Assault weapons ban won't be in Dems' gun bill

WASHINGTON (AP) - The sponsor of a proposed assault weapons ban says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has told her that the ban will not be part of the initial gun control measure the Senate will debate next month.

Study: Therapy as good as surgery for knee repair

Thousands of Georgians without power after storms

ATLANTA (AP) - Thousands of Georgians were without power Tuesday morning after rain, hail and heavy winds buffeted parts of Georgia.

Jekyll Island inn to become Holiday Inn Resort

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. (AP) - Another major hotel chain could add its name to Jekyll Island's oceanfront.

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 ...

Dem, GOP senators clash at latest hearing on guns

WASHINGTON (AP) - A top Democrat says the toll that gun violence is taking on families makes it clear that Congress needs to pass more firearms restrictions.

Man shot by Georgia mother recovering from wounds

LOGANVILLE, Ga. (AP) - An accused home invader is recovering from his injuries after being shot five times at close range by a Georgia mother in a case that's been highlighted by firearms enthusiasts.

Obama calls NKorea nuke test 'highly provocative'

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday called North Korea's latest nuclear test a "highly provocative act" that threatens U.S. security and international peace.

Ga. man sentenced to 220 years in molestation case

ATLANTA (AP) - A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 220 years in prison on charged of rape, child molestation and cruelty to children.

Stock market drifts lower to start the week

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks drifted lower in thin trading Monday, pulling the Standard & Poor's 500 index back from a five-year high. The broad-market index edged up slightly last week, enough to put it at its highest level since November 2007. With little in the way of market-moving news Monday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.92 of a point to close at 1,517.01. Seven of the 10 industry groups within the S&P ...

Georgia revenues up more than 10 percent

ATLANTA (AP) - Tax collection growth in Georgia grew by more than 10 percent last month, potentially improving the state's budget situation.

Flash flood watch downgraded to flood watch

UPDATED: The Flash Flood watch issued by the National Weather Service has been replaced with a flood watch for the following counties until Wedneday:

Obama to visit Georgia childhood learning center

ATLANTA (AP) - President Barack Obama plans to visit an early childhood learning center outside Atlanta, where arrangements are being made for some students now on winter break to return to class one day for the visit.

US ships military equipment out of Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The United States began its withdrawal from Afghanistan in earnest, officials said Monday, sending the first of what will be tens of thousands of containers home through a once-blocked land route through Pakistan.

Stocks lower in early Monday trading

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks drifted lower in early Monday trading, pulling the Standard & Poor's 500 index back from its five-year high.

Georgia lawmakers eye Tennessee water

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Georgia lawmakers are again contesting the state's border with Tennessee in a long-standing dispute involving the ongoing war over water between the two states.

Homes wrecked, dozen hurt in Mississippi tornado

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Residents shaken by a tornado that mangled homes in Mississippi were waking up Monday to a day of removing trees, patching roofs and giving thanks for their survival. More than a dozen in the state were injured. Daylight also offered emergency management officials the chance to get a better handle on the damage that stretched across several counties. Gov. Phil Bryant planned to visit hard-hit Hattiesburg, where a twister moved ...

Text of pope announcement he will resign Feb. 28

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday he would resign Feb. 28 because he is simply too old to carry on. Here is the text of his announcement, delivered to cardinals gathered for a ceremony to name three new saints.

Bill would close talks on troubled school boards

ATLANTA (AP) - State education officials could deliberate privately on whether to recommend the removal of troubled school boards under a plan being considered by Georgia legislators.