This holiday season, it's not surprising that one of Hollywood's biggest box office hits is the revival of Charles Dickens classic tale, "A Christmas Carol." This Victorian-era story of good versus greed still clearly strikes a chord with audiences watching Wall Street pay out million-dollar bonuses while Main Street struggles to make ends meet. The dynamic can be found in our nation's capital as well, with some policy-makers often too eager to play Santa to special interests, at the cost of protecting our public lands from such travesties as the 1872 Mining Law. ...more

December 25, 2009

Owners of pythons, boas and other exotic reptiles who don't have permits can now hand their pets over with no questions asked, and without fear of prosecution, under an amnesty program approved by the state Thursday. ...more

December 11, 2009

She was born in the Florida Everglades in 1896 to the children of two "unconquered" Seminoles. At 85, she led 17 family members from Bradenton to a new Seminole reservation in Tampa. ...more

October 26, 2009

Authorities say a plane with four people aboard has crashed in the Florida Everglades, with rescue teams finding no survivors. ...more

September 21, 2009

Perhaps the controversy surrounding Safari Wild was too wild for its name. Or maybe the owners wanted a name more befitting the experience they wish for visitors. ...more

February 4, 2009

Perhaps the controversy surrounding Safari Wild was too wild for its name. Or maybe the owners wanted a name more befitting the experience they wish for visitors. Either way, the yet-to-open exotic-animal park north of Lakeland is now known as Safari Adventures, according to Polk County records. ...more

February 3, 2009

It might be notorious for its late-night party scene, swanky beach hotels with steeply priced drinks and the beachgoers who wear barely there $300 swimsuits, but vacationing Miami-style doesn't have to cost a fortune. ...more

October 19, 2008

Some of Florida's U.S. House members complained Wednesday about being kept in the dark during the state's secret negotiations of a $1.75 billion proposed buyout of U.S. Sugar Corp. ...more

July 31, 2008

With communities in the Midwest still underwater, Democrat Barack Obama on Saturday criticized Republican John McCain for opposing federal spending on flood prevention programs and opened a new debate in the White House race. ...more

June 22, 2008

President Bush, facing his final go-around on spending with a Democratic-run Congress during this presidential election year, on Monday unveiled a $3.1 trillion budget for 2009 that boosts defense spending and pares down Medicare costs while leaving a near-record deficit. ...more

February 5, 2008