NASA is unsure what caused the hydrogen gas leak that prevented space shuttle Discovery from flying, but nonetheless will attempt another launch Sunday. ...more

March 14, 2009

BIG HONKIN' PICKLE We've been in the news business long enough to know there are some things you just don't ask questions about. For example, this giant pickle. We're curious about why someone would want a plastic mega-dill that measures 42 inches long, but we don't actually want to know the reason. We're satisfied that whatever the root cause, it's best that it remains private. Cost: $97.77 each. Available at the appropriately named www.GreatBigStuff.com. ...more

March 1, 2009

The root cause of our current economic disaster is very rich people continually getting much richer at the expense of nearly everyone else. While some of this is attributable to recognizing and exploiting legitimate opportunities, much is a result of stacking the deck. Years of deregulation crippled government oversight while Congress rewarded the rich with generous tax cuts while the deficit and debt soared. Hedge funds, totally unregulated leveraged markets providing astronomic profits for their investors. Wall Streeters and CEOs rewarded themselves with multi-million salaries and bonuses while the rest of us lost ground. Privatizing and the Iraq war created opportunities for lavishing government funds on favored private entities, all accomplished under the aegis of the Republican Congress and the Bush White House. ...more

January 24, 2009

Tampa Bay Water filed a lawsuit today against three companies seeking compensation for cracks that have damaged the walls of the C.W. "Bill" Young Regional Reservoir in south Hillsborough County. ...more

December 10, 2008

The reason most people object to a bailout of our financial elite is that no provision addresses the root cause of the problem. ...more

October 6, 2008

I am frankly mystified at the endless palaver concerning the surge, which, according to my recollections, was an infusion of some 25,000 additional troops into Iraq last year. Such a decision was not a change in tactics or certainly not a new strategy, yet it is currently a subject of political debate as if such a decision was a stroke of military genius as to warrant a complete rewrite of the curriculum at West Point. ...more

July 28, 2008

The tomato scare may be over, but it has taken a toll: It's cost the industry an estimated $100 million and left millions of people with a new wariness about the safety of everyday foods. ...more

July 19, 2008

Now that gasoline is more than $4 a gallon, we are paying attention. ...more

June 21, 2008

Lose The Role Of Victim Regarding "It's The Color Green That Separates Us" (Other Views, May 27): ...more

May 31, 2008

In his 21 years of coaching girls basketball, Clearwater coach Tom Shaneyfelt has seen a lot of things. He witnessed a first Saturday night. And it was the root cause of his Tornadoes losing to Boca Ciega 81-66 in the Class 5A-Region 3 title game. ...more

February 17, 2008