2 dead, 2 hospitalized in suspect Ga. gas leak

EAST POINT, Ga. (AP) - Fire officials in metro Atlanta say a man and boy have died in a suspected carbon monoxide leak in East Point.

Ga. Legislature: Lots undecided heading to finale

ATLANTA (AP) - The General Assembly convenes Thursday for the final day of the 2013 session. Here's a look at some of the legislation that's already passed, what's pending and some bills whose future is uncertain.

Investors struggle to get past Europe's woes

NEW YORK (AP) - Investors just can't get past Europe.

A boost for gay marriage: Justices question US law

Police: Slain baby, mom victims of random crime

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Almost a week after a baby was fatally shot in his stroller, police in coastal Georgia are saying for the first time they believe the child and his mother were victims of a random crime.

Panera trying new pay-what-you-want experiment

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Order a bowl of turkey chili at a St. Louis-area Panera Bread cafe and it'll cost you a penny. Or $5. Or $100. In other words, whatever you decide.

High court hears case on federal benefits for gays

Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane jailed on assault charge

ATLANTA (AP) - Rapper Gucci Mane was being held in jail on an assault charge after a fan told police the artist smashed a champagne bottle on his head in a downtown Atlanta nightclub.

Sources to AP: Gingrey to announce US Senate bid

Study: Health overhaul to raise claims cost 32 pct

Ga. lawmakers OK resolution seeking border shift

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia lawmakers are seeking to redraw the state's border with Tennessee and have authorized the state attorney general to file a lawsuit if negotiations fail.

Consumer confidence falls in March

Metro Atlanta residents discuss forming new city

TUCKER, Ga. (AP) - Some metro Atlantans are considering forming a new city.

Pawnshop owner angered by cable firm gun ad policy

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - A Georgia pawnshop owner is angry about a cable company's decision not to run his advertising if it shows firearms.

Bars test limits of legal-marijuana laws in WA, CO

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - John Connelly leaned forward on his barstool, set his lips against a clear glass pipe and inhaled a white cloud of marijuana vapor.

Chancellor: Ga. universities must be responsive

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby says the system is undergoing several fundamental changes to its structure to better serve students.

A slump in McDonald's stock drags Dow lower

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow was held back by a slump in McDonald's stock Wednesday, leaving it short of a record. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 35.79 points to close at 13,982.91. The Dow has gained 6.7 percent this year and is just 182 points below the record close of 14,164 it set in October 2007. McDonald's was the biggest decliner in the Dow, losing $1.10 to $94, as investors worried ...

First lady plugs 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'

WASHINGTON (AP) - Michelle Obama on Wednesday gushed over the Oscar-nominated film "Beasts of the Southern Wild," calling it one of the "most powerful and most important" movies in a long time in a ringing endorsement delivered less than two weeks before this month's Academy Awards ceremony.

GOP faults Obama speech for liberalism, hostility

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans said Wednesday that President Barack Obama's State of the Union address was full of well-worn liberal ideas and campaign-style hostility, and did little to ease partisan tensions over major issues.

Gov. Nathan Deal signs Medicaid tax compromise

ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Nathan Deal has signed into a law his plan to extend a key piece of Medicaid insurance funding without explicitly extending a tax on hospitals.

Pope says he's resigning for the 'good of church

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI told thousands of faithful Wednesday that he was resigning for "the good of the church" - an extraordinary scene of a pope explaining himself to his flock that unfolded in his first appearance since dropping the bombshell announcement.

Obama proposals face quick opposition in Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama set up high-stakes clashes with Republicans over guns, immigration, taxes and climate change in a State of the Union address that showcased his determination to mark his legacy. Rep. Paul Ryan said Obama could better achieve his goals if he would get out of "campaign mode."

LAPD-Revenge Killings

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) - As police scoured mountain peaks for days, using everything from bloodhounds to high-tech helicopters, the revenge-seeking ex-cop they wanted was hiding among them, holed up in a vacation cabin across the street from their command post.

Ga. officers accused of protecting drug deals

ATLANTA (AP) - Ten current and former metro Atlanta law enforcement officers targeted in an undercover federal sting were arrested Tuesday, accused of accepting thousands of dollars to provide protection during drug deals, said U.S. Attorney Sally Yates.

Senate panel approves Hagel for Pentagon chief

WASHINGTON (AP) - A bitterly divided Senate panel on Tuesday voted to approve President Barack Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel to be the nation's defense secretary at a time of turmoil for the military with looming budget cuts, a fresh sign of North Korea's nuclear ambitions and drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The Armed Services Committee voted 14-11 to send the nomination to the full Senate, with all the panel's Democrats backing the ...

Authorities say ex-cop barricaded in Calif. cabin

A fugitive ex-Los Angeles cop sought in three killings was barricaded in a cabin in the in the San Bernardino Mountains on Tuesday after a shootout with authorities that wounded two officers. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says two law enforcement officers are being airlifted to a local hospital with unknown injuries. Deputies in the Big Bear area looking for Christopher Dorner responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the ...

Senate approves anti-violence against women act

WASHINGTON (AP) - By a robust bipartisan majority, the Senate voted Tuesday to renew the Violence Against Women Act with new assurances that gays and lesbians, immigrants and Native American women will have equal access to the act's anti-domestic violence programs.

Dow edges toward record; Avon, Michael Kors surge

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow edged closer to a record Tuesday as stocks advanced following strong earnings from Avon and Michael Kors. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 50 points at 14,022 with less than an hour of trading left, putting it within 1 percent of the record close of 14,164 it set in October 2007. The Dow surged at the start of the year, logging its best January in almost two decades. ...

New plans for armed school employees in Ga.

ATLANTA (AP) - School employees in Georgia could not be punished for refusing to carry firearms under changed legislation being debated by state lawmakers.

Stocks edge higher in early trading

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged higher in early trading Tuesday following mixed earnings reports from companies including Avon, Goodyear and Coca-Cola. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 30 points to 13,981 in the first hour of trading. The Standard & Poor's 500 was up two points at 1,519. The Nasdaq was up three at 3,194. Avon, a direct seller of beauty products, jumped $2.68, or 16 percent, to $19.97 after the company posted a ...