Headlines

A checklist to see whether debt reduction is real

By ALAN FRAMAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama and leaders of the lame-duck Congress may be just weeks away from shaking hands on a deal to avert the dreaded "fiscal cliff." So it's natural to wonder: If they announce a bipartisan package promising to curb mushrooming

New trail spurs interest in ex-Atlanta rail route

By NORMAN GOMLAKAssociated Press ATLANTA (AP) - Since a new urban trail opened last month in an old rail corridor in Atlanta, it has drawn a steady stream of joggers, dog-walkers and cyclists to take in spectacular views of the skyline and neighborhoods once seen only by train. Hundreds of

9 more Iraq, Afghan war veterans joining Congress

By KEVIN FREKINGAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - As Tammy Duckworth sees it, her path to Congress began when she awoke in the fall of 2004 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She was missing both of her legs and faced the prospect of losing her right arm. Months of agonizing therapy lay ahead

Some states preserve penmanship despite tech gains

By CHRISTINA HOAGAssociated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) - The pen may not be as mighty as the keyboard these days, but California and a handful of states are not giving up on handwriting entirely. Bucking a growing trend of eliminating cursive from elementary school curriculums or making it optional