Georgians make pilgrimage to girl's tombstone

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) - One by one they came on foot, a steady stream of pilgrims, from shortly after dawn and continuing until the clouds closed in, threatening to send showers washing over the mildew-stained gravestones at Marietta City Cemetery.

Stocks up in early trading as spending rises

NEW YORK (AP) - A pair of encouraging economic reports helped propel the stock market up in early trading on Monday.

James Bond studio to open 1st US facility in Ga.

ATLANTA (AP) - The British film studio home to the James Bond franchise announced plans Monday for its first U.S. movie production facility at a site near Atlanta.

Storms drop quarter-sized hail, topple trees

ATLANTA (AP) - Residents were cleaning up after Sunday thunderstorms dropped large hail and toppled trees, damaging cars and homes in several Georgia counties.

Hospitals see surge of superbug-fighting products

NEW YORK (AP) - They sweep. They swab. They sterilize. And still the germs persist.

Judge overturns Ga. man's murder conviction

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - A judge has thrown out a murder conviction for a man who has served 12 years in prison for the crime.

Man denied bond in Ga. child molestation case

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - The founder of a science-fiction convention has been denied bond multiple charges of child molestation.

Obama backs Planned Parenthood in political fight

George will show no more

Minivan driver killed by flying tire on I-85

ATLANTA (AP) - Authorities say a tire from a truck that flew over a freeway median near Atlanta struck and killed the driver of a minivan heading the opposite direction.

Stocks mostly lower on tepid US economic growth

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock prices were mostly lower on Friday after several companies, including Amazon.com, released weak earnings and the government reported that the U.S. economy expanded at a slower rate than economists were expecting.

Early morning earthquake latest to hit east Ga

LINCOLNTON, Ga. (AP) - Authorities say an early morning earthquake that struck east Georgia is the latest in a series of quakes to hit the region.

Bill to end airport delays headed for House vote

Politics on hold at the dedication of Bush library

Singer Currington charged with threats to Ga. man

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Police in coastal Georgia say country singer Billy Currington may have videotaped himself chasing a 70-year-old tour boat captain and threatening to "finish him off."

Ga. police Sgt. arrested in McDonalds dispute

CUMMING, Ga. (AP) - A metro Atlanta police sergeant accused of pulling a gun on a customer in a McDonalds drive-thru has been arrested.

Senate blocks expanded gun sale background checks

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans, backed by rural-state Democrats, blocked legislation Wednesday to tighten restrictions on the sale of firearms, rejecting personal pleas made by families of the victims of last winter's mass elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Attempts to ban assault-style rifles and high capacity ammunition magazines also faced certain defeat in a series of showdown votes four months after a gunman killed 20 elementary school children and six staff members at ...

Stocks fall on signs of slowing global economy

NEW YORK (AP) - As evidence of a slowing global economy grows, investors are showing some caution just one week after U.S. stocks hit an all-time high.

Ricin in Obama letter, odd packages scramble Hill

WASHINGTON (AP) - Letters sent to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator tested positive for poisonous ricin in preliminary checks Wednesday, and authorities chased reports of other suspicious mail at a U.S. Capitol already on edge. An FBI intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said the letters to Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., were postmarked Memphis, Tenn. Both letters say: "To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become ...

Feds deny reports Boston suspect is arrested

BOSTON (AP) - Police and reporters converged on the federal courthouse in Boston on Wednesday amid conflicting reports of whether a suspect was in custody in the marathon bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 170. Several media outlets reported earlier in the day that a suspect had been identified from surveillance video taken at a Lord & Taylor store between the sites of the two bomb blasts. A law enforcement official ...

Lawyer: former Atlanta schools chief is innocent

ATLANTA (AP) - A lawyer for Beverly Hall says the former Atlanta Public Schools superintendent is innocent and looks forward to having her day in court. Richard Deane said in an interview with The Associated Press Wednesday that the charges against Hall are excessive and that there is no factual basis for them. Hall served as superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools for more than a decade. She and 34 subordinates were indicted by a ...

Guide to the Philadelphia abortion doc murder case

Dr. Kermit Gosnell is on trial for murder in the deaths of a female patient and seven babies allegedly born alive at the abortion clinic he ran. A look at the facts in the case:

Official: Suspect in custody in Boston bombings

BOSTON (AP) - A suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings was taken into custody Wednesday in a breakthrough that came less than 48 hours after the deadly attack, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said Wednesday.

Braves LHP Avilan better, hopes to avoid DL

ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta Braves reliever Luis Avilan is feeling better after being carted off the field the previous night because of severe pain in his left leg.

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 ...