Calif. gay marriage argument at high court Tuesday

Senate panel sets gun bill plans but delay likely

WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee announced plans Monday for his panel to start voting later this week on an assault weapons ban and other gun curbs, but that session is widely expected to be delayed a week.

Stocks drop as Italy heads for political disarra

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks had their worst drop in more than three months as the prospect of political paralysis in Italy raised the specter of Europe's debt crisis flaring up again.

Sotomayor criticizes prosecutor for racial remark

WASHINGTON (AP) - Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday publicly criticized a federal prosecutor for what she called "a racially charged remark" during a drug trial.

Ikea withdraws meatballs in Europe, 21 nations hit

STOCKHOLM (AP) - Swedish furniture giant Ikea became entangled in Europe's widening meat scandal Monday, forced to withdraw meatballs from stores across Europe amid suspicions that they contained horse meat. Stores in the U.S. and Canada were not affected, Ikea said. The company reacted after authorities in the Czech Republic said they had detected horse DNA in tests of 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) packs of frozen meatballs that were labeled as beef and pork. The Czech ...

US stopping use of term 'Negro' for census surveys

WASHINGTON (AP) - After more than a century, the Census Bureau is dropping its use of the word "Negro" to describe black Americans in surveys.

Education Department announced $15m for AmeriCorps

WASHINGTON (AP) - Education Secretary Arne Duncan is announcing a $15 million program to send AmeriCorps volunteers into schools to try to reduce the dropout rate.

Stocks little changed; Barnes & Noble, Hertz jump

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks were little changed on Wall Street Monday as investors followed developments in Italy's closely contested elections. The Dow Jones industrial average was up seven points, or 0.01 percent, to 14,011 as of 11:23 a.m. EST, giving up an early gain of 81 points. The Dow is within 153 points of the record high of 14,164 it reached in October 2007. The Standard & Poor's 500 gained two points, ...

Obama urges Congress to 'compromise' on cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says Congress can keep across-the-board cuts from taking effect with "just a little bit of compromise." Speaking to the nation's governors, Obama says the impact of the budget cuts may not be felt immediately. But he says the uncertainty created by the cuts is already having an effect on the economy. The president says Monday that the longer the cuts are in place, the deeper the impact ...

Town tries to scare birds with water tower carcass

SANDERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A central Georgia town plans to adorn its water tower with a buzzard carcass -- and it's not an attempt to attract tourists.

Heavy rains move into Ga., bringing flood threat

ATLANTA (AP) - Heavy rains moving into Georgia are bringing new concerns about flooding.

Argo' wins best picture, 'Life of Pi' leads with 4 awards on scattered Oscar night

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Just as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane set his sights on a variety of targets with a mixture of hits and misses, the motion picture academy spread the gold around to a varied slate of films. "Argo" won best picture as expected, along with two other prizes. But "Life of Pi" won the most awards with four, including a surprise win for director Ang Lee.

Listen up ladies! Uncle Sam might want you too

WASHINGTON (AP) - Tennnnnn-hut, ladies! The next time Uncle Sam comes calling, he's probably going to want you, too. The Obama administration's recent decision to lift the ban on women in combat has opened the door for a change in the law that currently compels only men between age 18 and 25 to register for a military draft, according to legal experts and military historians. Never before has the country drafted women into military ...

6 leaking tanks are Hanford nuke site's latest woe

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Federal and state officials say six underground tanks holding a brew of radioactive and toxic waste are leaking at the country's most contaminated nuclear site in south-central Washington, raising concerns about delays for emptying the aging tanks. The leaking materials at Hanford Nuclear Reservation pose no immediate risk to public safety or the environment because it would take perhaps years for the chemicals to reach groundwater, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ...

Work resumes on coastal Ga. bridge after delay

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Work has resumed on a $22.5 million bridge connecting a Savannah causeway to Skidaway Island after problems stalled construction for nearly six months.

Jackson Jr.'s district has history of corruption

CHICAGO (AP) - They elected a Harvard-educated Rhodes Scholar and ended up with a congressman who was convicted of having sex with an underage campaign worker. They voted for the son of a famous civil rights leader and got someone who illegally spent campaign funds on everything from furniture to Bruce Lee memorabilia.