By MATT CRENSON / AP National Writer For months before he killed, anyone could follow the epic struggle in the mind of Joseph Edward Duncan III — live, on the Internet. “It is a battle between me and my demons,” Duncan wrote in his Web log on April 24. “I’m afraid, very afraid. If they…

PAUL WALL HOUSTON (AP) — Twenty-five grand worth of diamonds and platinum sit in Paul Wall’s mouth, and syrupy Texas slang drips out of it. With the upcoming Tuesday release of his major label debut, “The People’s Champ,” the rapper — who’s also basking in the spotlight of his appearance on Mike Jones’ hit ode…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Flood-prone neighborhoods of New Orleans should be abandoned and rebuilt on higher ground, according to more than half of the participants in an AP-Ipsos poll. Taken in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the survey found 54 percent favor relocating vast sections of the city that tourists love for its jazz, distinctive cuisine…

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ophelia regained hurricane strength Friday on a course expected to swing toward the Atlantic Coast, and forecasters urged residents from northern Florida to the Carolinas keep close watch on its path over the next few days. The Category 1 storm had sustained winds of 75 mph Friday night. It was…

By MARTHA MENDOZA / AP National Writer In a country where movements of tired, poor and huddled masses are an intrinsic part of who we are, the unprecedented mass exodus of people from their homes in the Gulf Region — more than half a million refugees — could unleash changes for years to come. “I…

NASHVILLE (AP) — The state panel that investigates complaints against judges tackled a record 440 cases in the last fiscal year. Most were determined to be without merit. The Court of the Judiciary dismissed 60 percent of the complaints as being without merit. After a preliminary investigation, another 31 percent were dismissed, according to a…

CORDOVA (AP) — A 5-month-old boy died Saturday after his parents left him in a van for two hours outside their apartment, Memphis police said. The parents told police they had forgotten the baby in the van when they came home from church around 2 p.m. Other children got out of the van, but the…

KNOXVILLE (AP) — A $1 million fire truck donated to New York City by East Tennesseans responding to the 2001 terrorist attacks is out of repair and can’t fight fires, officials said. Two retired New York Fire Department officials will be in Knoxville Sunday to commemorate the 9/11 attacks and help raise money for volunteer…

ROGERSVILLE (AP) — Hawkins County has pulled the plug on a tanning bed used by emergency dispatchers. The Hawkins County 911 Board voted Thursday that the tanning bed, which employees bought with their own money, must be removed from the Central Dispatch center. The center handles emergency calls for fire and law enforcement departments. Board…

KNOXVILLE (AP) — A 12-year-old middle school student saw the remains of her father in a gruesome photograph of a drunk-driving crash during a presentation by police meant to educate teenagers about the dangers of driving under the influence. The girl’s mother, Marla Cabbage Higginbotham, said her daughter was traumatized by the experience, which took…