US orders new visa reviews for arriving students

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Homeland Security Department ordered border agents "effective immediately" to verify that every international student who arrives in the U.S. has a valid student visa, according to an internal memorandum obtained Friday by The Associated Press. The new procedure is the government's first security change directly related to the Boston bombings.

Bombing probe takes investigators into Mass. woods

Ga man charged with fondling child in store

CARROLLTON, Ga. (AP) - A west Georgia man is being held without bond on a child molestation charge after allegedly fondling a 6-year-old girl in a Walmart store.

States fear loss of health care aid

Police warn motorists of 'bumping' carjackings

ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta police are warning motorists to be on guard for a type of carjacking that occurs after vehicles are bumped in traffic.

Boston Marathon suspect's remains claimed

Stocks surge in early trading after hiring climbs

Deluge of rain could lead to flooding in north Ga.

ATLANTA (AP) - More than two-dozen counties in north Georgia are under a flood watch as storms approach the state.

Police say they didn't release Witherspoon video

ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia State Patrol says it did not release the video from a state trooper's dash-camera showing a combative Reese Witherspoon confronting the officer during a traffic stop in Atlanta.

Fresh off victory, NRA holds convention in Houston

Driver killed by falling tree in western Georgia

CARROLLTON, Ga. (AP) - Georgia State Patrol officials say a driver in Carroll County has been killed by a falling tree.

New documentary examines the lives of porn stars

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ever wonder what makes young, pretty, "good" girls pursue careers in porn?

Official: Shiny dog bowl sparks Calif. house fire

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) - A Northern California couple might be able to blame this one on the dog.

Witherspoon: I lied about pregnancy during arrest

BC-US--Reese Witherspoon Arrest,5th Ld-Writethru/260

Kingston promises 'common sense' in Senate race

How many votes is a photo op with the pope worth?

ROME (AP) - How much weight does an endorsement from a lame-duck pope carry in the upcoming election?

Conyers businesswoman will go to court

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - A Georgia businesswoman will stand trial April 15 on federal charges of paying bribes to a former superintendent of schools in Greenville, Miss.

Singer Mindy McCready dies in apparent suicide

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) - Mindy McCready, who hit the top of the country charts before personal problems sidetracked her career, died Sunday in Arkansas in an apparent suicide. She was 37.

Budget cut warnings may prove harsher than reality

WASHINGTON (AP) - Get ready for two weeks of intensifying warnings about how crucial, popular government services are about to wither. Many of the threats could come true.

GA-State-Forecas

State forecast for georgia National weather service peachtree city ga 454 am est sat feb 16 2013 ...Wind advisory in effect from 1 pm this afternoon to 7 pm est This evening for parts of north and central georgia... ...Wind advisory in effect from 3 pm this afternoon to 10 pm est This evening for parts ...

Ga. inmates try to block execution because of drug

WASHINGTON (AP) - Three death row inmates in Georgia are seeking a court order that would prevent the state from using a drug to execute them without a doctor's prescription. The inmates, two of whom are to be executed next week, asked a federal judge in Washington on Friday to direct the Drug Enforcement Administration to prevent the use of pentobarbital in lethal injections. The inmates, Warren Lee Hill, Andrew Allen Cook and Marcus Wellons, ...

Army may have to extend deployments in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) - Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan next year may see their war tours extended because budget cuts will drastically limit training for brigades to replace them, the top Army general said Friday. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army chief of staff, said the military will be able to fund training and operations for combat units in Afghanistan now and for those deploying in the summer and fall. But he says there will be delays ...

Boston Pops to perform in Athens

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - The famed Boston Pops orchestra is coming to Georgia. The University of Georgia and the Classic Center in Athens are collaborating to host the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra on Feb. 27. The Pops will play a tribute to the late Oscar - and Tony - winning composer Marvin Hamlisch. The program will feature some of Hamlisch's most well-known themes from musical theater and film, including "Through the Eyes of Love" ...

Jesse Jackson Jr., wife charged in federal cases

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been charged with spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses. His wife was charged with filing false income tax forms. Federal prosecutors filed a charge of conspiracy against the former congressman and charged his wife, Sandra, with one count of filing false joint federal income tax returns for the years 2006 through 2011. In a statement, the former congressman says he offers no excuses ...

FBI: Man slaps boy on plane, charged with assault

ATLANTA (AP) - Federal authorities say a 60-year-old Idaho man has been charged with simple assault for slapping an infant aboard an Atlanta-bound flight.

Bunnies taking toll on cars at Denver airport

DENVER (AP) - Silly rabbits. The furry creatures are wreaking havoc on cars parked at Denver International Airport by eating spark plug cables and other wiring. To stop the problem, federal wildlife workers are removing at least 100 bunnies a month while parking companies install better fences and build perches for predator hawks and eagles. KCNC-TV (http://tinyurl.com/awjoyne ) reported Thursday there's another way to stop the damage that can cost thousands of dollars to repair. ...

Stocks edge lower; Walmart pulls down the Dow

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged lower on Wall Street Friday afternoon, threatening to end the S&P 500's streak of weekly advances at six. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell five points to 1,516 as of 3:19 p.m. EST, leaving it down about one point for the week. It has risen every week so far this year. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 32 points to 13,941. The Nasdaq composite fell 12 points to ...

Stocks edge higher on Wall Street

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged higher in early trading on Wall Street, putting the S&P 500 in line for a seventh straight week of gains.

Obama attempting to change face of the judiciary

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is trying to change the face of a federal judiciary that has a long tradition of white men passing judgment on parties from all walks of life - if he can get his nominees past the Senate.

Nearly 1,000 injured by meteor explosion in Russia

MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian health official says nearly 1,000 people have sought help for injuries caused by a meteor that exploded in the sky, blasting out countless windows.