Archive By Section - Signal AP
Farm bill extension evidence of lost clout
WASHINGTON (AP) - A patchwork extension of federal farm programs passed as part of a larger "fiscal cliff" bill keeps the price of milk from rising but doesn't include many of the goodies that farm-state lawmakers are used to getting for their rural districts.
Sheriff: Calif. child reported missing was home
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Sheriff's officials say a Sacramento-area woman who reported her autistic son missing only to have deputies discover him in plain sight inside her messy apartment has been arrested on suspicion of child endangerment.
Calif. man sentenced for German tourist murder
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A South Los Angeles man who went on the run for a decade was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison Thursday for a botched robbery that killed a German tourist and shocked suburban Santa Monica.
Rare San Francisco river otter stumps researchers
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A rapt crowd followed a trail of bubbles that zipped over the surface of a seaside pond in the ruins of a 19th century bath in San Francisco.
Calif. AG sues ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California Attorney General Kamala Harris is suing ConocoPhillips and its spinoff, Phillips 66, over underground tanks used to store gasoline at more than 500 gas stations in the state.
Lunch meat maker Hormel orders up Skippy sandwich
NEW YORK (AP) - Hormel Foods apparently has a hankering for a peanut butter and bacon sandwich. The company primarily known for Spam and other cured, smoked and deli meats said Thursday that it's buying Skippy, the country's No. 2 peanut butter brand, in its biggest-ever acquisition.
Baseball-size Martian rock recovered in the Sahara
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Scientists are abuzz about a rock from Mars that landed in the Sahara desert: A yearlong analysis revealed it's quite different from other Martian meteorites.
House re-elects Boehner speaker
WASHINGTON (AP) - The House and Senate ushered in a new Congress Thursday, re-electing embattled Republican John Boehner speaker and hailing one of its own senators who returned a year after being felled by a stroke.
New Congress sworn in
WASHINGTON (AP) - The House and Senate ushered in a new Congress Thursday, hewing to tradition and hailing one of its own who returned a year after being felled by a stroke.
Cat that spent a week in tree found
MARION, Mass. (AP) - A stray cat that spent at least a week stuck in a Massachusetts tree before plunging 80 feet to the ground and fleeing has been found, and all things considered, appears to be in good health.
Al-Jazeera buys Current TV from Al Gore
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Al-Jazeera, the Pan-Arab news channel that struggled to win space on American cable television, has acquired Current TV, boosting its reach in the U.S. nearly ninefold to about 40 million homes. With a focus on U.S. news, it plans to rebrand the left-leaning news network that cofounder Al Gore couldn't make relevant.
Rare Stephen King book for auction
ELLSWORTH, Maine (AP) - A signed copy of a rare Stephen King book is up for auction at a Maine bookstore, with proceeds going to a nearby homeless shelter's emergency home heating fund.
Pa. governor sues NCAA over Penn State sanctions
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's governor, in a challenge to the NCAA's powers, claimed in a lawsuit Wednesday that college sports' governing body overstepped its authority and "piled on" when it penalized Penn State over the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.
Cliff deal is another pain-free punt
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress' hectic resolution of the "fiscal cliff" crisis is the latest in a long series of decisions by lawmakers and the White House to do less than promised - and to ask Americans for little sacrifice - in confronting the nation's burgeoning debt.
Google exec chairman to visit NKorea
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Google's executive chairman is preparing to travel to one of the last frontiers of cyberspace: North Korea.
Articles by Section - Signal AP
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.
In Ohio case, social media is a double-edged sword
NEW YORK (AP) - In sentencing two high school football players to juvenile jail terms for raping a drunken girl, Judge Thomas Lipps issued a cautionary note to children and parents, urging them to reconsider "how you record things on the social media so prevalent today."
No assault weapons ban: Not in Dems' Senate bill
WASHINGTON (AP) - An assault weapons ban won't be in the gun-control legislation that Democrats bring to the Senate floor next month, a decision that means the ban's chances of survival now are all but hopeless.
Police make arrest in Simi Valley school vandalism
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) - Authorities in Ventura County have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with threatening graffiti, including swastikas, which led officials to shut down an elementary school.
Rescue officials: Ducklings make foul Easter gifts
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A fluffy duckling might seem appealing next to a basket of Easter eggs, but shelter officials and animal welfare experts want gift-happy parents to picture something else: Poop.
AIDS group calls on county to enforce condom law
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A group that successfully campaigned for a new law requiring porn actors to use condoms accused Los Angeles County on Tuesday of failing to take action against violators.
UC faculty blasts bill to expand online courses
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - University of California faculty members are criticizing a state lawmaker's proposal to allow public college students to earn degree credit for online courses from outside education providers.
Testimony begins in fake Rockefeller trial
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Testimony in the murder trial of a notorious Rockefeller impostor opened Tuesday with a witness telling how his excavation for a pool turned creepy when he discovered a human skull and a bag of bones.
Same-day audio for high court gay marriage cases
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court will release audio recordings of next week's arguments in two gay marriage cases just a few hours after they conclude.
US housing starts rise, permits at 4 ½-year high
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. builders started more homes in February and permits for future construction rose at the fastest pace in 4 ½ years. The increases point to a housing recovery that is gaining strength.
