Archive By Section - Signal AP
Few tests done at toxic sites after superstorm
OLD BRIDGE, N.J. (AP) - For more than a month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that the recent superstorm didn't cause significant problems at any of the 247 Superfund toxic waste sites it's monitoring in New York and New Jersey.
Bigger round 2 of Northern Calif. storm expected
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A weekend winter storm system that moved through Northern California proved a nuisance for holiday travelers, but an even bigger wave of mountain snow and coastal rain Sunday could create even more problems.
Airports trade layover horror for 'terminal bliss'
CHICAGO (AP) - Getting stranded at an airport once meant enduring hours of boredom in a kind of travel purgatory with nothing to eat but fast food. These days, it can seem more like passing through the gates of Shangri-la to find spas, yoga studios, luxury shopping and restaurant menus crafted by celebrity chefs in terminals with calming, sleek design.
Low-water rivers offering up glimpse of history
ST. LOUIS (AP) - From sunken steamboats to a millennium-old map engraved in rock, the drought-drained rivers of the nation's midsection are offering a rare and fleeting glimpse into years gone by.
Public honors Inouye's passing at Hawaii Capitol
HONOLULU (AP) - After two days of services in Washington, Hawaii is saying aloha to the late Sen. Daniel Inouye.
Hepatitis C tests continue after NH tech's arrest
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Hospitals across the country recommended hepatitis C testing for about 7,900 patients last summer after a traveling medical worker was accused of stealing drugs and infecting patients with tainted syringes in New Hampshire. But five months later, nearly half of those who were possibly exposed to the liver-destroying disease in other states have yet to be tested.
Miss Universe not returning to Boston University
BOSTON (AP) - The 20-year-old Rhode Island woman who brought the Miss Universe crown back to the U.S. for the first time in 15 years will not be returning to Boston University.
Help at hand when elderly relative's health fails
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - Marnie Schwartz was in California, a lawyer raising two toddlers. She was in no position to move across the country to care for her mother, who was living alone in New York and whose health was beginning to decline.
California prisons revamp isolation cells policy
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Prison officials tossed convicted killer Todd Ashker into California's notorious Security Housing Unit 25 years ago after "validating" him as a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang.
Feds, shuttered NM peanut butter plant reach deal
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A peanut butter plant shuttered by a widespread salmonella outbreak has been given the go ahead to start harvesting a bumper crop of prized eastern New Mexico Valencia peanuts next week under an agreement that ends a tense, monthslong standoff with federal regulators.
Heavy rain, snow in Northern California forecast
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Heavy rain, pounding waves and plenty of snow in the mountains were all in the forecast as Northern Californians braced for a weekend of wintry weather and potential delays in holiday travel.
4.0-magnitude quake hits San Diego County desert
BORREGO SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) - A magnitude-4.0 earthquake has hit the San Diego County desert but there are no reports of damage or injuries.
Annual bird counts give scientists climate clues
MAD ISLAND, Texas (AP) - Armed with flashlights, recordings of bird calls, a small notebook and a stash of candy bars, scientist Rich Kostecke embarked on an annual 24-hour Christmastime count of birds along the Texas Gulf Coast. Yellow rail. Barn owl. Bittern. Crested Cara-Cara. Kostecke rattled off the names and scribbled them in his notebook.
Boeing engineers use spuds to improve in-air Wi-Fi
CHICAGO (AP) - If the wireless Internet connection during your holiday flight seems more reliable than it used to, you could have the humble potato to thank.
Calif. official says new payroll system in chaos
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A $371 million overhaul of California's government payroll system is in chaos and in danger of collapsing, the state controller's office warned in a letter demanding fixes from the contractor.
Articles by Section - Signal AP
Search continues after fatal San Jose stabbings
SAN JOSE (AP) - Sheriff's deputies and K-9 teams continue to search a San Jose neighborhood for a man a sheriff's spokesman is describing as a "person of interest" after a 1-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman were stabbed to death in a home in an unincorporated part of the city.
Obama: IRS acting commissioner has resigned
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the resignation of the top official at the Internal Revenue Service following a controversy over the agency's targeting of conservative political groups.
Los Angeles apartment evacuated and devices found
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A police bomb squad was detonating homemade explosive devices found in an apartment on Wednesday after a traffic stop revealed a potentially dangerous liquid in a man's car, authorities said.
Holder defends subpoenas for AP telephone records
WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress Wednesday that a serious national security leak required the secret gathering of telephone records at The Associated Press as he stood by an investigation in which he insisted he had no involvement.
Shrinks, critics face off over psychiatric manual
CHICAGO (AP) - In the new psychiatric manual of mental disorders, grief soon after a loved one's death can be considered major depression. Extreme childhood temper tantrums get a fancy name. And certain "senior moments" are called "mild neurocognitive disorder."
Google unveils maps, photo, music features
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google's sixth annual conference for software developers opened Wednesday with a chance for the company to showcase its latest services. Announcements included new features for online games, maps and search, a new music-streaming service and enhancements to its Google Plus social network, including tools for sharing and enhancing photos.
House panel set to OK cut in food stamp program
WASHINGTON (AP) - A House committee rebuffed Democratic efforts Wednesday to keep the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program whole, as debate on the farm bill turned into a theological discourse on helping the poor.
OJ testifies in bid for new trial
LAS VEGAS (AP) - More than four years after the world last heard from O.J. Simpson in court, one of the nation's most famous prisoners spoke again Wednesday in a bid to win freedom from a sentence that could keep him behind bars until he dies.
Convicted Pa. abortion doctor gets life in prison
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - An abortion doctor convicted of killing three babies born alive at his rogue clinic dodged a possible death sentence on Tuesday in a hasty post-verdict deal with prosecutors.
Hikers won't have to pay cost of rescue
SANTA ANA (AP) - Two hikers lost for days in the Southern California wilderness won't be charged the $160,000 it took to find them.
Justice investigating IRS targeting of tea party
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department is investigating the Internal Revenue Service for targeting tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday, widening a probe that includes investigations by three committees in Congress.
Tougher drunken driving threshold recommended
WASHINGTON (AP) - States should cut their threshold for drunken driving by nearly half- from .08 blood alcohol level to .05_matching a standard that has substantially reduced highway deaths in other countries, a federal safety board recommended Tuesday. That's about one drink for a woman weighing less than 120 pounds, two for a 160-pound man.
2 co-op startups in Ore. health insurance market
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Two startup cooperatives have joined a crowded health insurance market in Oregon, offering a consumer-run experience and hoping to draw customers who prefer smaller not-for-profits, or who support underdogs and alternative, DIY culture.
Officials ID 3 of 5 found dead in northern Nevada
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Authorities have identified three of the five people found dead in string of homicides in northern Nevada.
At actress's Geneva jewel auction, $3M for 1 gem
GENEVA (AP) - Sotheby's has auctioned off jewels belonging to actress Gina Lollobrigida, fetching just under $3 million for a fancy yellow diamond once owned by a shah of Persia.
