Archive By Section - Signal AP
Boehner on averting fiscal cliff: 'God only knows'
WASHINGTON (AP) - Stocks fell, congressional leaders squabbled and the fiscal cliff drew implacably closer.
Parents struggle to find gender-neutral toys
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A 13-year-old girl's campaign to get Hasbro to make an Easy-Bake Oven that isn't purple or pink so it would appeal to her little brother is a fresh sign of movement in an old debate. Parents who hope to expose their children to different kinds of play - science sets for girls and dolls for boys, for example - can find themselves stymied by a toy industry that can seem stuck in the past when it comes to gender roles.
'Sandy' Claus delivers toys to storm-stricken kids
NEW YORK (AP) - From his toy-cluttered Brooklyn apartment, the man in the red suit was making his list and checking it twice. But he made no distinction between naughty or nice: Every child on it would receive a gift from this Santa Claus.
Denver sirens are just test, not doomsday signal
DENVER (AP) - Officials in Denver want people to know this is only a test. The city is testing new outdoor warning sirens on Friday, and they're well aware of all the talk about the Mayan calendar and time running out for the world's population. In announcing the drill, officials said they wanted to make sure that people knew that the wailing sirens didn't mean it was the end of the world. A chorus ...
Kerry nominated for Secretary of State
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Friday nominated Sen. John Kerry as his next secretary of state, elevating the longtime lawmaker and foreign policy expert to the top diplomatic job he had coveted.
Bells toll for victims one week after shooting
NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) - The chiming of bells reverberated throughout Newtown on Friday, commemorating one week since the crackle of gunfire in a schoolhouse killed 20 children and six adults in a massacre that has shaken the community - and the nation - to its core.
Hot spots draw believers, but not doomsday
As the sun rose from time zone to time zone across the world on Friday, there was still no sign of the world's end - but that didn't stop those convinced that a 5,125-year Mayan calendar predicts the apocalypse from gathering at some of the world's purported survival hot spots.
US economy grew at 3.1 percent in summer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1 percent over the summer as exports increased, consumers spent more and state and local governments added to growth for the first time in three years. But the economy is likely slowing in the current quarter.
Obama nominating Kerry for secretary of state
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Friday will nominate Sen. John Kerry as his next secretary of state, a senior administration official said, making the first move in an overhaul of his national security team heading into a second term.
NRA calls for armed police officer in every school
WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's largest gun-rights lobby called Friday for armed police officers to be posted in every American school to stop the next killer "waiting in the wings."
Hot rhetoric, tiny numbers separate Obama, Boehner
WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite all the hot fiscal cliff rhetoric, the differences between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner seem relatively narrow. So why haven't they shaken hands already? One answer: Both sides need to keep - or get - their own troops behind them.
Newtown first responders carry heavy burdens
NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) - While the people of Newtown do their best to cope with loss and preserve the memories of their loved ones, another class of residents is also finding it difficult to move on: the emergency responders who saw firsthand the terrible aftermath of last week's school shooting.
All we want for Christmas is our gifts on time!
NEW YORK (AP) - Will Santa's sleigh be late? A record number of Americans took to the Web to order holiday gifts after retailers flooded their inboxes with offers of extra discounts, free shipping and easy returns. But a storm bringing heavy winds and snow to much of the Midwest on Thursday - the heaviest shipping day of the year - could mean that some packages might not make it under the tree in time ...
UN OKs military action to oust al-Qaida in Mali
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council on Thursday authorized military action to wrest northern Mali from the control of al-Qaida-linked extremists but demanded progress first on political reconciliation, elections and training African troops and police.
Stores brace for snow during final shopping days
NEW YORK (AP) - Midwesterners aren't the only ones who could get slammed by the storm that's expected to bring heavy snow, winds and rain to the middle of the country over the next couple of days. Stores could get hit too.
Articles by Section - Signal AP
Fashion: Camo, neon aren't college basketball fan favorites
NEW YORK (AP) - It seems an unpopular position in college basketball is fashion forward.
UPDATE: 5 of 6 ex-officials convicted in Bell corruption case
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Five former elected officials of the tiny California city of Bell were convicted Wednesday of multiple counts of misappropriation of public funds, and a sixth defendant was cleared entirely.
''Unpredictable" pope worries security team
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Forgive Pope Francis' security team for looking a bit nervous.
Drones will require new privacy laws, Senate told
WASHINGTON (AP) - Privacy laws urgently need to be updated to protect the public from information-gathering by the thousands of civilian drones expected to be flying in U.S. skies in the next decade or so, legal experts told a Senate panel Wednesday.
Survey: Low-wage workers gloomy about future
WASHINGTON (AP) - While lower-wage American workers have accounted for the lion's share of the jobs created since the 2007-2009 Great Recession, a new survey shows that they are also among the most pessimistic about their future career prospects, their job security and their finances.
Suspected robber released from jail arrested again
VALLEJO (AP) - A suspected bank robber released from jail earlier this month is back in custody again after being arrested in Vallejo, officials said.
Landmark gun bills signed in Colorado
DENVER (AP) - Gov. John Hickenlooper signed bills Wednesday that place new restrictions on firearms and signaled a change for Democrats who traditionally shied away from gun control debate in Colorado - a state with a moderate streak and pioneer tradition of gun ownership and self-reliance.
Rand Paul: Immigration reform needs conservatives
WASHINGTON (AP) - Tea party favorite Sen. Rand Paul said Tuesday that the nation's illegal immigrants should be able to become citizens eventually, but amid a furor from conservative activists on the explosive issue he quickly sought to make clear that, while they would not be sent home, they couldn't get in line in front of anyone else.
Costs of US wars linger for more than 100 years
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - If history is any judge, the U.S. government will be paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next century as service members and their families grapple with the sacrifices of combat.
Pope Francis: Protect the poor and the Earth
VATICAN CITY (AP) - After a week marked by acts of simplicity and openness, Pope Francis finally let his words do the talking as he officially began his stewardship of the Catholic Church on Tuesday.
Health officials: 1 in 50 school kids have autism
NEW YORK (AP) - A government survey of parents says 1 in 50 U.S. schoolchildren has autism, surpassing another federal estimate for the disorder.
