Congress expended a lot of energy debating how to solve the energy crisis before running off for summer recess for five weeks. It ended up accomplishing nothing. Now Congress is back and seemingly ready for more of the same. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will present an energy bill next week that would expand offshore drilling. But Republicans rejected the legislation on the basis of the outlines Pelosi released Tuesday. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will hold hearings today with an eye to bringing energy bills to a vote sometime next week. But don't expect anything to happen. ...more

September 15, 2008

Pinellas County tourism officials on Wednesday soundly renounced the politically charged "Drill, Baby, Drill" strategy that Republicans and some Democrats advocate to increase the nation's fuel supplies. ...more

September 11, 2008

It's the standard pitch of used-car salesmen: "Hurry! Decide now! This deal won't last!" Close the deal quickly, the car man knows, so customers won't compare prices or consider alternatives. ...more

September 7, 2008

As we emerge from Labor Day, college students are gathering back on campuses not only to start the fall semester, but also, in some cases, to vote for the first time in a presidential election. There is no bigger issue on campuses these days than environment/energy. ...more

September 5, 2008

Gov. Charlie Crist's vice presidential prospects came to an end Friday, probably along with any chance he would enter a John McCain administration. ...more

August 30, 2008

Lorne H. Spence of Hudson says people who favor oil drilling off the Florida coast should visit places where drilling is already taking place. ...more

August 27, 2008

The controversy over new offshore drilling splashed Monday onto the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, with Floridians rejecting a Louisiana senator's request for a chance to talk to them about the idea. ...more

August 26, 2008

State Senate, District 11 State Democratic Party leaders have targeted state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, in District 11, an oblong-shaped area stretching from north Pinellas County to the Citrus-Levy line. ...more

August 24, 2008

Energy companies bid hundreds of millions of dollars Wednesday to explore for oil and natural gas beneath 1.8 million acres in the western Gulf of Mexico, while looking forward to the possibility of future drilling in federal waters now off-limits. ...more

August 21, 2008

By rights, John McCain should be getting hammered on economics. ...more

August 20, 2008