School boards, libraries face insurance cost hike

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia school boards and public libraries will have to pay more for the employer share of health insurance following a decision by the Community Health Board.

US stocks edge lower at end of a volatile week

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged lower in the early going on Wall Street Friday as trading quieted down at the end of a turbulent week.

Commander in SS-led unit living in US

BERLIN (AP) - A top commander of a Nazi SS-led unit accused of burning villages filled with women and children lied to American immigration officials to get into the United States and has been living in Minnesota since shortly after World War II, according to evidence uncovered by The Associated Press.

Government has history of secrecy, spying, leaks

Plane from Nashville to Atlanta strikes pole

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Passengers on Delta flight 1066 from Nashville to Atlanta were removed from the plane after it struck a light pole while taxiing on the ramp.

Prosecutors push for anti-phone theft measures

Girl who took on transplant rules gets new lungs

Southern Baptists address prisoners, trafficking

HOUSTON (AP) - The Southern Baptist Convention tackled topics at its annual meeting this week that seemed to show a concern for a broadening array of social issues, including human trafficking and the country's high rate of incarceration.

Severe storms could bring hail, high winds to Ga.

ATLANTA (AP) - Forecasters are predicting severe storms for much of Georgia.

US stock market wavers in early trading

Southern Baptists consider resolution on scouting

HOUSTON (AP) - Southern Baptist Convention leaders have proposed a resolution expressing their opposition to the Boy Scouts of America's new policy allowing gay Scouts.

Unusually massive line of storms aim at Midwest

Girl, 16, dies while 'car surfing' on vehicle hood

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Authorities say a Dawson County teenager has been killed while riding on the hood of a moving vehicle in a stunt known as "car surfing."

Hands-free texting still distracting for drivers

WASHINGTON (AP) - Using voice commands to send text messages and emails from behind the wheel, which is marketed as a safer alternative for drivers, actually is more distracting and dangerous than simply talking on a cellphone, a new AAA study found.

Southern Baptists re-elect first black president

HOUSTON (AP) - The Southern Baptist Convention has re-elected its first black president, the Rev. Fred Luter Jr.

UGA to compare pay of male, female professors

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - The University of Georgia plans to compare the salaries of male and female professors in an attempt to find out whether they're getting equal pay for equal work and accomplishment.

Highway patrol: 'High rate' of speed in Ohio crash

WARREN, Ohio (AP) - Investigators were focused on speed as a key factor in the crash of a sport utility vehicle carrying eight teenagers that smashed into a guardrail and flipped over into a swampy pond, killing five boys and the young woman driving. While citing an unspecified "high rate" of speed, investigators wouldn't speculate on whether alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash about 7 a.m. Sunday on a two-lane road snugged ...

Changes in GA immigration bill draw opposition

ATLANTA (AP) - A Georgia bill that was intended as a simple fix for unintended consequences of a 2011 crackdown on illegal immigration is suddenly drawing opposition. The bill was presented as a solution to complaints from several state agencies that Georgia's 2011 law was creating extra work and delays in processing public benefits. But a House committee added key changes last week. Now the bill would effectively deny driver's licenses to young people ...

Sen. McCain slams release of illegal immigrants

PHOENIX (AP) - Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Friday that some of the more than 2,000 illegal immigrants recently released by the Homeland Security Department because of budget cuts may have been convicted of serious crimes, citing "local sources."

Georgia Capitol Notes

ATLANTA (AP) - HEADLINES: House lawmakers endorsed big changes to Georgia's gun laws this week just ahead of a key internal deadline. Under internal rules, most bills had to be approved by at least one chamber of the General Assembly by Thursday or risk failing for the year. There are some exceptions. House Republicans voted to allow people with a license to carry a firearm to take their weapons into bars, churches and parts ...

Stocks move higher following strong job growth

NEW YORK (AP) - A burst of hiring in February pushed stocks higher on Wall Street.

New TSA policy on knives, bats sparks backlash

WASHINGTON (AP) - Flight attendants, pilots, federal air marshals and even insurance companies are part of a growing backlash to the Transportation Security Administration's new policy allowing passengers to carry small knives and sports equipment like souvenir baseball bats and golf clubs onto planes. The Flight Attendants Union Coalition, representing nearly 90,000 flight attendants, said it is coordinating a nationwide legislative and public education campaign to reverse the policy announced by TSA Administrator John ...

US adds 236K jobs, unemployment falls to 7.7 pct.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A burst of hiring last month added 236,000 U.S. jobs and reduced the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent from 7.9 percent in January. The robust gains suggested that the economy can strengthen further despite higher taxes and government spending cuts.

Online fishing guides provide tips to Ga. anglers

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (AP) - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has introduced a new website to help anglers take the guesswork out of finding a place to go fishing.

Chattahoochee whitewater course to open in May

COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) - After more than a decade of planning and construction, a man-made whitewater course on the Chattahoochee River will soon open.

Ga. Senate OKs scholarship tax credit changes

ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia Senate has approved changes to a tax credit program that provides scholarships for children to attend private schools.

Senate panel casts year's first votes on gun curbs

WASHINGTON (AP) - In Congress' first gun votes since the Newtown, Conn., nightmare, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to toughen federal penalties against illegal firearms purchases, even as senators signaled that a deep partisan divide remained over gun curbs.

Bin Laden spokesman caught in Jordan

WASHINGTON (AP) - Osama bin Laden's spokesman and son-in-law has been captured by the United States, officials said Thursday, in what a senior congressman called a "very significant victory" in the ongoing fight against al-Qaida.

Senate approves new rules for nurse discipline

ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia Senate has approved a proposal that would require nurses to report alleged professional violations by their colleagues.

Stocks gain for fifth day on unemployment report

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow pushed further into unchartered territory Thursday, having surpassed its previous all-time high two days ago. The catalyst was a government report on employment that gave succor to stock market bulls. Stocks started higher after the Labor Department reported that the number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell by 7,000 last week, driving the four-week average to its lowest in five years. The drop is a positive sign ...