Fearing that millions of illegal immigrants may not be counted in the 2010 census, Latino leaders are mobilizing a nationwide drive to urge Hispanics to participate in it. The effort includes an intense push this week in evangelical Christian churches. ...more

December 26, 2009

Looking for happiness - it's family-friendly communities for some, tropical paradise or the rugged West for others. A survey of Americans' well-being, conducted by Gallup in partnership with Healthways and America's Health Insurance Plans, gives high marks to Utah, which boasts lots of outdoor recreation for its youthful population. ...more

March 11, 2009

Tucked into a $410 billion appropriations bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday is nearly $12 million in federal funding for projects in the Tampa Bay area, including $4.2 million for Port of Tampa dredging and maintenance. The legislation, expected to be approved by the Senate and signed into law in the next few weeks, is aimed at funding government operations through this September. ...more

February 26, 2009

One of the facts of political life in Florida has long been that the party in power after the 10-year U.S. census gets to overhaul legislative and congressional districts without regard to existing geographical boundaries or communities. ...more

February 4, 2009

Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., is the top contender to be President Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary, the White House said Saturday, a move that could bolster the Democratic majority in Congress. ...more

February 1, 2009

A half-century ago, an East German communist demanded that the people exhibit more confidence in their rulers. "Would it not be easier," the poet Bertolt Brecht responded, "for the government to dissolve the people and elect another?" Though aimed at a long-ago Stalinist, Brecht's gibe comes alarmingly close to describing how legislators in many states keep themselves in power. ...more

November 8, 2008

Connecticut is tops. Mississippi is at the bottom. And Florida is about in the middle. Where does your state and community fit in terms of standard of living? A new study modeled on the United Nations Human Development Report provides what it calls a "snapshot" of Americans' well-being, ranked by state and congressional district. ...more

July 16, 2008

After reading Ms. Earl's recent column, I have come to the conclusion that she truly lives in a Bizarro World. ...more

July 16, 2008

All registered voters in Pasco County will get new Voter Information Cards in the mail beginning Monday, May 5, Supervisor of Elections Brian E. Corley, has announced. ...more

May 3, 2008

A citizen initiative to ban gay marriage will be on the November ballot, the only one of more than 50 active petition drives that qualified Friday at the deadline for signature verification. ...more

February 2, 2008