(AP) Legal recreational pot industry opens in ColoradoBy KRISTEN WYATTAssociated PressDENVERThe nation’s first recreational pot industry opened in Colorado on Wednesday, kicking off an experiment that will be watched closely around the world and one that activists hope will prove
(AP) AP photographer Martin collapses at game, diesBy CHARLES ODUMAP Sports WriterATLANTADave Martin, a longtime Associated Press photographer based in Montgomery, Ala., died after collapsing on the Georgia Dome field after the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Tuesday night. Martin, 59, ran
(AP) After the Times Square party comes the cleanupBy JAKE PEARSONAssociated PressNEW YORKParty’s over. Time to clean up.Shortly after the ball dropped in Times Square, cleanup crews got to work with brooms and blowers to clear the confetti paper, pizza
(AP) Justice delays health law’s birth control mandateBy JESSE J. HOLLANDAssociated PressWASHINGTONThe Supreme Court has thrown a hitch into President Barack Obama’s new health care law by blocking a requirement that some religion-affiliated organizations provide health insurance that includes birth
(AP) Barbara Bush hospitalized in HoustonHOUSTONFormer first lady Barbara Bush has been hospitalized in Houston with a respiratory-related issue, her husband’s office said Tuesday night. The statement from the office of former President George H.W. Bush said Mrs. Bush was
(AP) Shoppers wait for Colorado pot shops to openBy KRISTEN WYATTAssociated PressDENVERFiring up bongs and cheering in a cloud of marijuana smoke, pot users in Colorado hailed the arrival of the nation’s first recreational pot industry Wednesday.Retail sales weren’t to
(AP) Retirement unlikely for some blue-collar AmericansBy EMILY WAGSTER PETTUSAssociated PressTom Edwards grew up in a family that’s been cutting trees and hauling timber in the Pacific Northwest for more than a century. The Spanaway, Wash., resident says he has
(AP) Putin visits bomb-hit VolgogradBy GARY PEACHAssociated PressVOLGOGRAD, RussiaRussian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday made a pre-dawn visit to the city reeling from two suicide bombings this week, bringing gestures of sympathy for the victims and questions for the officials
(AP) NKorea claims strength after removal of “filth”By HYUNG-JIN KIM and FOSTER KLUGAssociated PressSEOUL, South KoreaKim Jong Un boasted Wednesday that North Korea enters the new year on a surge of strength because of the elimination of “factionalist filth” _
(AP) Pope stresses strength, courage, hope in new yearBy FRANCES D’EMILIOAssociated PressVATICAN CITYPope Francis on Wednesday urged people to accept each other’s differences and for enemies to recognize that they are brothers. `’We are all children of one heavenly father,
Violence in Iraq surged in 2013 to its worst level in five years, fuelled by widespread discontent among the Sunni Arab minority and Syria’s civil war, figures released Wednesday showed. Bombs tore through markets, cafes, football fields and mosques, militants
(AP) De Blasio becomes face of NYC progressive movementBy JONATHAN LEMIREAssociated PressNEW YORKTwelve years ago, Bill de Blasio attended New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s inauguration as a newly-minted city councilman, unknown to most outside his Brooklyn district and a
(AP) Tensions high in Western Sahara despite new planBy PAUL SCHEMMAssociated PressLAAYOUNE, Western SaharaHelmeted Moroccan riot police waded into the small crowds of women in brightly colored shawls who chanted slogans for independence on the streets of Laayoune, the capital
(AP) Manziel, Aggies edge Duke 52-48 in Chick-fil-ABy CHARLES ODUMAP Sports WriterATLANTAEven by Johnny Manziel’s Heisman-winning standards, his lead role in Texas A&M’s comeback was one to remember. It could prove to be a perfect ending to Manziel’s college career.
(AP) AP Sources: O’Brien reaches agreement with TexansBy KRISTIE RIEKENAP Sports WriterHOUSTONTwo people familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night that Penn State’s Bill O’Brien has reached an agreement to coach the Houston Texans. The people spoke to The Associated
Students form “Happy 2014” to welcome the New Year at a middle school in Ma’anshan, Anhui province. The ball that will drop at midnight at Times Square in New York City. Fireworks pour out of Big Ben in London, England.
By SAMANTHA HENRYAssociated PressELIZABETH, N.J.Hours after a boisterous Christmas dinner at her grandfather’s, 13-year-old Zainee Hailey came home and took out her family’s trash, a chore she rotated with her siblings. She bundled up the trash bag and stepped outside
Beyonce is still battling outrage over her use of audio connected to a space shuttle tragedy, but she’ll likely end 2013 defending a questionable choice in Instagram imagery. The erstwhile Mrs. Carter sent out a picture of herself lounging in
Singer Ani DiFranco ended 2013 by joining the celebrity apology club. The indie singer got scorched for staging a creative retreat at a locale with a deeply troubled past. The Nottoway Plantation and Resort in White Castle, LA once was
By TOM HAYSAssociated PressNEW YORKA former “Sopranos” actor convicted for his real-life role in the slaying of an off-duty police officer during a botched break-in at a Bronx home was released from prison Tuesday and put on parole. Lillo Brancato
(AP) Colorado readies for ‘Green Wednesday’ pot salesBy KRISTEN WYATTAssociated PressDENVERPolice were adding extra patrols around pot shops in eight Colorado towns that plan to allow recreational sales to anyone over 21 on Jan. 1. Officials at Denver International Airport
(AP) Putin triumphs in 2013 yet tough challenges loomBy VLADIMIR ISACHENKOVAssociated PressMOSCOWDisplaying the killer instincts of a chess grandmaster, Vladimir Putin rang out 2013 with an exceptional list of accomplishments. The Russian president humiliated the United States by sheltering NSA
(AP) Boston approves ban on smoking in city-run parksBOSTONBoston has banned smoking in city-run parks, joining a growing list of American cities to do so.The Boston Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday approved a ban covering the 251 parks, squares,
(AP) Pa. police: Cop pepper-sprayed girlfriend’s sonUNIONTOWN, Pa.A Pennsylvania state trooper has been placed on unpaid leave and charged with pepper-spraying his girlfriend’s 13-year-old son because the boy stayed in bed instead of going to school.Trooper Ernest Boatright was charged
A December 31 deadline to remove part of the Syrian regime’s chemical weapons arsenal from the country for destruction has been missed, with ships due to receive the materials returning to Cyprus. In Syria, meanwhile, a newspaper quoted government officials
