Tablets in the classroom push learning, teaching

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) - At Autrey Mill Middle School in suburban Atlanta, students are using electronic tablets instead of paper and pencil to answer questions, take tests and tell their teachers whether they understand their lesson or not.

CDC: Fecal bacteria common in swimming pools

NEW YORK (AP) - Health officials say they found fecal bacteria in more than half of the water samples taken from Atlanta-area public swimming pools last summer.

Powerball jackpot quickly jumps to $550 million

Obama: No special prosecutor to investigate IRS

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama dismissed the idea of a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue Service Thursday, saying probes by Congress and the Justice Department should be able to figure out who was responsible for improperly targeting tea party groups when they applied for tax-exempt status.

Stocks flip between gains and losses; Cisco climbs

NEW YORK (AP) - Cisco Systems led the Dow Jones industrial average slightly higher Thursday after the technology company reported higher sales. Mixed corporate earnings and economic reports kept the major stock indexes flipping between slight gains and losses.

Georgia's jobless rate drops to 8.2 percent

ATLANTA (AP) - State labor officials say Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has dropped to 8.2 percent in April.

Woman using bare hands to build house with rocks

SILVER CREEK, Ga. (AP) - A woman is using her bare hands to build a house in the woods of north Georgia by stacking large rocks on top of each other, one rock at a time.

Police: Suspect arrested in La. parade shooting

Bibles reinstated in Ga. state park lodges, cabins

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered the Department of Natural Resources to return Bibles that were removed from cabins and lodges at state parks.

Deal signs order addressing Common Core standards

Ga. avoids limit on reservoir use in Senate bill

Stocks keep climbing even as manufacturing softens

Ga. high school yearbook labels student a 'freak'

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. (AP) - School administrators are trying to find out how a photo caption next to a student's photo labeled him a "freak" in a high school yearbook.

Ga. agency orders removal of Bibles at state parks

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia parks officials say they've ordered that Bibles be removed from guest rooms at state lodges and cabins across the state.

TV-over-Internet service hits Atlanta next month

Harvick wins 1st duel for 2nd victory at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Perfect so far at Speedweeks, Kevin Harvick has positioned himself as the favorite to win the Daytona 500.

Flu shot did poor job against worst bug in seniors

ATLANTA (AP) - This year's flu shot is doing a startlingly dismal job of protecting senior citizens from the harshest strain this season, proving only 9 percent effective, the government said Thursday.

Ga. high court dismisses request to stay execution

ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia Supreme Court has dismissed a request for a stay by a Georgia death row inmate whose execution is set for Thursday.

NTSB: Plane aborted landing, hit utility pole

THOMSON, Ga. (AP) - A small plane aborted its landing at a Georgia airport before it hit a 60-foot utility pole and crashed, killing five people onboard and leaving two hurt, federal authorities said Thursday. National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said at a news conference Thursday afternoon that the plane burst into flames after crashing. One of the plane's wings was cut off when it hit the pole, causing the plane to ...

US stocks keep sliding on weak data, Fed qualms

U.S. stocks continued a two-day slide Thursday on weak economic data and concern about the Federal Reserve's resolve to keep juicing the market. European stocks were sharply lower a day after U.S. stocks sustained some of their steepest declines this year. A monthly survey of European executives showed that business activity in the European Union slowed in February, a strong signal that a downturn that began last year will continue into 2013. France's CAC ...

US Supreme Court denies stay for Ga. inmate Cook

ATLANTA (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request by Georgia death row inmate Andrew Cook to delay his execution.

Stocks slip following homebuilding slowdown

NEW YORK (AP) - Caterpillar helped drag the stock market lower Wednesday after the industrial giant reported weaker worldwide sales. A mixed report on housing also weighed on the market. News that Apple's major supplier, Foxconn, stopped hiring at its largest plant in China helped push down Apple's stock. Foxconn reportedly said the hiring freeze was not caused by slumping orders for iPhones. Apple fell $7.29 to $452.70. Trading turned choppy after the ...

Ga. House approves regulations for pain clinics

ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia House of Representatives has approved a proposal that calls for the state to license and regulate businesses that call themselves pain management clinics.

More scare tactics from Obama administration

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Congress on Wednesday that if automatic government spending cuts kick in on March 1 he may have to shorten the workweek for the "vast majority" of the Defense Department's 800,000 civilian workers. They would lose one day of work per week, or 20 percent of their pay, for up to 22 weeks. Panetta also said the across-the-board spending reductions would "put us on a path toward ...

It's Congress fault

WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State John Kerry says the greatest challenge to U.S. foreign policy is not emerging China or Middle East instability. It's Congress.

State asks U.S. Court to halt execution

ATLANTA (AP) - The state of Georgia is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate a federal appeals court order temporarily halting the execution of a death row inmate.

Greek yogurt popular with adults, will kids bite?

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - Greek yogurt is taking over the dairy aisle, but will kids bite?

Administration developing penalties for cybertheft

WASHINGTON (AP) - Evidence of an unrelenting campaign of cyberstealing linked to the Chinese government is prompting the Obama administration to develop more aggressive responses to the theft of U.S. government data and corporate trade secrets. The Obama administration is expected to announce new measures Wednesday, including possible fines and other trade actions against China or any other country guilty of cyber-espionage. Officials familiar with the administration's plans spoke on condition of anonymity because ...

Delta jet slides off runway at Savannah airport

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Delta Air Lines apologized to passengers arriving in Savannah after a jet veered off a runway and ended up in a grassy area.

Gingrich: GOP failing to grasp new demographics

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says President Barack Obama and Democrats are "eight to 10 years ahead" of the Republican Party in understanding the rapidly changing face of the American electorate.