WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Like many kids, Jesse Drysdale hits the couch and television remote — grabbing some snacks and something to drink — when he gets home after junior high school each day. Lying on the couch, “I multitask … and have some noodles or other food as I watch TV,” the 13-year-old…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The American public has doubts about whether the Bush administration policy of promoting democracy internationally will make the world a safer place. A poll done at the University of Maryland found that just over a fourth, 28 percent, say they think the world is safer when there are more democracies, while more…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Tennessee Republicans, Rep. Zach Wamp and Sen. Lamar Alexander, are planning to seek leadership posts in Congress. Wamp announced his intention to seek the majority whip post after House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted Wednesday on a charge of conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws. DeLay is being temporarily replaced…

NASHVILLE (AP) — A suspect in the shooting of a football player at a Vanderbilt University dormitory turned himself in to police Thursday. Another suspect is still sought. Carlos Andrecus Branch, 26, was seen on a surveillance camera in the elevator of the dorm where the shooting took place following an altercation at a party…

NASHVILLE (AP) — A state senator failed to appear at a deposition for a lawsuit over a proposal he co-sponsored that would enact a constitutional ban on gay marriage. State Sen. Jeff Miller, R-Cleveland, was scheduled to appear for questioning by the American Civil Liberties Union. The group has filed suit to try to stop…

NASHVILLE (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that The Tennessean newspaper filed over sexual harassment documents it says Gov. Phil Bredesen’s administration is withholding. The state has no obligation to release certain documents from workplace harassment investigations because of attorney-client privilege, Davidson County judge Carol McCoy ruled Thursday. The judge also rejected the…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Belmont University is considering severing its ties to the Tennessee Baptist Convention if the group continues to object to the school’s plan to diversify its board of trustees, officials said. Belmont wants to add non-Baptists — Methodists, Catholics and other Christians — to its board to better reflect what it describes as…

MEMPHIS (AP) — Former state Sen. John Ford is facing hefty legal bills in his defense against an indictment on federal corruption charges, while unpaid taxes on his properties around Memphis pile up. The city has threatened to auction his east Memphis home for $3,002 in unpaid property taxes from 2003 and homeowner associations in…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Ophelia Ford took the oath of office Thursday, replacing her controversial brother in the state Senate despite ongoing challenges over her election. Ford beat out Republican business owner Terry Roland in a special election earlier this month by just 13 votes. Roland has appealed to the state Senate and the courts, asking…

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Hamilton County Commissioner William Cotton was charged Thursday with taking bribes in the FBI’s Tennessee Waltz government corruption investigation, becoming the seventh person accused of misusing their elected offices. Cotton, 58, was led from his home handcuffed and was released on his own recognizance hours later after U.S. Magistrate Susan Lee told…