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

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.