The drumbeat grows louder after each drop in the Dow. The conventional wisdom when President Barack Obama took office was that he had a year to show some progress. However, that was before cable commentators started handing out 50-day report cards and presidents were expected to solve problems before the next round of Sunday's talk shows. ...more

March 17, 2009

WASHINGTON - Brace yourself: The recession is projected to worsen this year. The country stands to lose a sizable chunk of economic activity in 2009 as consumers at home and abroad retrench in the face of persistent economic troubles. And the U.S. unemployment rate - now at 7.6 percent, the highest in more than 16 years - is expected hit a peak of 9 percent this year. ...more

February 23, 2009

As the nation grapples with an economic meltdown worse than any since the Great Depression, we simultaneously search for short-term remedies to relieve the crisis and long-term solutions to prevent a recurrence. While we focus on restoring reasonable oversight and sound business practices, too often we fail to recognize an underlying cause, an epidemic caused by the media-saturated cultural drumbeat of "more, fast, easy and fun." ...more

February 22, 2009

For the most part it was an awful week. Even in the sports world, where a lot of us go to hide from the daily drumbeat of bad news, we had to deal with the likes of Michael Phelps and Alex Rodriquez, two of sport's more visible figures and bigger disappointments. ...more

February 13, 2009

Paula O'Rourke always keeps peanut butter crackers in the car for her children to snack on. The Bethesda, Md., mother of three had just bought a new supply when she heard the product had been recalled because of a risk of salmonella poisoning. She felt obligated to throw away the $2 package, but, she says, "I had this moment where I thought, 'Come on. The chance of these crackers actually being trouble is so slim.'" ...more

February 8, 2009

Lester Cypher of New Port Richey, chief executive officer of the Volunteer Way Food Bank, says don't judge people who get free food from the food bank by the cars they drive. ...more

November 5, 2008

Before everyone conked out on a long, late flight home from Boston that kept many of the Rays from walking through their front doors until 7 a.m. on Friday, Joe Maddon saw what he wanted to see. ...more

October 18, 2008

So how will it end? President Bush is down to his final 100 days in office as of today. Don't expect a quiet fade into the Texas night. ...more

October 12, 2008

The Children's Museum has just reopened after two weeks of heavy-duty labor. Much of what was accomplished will not be visible to our families coming in to play. But it was necessary work to keep improving what we offer to the children in Highlands County. I would like to thank several people that put forth an extra effort to help the museum accomplish the very long list of needed jobs. ...more

September 5, 2008

In the hours leading up to Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline, the Rays apparently were prepared to offer up a hefty package of prospects to secure the player they wanted, Pittsburgh's Jason Bay. ...more

August 3, 2008