FBI: 3 removed backpack from Boston suspect's room

BOSTON (AP) - Three college friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were arrested and accused Wednesday of removing a backpack containing fireworks emptied of gunpowder from Tsarnaev's dorm room three days after the attack to try to keep him from getting into trouble.

Fed keeps stimulus, says taxes and cuts have hurt

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday stood by its aggressive efforts to stimulate the economy and reduce unemployment. And it sent its most explicit signal to date that tax increases and spending cuts that kicked in this year are slowing the economy.

Grocery store worker wins big on her lunch hour

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (AP) - A grocery store worker near Atlanta made more money on her lunch break than many people earn in a lifetime.

Carpet company planning 2 plants in Dalton area

DALTON, Ga. (AP) - A spokesman for Gov. Nathan Deal says a carpet manufacturing company will open two plants in northwest Georgia and create about 2,400 jobs.

Stocks edge lower on manufacturing, jobs slowdown

Scientists find cannibalism at American settlement

Boston police: 3 more suspects in custody bombings

BOSTON (AP) - Three more suspects have been taken into custody in the marathon bombings, city police said Wednesday.

Georgia family finds burning cross in front yard

WOODSTOCK, Ga. (AP) - Police are investigating after a metro Atlanta family found a large cross, which had been set on fire in their front yard.

Lake Lanier begins summer full of water

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) - After persistent drought conditions, a popular north Georgia lake is beginning the summer recreation season with a full pool of water.

456 colonoscopy patients warned of infection risk

ATLANTA (AP) - An Atlanta surgery center is warning 456 patients that their colonoscopies might have put them at risk of HIV and other diseases.

Uncle: Family to claim Boston bomb suspect's body

Keith Richards: I don't own an iPod

NEW YORK (AP) - He's rock royalty and likes to keep it old-school: Keith Richards says he doesn't own an iPod.

1st-day deliberations end in Pa. abortion doc case

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A jury has gone home after deliberating for two hours in the capital murder trial of a Philadelphia abortion doctor accused of killing a patient and four babies.

Russia had elder Boston suspect under surveillance

Officials say threatened FAA towers to remain open

WASHINGTON (AP) - Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has assured lawmakers the Obama administration will prevent the closure of 149 small airport towers as well as end furloughs of air traffic controllers nationwide as a result of legislation passed by Congress, according to officials involved in negotiations on the bill.

Movie makers plan sprawling GA studio

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Several investors in metro Atlanta have announced plans to build what would be the largest film studio complex in Georgia.

Ariz. woman gives sexual details about slain lover

PHOENIX (AP) - The woman charged with killing her lover in the shower of his Arizona home described Thursday how he made repeated sexual advances all while converting her into the Mormon faith during the early stages of their stormy romance. Jodi Arias took the witness stand for a third day in her murder trial as she described her relationship with Travis Alexander before she stabbed and shot him in what she says ...

Authorities: 3 dead in fiery highway crash in Ga.

MONTROSE, Ga. (AP) - More than two dozen vehicles collided in a fiery pileup on a Georgia interstate on Wednesday morning, killing at least three people and leaving 12 others hurt, an emergency official said.

Stocks slip as earnings fail to inspire investors

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks edged lower on Wall Street as the latest round of earnings reports failed to give investors an impetus to push the market's recent rally forward.

Boy Scouts delay decision on admitting gays

IRVING, Texas (AP) - The Boy Scouts of America put off a decision Wednesday on whether to lift its ban on gay members and leaders, saying the question will be taken up at the organization's national meeting in May.

Saturday mail delivery to end in Aug

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion annually, the financially struggling agency says.

Home Depot to hire 80,000 workers

ATLANTA (AP) - Home Depot Inc. said Wednesday that it will hire more than 80,000 seasonal workers for this year's spring selling season - up from about 70,000 a year ago. It cited expectations of sales growth.

Monopoly tokens change! Cat added.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) - Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a new cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday.

Obama urges stopgap budget deal to avoid deep cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) - Eager to buy time and avoid economic pain, President Barack Obama urged Congress on Tuesday to pass targeted short-term spending cuts and higher taxes as a way to put off sweeping, automatic cuts that would slice deeply into military and domestic programs starting March 1.

Despite horror, Ala. child hostage seems OK

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (AP) - By all accounts, a 5-year-old in Alabama endured an unforgettable horror: Held for a week in a closet-size bunker underground, a captive of a volatile killer, his only comforts a Hot Wheels car and other treats passed to him by officers.

2 Ga. executions scheduled following court ruling

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Georgia officials on Tuesday ordered February execution dates for two inmates, a day after the state Supreme Court upheld a switch to a new drug used in lethal injections.

Stocks rebound on home prices, earnings; Dow up 99

NEW YORK (AP) - The stock market bounced back Tuesday following a surge in U.S. home prices and signs of recovery in Europe's economy. Strong earnings reports also helped power the gains. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day 99.22 points higher at 13,979.30, erasing a large part of its loss from Monday. The index traded above 14,000 during the day before falling back in the last hour. The Standard & Poor's 500 ...

New PAC stirs GOP rivalries, tea party angst

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans' struggles to redefine their party are intensifying, as tea party insurgents and establishment Republicans vie to control congressional primaries, and GOP leaders try to expand their focus beyond the deficit.

Fulton Co. disputes voter record tampering claims

ATLANTA (AP) - The interim director of the Fulton County elections board has denied allegations that her staff tampered with voter records after the presidential race in November.

Gun background checks drop 10 percent in January

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of federal background checks for firearms sales declined in the U.S. last month, as retailers continue to run out of guns to sell during a buying spree driven by Washington's new focus on gun control.