Florida Briefs

One-Time McDonald's Robber Now Promotes Big Mac

MIAMI - (AP) First, the big house. Now, the Big Mac.

A Miami man who held up a McDonald's at gunpoint as a teenager is now among the fast food chain's finalists for a new jingle promoting its signature sandwich.

Twenty-nine-year-old Tamien Bain was arrested on Memorial Day 1994 for the holdup. He served 12 years in prison for the crime, during which time he became interested in making music.

Bain says he told contest officials up front about his past when applying for the MySpace.com/BigMacChant competition.

The public has until Sunday to vote for a winner, who gets a trip to Los Angeles and their song featured in a national McDonald's ad.

5 Sickened By Tainted Fish In West Palm

WEST PALM BEACH - (AP) Palm Beach County health officials say 10 people in the area have recently fallen ill from consuming tainted fish.

The county says the latest cases of ciguatera (sig-wa-eerra) have ties to grouper purchased at three different sources.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating.

Ciguatera is caused by eating fish that contain toxins from reef algae. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and vertigo. Officials say the toxins are most often found in barracuda, hogfish, red snapper and grouper. It is the most common marine toxin disease worldwide.

Forecasters: Economic Recovery Delayed

TALLAHASSEE - (AP) Florida's economic slump is worse than state economists predicted earlier this year and now they say it will last about six months longer than previously expected.

Their February economic outlook was for a recovery to start about a year from now. But a new update says things probably won't begin turning around until the end of 2009.

Legislative economist Amy Baker says that's because of a national economy burdened by rising fuel and food costs and distressed housing and credit markets.

The report notes that Florida lost 74,700 jobs, largely in the construction sector, over a 12-month period ending in May. That's more than any other state, though Florida's May unemployment rate of 5.5 percent was the same as the national level.

Environmentalists Sue Feds Over Pollution

WEST PALM BEACH - (AP) Five environmental groups have sued the federal government, claiming the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is violating the Clean Water Act.

The federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Tallahassee claims the agency has failed to set standards for fertilizer runoff and other farm waste that is polluting Florida's waterways.

Earthjustice attorney David Guest says he hopes a favorable ruling will force the EPA to set national standards. Guest is representing the plaintiffs.

The groups say rain sends the runoff into rivers and lakes, contaminating waterways and nourishing algae blooms that poison the ecosystem.

The EPA did not return telephone messages. Florida says the state is still studying ways to set such limits.