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When it comes to child health, how are America’s kids doing? “Overall, the health of America’s children is certainly good to excellent,” says Edward Sondik, PhD, director of the National Center for Health Statistics. “But the disparities that we’ve seen in the past continue to persist, and there’s a considerable …

TIJUANA, Mexico – A restaurateur in this border city ran another business smuggling Lebanese compatriots into the United States, some with connections to Hezbollah (search). A Sept. 11 commission staff report called him the only “human smuggler with suspected links to terrorists” convicted in the United States. But he is …

JERUSALEM – The newest addition to the Israeli non-lethal arsenal is called the “Scream” — a device security forces use to blast a focused beam of sound intended to chase off anyone in its path. The Israeli Army has already used it on Palestinians and may use it on Israeli …

AX-3 DOMAINES, France – Lance Armstrong extended his overall lead as the Tour de France scaled the Pyrenees (search) on Saturday in the 14th stage. George Totschnig (search) of Austria won the stage, but Armstrong, riding without his teammates, who couldn’t keep up on the day’s last two climbs, held …

ST. LOUIS – Express Scripts Inc. (ESRX), one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers, said Thursday it plans to buy specialty pharmaceutical distributor Priority Healthcare Corp. (PHCC) in a cash deal valued at $1.3 billion. St. Louis-based Express Scripts said it will acquire Priority for $28 per share, an …

ISTANBUL – Turkish Airlines (search) said on Friday it has ordered an additional eight 737-800 (search) aircraft from Boeing Co. (BA), part of its plan to more than double its fleet in the coming years. Last year Turkish Airlines (THY) announced plans to purchase 15 of the single-aisle 737-800s and …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – W. Pauline Nicholson (search), Elvis Presley’s (search) cook, who prepared the King’s favorite peanut butter and fried banana sandwiches, died July 7 of cancer. She was 76. In addition to cooking, Nicholson also worked as his housekeeper and sometimes looked after a young Lisa Marie Presley (search). …

BERLIN – In a letter sent two years before becoming pope, Benedict XVI (search) expressed concern that the Harry Potter (search) books “erode Christianity in the soul” of young people, a German writer says. The comments came in an exchange of letters between then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Gabriele Kuby (search), …

Watch “The Big Story” weekdays at 5 p.m. ET From the bombings last week in London to Madrid and even Iraq, Al Qaeda has launched several deadly attacks since 9/11. So how prepared are we for another attack on our soil? Peter Brookes, former CIA officer and senior fellow at …

NEW YORK – Leaders of Congress on Tuesday celebrated the 200th anniversary of artist Constantino Brumidi in the Capitol Rotunda as they stood beneath one of his best-known works, “The Apotheosis of Washington.” The huge mural, painted just under the Capitol dome, represents the first president being drawn to heaven. …