Miss. town stunned by slaying of mayoral candidate
Written by HOLBROOK MOHR,Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Whatever his prospects for winning the coming mayoral election in his hometown of Clarksdale, Miss., Marco McMillian was considered by many to be a man on the rise. So word spread fast when his SUV was involved in a wreck this week, and he was nowhere to be found.
Father of Newtown victim: Ban assault weapons
Written by ALAN FRAM,Associated Press PHILIP ELLIOTT,Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Battling tears, the father of one of the first-graders slain at the December elementary school massacre in Connecticut pleaded with senators on Wednesday to ban assault weapons like the gun that killed his 6-year-old son.
Obama, top lawmakers to meet as cuts kick in
Written by JIM KUHNHENN,Associated Press JOSH LEDERMAN,Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House conceded Wednesday that efforts to avoid automatic budget cuts are unlikely to succeed before they kick in and is initiating new talks with congressional leaders to confront seemingly intractable tax-and-spend issues.
Voting rights law gets Supreme Court challenge
Written by MARK SHERMAN,Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative justices voiced deep skepticism Wednesday about a section of a landmark civil rights law that has helped millions of Americans exercise their right to vote.
Hagel: Time to 'turn the page' on decade of war
Written by ROBERT BURNS,AP National Security Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chuck Hagel was sworn in Wednesday as defense secretary — President Barack Obama's third in just over four years and the first who really wanted one of Washington's toughest jobs.
Cops: Grandma shot self, young grandsons in car
Written by PAT EATON-ROBB,Associated Press
PRESTON, Conn. (AP) — A woman who picked up her two young grandsons from daycare and was supposed to bring them home so the 2-year-old could open his birthday presents instead drove them to a neighboring town and shot and killed the children and herself, state police and family members said.
US to bolster support for Syria rebels, Kerry says
Written by MATTHEW LEE,Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — The United States is looking for more tangible ways to support Syria's rebels and bolster a fledgling political movement that is struggling to deliver basic services after nearly two years of civil war, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.
Advanced breast cancer edges up in younger women
Written by LINDSEY TANNER,AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Advanced breast cancer has increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests. The disease is still uncommon among women younger than 40, and the small change has experts scratching their heads about possible reasons.