Carpet firm could get $100 million in incentives

ATLANTA (AP) - State officials say a Georgia-based carpet manufacturing company could get state incentives worth more than $100 million.

Gator ousted from suburban Atlanta pond

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - An alligator that had been living in the pond of a suburban Atlanta subdivision was removed, but not before biting the trapper on his arm.

Police: Dead Boston bombing suspect buried

Stocks edge lower in early trading

NEW YORK (AP) - The stock market pulled back early Thursday after surging to record levels during the past week.

Study: Fish oil doesn't help prevent heart attacks

Eating fish is good for your heart but taking fish oil capsules does not help people at high risk of heart problems who are already taking medicines to prevent them, a large study in Italy found.

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.

Catholic church has new pope; white smoke rises

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Cardinals elected a new pope to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics on Wednesday, overcoming deep divisions to select the 266th pope in a remarkably fast conclave.

Stocks waver; Retail sales rose in February

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks were little changed in early trading on Wall Street after a report showed that retail sales rose more than forecast in February. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 24 points, or 0.2 percent, to 14,426 as of 9:52 a.m. EDT. The index rose for an eighth straight day Tuesday, its longest streak of advances in more than two years. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell three points, ...

Black smoke again: Cardinals don't agree on pope

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Cardinals remained divided over who should be pope on Wednesday after three rounds of voting, an indication of disagreements about the direction of the Catholic church following the upheaval unleashed by Pope Benedict XVI's surprise resignation. In the second day of the conclave, thick black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, prompting sighs of disappointment from the thousands of people gathered in a rain-soaked and chilly St. ...

Ga. gun proposal could close legal loophole

ATLANTA (AP) - A proposal to change Georgia's gun laws would close one loophole potentially allowing mentally ill people to purchase firearms. Still, state judges are concerned the proposal could open another gap allowing mentally ill people to carry guns. Federal law prohibits anyone deemed mentally deficient or committed to receive mental health care from buying or keeping a gun. Federal officials use mental health records complied by states to determine whether sales should ...

Black smoke from chapel chimney: No pope yet

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Black smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Tuesday, signaling that cardinals had failed on their first vote of the papal conclave to choose a new leader for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics and their troubled church. Surrounded by Michelangelo's imposing frescos imagining the beginning and the end of the world, cardinals locked themselves into the chapel following a final appeal for unity to heal the divisions that have ...

Tony Gonzalez coming back to Falcons

Tony Gonzalez has changed his mind. He wants to play football again. The NFL's career leader among tight ends with 1,242 receptions and 103 touchdowns, is coming back to the Atlanta Falcons. After saying he was 95 percent certain he would retire after 2012, the other 5 percent won out. Hours before free agency began Thursday, Gonzalez tweeted: "The lure of being on such a great team and organization, along with unbelievable fan support ...

US stocks waver after seven straight gains

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock indexes wavered between small gains and losses on Wall Street Tuesday following a seven-day rally. The Dow Jones industrial average was down five points, or 0.03 percent, at 14,442 as of noon EDT. The Standard & Poor's 500 was down three points, or 0.2 percent, at 1,553. The Nasdaq composite dropped 15 points, or 0.5 percent, to 3,237. The stock market has surged this year as investors became encouraged ...

College tuition stipends for US airmen suspended

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The U.S. Air Force has joined other military branches in suspending tuition assistance that thousands of active-duty airmen rely on to pay for college classes.

Applying for health care not easy

WASHINGTON (AP) - Applying for benefits under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul could be as daunting as doing your taxes. The government's draft application is now on the Internet. It runs 15 pages for a three-person family. The online version has 21 steps, some with added questions. At least three major federal agencies, including the IRS, will scrutinize your application. That's just the first part of the process, which lets you know if ...

First workers move in to new Caterpillar plant

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - The first group of Caterpillar workers is moving in to office space at the company's new Georgia plant.

Senate panel ready to OK gun background checks

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats are ready to muscle expanded background checks and other gun curbs through a Senate committee, giving President Barack Obama an initial if temporary victory on one of his top priorities.

History shows NKorean pattern: Wait, then attack

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Recent Korean history reveals a sobering possibility: It may only be a matter of time before North Korea launches a sudden, deadly attack on the South. And perhaps more unsettling, Seoul has vowed that this time, it will respond with an even stronger blow. Humiliated by past attacks, South Korea has promised - as recently as Tuesday - to hit back hard at the next assault from the North, ...

Chipper in pinstripes? Well, Yanks' Cashman tried

VIERA, Fla. (AP) - Chipper Jones putting on pinstripes? The banged-up New York Yankees would love to have him. General manager Brian Cashman even said so Monday, expressing interest in the retired Atlanta Braves star. "He'd be perfect," Cashman said at Yankees' camp in Tampa. "I'd take Larry in a heartbeat. I think everybody would." The eight-time All-Star third baseman - better known by his nickname than actual first name - quickly ended such ...

House unveils amended Ga. budget plan

ATLANTA (AP) - An amended $40.9 billion budget plan in Georgia would restore what amounted to cuts for rural school districts and reduce some of the funding cuts for a school nutrition program, a ranking Republican said Monday.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck staying put at 'The View

NEW YORK (AP) - No need to say goodbye to Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She's staying put as a co-host of "The View" despite reports insisting otherwise.