Ex-children's hospital worker accused of abuse

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - A former employee of Children's Hospital of Georgia is accused of sexual battery involving patients at the Augusta facility.

Obama health law anniversary finds two Americas

Survey: Low-wage workers missing out on training

WASHINGTON (AP) - As they struggle to get ahead, many low-wage workers are not taking advantage of job training or educational programs that could help them make the leap to better-paying jobs. They are often skeptical about whether such programs are even worth the trouble, a new survey shows.

Universe ages 80M years; Big Bang gets clearer

Ga. jobless rate hits lowest level since early '09

ATLANTA (AP) - State labor officials say Georgia's unemployment rate has dropped 8.6 percent, its lowest level in the past four years.

Judge strikes down section of GA immigration law

ATLANTA (AP) - A federal judge has permanently struck down a section of Georgia's 2011 law targeting illegal immigration that makes it illegal for someone to knowingly harbor or transport an illegal immigrant.

Chairman: Ga. Senate will back $100 lobbying cap

Wal-Mart expands test of mobile checkout program

Senate set to approve huge 2013 spending bill

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate moved toward a vote Wednesday on a huge, bipartisan spending bill aimed at keeping the government running through September and ruling out the chance of a shutdown later this month.

House OKs lower alcohol limits for boat operators

ATLANTA (AP) - Reacting to high-profile deaths on Lake Lanier, the Georgia House of Representatives has approved a proposal to lower the allowable blood-alcohol limits for hunters and anyone driving a water vessel in the state.

Pa. school asks students to cut back on body spray

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania high school wants its students to cut back on the body spray.

US stocks rise ahead of Federal Reserve meeting

U.S. stocks rose strongly Wednesday ahead of a decision by the Federal Reserve about whether to push ahead with aggressive measures to boost the economy.

NKorea warns of nuke test, more rocket launches

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea's top governing body warned Thursday that the regime will conduct its third nuclear test in defiance of U.N. punishment, and made clear that its long-range rockets are designed to carry not only satellites but also warheads aimed at striking the United States.

AP sources: Pentagon opens combat roles to women

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon is lifting its ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after generations of limits on their service, defense officials said Wednesday.

Women have caught up to men on lung cancer risk

Smoke like a man, die like a man. U.S. women who smoke today have a much greater risk of dying from lung cancer than they did decades ago, partly because they are starting younger and smoking more - that is, they are lighting up like men, ...

Defiant Clinton takes on lawmakers on Libya attack

WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered fiery rejoinders Wednesday to Republican critics of the Obama administration's handling of the deadly attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi, facing off with lawmakers who included potential 2016 presidential rivals.

GA couple evicted, leaves more than 40 cats behind

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Authorities in Savannah say two people have been given more than 180 city ordinance violations for moving out of a home and leaving over 40 cats and kittens behind.

Georgia cutting funding for farming visa workers

ATLANTA (AP) - After passing a law to crack down on illegal immigration, Georgia may eliminate a program meant to help farmers navigate the complicated process of getting visas for foreign laborers.

Strong results from Google, IBM lift tech stocks

NEW YORK (AP) - Strong earnings from tech giants nudged the stock market higher Wednesday. Investors also drew encouragement from a vote by the House of Representatives to let the government keep paying all its bills for another four months.

Panetta opens combat roles to women

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senior defense officials say Pentagon chief Leon Panetta is removing the military's ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war.

Scientists trying to thwart kudzu bug

MACON, Ga. (AP) - At last, the "Vine that Ate the South" may have met its match.

House votes to defuse debt limit crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House overwhelmingly passed a bill Wednesday to permit the government to borrow enough money to avoid a first-time default for at least four months, defusing a looming crisis and setting the stage for a springtime debate over taxes, spending and the deficit.

Clinton: Nobody more committed to security

WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, at times emotional and fierce, insisted on Wednesday that the department is moving swiftly and aggressively to strengthen security at U.S. missions worldwide after the deadly Sept. 11 raid on the consulate in Libya.

Freezing rain, sleet possible in parts of Georgia

ATLANTA (AP) - Forecasters warn that an arctic air mass combined with moisture approaching Georgia could set the stage for freezing rain and sleet for much of the state.

Report: Amazon not collecting Ga. online sales tax

ATLANTA (AP) - A newspaper is reporting that Amazon.com is not collecting sales tax from Georgia shoppers despite a new state law designed to snag the money from the world's biggest online retailer.

Deal sets aside $4.3 million for Georgia Archives

ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Nathan Deal has set aside $4.3 million in next year's proposed budget for the Georgia Archives, the latest step in efforts to keep the institution's doors open.

Strong results from Google, IBM push stocks higher

NEW YORK (AP) - Strong earnings from tech giants are nudging the stock market higher early Wednesday, ahead of a planned vote in Congress to raise the country's borrowing limit.