circumstances so that billboard companies can advertise along highways.

Senate bill lets states tax Internet purchases

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attention online shoppers: The days of tax-free shopping on the Internet may soon end for many of you.

Bride, 4 others die in limo fire on Calif. bridge

Deal approved in Muslims' suit against McDonald's

DETROIT (AP) - A judge has finalized a $700,000 settlement between McDonald's and members of Michigan's Muslim community over claims a Detroit-area restaurant falsely advertised food as prepared according to Islamic law.

Officials: 2nd letter to Senate tested for ricin

WASHINGTON (AP) - Law enforcement officials say a second letter sent to the U.S. Senate has been intercepted and is being tested for poisonous ricin. Two officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the letter was being treated in the same manner as a separate one sent to Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and was undergoing field tests. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. The letter to ...

Secret Service: Suspicious letter mailed to Obama

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Secret Service says it has intercepted a letter addressed to President Barack Obama that contained a "suspicious substance."

Senate vote nears, background check bill in peril

WASHINGTON (AP) - A bipartisan effort to expand background checks is in deep trouble as the Senate approaches a long-awaited vote on the linchpin of the drive to curb gun violence. As the showdown draws near, an Associated Press-GfK poll shows ebbing public support for tightening gun control laws. In the run-up to the roll call expected Wednesday, so many Republicans had declared their opposition to the background check measure that supporters - mostly ...

Authorities recover pressure cooker lid

WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities investigating the deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon have recovered a piece of circuit board that they believe was part of one of the explosive devices, and also found the lid of a pressure cooker that apparently was catapulted onto the roof of a nearby building. A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that authorities have recovered what they believe are some ...

In NYC, strains of solidarity with rival Boston

NEW YORK (AP) - A stadium full of Yankees fans stood arm in arm at the bottom of the third inning in the Bronx, singing along to "Sweet Caroline," the Boston Red Sox anthem. Irony and sarcasm were absent. Sincerity was the mood of the night. The rival teams have buried the hatchet - at least for now. Yankee fans belted the Neil Diamond hit during a game Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, showing ...

GA thrift shop worker hospitalized after explosion

ATLANTA (AP) - Authorities say a thrift shop employee has been hospitalized with burns after opening a package.

Criticism of immigration bill from left and right

WASHINGTON (AP) - To some conservatives, it's amnesty. To some immigration advocates, it's unnecessarily punitive. The Senate's new bipartisan immigration bill drew criticism from the right and from the left Tuesday - convincing members of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" that wrote it that they're on the right track. "This has something for everybody to hate," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. Said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.: "No one gets everything they want." Schumer and ...

DHS: No evidence of broader plot tied to Boston

WASHINGTON (AP) - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says there is no evidence that the bombings at the Boston Marathon are part of a wider plot. Napolitano says DHS will maintain what she called "enhanced security measures at transportation hubs" as a precaution. Two people briefed on the investigation tell The Associated Press that a pair of bombs packed into pressure cookers and concealed in duffel bags blew up within seconds of each other. ...

American Airlines halts flights, passengers stuck

DALLAS (AP) - American Airlines grounded flights across the country Tuesday because of an outage of its main reservations system. Thousands of passengers were stranded at airports and on airplanes. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said American asked to halt its flights until 5 p.m. EDT. Flights into American's five biggest cities - New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami - are stopped until 5:30 p.m. EDT. "Any American plane sitting ...

US housing starts surpass 1 million in March

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. homebuilders broke the 1 million mark in March for the first time since June 2008. The gain signals continued strength for the housing recovery at the start of the spring buying season. The overall pace of homes started rose 7 percent from February to March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.04 million, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Apartment construction, which tends to fluctuate sharply from month to month, ...

Ga. family home safe after Boston bombing

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (AP) - A Georgia family is back home on Tybee Island after witnessing the bomb explosions at yesterday's Boston Marathon.

Regents again raise Ga. tuition 2.5 to 7 percent

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Students at Georgia's public colleges and universities will see their tuition increase by $32 to $270 per semester next fall. The Board of Regents approved tuition and fee increases Tuesday during a meeting in Savannah. Board members agreed to raise tuition by the same rates as last year, which are the lowest cost increases for attending Georgia colleges in a decade. Tuition will rise just 2.5 percent at 27 of ...

Child cruelty charges filed in fatal GA dog attack

ELLABELL, Ga. (AP) - A woman has been charged with child cruelty after her daughter was mauled to death by seven dogs authorities say her family owned.

Stock market rebounds from worst day of the year

NEW YORK (AP) - Strong housing and earnings reports helped stocks rebound from their worst day of the year. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 129 points, or 0.9 percent, on Tuesday, to 14,728 as of 1:50 p.m. EDT, winning back about half of the 265 points it lost a day earlier. Home construction topped 1 million last month, the highest level since June 2008. Robust earnings from companies including Coca-Cola also propelled ...