Stop executions for a while and perhaps they can be stopped forever. That calculation has been part of the strategy of capital punishment opponents for decades. ...more

October 21, 2007

Economists have long warned that the world economy could not fly forever on the single engine of American demand. A one-engined plane is more likely to crash. ...more

October 10, 2007

Nearly eight weeks into the school year, a pilot program in south Hillsborough designed to eliminate late school buses and become more efficient has flopped in both regards. ...more

October 4, 2007

TAMPA - Nearly eight weeks into the school year, a pilot program in south Hillsborough designed to eliminate late school buses and become more efficient has flopped in both regards. ...more

October 3, 2007

The state's brain trust of economists meets regularly to assess Floridians' spending habits and estimate how much revenue is coming in to state coffers. The news in early August was bleak: The $72 billion spending plan approved for the fiscal year that began July 1 would come up about $1.1 billion short, largely due to the slowdown in the once-red-hot housing market. Other collections have also been lighter than expected, from the sales taxes on purchases related to homes to corporate income taxes. State lawmakers return to the capital this week in a special session to slice and dice. A balanced budget is a constitutional requirement in Florida. It's not an easy process. Lawmakers already pushed back the session when House and Senate leaders decided they were too far apart to waste time in Tallahassee at a cost to taxpayers of about $40,000 a day. The session is scheduled from Wednesday through Oct. 12. The House, Senate and Gov. Charlie Crist are staking out their positions. Here is a look at what may be in store in major areas of spending. ...more

September 30, 2007

Countrywide Financial Corp. said Thursday that it had boosted its borrowing capacity by $12 billion, as the mortgage lender struggles to weather the slowdown in the housing market. ...more

September 14, 2007

Health insurance premiums paid by workers and their employers rose an average of 6.1 percent this year, outpacing inflation and pay increases and taking a bigger chunk out of families' budgets, according to a new survey. ...more

September 12, 2007

Consumers kept charging at a rapid pace on their credit cards in July although their overall borrowing slowed a bit. ...more

September 11, 2007

The U.S. economy will slow sharply this year and fall behind growth rates in most of the world, according to forecasts in a U.N. report released Wednesday. ...more

September 6, 2007

The economic situation is giving government no easy tax and spend options. ...more

September 4, 2007