WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith has an unusual bedfellow in the Supreme Court fight over her late husband’s fortune: the Bush administration. The administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer filed arguments on Smith’s behalf and wants…

NEW YORK Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — New Year’s Eve is the biggest party night of the year, and television is among the most youth-obsessed media, so guess who will be the top hosts this weekend when the ball drops in…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday supported government eavesdropping to prevent terrorism but said a major controversy over presidential powers could have been avoided by obtaining court warrants. Powell said that when he…

BETHLEHEM, West Bank Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Christian pilgrims packed Bethlehem’s Manger Square and the Vatican on Christmas Day to pray for a tranquil 2006 and remember those killed in the terrorist attacks and natural disasters that marked the waning…

NEW YORK Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — With a ho-hum pre-Christmas season behind them, the nation’s retailers are preparing to usher in the post-Christmas period on Monday with expanded shopping hours, a blitz of deep discounts and fresh new merchandise. Retailers…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — The Nun Bun is nowhere to be seen. When Bongo Java owner Bob Bernstein arrived at his coffeehouse to assess the scene of an early Christmas morning break-in, the one thing he noticed missing…

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Memphis police are investigating more than three dozen complaints accusing people of scamming to acquire money meant for Hurricane Katrina victims. The Mid-South Red Cross has filed 38 reports in the past month after…

LOUDON, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — A man is missing and presumed dead after hunting for arrowheads in the Tennessee River, authorities said. The boat of 55-year-old Herbert Freshour, of Lenoir City, was discovered several hours after the man’s wife…

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — A former Tennessee congressman investigating allegations of voter fraud surrounding his sister’s narrow win in a state Senate race says he got information about five suspicious ballots from a longtime member of the Shelby…

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — A state lawmaker’s crusade to increase the amount of Tennessee’s lottery scholarships is raising concerns among his colleagues and the governor who say giving full scholarships this early in the program may create a…