By WILL LESTER / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The American public has shifted its attention toward problems like terrorism and war since last summer when more people said the nation’s top problems were economic, an Associated Press poll found. When asked in an open-ended question last July to name the most important problems…

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Tennessee was among the lowest-ranked states in per capita funding for homeland security in 2003, according to a nonpartisan California research institute. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, Tennessee was 40th in per capita grant money at $16.58, while the national average was $18.67, a study by the Public Policy…

MT Media Relations MIAMI, Fla. — Brett Carroll’s solo homer in the top of the 10th inning was the game-winner in a 5-4 Middle Tennessee victory over Florida International here Sunday afternoon, giving the Blue Raiders their first series win of the season and their first-ever series victory against the Golden Panthers. Carroll got a…

By PAUL NEWBERRY / AP Sports Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — He acted like a guy who’d done it all before. Phil Mickelson strolled up the 18th fairway at Augusta National with that lumbering walk of his — smiling, waving, working the gallery. The best player never to win a major? You wouldn’t have known…

By TERESA M. WALKER / AP Sports Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — Tomas Vokoun made the Nashville Predators’ first home playoff game in their six-year history a memory to savor. Vokoun came up with 22 of his 41 saves in the third period and the Predators beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 Sunday for their first…

By BILL KACZOR / Associated Press Writer PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Summer is still weeks away, but already the safety of beaches in Florida’s Panhandle is a hot topic. The debate isn’t about whether they’re dangerous, because the numbers — more than 40 accidental drownings in three years — clearly show that they are.…

By LISA GENTES / Associated Press Writer PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Jody Dyer is worried her Connecticut hotel won’t be brimming with guests this summer because she doesn’t have enough workers to keep up with cleaning all the rooms. The Inn at Mystic, in Mystic, Conn., is short 16 seasonal workers due to a cap…

By MARY DALRYMPLE / AP Tax Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service audited fewer corporations, small businesses and partnerships last year but more individual taxpayers, according to a study of government data. Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, in its analysis of IRS data, made available Sunday, concluded that the audit rate for…

By PETE YOST / Associated Press Writer CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) — Now that it is public, a pre-Sept. 11 briefing memo on al-Qaida has President Bush and his critics giving opposing versions of whether he should have acted more aggressively to avert the terrorist attacks. Released late Saturday under pressure, the intelligence memo from Aug.…

By CURT ANDERSON / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The legal wall that for years divided FBI intelligence and criminal agents is blamed largely for the government’s failure to grasp the threat posed by al-Qaida inside the United States before the 2001 attacks. One FBI agent, frustrated at his inability to track two soon-to-be…