Statewide Reports-October 1-15,2001

Statewide Reports-October 1-15/01

NOTE -
If the link to the on-line articles has changed, search the paper's archive section by date and title - Palm Beach Post links are only good for the day posted, and there is a fee to access archived articles. Same is true for some of the others although the time frame varies.

10/14-15/01

	FAA's many failings TALLAHASSEE -- One of the strange things about America is how rarely anybody is ever made to take a fall when something goes horribly wrong. There are far too few apologies, far too many excuses. The worse the bumble, the less the blame.
	Re-examination requested on asphalt plant plans QUINCY - Environmentalists in Gadsden County are gritting their teeth and hoping for the best after losing a summerlong battle over an asphalt plant planned for a business park about 1 1/2 miles from the Ochlockonee River.
	Fate of workers hangs on amount of budget shortfall Jobs may be in trouble if shortfall hits $1.5 billion Whenever state government starts tightening its belt, many Tallahasseeans start worrying that their jobs will be a tempting target for House and Senate budget cutters.
	Feenaticism House Speaker Tom Feeney's perverted priorities would force lawmakers to make cruel choices to erase Florida's $1.4-billion budget deficit.
	Union sues for better pensions for hospital staff ... Jeanette Wynn, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and AFSCME attorney Ben Patterson ...announce a federal lawsuit against the Department of Children and Families. ...workers have given up hope that the Legislature will give them special-risk retirement benefits.
	Bring thick skin to rough, tumble game of politics The First Amendment requires neither politeness nor fairness. -- A Florida appeals court
	Change child welfare cautiously The move to privatize Florida's child-welfare system is generating unexpected optimism in Tampa Bay and elsewhere. Early results from Pinellas and Pasco counties are encouraging, and Hillsborough's plan, reflecting a broad and cohesive effort, has renewed a sense of hope that had long since flagged. But no one should underestimate the challenges that lie ahead. For all the promises of privatization, its long-term prognosis remains far from certain.
	FBI abuses witness detention Attorney General John Ashcroft has been giving the public a weekly count of the number of people detained or charged in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
	Florida slow to take toxic algae seriously When dangerous toxic algae bloomed at Indiana's picturesque Ball Lake last summer, officials warned residents within two days not to swim in the water or drink it.
	State to focus on guiding minorities toward college The state has ordered high schools across Florida to round up more seniors -- especially minorities -- as college prospects in an effort to make Gov. Jeb Bush's One Florida initiative a success.
	New link in Boca anthrax case The Sun editor's wife rented two Delray Beach apartments to two men suspected to have been hijackers on Sept. 11, the FBI said. This is the first link between local anthrax cases and the terrorists.
	Editorial: Watch as interests fight for power over power The Palm Beach Post The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission didn't invent deregulation, but it is pushing it along. Too much, say New York regulators, backed by other states including Florida. Too little, says Enron, the...
	Editorial: Professional courtesy -The Palm Beach Post - The Police Benevolent Association's endorsement of Gov. Bush in 1998 has turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving -- to the union and the governor, not to Florida taxpayers or the cause of higher-quality law enforcement.-- In July, Gov. Bush named state PBA President Ernie George to a four-year term on the Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission, the division of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that sets standards for police and decides, among other things, whether an officer's conduct disqualifies him or her from being certified to wear a badge. Mr. George, a longtime and aggressive union official, is a poor choice.
	Editorial: Information monopoly The Palm Beach Post It is not unpatriotic to suggest that the Bush administration pull back from any attempt to exert unnecessarily tight control over information about the anti-terrorism campaign. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice called ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC last week to...
	$1 billion budget gap taxes Legislature's Republican leadership By S.V. Dáte, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer TALLAHASSEE -- "No New Taxes." For the past decade, those three words have served Florida Republicans well, giving them control of first the Senate, then the House and finally the Governor's Mansion. But now, facing more than...
	Storm damage could hit $1 million Under clear blue skies, Northwest Floridians spent Sunday assessing the damage from a fast-moving system that resulted in nearly 30 reported tornadoes. A barn and tractor were damaged in Walnut Hill. A mobile home was leveled in southwest Escambia County. A 7,000-pound truck was thrown into a building in Milton.

10/13/01

	House lengthens long arm of the law - WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives on Friday approved sweeping new law-enforcement powers for the Bush administration's war on terrorism, but it put a five-year limit on the new powers to check possible encroachments on the privacy of innocent Americans.
	Ashcroft finds felons working as bag screeners - WASHINGTON -- The federal government on Friday cracked down on the nation's largest airport screening company, saying Argenbright Inc. has continued to hire thieves, drug dealers, a prostitute and other felons and then lied about their backgrounds.
	Milligan scolds Enterprise Florida Accountability must be improved- Comptroller Bob Milligan wants Enterprise Florida to prove to him that none of the state's economic-development money gets spent on lobbying, lavish travel expenses or big executive bonuses.
	Questioning authority is still essential Some of us have wrapped ourselves in the flag so tightly that our brains may not be getting enough oxygen.
	Bush offers plan to recharge economy -The governor wants the state to borrow money to step up road-building and school construction to create jobs.
	Wishful thinking ...Bush and lawmakers can engage in all the wishful thinking they care to. But the bottom line is that they got the state into this mess with three years of politically popular but unnecessary tax cuts, and they are going to have to clean the mess up. Their choices are stark; hurt the very people they want to protect; children, the elderly, the disabled, the poor; or take a realistic look at a state tax structure that rewards the rich and slams the poor....
	Governor proposes moving up spending By S.V. Dáte, Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau Florida would go on a road-paving and school-fixing binge next year as a way to put people to work and help pull the state out of a recession under a plan Gov. Jeb Bush announced Friday. Moving up at least some of the spending as proposed by Bush would require the...
	State agencies update security plans Getting a driver's license may get tougher Getting your driver's license in Florida could soon involve more than just taking a bad picture.
	Butterworth: Use Driver's Licenses To Fight Terrorism TALLAHASSEE - Millions of Floridians' driver's license photos stored in state computers soon might be used to battle terrorism. ...
	Disney sites, Sears Tower on terrorists' study listsTerrorist groups have studied at least five sites for possible attacks in the United States, including Walt Disney World in Central Florida, Disneyland in Southern California and the Sears Tower in Chicago, according to three internal government reports.
	So many students, so little money Already facing the task of cutting $1.5 billion out of the state budget, lawmakers this week got more bad news. State analysts increased their estimates for the number of new students attending public schools next fall by about 15,000, representing $77 million more in spending.
	Audit of Broward schools reveals money missing, finances in chaos - As schools struggle to cover expenses, scores of principals do not have control of their schools' finances, and in some cases money is missing from their accounts.
	Education chief: Let's share budget-cut painLooming budget cuts for education should be shared equally by schools, community colleges and universities, Education Secretary Jim Horne urged Friday.
	City officials ax spring break court's funds PANAMA CITY BEACH - Spring Break Court will get no more city money or other support after Mayor Lee Sullivan complained the program encourages lawbreaking because it is too lenient. Sullivan said the court, which began four years ago, diverts police from their primary duty of enforcing the law and sends the wrong message to young visitors who have made Panama City Beach the nation's leading spring break destination.
	Boat-caused manatee deaths approach record DAYTONA BEACH - Boating-related manatee deaths across Florida are approaching record numbers, according to state marine biologists. Sixty-five manatees have died because of collisions with watercraft through Oct. 5, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission statistics show. In 1999, there were 82 such deaths, setting the state record.
	Outlook dim for surviving whales - Things don't look good for the three whales that survived Thursday's stranding on Santa Rosa Island. Veterinarians at Gulf World in Panama City expect two to die any time,and they don't give the third more than a 5 percent chance of surviving. "They are all still kicking," said Gulf World owner Ron Hardy. "But blood work is showing that we have a lot of sick animals."
	Brokaw’s aide tests positive: A broadening national bioterrorism investigation turned toward St. Petersburg late Friday after NBC officials disclosed that a New York employee has contracted anthrax. Suspicious letters to NBC, N.Y. Times sent from St. Petersburg, authorities say.
	Airport security lacks staff TAMPA -- At a time when the nation's airports need security the most, the companies that hire and train baggage screeners are having a tougher time than ever keeping people on the job.
	'Integrity' is practiced by actions, not words Collier County is redefining integrity. That may seem trivial to citizens who want to see more punishment meted out to the cast of Stadium Naples. Yet, it is the lack of integrity from the same public figures who were confident they exuded it that got them and the community into so much trouble for the past four-plus years.
	Scarborough faces lawsuit over bank loan - A Pensacola businessman has filed a lawsuit to collect a $39,624 debt that he says former U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough owes him.
	Judges' impeachment probe opens - The speaker of the Florida House on Friday launched an impeachment inquiry of Hillsborough Circuit Judge Robert Bonanno and Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Charles Cope, marking the first time in a quarter century lawmakers have unleashed the process against a Florida judge.
	$748 million draws audit After questions were raised about the $748 million expansion of its convention center, Orange County auditors have decided to hire a private auditor to look into the project's finances.
	Autopsy photo law has court challenge Citing a loophole in a law named for racecar driver Dale Earnhardt, Volusia County's medical examiner on Friday sought access to autopsy photos and videotapes so they can be used for education and training.
	Barry gave easy grades, judge hears Fighting to preserve its power to accredit law schools, the American Bar Association told a federal judge in Orlando on Friday that Barry University's law school deserved to be rejected for giving easy grades and admitting concerns about whether it could compete.
	Algae plague Lake Dora - MOUNT DORA -- Lake Dora has the highest amount of toxic algae in the Harris Chain of Lakes, even more than Lake Griffin, which is considered Florida's most polluted water body, a new county study says.
	Editorial: No rules -- just right The Martin County Commission again ignored procedures and regulations that so long have protected the area from unbridled growth when they granted a developer an exception to the county's wetlands rules in a case that...
	Mosquitoes Flourish In Restricted Airspace TAMPA - During the worst season in three years, mosquito control departments are without a key tool to combat the pests. ...
	State Attorney's Office, state open Biasella billing inquiry The State Attorney's Office and Florida Department of Insurance have opened an investigation into possible overbilling by the city's former hazardous spill contractor Joe Biasella, officials confirmed Friday. Naples Police Chief Steve Moore said officials with the two agencies visited him earlier this week to notify his department of the probe, but gave few details.
	One journalist who is not free As of this past Friday, Vanessa Leggett had served 84 days in a Houston jail, soundly determined to fight for her rights as she sees them under the First Amendment. She is one of 18 journalists who have been detained since 1984 for refusing to comply with government-issued subpoenas. I am also among that group.
	Best intentions - The state elections division has proposed a set of rules - recommended by participating county election supervisors - intended to help determine voter intent when ballot instructions are not strictly followed.

10/12/01

	'Pledge Across America' today U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige is encouraging schools across the nation to participate today in "Pledge Across America," a nationwide, synchronized Pledge of Allegiance.
	Moffett: The other possible mastermind - Some of the learning will raise disturbing questions. The long, well-documented hijacking record of Mugniyah is evidence of the inability of U.S. security officials to react to the larger world, identify specific threats and take action to counter them. Repeatedly, Mugniyah and his accomplices demonstrated how small knives -- box cutters, razors and Swiss army knives -- could be used to hijack jetliners. Yet, U.S. airports did nothing to protect themselves.
	Lonely superpower, seeking enemy; annihilation optional AUSTIN, Texas — Actually, this is pathetic. And I say this as one who supported military action in the wake of the attacks. I still think we're dealing with a crime, not a war, but it wasn't a crime Interpol could solve. Who could we send but the military? If we could just find an enemy. As The Onion put it, "U.S. Vows to Defeat Whoever It Is We're at War With."
	Legislators cautioned on slashing budget Overreaching cuts, economic stimulus major concerns After weeks of hearing about the down side of Florida's economy, lawmakers were warned Thursday against getting carried away and cutting too deeply. Legislators are indeed getting ready to do the tough job of slicing about $1.4 billion out of this year's $50 billion budget. That will take place in an 11-day special session that starts Oct. 22.
	Some hard truths about state's tax on intangibles An "intangible" is something you can't touch, but is real anyway.
	Maygarden to colleagues: File sparingly As lawmakers prepare for a special session on the budget, House Majority Leader Jerry Maygarden is already looking beyond the next few months and recommending a novel approach to the 2002 session.
	Brogan downplays budget woes-- Brogan promised that Gov. Jeb Bush would ensure that, despite the cuts, education and healthcare will be preserved, and that economic development would also be a priority.
	Bush orders statewide security measures The directives, which include stricter rules on driver's licenses for foreigners, come after an FDLE security review.
	Gov. Bush issues new security rules ORLANDO - Gov. Jeb Bush directed state agencies Thursday to stockpile drug treatments for potential chemical and biological attacks, tighten rules for foreigners seeking driver's licenses and step up police, fire and rescue training.
	Postal union: Install safety measures MIAMI -- The American Postal Workers Union wants a series of safeguards to help employees protect themselves from coming into contact with hazardous materials.
	Officials try to quell fears about anthrax - Investigators and anthrax experts on Thursday tried to allay fears that the anthrax outbreak at a South Florida media company was in any way associated with terrorists or the people responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks.
	Handling of probe angers AMI workers American Media Inc. employees are angry about how officials have handled the anthrax investigation at their building...
	Editorial: Biocrime, bioterror? Give public all details Because of what the investigation into anthrax exposure at American Media Inc. in Boca Raton has revealed, it is proper for the Justice Department to begin a criminal investigation. Though most had assumed that such a probe would be necessary, the next phase in the story officially...
	People in Afghan territory concerned Residents of this anti-Taliban northern stronghold have appealed to the United States to protect civilian lives and warned that a long war could worsen the already deep suffering of the people here.
	Avoiding World War III - As if President Bush didn't have enough on his hands, some self-styled experts in foreign policy and military affairs are throwing darts at Colin Powell. They believe the secretary of state is being far too moderate in dealing with regimes sponsoring terrorism. It includes a group of hawks who apparently would turn the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his ilk into World War III.
	Groups square off over retaliation in Afghanistan - What was designed as a Thursday afternoon peace demonstration turned into a war of public opinion when counter demonstrators amassed a larger turnout. The peace rally was organized by the newly formed Broward Antiwar Coalition.
	Nine whales beach themselves - PENSACOLA BEACH Two die, two others deemed critically ill - Nine short-finned pilot whales stranded themselves and two of those died Thursday in and near this barrier island community on the Gulf of Mexico.
	State looks into claims of illegal donations ORLANDO - State investigators are probing homebuilder donations to the 1998 campaign of Mel Martinez, now the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation comes as the three-year statute of limitations on illegal campaign contributions is about to run out.
	Columbus Day only a holiday for those who benefited from his 'discovery' PHILADELPHIA - Columbus Day, which is today, was the biggest event of the year in the Italian neighborhood where I grew up.
	Leaking and spinning Any crackdown on leaks of classified material (including the White House's own leaks) should not extend to information that is merely embarrassing.
	Migrants slip past heightened watch of U.S. borders -- KEY WEST -- Two groups of migrants managed to reach the United States in the Florida Keys over the past several days, despite assurances by federal authorities that the nation's borders are under tight watch.
	Editorial: Food with the bombs At least 5 million Afghan civilians need emergency food aid. If the United States air-dropped every emergency meal it has stockpiled, the relief effort could feed 2 million of the needy -- for just one day. After that, supplies would be gone. Clearly, air drops alone will not avert widespread...
	Mission bloat - Critics who fought the dissolution of the Board of Regents warned that the result of breaking up Florida's State University System into rival institutions would be a cut-throat competition for scarce resources and wholesale duplication of costly programs. So it should surprise no one that the competition has already begun.
	The Stadium Naples public corruption probe has now netted charges against 10 people. Before a packed circus-like courtroom Thursday, special prosecutors unveiled sweeping public corruption charges and five new arrests including that of ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen and Collier County's former manager Neil Dorrill. Dorrill, Collier's manager for a decade before he left to work for developers, pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge Thursday. Former Collier Commissioner Tim Hancock and admitted financial swindler David Mobley also pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges Thursday. All three agreed to cooperate with the prosecution in exchange for leniency at their sentencings Jan. 11.
	Editorial: Stadium Naples case Thursday was the day we've been waiting for since this often-photocopied letter above was released to the public on June 20, 1997. Thursday was the biggest day in court for the cast of Stadium Naples. Please keep in mind that the letter shown is a press release. It is not a document secreted from the depths of Collier County government or development industry. A sitting county commissioner was aboard a major development as a limited partner — and the project's leaders, including Neil Dorrill, who once worked for John Norris as a county manager, was the one who was making the pronouncement so the whole world would know.

10/11/01

	3rd Case of Anthrax Exposure in Fla -
	Iowa strain among most deadly and had worldwide distribution - Federal investigators believe the anthrax that killed a Lantana man may be one of the deadliest forms of the disease, first found in an Iowa cow decades ago and widely distributed since then throughout the world by U.S. authorities.
	Biological attacks by mail highly unlikely, experts say - Since anthrax struck a Boca Raton tabloid, killing one employee and possibly infecting two others, fears have abounded that anthrax-by-mail could strike anyone, anytime.-- While such an attack is possible, experts say it's unlikely. In short, they say, people should be alert, but not paranoid.
	Bush calls session on $1.4-billion shortfall Some legislators want across-the-board cuts; others seek nips and tucks for the worst budget woes since 1991.
	Session aims to take chunk out of budget Cuts to be about $1.5 billion; House, Senate disagree on areas to trim - Florida lawmakers will return to Tallahassee on Oct. 22 for an 11-day session dedicated to cutting close to $1.5 billion out of the state budget, Gov. Jeb Bush announced Wednesday.
	Teacher raises in jeopardy -With a state tax shortfall looming, Superintendent Jim Paul wants to hold off on giving Escambia County teachers their long-awaited raises. But the School Board might not go along.
	Senate panel scrutinizes state security Lawmakers focus on constitutional rights, anthrax case Two state officials charged with ensuring Florida's safety endured some sharp criticism Wednesday while trying to brief a new Senate panel on state security.
	Reno is slow to raise, spend campaign funds In the governor's race, Jeb Bush has 10 times the war chest of the high-profile Democrat.
	J eb Bush leads in raising money Governor has more than $1.25 million Despite the suspension of his re-election campaign Sept. 11, Gov. Jeb Bush has collected more than $1.25 million - more than double the fund-raising of his closest Democratic challenger.
	West Nile hits local woman Leon County's first virus victim State health officials Wednesday confirmed the first human case of the dangerous West Nile virus in Leon County in a 36-year-old woman.
	Layoffs Inflame Budget Worries TALLAHASSEE - The number of people filing for unemployment benefits in Florida is expected to more than double to 75,000 this month, compounding state budget problems. ...
	Lost jobs, lost job funds Given two breaks on unemployment taxes, employers may have to face the music during an economic downturn.
	FDLE puts a price tag on security The agency is calling for $20-million in safety measures such as new photo scanners at driver's license bureaus.
	An educational fraud It should come as no surprise that there are problems with vouchers for disabled students, given the state's rush to create the program and its lack of accountability.
	Builders' donations to Martinez face scrutiny of FDLE The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating claims that local homebuilders illegally funneled thousands of dollars to the 1998 campaign of Mel Martinez, the former Orange County chairman who now is the nation's secretary of housing and urban development.
	Right on records--- Speaker Tom Feeney is right to exclude public-records law from special session.
	Web can be secretly used WASHINGTON -- Of all the footprints terrorists left on their way to the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington, perhaps the hardest ones to detect are imprinted in cyberspace.
	Rules to tell `voter intent' proposed for statewide use -Florida officials have come up with a proposed statewide standard for determining ``voter intent'' when a ballot is somehow mismarked -- the voting debacle that twice propelled the state to the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2000 presidential election.
	Layoffs Inflame Budget Worries TALLAHASSEE - The number of people filing for unemployment benefits in Florida is expected to more than double to 75,000 this month, compounding state budget problems. ...

10/10/01

	The walk of daily life now seems full of peril This week it seems as though we have been living a double life, or, more appropriately for the age of 24-hour cable news, a split-screen life.
	Nothing off-limits in school cutbacks "Everything is up for evaluation" in coping with a funding shortfall, an official says. That could include reopening union contracts.
	Cut budget with these goals, Bush says Governor consider sprotecting teachers' jobs to be a priority Some university and public school administrators would get the ax, new state programs would go on hiatus and senior state employees would not receive pay raises under a set of goals Gov. Jeb Bush issued Tuesday.
	'Surgical' spending cuts may still hurt Gov. Jeb Bush says Florida's classrooms and "frail and vulnerable citizens" should be protected from spending cuts in a special session of the Legislature needed to balance a state budget "thrown out of whack by terrorism."
	Bush lists principles for state budget cuts - TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday framed the budget crisis as a defining moment for legislators and laid out seven principles to follow as they search for cuts to fix a shortfall pegged at $1.4-billion.
	Proctor skips state hearing - Tallahassee - But he was seen in the building - In a bizarre civil hearing, an attorney for the Florida Elections Commission said Tuesday that Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor has shown "a gross defiance" of campaign finance laws.
	Health secretary quickly finds himself in hot seat -Anthrax worries have thrust John Agwunobi into the public eye a week after he took over the state Department of Health.
	Byrd tapped as next House speaker - ...The 50-year-old Plant City Republican will assume that title in 2002 if he and a majority of Republicans are re-elected in November of that year. Republicans currently hold a 77-43 majority.
	Crist vows to review voucher use - Education Commissioner Charlie Crist wants to investigate allegations from St. Petersburg parents who say a private school their children attended on a state voucher failed to provide books and special services the children need.
	U.S. Must Work For Fair Vote ...The Bush administration is correct to insist on clean and fair elections in Nicaragua, and it is working with the Organization of American States to monitor the process. Real concern exists about the outbreak of violence if the Nicaraguan elections are too close and the losing parties claim the outcome was tainted by fraud. Every effort should be made to work with the Nicaraguan government now to ensure a smooth transition of power after the polls close.... (???????)
	Feds suspect anthrax came from U.S. lab Federal investigators believe they have traced "unique characteristics'' of the anthrax that killed a Florida man to a strain harvested at an Iowa facility in the 1950s.

10/9/01

	Democrats pepper Bush over budget deficit - Senate Democratic Leader Tom Rossin of Royal Palm Beach said Republican Gov. Jeb Bush's "willful mismanagement" led to a $673-million shortfall that existed before the Sept. 11 attacks. Rossin called Bush's handling of Florida's finances "irresponsible" -- the same word he used last May when he was one of only six legislators who voted against the budget.
	Gov. Bush rejects tax hike, wants to trim state services more - ...Some Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have suggested higher taxes to help make up the shortfall in the state's $48 billion budget -- including backing off some of the $1.7 billion in tax breaks approved over the past three years, mostly benefiting business and the more well-to-do
	Cut the budget with compassion Gov. Jeb Bush may be saying all the right things about the need to spare the poor from harsh budget cuts. But words are a cheap commodity in Florida's worst economy in a decade. Bush should be prepared to use his political muscle, along with his bully pulpit, to ensure that vulnerable seniors and families come out of the upcoming special session -- and future sessions -- with their public safety net intact.
	Universities poised to pare budgets Florida's university presidents are placing severe restrictions on hiring, travel and equipment purchases -- the latest fallout from the state's slowing economy.- The presidents said in a conference call Monday that they are trying to avoid measures even more drastic as they struggle to cut at least 5 percent from their budgets.
	Jobless rate highest in a decade The number of new unemployment compensations claims filed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is at the highest level in 10 years and even higher than officials first thought.
	In budget crisis, children must not fall victim Gov. Jeb Bush, rightfully concerned about the state of Florida's economic forecasts, is preparing to request a special session of the Legislature. Because the Florida Constitution mandates that the state's budget be balanced, the reality of revenue shortfalls require state leaders to address the crisis.
	Challenge to abortion rules is filed - TALLAHASSEE -- A Miami woman and a women's clinic have filed a lawsuit against state officials in an attempt to overturn regulations that they say deny abortions under Medicaid to needy women.
	Pinellas has qualms about touch screens lack of paper trail is problematic
	Group protests U.S. retaliation against terror A group gathers in St. Petersburg, sometimes raising the ire of passing motorists.
	Attacks Stir Area Peace Movement TAMPA - Katie Templin describes herself as ``someone who has compassion for everyone on this planet.'' Her inspirations, she said, include Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. because they ...
	Officials won't review cell phone use
	600 undergo anthrax exams as FBI takes over investigation More than 600 people were given tests for anthrax bacteria on Monday after investigators found new evidence of deadly spores in the headquarters of a supermarket tabloid company. The evidence led top public health and law enforcement officials to consider the increased possibility of criminality in the case.
	Florida key in new attacks ORLANDO - The U.S. strike Sunday against Afghanistan marks the beginning of a military action that will have Florida connections at every stage. From smart bombs to special forces and combat radios to air-base engineering, Florida's defense contractors and military personnel will be front-and-center in America's war effort.
	Attacks alter the courtroom Bias concerns have delayed trials, jury selection is tougher, and the legal system may change in other ways after Sept. 11.
	Florida politics thrive on slugfests By Brian E. Crowley, Palm Beach Post Political Editor The Breakers was a military hospital. German U-boats had been seen off Florida's coast. Millard Caldwell was the front-runner in the tough 1944 campaign for governor and "ultra New Dealer" Claude Pepper was trying to win a...

10/8/01

	News from around the world on the bombing
	People will decide war's name despite official label Gary Mormino, a professor of history at the University of South Florida, sends along a United Press dispatch from April 1942, with the headline, "White House Swamped With Suggestions for War Name."
	Bush's Critics Lament Tax Cuts TAMPA - In 1994, then running for governor as a Newt Gingrich-style Republican revolutionary, Jeb Bush advocated tax cuts he acknowledged could cause a crisis in state government revenue. ...
	Unions battle to represent law enforcement The two unions that want to represent state law-enforcement officers are having another political turf war. The International Union of Police Associations started it all by ousting the Police Benevolent Association as the bargaining agent for sworn officers in 12 state agencies two years ago. Now, the Alexandria, Va.-based IUPA wants to expand its Florida toehold in two ways - starting a new command and administration unit of lieutenants and captains, and taking the state's correctional officers away from PBA.
	Expanded oil drilling sought in preserve BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE - Two miles below the surface of this sprawling preserve, where endangered Florida panthers roam among the cypress trees, pumps are busy pulling up about 3,000 barrels of crude oil every day.
	Mystery powder sends 8 to hospital A pair of apparent bioterrorism hoaxes sent 13 people to hospitals for observation Sunday after two Hialeah families reported receiving envelopes containing a white powder.
	Uneasy acceptance Around the bay, people react to Sunday's attacks and are grateful for extra security measures.
	Lake cleanup mired in accusations - APOPKA -- Once Lake Apopka thronged with anglers vying for bass, until farmers clouded the water with pollution. So the St. Johns River Water Management District spent more than $100-million to buy out the farmers and launch an ambitious effort to restore the lake west of Orlando.
	Traces of anthrax found in supermarket tabloid headquarters BOCA RATON ¡P The workplace of a Lantana man who died of a rare form of anthrax was shut down late Sunday night and all the employees there ordered tested after traces of anthrax spores were found in the nasal passages of a second employee and inside the building, state health officials said.
	Muslim educators find it tense going in S. Florida since Sept. 11
	Officials look to protect voting reform money from budget cuts TALLAHASSEE · Legislators and state elections officials say money meant to help counties upgrade voting equipment and better educate voters should be kept out of any budget-cutting that members must do.
	Guest editorial: A flawed stimulus plan Responding to the demands of Republicans in Congress, President Bush has laid out a stimulus package that relies in large part on ineffective, irresponsible and regressive tax cuts. He gave short shrift to Democratic demands that the stimulus contain government spending designed to boost the economy as well.
	Paul Krugman: Fuzzy math returns Post-terror nerves aside, what mainly ails the U.S. economy is too much of a good thing. During the bubble years businesses overspent on capital equipment; the resulting overhang of excess capacity is a drag on investment, and hence a drag on the economy as a whole.
	Maureen Dowd: Touch of evil I've always loved film noir. The grays, the shadows, the mysterious webs of murder, deception and corruption, the morally ambiguous characters. But I never expected to see a noir shadow fall on the white marble hive of Washington. The film noir hero, as Nicholas Christopher wrote, descends "into an underworld, on a spiral." The object of his quest "is elusive," and he is beset "by agents of a larger design of which he is only dimly aware."

10/7/01

	It's no time for editorialists to abandon principle Watching local television news frequently makes me wince. The inane comments of the anchors, reacting with the most obvious and facile statements following a news report, and the cloyingly boosterish reports of the sports guy have me rolling my eyes. Local television news unapologetically plays to its audience -- nothing too challenging gets aired.
	Inside Politics: Ballot petitions up for review Two proposed constitutional amendments that promise to be hot topics in the 2002 election - if they make it to the ballot - are headed to the Florida Supreme Court.
	The myth of the seamless system "Seamless education" -- the phrase conjures up images of students moving gracefully from kindergarten through secondary school, college and beyond.
	Senator on mission for tax reform John McKay says the state needs to tax services and shed exemptions. But others say the crisis is a bad time for this debate.
	Behind death's door Prosecutors trying to convict guards in the fatal beating of Frank Valdes are up against witness credibility and an unsympathetic victim.
	Unseemly secrecy Despite the events of Sept. 11, the withholding of state driver's license records and other proposed public recordsexemptions are a poor way to serve the public.
	DOE looks the other way Tallahassee officials are ignoring the alarming failings of a St. Petersburg school hastily created to take advantage of state vouchers for disabled students.
	Medical sleuths hunt anthrax source -Five teams of investigators spent Saturday scouring neighborhoods, parks and hospitals in Palm Beach County and North Carolina trying to pinpoint where a 63-year-old Lantana man inhaled the anthrax spores that killed him.
	A lot of mischief can be done in 30 days- - With tourism and commercial aviation reeling from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Mayor Alex Penelas has declared an ``economic state of emergency'' in Miami-Dade. His peculiar remedy is to strip the County Commission of its authority to approve public
	Small town, big rumors Belle Glade, with its long-respected Arab-American community, is wracked by rumors and media attention
	Crews Plug Alaska Pipepline Leak
	Higher premiums, restrictions in store for HMO members Higher monthly premiums and more restrictions on prescription drugs -- that's what many South Florida Medicare HMO members can expect in 2002 as insurers try to cope with increased costs.
	In times of crisis, lips tighten - When reporters asked White House press secretary Ari Fleisher what evidence the government has linking Osama bin Laden to the attacks, he told them: “You have the right to ask those questions. I have the responsibility not to answer them.”
	Cancel Till's bonus, clean restrooms On Sept. 25, the Broward School Board gave Superintendent Frank Till a $15,750 bonus on top of his $175,000 salary. This despite the budget shortfall and despite the excellent Sun-Sentinel report of Aug. 18 on the filthy bathrooms in our public schools.
	Rights surrendered One of your letters to the editor says the government should violate our rights to assemble and exercise free speech. Another says we should give up a free press.
	GOVERNMENT: No easy answers It is not irrational to be concerned about swelling government authority in the wake of terrorist attacks. Indeed, both liberals and conservatives have expressed such concerns.
	Hundreds celebrate nonviolence - Despite gray skies, nearly 1,700 people gathered at Terry Wayne East Youth Ball Park on Saturday for food, fun and a message of nonviolence and unity. The eighth annual Big Cookout, sponsored by Pensacola Community Arts and Recreation Association, gave locals an opportunity to meet and come together for gospel music, dancing, slam poetry and guest speakers. Representatives of the Escambia County Health Department, the Army, the Lupus Foundation and other groups distributed information.
	The fuel for Disney's key theme-park and broadcasting businesses -- tourism and TV advertising -- is being pummeled, thwarting efforts to turn Disney around....And investor patience is being sorely tested. A top-tier media investment through much of the 1990s, Disney's stock has faltered so badly...
	Missing evidence--Legislative leaders should read the law before trying to close public records.- State lawmakers should not use terrorism fears as a cover to gut Florida's sunshine laws, which give taxpayers access to most government records and meetings.
	more to come...

10/6/01

	Group holds rally for peace today- ST. PETERSBURG -- The Coalition for Peace and Social Justice will sponsor a "rally for peace" at 2 p.m. today at Campbell Park, 16th Street and Seventh Avenue S, across from Tropicana Field.
	Hate-Filled Backlash Threatens Civil Rights TAMPA - Because he looked Arabic, a man was hit in the head while he was out running. A landlord wouldn't renew a tenant's lease because the family is Muslim. ...
	Officials stay on anthrax alert Attacks put spotlight on rare disease Anthrax hasn't been reported in the Big Bend since before World War II. But it has been on the minds of local health providers ever since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and especially after a Lantana man died Friday after contracting a rare and typically fatal version of the disease.
	Are records closed for security or coverup? We'd like to tell you that Florida officials followed the law and did everything they were supposed to do when they issued driver's licenses and identification cards to a handful of men who happened to be terrorists.
	Unseemly secrecy Despite the events of Sept. 11, the withholding of state driver's license records and other proposed public recordsexemptions are a poor way to serve the public.
	FDLE issues suggestions - Shielding Florida from terrorism may cost at least $25 million and is prompting calls for bomb-sniffing dogs at theme parks, sea marshals on cruise ships, and greater police authority to wiretap and detain suspicious people.-- Lawmakers on the House Select Committee on Security, hastily formed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, pondered some of those prospects Friday at their first meeting in Orlando to plot defense of the Sunshine State
	FAMU likely to trim from library, faculty Despite looming budget cuts for Florida A&M University, the new law school will not be touched, President Frederick Humphries said Friday. "We want to go forward with the law school," Humphries said.
	Family fighting over citrus baron's estate Son-in-law denies any conspiracy BARTOW - The son-in-law of the late citrus and cattle magnate Ben Hill Griffin Jr. denied in court that he manipulated the value of his family's companies in the settlement of the estate.
	Harris' family loses in heirs' fight BARTOW -- Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris and her immediate family lost a legal battle Friday over control of the multimillion-dollar estate left by the family patriarch, Ben Hill Griffin Jr.
	Editorial: Harris' mission: Herself The Palm Beach Post "In light of the recent tragedy," Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris said Tuesday, "I am more committed than ever to serving the president and our nation. I can't put on a uniform. I can fight for this president in another capacity." That capacity, if Ms. Harris wins election next...
	Medicaid abortion case back in state court Advocates for abortion rights returned to court Friday, arguing a ban on Medicaid abortions violates the rights of poor women to equal treatment under the law. The new lawsuit, filed in circuit court in Tallahassee, comes three months after the Florida Supreme Court ruled the privacy rights of the women aren't violated by the ban.
	Panel's mission: Mend security net quickly A select committee is urged to put together proposals for a special session within weeks.
	House meets on security, tourism plans - ORLANDO -- State lawmakers listened Friday to an often-chilling call for potential anti-terrorism measures -- from establishing a mortuary response team to dealing with weapons of mass destruction -- as the newly created House Select Committee on Security met for the first time.
	Anthrax fatality is likely isolated WEST PALM BEACH -- A 63-year-old Florida man died of anthrax Friday, but an intensive search by state and federal health officials turned up no other victims or evidence linking the death to a terrorist attack.
	Black bar leader urges protection of civil liberties - ST. PETERSBURG -- The president of the largest predominantly African-American legal organization in the nation told members of the Tampa Bay area legal community Friday that they must help protect the ideals of justice, civil liberty and due process.
	Why fuel efficiency matters American car manufacturers and motorists have earned a dubious distinction. The 2001 model year vehicles had the lowest average fuel economy rating since 1980, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sport utility vehicles averaged 17.2 miles per gallon, pickup trucks 16.5 mpg, vans and minivans 19.3 mpg and cars 24.2 mpg, and because more drivers chose SUVs in 2001, the overall fuel economy average dipped to 20.4 mpg, a 21-year low.
	As hotels empty out, jobless office fills up - ...With so many tourism workers becoming jobless, Kissimmee's office is the busiest in Central Florida. Its increase in the number of people filing initial unemployment claims is twice the state's increase. Florida's numbers almost doubled in September. Osceola's quadrupled.
	State law sought on cellphone use -The politically powerful wireless communications industry is pushing legislation that would override local ordinances -- such as the new Miami-Dade County ban on drivers using cellular telephones without headsets -- in favor of a much weaker statewide standard.