Don’t cuss unless you can pay the fine: Town weighs $20 fines for public swearing

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Officials fed up with public swearing in one town say that forcing the potty-mouthed to pay up might be the right antidote. Residents attending town meeting in Middleborough on Monday night were scheduled to vote on whether to impose a $20 fine for public swearing. Officials insist the proposal, offered by the town's police chief, is not intended ...

New York City pension funds file Wal-Mart suit

No elegant technical fixes for distracted driving

NEW YORK (AP) - When does a smartphone make you dumb? When you're driving. Dialing or texting on a phone is a proven distraction when you're behind the wheel. And as "smart" as today's phones are, they can't compensate for human folly. Phone makers and software developers are making a valiant effort to create elegant technical solutions, but, try as they might, they've yet to solve the problem of distracted driving. A new survey, released ...

Nation news briefs

• 'GREEN ACRES' CHARACTER ACTOR FRANK CADY DIES: LOS ANGELES (AP) - Frank Cady, a character actor best known as the general-store owner on the sitcom "Green Acres," has died. He was 96.

Cost to lunch with Warren Buffett: $3.5 million

Protesters on third day strike in campaign office

Odd News

WOMAN'S LOUD PRAISE AND CURSES LEAD TO CHARGES: BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee woman says she was just praising the Lord, although at high volume, when she received a citation accusing her of violating the city's noise ordinance. She later was arrested by police on a disorderly conduct charge.

Aide could face charge in Edwards sex tape case

Nation news briefs

Sleepwalking used as defense in attempted robbery

Officials fret about creatures on tsunami dock that drifted across Pacific Ocean

Vet gave show errant photo by 'mistake'

Suicides are surging among US troops

House passes homeland security spending bill

Nation news briefs

MILEY CYRUS, LIAM HEMSWORTH ARE ENGAGED: NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - It turns out "The Last Song" was only the beginning for Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth.

Teen guilty in texting-while-driving crash

HAVERHILL, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts teenager was sentenced Wednesday to spend a year in jail for a fatal traffic accident that happened while he was texting. Aaron Deveau of Haverhill was sentenced to 2 ½ years behind bars with a year to serve and the remainder suspended for the February 2011 crash that took the life ...

Should wunderkinds drop out of high school?

Cardinal skips event over Irish PM's role

More Obama aides knew of IRS audit

1 SEAL dead, 7 sailors hurt in training accident

More time needed to indict Tsarnaev

Treasury told of IRS probe in June 2012

Marine, dog reunited in surprise ceremony at Iowa State Capitol

Navy pilot earns degree in combat zone

Dark clouds hang over air shows after budget cuts hit military services

Colorado sheriffs sue over gun rules

Alaska volcano shoots ash 15,000 feet into the air

OJ's ex-lawyer contradicts his testimony on guns

Nearly 50 injured as commuter trains collide

Nation news briefs

TRAVIS SUES TO BLOCK DWI PATROL CAR VIDEO RELEASE: AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Country music star Randy Travis has filed a lawsuit to prevent the release of patrol car video of his 2012 drunken-driving arrest in North Texas.

Feds propose overhaul for child care centers

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) - Federal health officials proposed Thursday to overhaul 500,000 child care centers across the country, beefing up safety standards including background and fingerprint checks for employees and requiring states to better monitor the facilities.