Obama's budget to spare Medicaid

Woman jailed in fatal fire granted bond

MACON, Ga. (AP) - A woman charged with murder and child cruelty after three of her four children died in house fire has been granted $75,000 bond.

Laws, rumors have ammo hard to stock

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Gun enthusiasts fearful of new weapon controls and alarmed by rumors of government hoarding are buying bullets practically by the bushel, making it hard for stores nationwide to keep shelves stocked and even putting a pinch on some local law enforcement departments.

Wall street stocks edge higher; Best Buy soars

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged higher on Wall Street as investors took advantage of a slump Wednesday to get back into the market.

Jimmy Fallon to take over Leno's spot

NEW YORK (AP) - NBC's recent personnel transition in morning television was a disaster. Executives hope their luck is better late at night, and they have a year to try and make it a smooth handoff from Jay Leno to Jimmy Fallon at the "Tonight" show.

Young women live with men first, marry

Ga. soldier charged with killing wife

Obama to return 5 percent of salary to Treasury

Leno to leave NBC's 'Tonight Show' next spring

Stocks fall after weak reports on hiring, services

Oldest American is 113-year-old Detroit-area woman

INKSTER, Mich. (AP) - The oldest woman in the U.S. is pushing off questions about her longevity to a higher power.

Former Atlanta schools superintendent posts bond

ATLANTA (AP) - Former Atlanta schools superintendent Beverly Hall was released from jail after posting bond.

Tybee to hold first gay and lesbian festival

YBEE ISLAND, Ga. (AP) - Tybee Island is set to hold its first gay and lesbian festival next month.

Lake Lanier reaches full winter pool

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Lake Lanier, a main drinking water source and recreation area for metro Atlantans, has reached its winter full pool level.

Immigration bill envisions new farm worker program

Ariz. woman gives sexual details about slain lover

PHOENIX (AP) - The woman charged with killing her lover in the shower of his Arizona home described Thursday how he made repeated sexual advances all while converting her into the Mormon faith during the early stages of their stormy romance. Jodi Arias took the witness stand for a third day in her murder trial as she described her relationship with Travis Alexander before she stabbed and shot him in what she says ...

Authorities: 3 dead in fiery highway crash in Ga.

MONTROSE, Ga. (AP) - More than two dozen vehicles collided in a fiery pileup on a Georgia interstate on Wednesday morning, killing at least three people and leaving 12 others hurt, an emergency official said.

Stocks slip as earnings fail to inspire investors

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged lower on Wall Street as the latest round of earnings reports failed to give investors an impetus to push the market's recent rally forward.

Boy Scouts delay decision on admitting gays

IRVING, Texas (AP) - The Boy Scouts of America put off a decision Wednesday on whether to lift its ban on gay members and leaders, saying the question will be taken up at the organization's national meeting in May.

Saturday mail delivery to end in Aug

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion annually, the financially struggling agency says.

Home Depot to hire 80,000 workers

ATLANTA (AP) - Home Depot Inc. said Wednesday that it will hire more than 80,000 seasonal workers for this year's spring selling season - up from about 70,000 a year ago. It cited expectations of sales growth.

Monopoly tokens change! Cat added.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) - Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a new cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday.

Obama urges stopgap budget deal to avoid deep cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) - Eager to buy time and avoid economic pain, President Barack Obama urged Congress on Tuesday to pass targeted short-term spending cuts and higher taxes as a way to put off sweeping, automatic cuts that would slice deeply into military and domestic programs starting March 1.

Despite horror, Ala. child hostage seems OK

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (AP) - By all accounts, a 5-year-old in Alabama endured an unforgettable horror: Held for a week in a closet-size bunker underground, a captive of a volatile killer, his only comforts a Hot Wheels car and other treats passed to him by officers.

2 Ga. executions scheduled following court ruling

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Georgia officials on Tuesday ordered February execution dates for two inmates, a day after the state Supreme Court upheld a switch to a new drug used in lethal injections.

Stocks rebound on home prices, earnings; Dow up 99

NEW YORK (AP) - The stock market bounced back Tuesday following a surge in U.S. home prices and signs of recovery in Europe's economy. Strong earnings reports also helped power the gains. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day 99.22 points higher at 13,979.30, erasing a large part of its loss from Monday. The index traded above 14,000 during the day before falling back in the last hour. The Standard & Poor's 500 ...

New PAC stirs GOP rivalries, tea party angst

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans' struggles to redefine their party are intensifying, as tea party insurgents and establishment Republicans vie to control congressional primaries, and GOP leaders try to expand their focus beyond the deficit.

Fulton Co. disputes voter record tampering claims

ATLANTA (AP) - The interim director of the Fulton County elections board has denied allegations that her staff tampered with voter records after the presidential race in November.

Gun background checks drop 10 percent in January

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of federal background checks for firearms sales declined in the U.S. last month, as retailers continue to run out of guns to sell during a buying spree driven by Washington's new focus on gun control.

Obama seeks to avoid sequester with short-term fix

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is asking Congress for a short-term deficit reduction package of spending cuts and tax revenue that will delay the effective date of steeper automatic cuts now scheduled to kick in on March 1. Obama said the looming cuts would be economically damaging and must be avoided. The president reiterated his insistence on long-term deficit reduction that combines taxes and cuts, a blend that faces stiff resistance from ...