Ken Stanford

The September lane closings near the George Washington Bridge that caused huge traffic jams and now appear to have been politically orchestrated by a member of Gov. Chris Christie's administration and key allies violated federal law, a chief official said in an email ordering the lanes reopened.

Georgia Power says it set a record for winter peak demand earlier this week as temperatures plunged in Georgia and other parts of the country.

The Obama administration extended federal recognition to the marriages of more than 1,000 same-sex couples in Utah that took place before the Supreme Court put those unions in the state on hold.

The Republican-led House voted overwhelmingly Friday to bolt new security requirements onto President Barack Obama's health care law, with 67 Democrats breaking ranks to join with the GOP. It was the first skirmish of what is certain to be a long and contentious election-year fight.

It came as a shock: U.S. employers added just 74,000 jobs in December, far fewer than anyone expected. This from an economy that had been adding nearly three times as many for four straight months - a key reason the Federal Reserve decided last month to slow its economic stimulus.

As the world warms, the United States is getting fewer bitter cold spells like the one that gripped much of the nation this week. So when a deep freeze strikes, scientists say, it seems more unprecedented than it really is.

Flu season is ramping up, with illness widespread in at least 35 states - including Georgia. That's up from 25 in the previous week

Hall County Commission Chairman Dick Mecum says he believes the biggest issue facing the county during the new year is planning for a fast moving future.

Sheriff's officials in northeast Alabama say a Georgia man accused of leaving his 5-year-old son alone in a car during a hunting trip is free on $500 bond.