Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder

Dow average holds on to 15,000 with a small gain

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow Jones industrial average held above 15,000 a day after it closed above the landmark level for the first time.

Miss America' song cut from pageant over dispute

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - The next Miss America won't hear a familiar refrain when she's crowned in Atlantic City, N.J., in September.

Amanda Berry's sister offers thanks, seeks privacy

Former US official describes Libya attack

Nick Saban's Ga. mountain mansion to be auctioned

Some hospitals charge vastly more for same care

Suspect in Ohio helped neighbors look for missing

CLEVELAND (AP) - In the years after his friend's daughter vanished while walking home from school, Ariel Castro handed out fliers with the 14-year-old's photo and performed music at a fundraiser held in her honor.

Deal signs $37.1B budget; touts spending restraint

ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Nathan Deal signed a $37.1 billion total budget for fiscal year 2014 on Tuesday, saying the plan balances the budget without raising taxes and reduces government spending.

Georgia Gov. Deal signs teacher evaluations bill

ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Nathan Deal has signed a bill to standardize annual evaluations for Georgia teachers and principals based, in part, on student performance.

Dow Jones industrial average back above 15,000

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow Jones industrial average was headed for its first close above 15,000 Tuesday as Wall Street followed world markets higher.

Ga. to release new grades for public schools

Rain boosts bacteria levels in Chattahoochee River

ATLANTA (AP) - Authorities say recent rains have sent bacteria levels soaring in the Chattahoochee River.

Girl wounded by knife in Savannah middle school

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Authorities say a girl was taken to a hospital after an attack involving a knife inside a Savannah middle school.

Limo driver, survivor views differ on fatal fire

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.