WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? America’s teens are smoking less and popping pain pills more. The lure of the family medicine cabinet helped nearly one in 10 high school seniors try out prescription painkillers last year, even as their generation…

SAN FRANCISCO Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Americans needed more emergency food and shelter last year than the year before, according to a 24-city survey released Monday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Requests for food assistance grew by 12 percent…

TEHRAN, Iran Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Hip-hop blares from car radios in the streets of the Iranian capital, and Eric Clapton’s “Rush” and the Eagles’ “Hotel California” regularly accompany Iranian news broadcasts. But Clapton, Kenny G., George Michael and other…

ATLANTA Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? More American women are having babies they didn’t want, a survey indicates, but federal researchers say they don’t know if that means attitudes about abortion are changing. U.S. women of childbearing age who were surveyed…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The nation’s murder rate jumped 2 percent during the first six months of this year, with the biggest increases reported by small towns and in the Midwest, the FBI said Monday. The number of rapes,…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The disclosure of a top-secret domestic spying program has ignited a furious debate about presidential authority, civil liberties and whether President Bush is acting above the law. “Do I have the legal authority to do…

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? With backing from Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a group of community leaders ? from clergy to Latino activists to businesswomen ? announced the formation Tuesday of a national group to speak up for the world’s largest retailer…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? As Congress moves to slash $40 billion in spending, no program will take a bigger hit than college loans, where almost $13 billion would be cut over five years. For students, the upshot is mixed.…

WASHINGTON Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Nighttime, daytime. It’s all the same in Congress these days, where Republicans are struggling to pass year-end bills that highlight their conservative agenda. The House voted to cut a thin slice off federal deficits and…

FRANKLIN, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? A woman accused of murdering her adopted Chinese daughter has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated child neglect and reckless homicide. Jennifer Alvey, 34, waived her right to…