By ROBERT TANNER / AP National Writer There are a few things that the average teenager absolutely must have in 21st century America. A license to drive is one. A cell phone is another. But police officers, parents, and, increasingly, lawmakers are coming to the conclusion that those essentials are a dangerous mix when combined…

By JOHN GEROME / Associated Press Writer Singer-songwriter John Hiatt rehearses May 16, 2005 in Nashville, Tenn. Hiatt has recently released his 21st album, “Master of Disaster.” (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) NASHVILLE — John Hiatt is never sure what to make of those phone calls. Like this one a few years ago: “Hello, John, this is…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Not all dazzling fireworks displays will be on Earth this Independence Day. NASA hopes to shoot off its own celestial sparks in an audacious mission that will blast a stadium-sized hole in a comet half the size of Manhattan. It would give astronomers their first peek at the inside of one…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Unhealthy air conditions were predicted by state meteorologists to continue Sunday in the Nashville area and throughout East Tennessee. The ozone-level warning was the third in a row for Nashville, Knoxville, the Tri-Cities area and the Smoky Mountains. Meteorologists have said stagnant air caused by a lingering high pressure system has resulted…

KNOXVILLE (AP) — State Rep. Stacey Campfield is evicting a roommate after learning from the news media that the man is a convicted sex offender. “Did I have any knowledge (of the man’s crimes)? No. He answered an ad in the paper,” said the freshman Republican, who renovates and leases houses as a profession and…

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Health advocates thought this might be the year that North Carolina’s solid tobacco heritage would give way to the solid dangers of smoking. President Bush had signed a buyout of tobacco farmers into law, and Virginia and Kentucky had finally given in to raising their cigarette taxes to 30 cents a…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sales of new homes in May climbed to the second highest level in history, providing further evidence that low mortgage rates are still fueling a booming housing market.The median price of the homes sold did fall sharply, however. Analysts blamed the decline on a change in the regional makeup of sales last…

WASHINGTON (AP) — General Motors Corp. said Friday it may extend its employee discount program to all buyers through the end of July, encouraged by a strong response from consumers and dealers.GM, in an attempt to boost sales, has given the same discount it provides to employees to anyone buying a new GM car or…

By RACHEL KONRAD / AP Technology Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Jewelry dealer Michael Jansma used to be one of eBay Inc.’s biggest cheerleaders. The entrepreneur from Largo, Fla., sells roughly $250,000 worth of baubles every month on the auction site. But the revenue Jansma gets from eBay has declined over the past year,…

By James Clark / Columnist GOOD It’s a great time to be in the education field. There are computers and new technologies and all kinds of things that give our children the best chance to learn.Then there’s the city of Minneapolis, which is always thinking of creative ways to educate its students, like allowing them…