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.

Weaker-than-expected recovery hampers Ga. budget

ATLANTA (AP) - A weaker-than-expected economic recovery is proving to be a drag on Georgia's state finances.

Ga. Senate passes weak cap on lobbyist gifts

New state Senate rules adopted Monday set some weak limits on what lobbyists can give lawmakers, but those restrictions include big loopholes.

Senate panel fast-tracks hospital tax over protest

ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Nathan Deal and Senate leaders have fast-tracked a proposal to shore up the state Medicaid program without requiring lawmakers to vote on a direct tax.

Schumer to back Hagel for Pentagon's top job

WASHINGTON (AP) - Chuck Hagel secured the backing of two of the staunchest pro-Israel Senate Democrats in a clear boost to the Republican's prospects of becoming President Barack Obama's next defense secretary.

Stocks edge higher as retailers rally

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged higher on Wall Street after a rally in retail stocks offset concerns about flaring tensions in Washington over increasing the country's borrowing limit.

Facebook unveils social search feature

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a new search feature on Tuesday in the company's first staged event at its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters since its May initial public offering.

Wal-Mart to hire vets, buy American

NEW YORK (AP) - Why wait on Washington to fix the economy when there's Wal-Mart?

Obama weighing executive action on guns

WASHINGTON (AP) - Facing powerful opposition to sweeping gun regulations, President Barack Obama is weighing 19 steps he could take through executive action alone, congressional officials said. But the scope of such measures is limited.

Stocks edge lower; Apple extends decline

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks opened lower on Wall Street as concerns about the government's finances intensified, offsetting a report that retail sales rose in December.

Zaxby's warns customers of potential fraud

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - A Georgia-based restaurant firm says suspicious computer files have been found at some of its locations, prompting it to warn customers about the potential for fraud.

Gingrich: GOP unwise to pick fight on debt limit

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says House Republicans are making a mistake by using the issue of increasing the borrowing limit to challenge President Barack Obama on spending issues.

What's Facebook's secret? Company tells all today

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Facebook's mystery "press event" on Tuesday could reveal a more robust search feature that would intensify the competition between the social networking giant and its rival Google Inc. Facebook is holding the event at 10 a.m. (1 p.m. EST) at its Menlo ...

NY seals 1st state gun laws since Newtown massacre

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York lawmakers agreed to pass the toughest gun control law in the nation and the first since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, calling for a tougher assault weapons ban and provisions to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill who make threats.

Bitter cold grips Calif., some citrus damaged

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - As an unusual cold gripped the West Coast for the fifth day, some California citrus growers began to see damage on Monday while strong winds added to the misery of bundled-up city residents.

Gov. Deal pitches Medicaid money fix

ATLANTA (AP) - A spokesman for Gov. Nathan Deal says the governor is proposing a plan that would allow lawmakers to avoid an explicit vote on whether to extend an expiring hospital industry tax that helps finance Georgia's health care system.