Guns used in crime not easy to trace

WASHINGTON (AP) - In the fictional world of television police dramas, a few quick clicks on a computer lead investigators to the owner of a gun recovered at a bloody crime scene. Before the first commercial, the TV detectives are on the trail of the suspect.

Side Briefs

OBAMA ON IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL: 'NOW IS THE TIME' : LAS VEGAS (AP) - Declaring "now is the time" to fix the nation's broken immigration system, President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined broad proposals for putting millions of illegal immigrants on a clear path to citizenship while cracking down on businesses that employ people illegally and tightening security at the borders. He hailed a bipartisan Senate group on a similar track but left unresolved key details that could derail the complex and emotional effort.

Ex-Ill. Gov. Ryan faces changed world after 5 years in prison

CHICAGO (AP) - When former Illinois Gov. George Ryan steps out of prison on Wednesday after serving five-plus years for corruption, he will return to a life altered by personal tragedy and to a state altered by his and his successor's legacy of corruption.

Leafy greens top food poisoning source

NEW YORK (AP) - A big government study has fingered leafy greens like lettuce and spinach as the leading source of food poisoning, a perhaps uncomfortable conclusion for health officials who want us to eat our vegetables.

Texas woman's execution halted; DA won't appeal

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - The first woman scheduled to be executed in the U.S. since 2010 won a reprieve Tuesday, mere hours before she was scheduled to be taken to the Texas death chamber.

Hagel supports nuclear arms elimination

WASHINGTON (AP) - Chuck Hagel, the likely next secretary of defense, would be the first to enter the Pentagon having publicly advocated for sharply reducing the number of U.S. nuclear weapons, possibly without equivalent cuts by Russia. He supports an international movement called Global Zero that favors eliminating all nuclear weapons.

Nation news briefs

Chicago reaches 40 homicides in January

CHICAGO (AP) - A bloody weekend in which seven people were killed and six wounded has put an abrupt end - at least for now - to hopes that Chicago was at least putting a lid on its frightening homicide rate.

Immigration overhaul? GOP, Democrat senators vow action

WASHINGTON (AP) - Side by side, leading Democratic and Republican senators pledged Monday to propel far-reaching immigration legislation through the Senate by summer providing a possible path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people now in the U.S. illegally.

Ford, Daimler, Nissan to research hydrogen cars

DETROIT (AP) - Ford is joining with Daimler and Renault-Nissan to speed development of cars that run on hydrogen, with hopes of bringing a vehicle to market in as little as four years.

Arrests along US borders up in last year

WASHINGTON (AP) - A year after Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal border crossers plunged to the lowest levels in nearly 40 years agents have seen a slight increase in arrests, according to Border Patrol arrest data obtained by The Associated Press.

Nonfunctional missile launcher shows up at Seattle gun buyback

SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle police worked with Army officials Monday to track down the history of a nonfunctional missile launcher that showed up at a weapons buyback program and determine whether it was legal or possibly stolen from the military.

Fighter jet missing on training mission

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. and Italian aircraft on Monday searched the Adriatic Sea after losing contact with a U.S. fighter jet believed to have crashed during a training mission off the coast of Italy.

Experts find new evidence in submarine mystery from Confederacy in Civil War

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Researchers say they may have the final clues needed to solve the mystery of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, which never resurfaced after it became the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship, taking its eight-man crew to a watery grave.

Soldier who lost 4 limbs in Iraq by bomb has double-arm transplant

BALTIMORE (AP) - On Facebook, he describes himself as a "wounded warrior...very wounded."

Wyoming top in CO2 per person

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Turns out the worst state for carbon dioxide emissions per person isn't smoggy California or bustling New York, but a place famous for its big, clear skies: Wyoming.

Noah’s ark project spurred by debate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The founder of a Bible-themed museum who recently debated evolution with TV's "Science Guy" Bill Nye said Thursday that the widely watched event helped to boost enthusiasm among followers who invested in a project to build a 510-foot Noah's Ark.

Clay Aiken officially joins congressional race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Former "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken officially filed Thursday to run for Congress in North Carolina, saying that he wants to help end the gridlock in Washington and that no single political party has all the answers.

Married man becomes Maronite Catholic priest

ST. LOUIS (AP) - When Wissam Akiki was ordained as a Maronite Catholic priest Thursday night in St. Louis, he was welcomed by hundreds of supporters, including his wife and daughter.

Cracks force closure of $60M Texas HS stadium

ALLEN, Texas (AP) - A $60 million Texas high school stadium that got national attention for its grandeur and price tag will be shut down indefinitely 18 months after its opening, school district officials said Thursday.

New food labels aim to make healthy shopping easy

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ice cream lovers beware: The government knows you're unlikely to stop after half a cup.

5 San Francisco officers indicted by feds

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Federal grand juries have indicted five San Francisco police officers, charging two with stealing money and drugs seized as part of investigations, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Arizona religious bill that angered gays vetoed

PHOENIX (AP) - Gov. Jan Brewer on Wednesday vetoed a Republican bill that set off a national debate over gay rights, religion and discrimination and subjected Arizona to blistering criticism from major corporations and political leaders from both parties.

FDA snoops on whistleblowers

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican lawmakers blasted the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday for secretly monitoring the emails of agency scientists who went public with allegations that they were pressured to approve certain medical devices.

Texas officers suspended for homeless sign competition

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) - Two police officers in an oil-rich West Texas city spent weeks competing to see who could take the most cardboard signs away from homeless people, even though panhandling doesn't violate any city law.

Soldier accused of avoiding flag salute

DENVER (AP) - A photo posted on Instagram that appeared to show a soldier deliberately avoiding saluting the flag touched off a military investigation and a storm of criticism.

Parents upset: Man takes wrong kid home

STERLING, Conn. (AP) - Parents in a small eastern Connecticut town are demanding action by local officials after a man went to a school to pick up his great-grandson and took the wrong child home, possibly because the boys were wearing similar hats.

YouTube ordered to take down anti-Muslim film

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A U.S. appeals court ordered YouTube on Wednesday to take down an anti-Muslim film that sparked violent riots in parts of the Middle East and death threats to the actors.

Keystone contractor followed federal rules

WASHINGTON (AP) - A consulting firm that helped write an environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline complied with federal rules regarding possible conflict of interest, the State Department's inspector general said Wednesday in a report that buoyed supporters of the controversial pipeline and disappointed critics.

FINGERPRINT SECURITY

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S5 smartphone will be at least the third to have a fingerprint sensor for security but it's alone in letting you use that for general shopping, thanks to a partnership with PayPal.