U.S. orders suicide warnings
on two anti-smoking drugs

---

U.S. health officials on Wednesday ordered Pfizer Inc and GlaxoSmithKline PLC to add strong "black box" warnings on their anti-smoking drugs to highlight the risk of serious mental health problems, including suicidal thoughts.


Far-out views from
Sears Tower's new 'Ledge'

---

It promises patrons the sense of standing in space, free to admire the unobstructed view of a city 1,353 feet straight below.

Atlanta woman tests skyscraper's
glass-bottom balcony

---

Chanti Lawrence says visiting the Sears Tower's new glass balconies has helped cure her fear of heights -- almost.

Atlanta builder Beazer
admits mortgage fraud

---

Federal prosecutors in North Carolina have filed criminal fraud conspiracy charges against Beazer Homes USA. But they've agreed to dismiss the case if the company accepts responsibility for certain wrongdoing and pays millions to victims.

Georgians invited to 120th
Anniversary of capitol

---

Georgians are invited to celebrate the state Capitol's 120th anniversary next week at a celebration in the building's rotunda.

Collapse baffles experts

---

On the surface, designing a parking deck seems a simple business: four walls, some ramps, painted spaces and tons of concrete and steel.

Marietta theater
plans for facelift

---

Theatre in the Square is waiting on City Council approval to get a facelift.

ChatTech merges
with two schools

---

MARIETTA - Chattahoochee Technical College is now the largest technical college in the state with seven campuses in six counties and more than 15,000 students enrolled.

Kirkendoll case
heads to jury trial

---

SMYRNA - The case against Smyrna resident Mary Kirkendoll, 52, who was arrested at a town hall meeting in April, will head to state court for a jury trial.

City council mulls $30 million
parks bond referendum

---

MARIETTA - A majority of City Council members want to put a $30 million bond referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot for the improvement of existing city parks and purchase of new parkland for Marietta.

Key Senate Democrats trim
cost of health care bill

---

Determined to advance President Barack Obama's health care agenda, key Senate Democrats are calling for a government-run insurance option to compete with private plans, as well as a $750-per-worker annual fee on larger companies that do not offer coverage to employees.

DEA joins Jackson
death investigation

---

The Drug Enforcement Administration is joining the investigation into Michael Jackson's death, a law enforcement official said late Wednesday.

Amnesty says Israel
'wantonly' destroyed Gaza

---

Amnesty International said on Thursday Israel inflicted "wanton destruction" in the Gaza Strip in attacks that often targeted Palestinian civilians during an offensive in December and January in the Hamas-run enclave.

SEC lawyer raised
alarm about Madoff

---

A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer warned about irregularities at Bernard Madoff's financial management firm as far back as 2004.

Pew Poll: People want media to
shut up about Michael Jackson

---

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed believe coverage of Michael Jackson's death was excessive, according to a report from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Sixty-four percent felt this way, with 29% diagreeing.

For born-again governor,
love is a matter of faith

---

In one especially soul-baring e-mail to his Argentine mistress, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford quoted from 1 Corinthians 13 about the nature of love.

States without budgets
as key deadline passes

---

The finances of several states around the nation are sinking deeper into chaos as lawmakers struggle to work out budget differences amid a recession that has wiped out tax revenue and set the stage for dramatic cuts in service and pay for government workers.

Fireworks sellers hope
it's a 'backyard' Fourth

---

Even in a scorched economy, there's still some money to burn.

Gingrich on insurance companies:
They have 'done well'

---

Newt Gingrich, one of the de facto leaders of the Republican Party, gave an interview to ABC Medical editor Dr. Timothy Johnson last week to discuss health care reform.

AMA open to government-funded
health insurance option

---

The new president of the American Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation's doctors, said Wednesday the group is open to a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage.

Google voice is cool,
but do you need it?

---

You've read about the features, you saw the invites going out, but you might be wondering what, exactly, Google Voice could do for you. Here's our guide for the curious and uninvited on whether your phones need some Google juice.

Shuttered stores' sites
still selling stuff

---

Circuit City. Linens 'N Things. Bombay Co. They're all out of business, their stores shuttered, many employees laid off.

Crabtree & Evelyn files
for Chapter 11 protection

---

Soap and lotion seller Crabtree & Evelyn Ltd. says it filed for Chapter 11 protection on Wednesday, a victim of the recession and management missteps.

Let's screw up the entire
internet to save newspapers

---

The hot new idea among people who think about "journalism," and the sanctity thereof: let's ban linking, on the internet! Let's also ban wheels, in order to save the horse industry. Let's also ban talking about things!

Teen Uses Shotgun To Kill 12-Year-Old
At East Point Apartment

---

Police believe a 14-year-old boy used a shotgun to shoot and kill a 12-year-old boy Wednesday night at a south Fulton County apartment.

Prado, Braves Rough
Up Hamels, Phillies

---

Martin Prado was at it again, scoring three runs and driving in two more runs after a four-RBI evening on Tuesday, as Atlanta poured it on Philadelphia, 11-1, at Turner Field.

Atlanta Homeless Center
Builds New Wing

---

An Atlanta transitional program will use more than half a million dollars to create more space for homeless women.

UGA Public Health Program
Gets Accreditation

---

The University of Georgia's 4-year-old College of Public Health has gained full accreditation.

Sandy Springs Homeowner
Due in Court

---

A man is due in court Thursday, accused of letting a once beautiful Sandy Springs home turn to ruins.

Kaplan to move operations
to Alpharetta

---

Education and career services company, Kaplan Inc., signed a lease Wednesday for a nearly 100,000-square-foot building in Alpharetta.

Freddie Mac allows financing
of 125% of home value

---

Freddie Mac announced Wednesday that it would offer loan-to-value ratios on home mortgage refinancings of up to 125 percent for qualified borrowers.

N. Korea Fires 2
Short- Range Missiles: Reports

---

North Korea has test-fired two short-range missiles, according to South Korean media reports that could not be immediately verified. As the AP reports.

Teenage Air Crash Survivor
Reunited With Family

---

The young girl believed to be the only survivor of Tuesday's Indian Ocean plane crash flew back to Paris today, to the waiting arms of her father and siblings.

India Legalizes Gay Sex

---

An Indian court has struck down a colonial-era law that declared gay sex an "unnatural offense" and made it punishable by up to 10 years in jail, the BBC reports.

North Korea Not Preparing
Hawaii Missile Launch

---

North Korea shows no sign of preparing to launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii, four US government officials tell Bloomberg.

200-Year-Old Presidential
Code Cracked

---

A code that stumped Thomas Jefferson and other cryptologists for over two centuries has finally been cracked, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Vatican Steps Up Scrutiny
of American Nuns

---

The Vatican has launched two major probes into the lives of America's 60,000 nuns, the New York Times reports.

DEA Joins Jackson Death Probe

---

Federal investigators are assisting local authorities with the probe into Michael Jackson's death, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Sanford Digs In as Calls
for Resignation Escalate

---

The vise is tightening around Mark Sanford's political career. South Carolina officials, including fellow Republicans, are lining up to urge the governor to resign, reports the State.

Eldest Jonas Brother Engaged

---

Sorry, girls, only two chances left to snag a singing Jonas Brother. The eldest, Kevin, popped the question to his girlfriend on her New Jersey doorstep this morning, and "she said yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row," he tells People.

Transformers Will Soon
Rule World Box Office

---

The Transformers juggernaut rolls on. The Revenge of the Fallen sequel is about to become the biggest grossing film of 2009 worldwide, reports Variety.

Ford, Toyota Say
Sales Slide Ending

---

A rare sentiment emerged from the auto industry today: cautious optimism. New sales figures show that Americans bought 860,000 vehicles in June, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Anderson vs. Gladwell:
The Battle Over Free

---

Chris Anderson's new book, Free, examining the repercussions the Internet trend of bringing costs to zero, triggered a mini-war with Malcolm Gladwell.

Fasten Seat Belt, and Please
Keep Your Clothes On

---

A US Airways flight to Los Angeles had to be diverted to Albuquerque this evening after a passenger removed all of his clothing mid-flight, forcing flight attendants to cover him with a blanket before he was arrested.

Marines Launch New
Afghan Strategy

---

US Marines today launched a major offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan that will serve as the first big test of a new American strategy.

Politico's Obsessive Focus
Is Future of News

---

If you want to see the future of news—and how it will be delivered—look no further than Politico as a reasonable guide, writes Newser founder Michael Wolff in Vanity Fair.