Cuban dissident Guillermo Fariñas underwent emergency surgery Friday to remove his gall bladder, inflamed as a result of his 135-day hunger strike earlier this year to demand the release of political prisoners.

The Big Guy has been brought into the fray of the hotly contested congressional race between Democrat Joe Garcia and Republican state Rep. David Rivera. According to the Florida Democratic Party, Rivera called himself "the son of God" in a...

The Miami Dolphins added some security on the offensive line Friday by acquiring veteran tackle Pat McQuistan from the Dallas Cowboys. Left tackle Jake Long and right tackle Vernon Carey are both recovering from minor injuries, and lineman Nate Garner was placed on injured reserve this week with a left foot injury.

There was the quiet meeting with a snubbed, former Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis followed days later by the well-publicized encounter with Wyclef Jean, the night before he was booted from Haiti's upcoming presidential tourney.

Cuba's Fidel Castro, reprising symbols of his former power, wore a full military uniform and spoke to a mass audience outdoors Friday for the first time since he nearly died four years ago.

The former head of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana -- who earned a reputation as an aggressive critic of President Fidel Castro during his diplomatic tour -- is the latest contender for mayor in Coral Gables.

Jewish settlers across the West Bank have vowed to begin construction in more than 60 locations, posing a direct challenge to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he returned home from Thursday's first round of direct peace talks in Washington.

As the last of the 30,000 additional troops that President Barack Obama dispatched to Afghanistan arrived, top American military leaders here conceded Friday that the country's pervasive corruption threatens to undermine the effort to clear communities of insurgents and hand them over to governments that Afghans consider legitimate.

A popular South Florida beach remains off-limits for swimmers as Labor Day weekend approaches. The Miami-Dade Health Department said Friday it is extending its swimming advisory at Crandon Park beaches because of high bacteria counts. That means beach-goers should avoid the water there until the advisory, first imposed on Wednesday, is lifted.

A registered sex offender on the run from a Texas halfway house -- and who was to be featured on America's Most Wanted this weekend -- was caught at a Miami Springs hotel Friday, before the show even aired.

Two North Miami Beach city officials allege members of the city council have repeatedly violated state open-government law and both have lodged written complaints. Neither complaint names a specific council person -- but one councilwoman said she takes the allegations as a personal affront.

The Pentagon's war crimes appeals court announced without explanation Friday that the full U.S. Court of Military Commission Review, not a smaller panel, would review the conviction of Osama bin Laden's driver, now free and living in Yemen.

The mother of murdered intern Chandra Levy is asking a judge's permission to attend the trial of the accused killer.

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, fires away in a new book he hopes will spread his ideas far and wide. Environmental lobbyists are "followers of neo-Marxist, socialist, Maoist or Communist ideals."Global warming claims are "hysteria" spread by a "Doomsday cult." The phrases "radical left" and "radical environmentalist" recur often.

The unemployment rate went up slightly to 9.6 percent in August as employers shed 54,000 jobs during the month, the Labor Department said Friday in a jobs report that nonetheless provided a surprise in better-than-expected private-sector and temporary hiring.

Here's the RGA/RPOF attack ad on Alex Sink we mentioned this morning: And here's the response from the Sink camp: "Put yourself in Rick Scott's shoes -- when you run a company that was forced to pay a $1.7 billion...

South Florida's own Snakemaster Abudadein (Jeff Gardner) was part of Kevin Sullivan's heel faction Army of Darkness in the 1980s for Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Former pro wrestler Luna Vachon, 48, was found dead Friday, Aug. 27 at her mother's home in Florida. Luna worked for WWE, WCW and ECW and various promotions and territories including Florida. She has many South Florida ties through family, friends and co-workers.

Almost from the instant Nyjer Morgan charged the mound and Florida Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad readied himself for bare-knuckled combat by throwing down his glove, it became a given that punishment would result.

South Carolina's U.S. Rep. John Spratt today denounced comments his campaign spokesman made, invoking the name of Osama bin Laden to make a point about conservative voters in the Fifth Congressional District.

Isiah Thomas hasn't ducked the big boys in his second season at FIU, scheduling a home date with Florida State and a visit to Louisville, according to the team's 2010-11 schedule, which the school released Friday.

A nationally-televised debate Sunday between U.S. Senate candidates Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek has been postponed due to Rubio's ailing father.

A boil water order has been issued to residents near a water main break at Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 25th St. The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department issued the order Friday as a precaution after contractors broke a 12-inch water main, causing the system to lose pressure.

About 7,000 rebates for appliances Floridians bought in April still have to be mailed, the state said this week. It could be near the end of September before everyone who applied for a rebate toward the cost of refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, single-room air conditioners and tankless gas water heaters receives their cash.

From Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio: Unfortunately, the health of Marco?s father, Mario Rubio, has significantly deteriorated in the last 48 hours. As a result, Marco plans to stay with his father and family during this time, and will be...

Associated Industries of Florida hosted a closed-door breakfast fund-raiser with Rick Scott Friday. For more than an hour, the Republican candidate for governor talked about his agenda for creating jobs, improving schools and having a viable private insurance market in...

After his morning fundraiser at Associated Industries of Florida, Republican Rick Scott continues the rounds in Tallahassee today with a $10,000 a person fundraiser at the offices of health care lobbyists Jon Johnson and Travis Blanton at 3:30 p.m. today....

A Democratic donor from Miami has filed a complaint against state Rep. David Rivera, asking the Federal Election Commission to investigate whether the Republican congressional candidate violated campaign finance laws by "coordinating'' attacks on Democrat opponent Joe Garcia with a...

Five residents were displaced after their large mobile home caught fire late Thursday night, a fire official said.

The State Department is denying reports that the Obama administration is considering swapping the "Cuban Five" spies in U.S. prisons for a U.S. government subcontractor jailed in Havana. The denial came a day after Cuban-Americans in Congress expressed concern over...

A woman died after a tour bus hit her while she attempted to cross the street in South Beach Friday morning.

The Republican Party of Florida is pretty broke but today the money is flowing. The party found $1,302,720 million to buy ads yesterday, another round of attack ads aimed at Democrat Alex Sink. According to The Fix, the cash is...

The Obama administration's pointman on the Deepwater Horizon oil catastrophe Thursday evening announced that BP successfully removed a containment cap that had stopped crude oil from spewing into the Gulf of Mexico nearly two months ago and is expected to remove the well's dysfuntional blowout preventer later Thursday.

When you stop and really think about all the meat you consume in just one day, it starts to really add up. From bacon at breakfast, that chicken Caesar salad at lunch, to ground beef tacos for dinner, many of us chow down on several meat products each day. Do Your Part for the planet and your family's health and go meatless for at least one day a week.

A new luxury bus service launched this summer for the U.S. Southeast, with introductory rates for round trips starting at $40 between Orlando and Miami through Sept. 30.

Chris Shevlin kicked two fields (33 and 29 yards) in the second half, and Patrick Lawson (fumble recovery, interception, 2 1/2 sacks) anchored a strong defense that allowed no points as the Western High School football team opened the season with a 6-2 victory over West Broward at Cooper City High School.

Quarterback Chad Henne and the Dolphins' first-team offense still seem to lack consistency as season nears.

Burger King's agreement to be acquired by private investment firm 3G Capital in a $4 billion deal could help the chain gain ground in the burger wars.

This isn't the way Chaminade-Madonna hoped to start the season. The Lions watched a 17-point halftime lead whittle away until the Legacy (Colo.) Lightning took the lead with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter, beating Chaminade 26-23.

Alonzo and Tracy Mourning running back Lazaro Rodriguez scored the first touchdown in Sharks' history on a 75-yard scamper early in the first quarter of the team's debut.

After a sluggish first quarter, Ely scored four times in a 3:10 span in the second quarter on its way to a 34-6 season-opening home victory against Stranahan on Thursday night at Lockhart Stadium.

Miami's police union, acting rapidly after city-imposed salary and pension cuts earlier this week, has filed suit in state court charging that the cuts were unwarranted and calling for the city to be placed on state financial oversight.

The average tennis fan might have been surprised to see 371st-ranked teenager Beatrice ``Trice'' Capra beat the No. 18 player in the world to reach the third round of the U.S. Open on Thursday afternoon, but not John Evert.

The University of Miami released its men's basketball schedule Thursday for the 2010-11 season. UM will play exhibition games against Barry (Nov. 3) and Florida Southern (Nov. 8) at BankUnited Center before opening the regular season at home Nov. 12 against Jacksonville.

Miami-Dade's population has returned to pre-recession levels, another sign of a fragile economic recovery, according to a University of Florida report.

The U.S. State Department Thursday flatly denied reports that the Obama administration is considering swapping the ``Cuban Five'' spies in U.S. prisons for a U.S. government subcontractor jailed in Havana.

The University of Miami football team's season opener was a feast that somehow left you wanting more.

A Democratic donor from Miami has filed a complaint against state Rep. David Rivera, asking the Federal Election Commission to investigate whether the Republican congressional candidate violated campaign finance laws by ``coordinating'' attacks on Democrat opponent Joe Garcia with a political committee intended to remain independent.

When a repo man towed his mother's car, Antonio Edwards Jr. responded by running after the tow truck -- and firing a MAC-10 at it, police said. Edwards, 21, didn't hit the driver in the Aug. 25 shooting, but later that afternoon -- as police were on the scene investigating -- he accidentally shot himself in the stomach with the weapon, they said.

For those who have wolfed down a Big Mac or Whopper only to burn with regret two minutes later, there is now EVOS. The beef is hormone- and antibiotic-free at this fast-casual, Tampa-based franchise that recently opened its first South Florida location in Pinecrest. Fries are air-baked, not deep-fried. The shakes are made from organic milk and sugar.

Teagan Marti, the 12-year-old girl from Parkland who plummeted 100 feet to the ground in a free-fall ride in Wisconsin, is back in South Florida. Teagan, who hasn't been able to walk since the incident, is undergoing evaluations at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Doctors are hoping she can start rehabilitation by next week, said her mother, Julie Marti.

With star running back Jakhari Gore graduated, Columbus' football team entered the season looking for new leaders on offense. On Thursday night at FIU Stadium, six running backs led a 295-yard rushing effort that resulted in a 35-3 season-opening victory against Palmetto.

An annual survey released Thursday finds that workers are paying, on average, about $482 more for job-based family health insurance this year as companies force employees to shoulder more of the burden of healthcare costs.

The contentious issue of school boundary changes is once again on the table. The Broward School Board on Thursday reopened discussion on ways to relieve overcrowding in western schools while also exploring a plan to eliminate portables over the next decade.

Beatrice Capra, who upset No. 18 Aravane Rezai, said she was inspired by last year's American phenom Melanie Oudin.

For nearly three decades Jesse Gaddis has been the driving force for taxis -- and for many years the only source for cabs -- at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

A sassy bartender with a no-nonsense country drawl. A tattooed ex-con with disdain for authority. A scared ex-wife. One by one, residents of the small town of Burlington, N.C., took the stand in Miami-Dade Circuit Court this week with similar stories: Defendant Christopher Phillips had admitted to killing his girlfriend Trinity Robinson, 18, who vanished in Homestead in May 1993.

OK, here we go. Miami will win at least two of its next three games at Ohio State, Pitt and Clemson.

Even before being deemed qualified to run, presidential hopefuls in impoverished Haiti faced a hefty bill: a $12,500 nonrefundable filing fee. Now they are finding that the amount will only get steeper as campaign season begins to sizzle this month.

A federal appellate court in Atlanta upheld a controversial Florida law that prohibits funding for academic and research travel to nations that are considered ``sponsors of terrorism,'' among them Cuba.

Andy Roddick admitted, in retrospect, that he carried on too long over a disputed foot fault call during his second-round loss to Janko Tipsarevic late Wednesday night.

txt The University of Miami released its men's basketball schedule Thursday for the 2010-11 season. UM will play exhibition games against Barry (Nov. 3) and Florida Southern (Nov. 8) at BankUnited Center before opening the regular season at home Nov. 12 against Jacksonville.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dolphins' offense, invigorated this preseason by a healthy Ronnie Brown and made multidimensional by the addition of Brandon Marshall, kept the ball for 12 plays and nearly six minutes on its first possession Thursday night -- a satisfying drive that led to a field goal and gave Miami a lead.

Florida is part of a consortium of 26 states that will receive a total of $170 million in federal funding to help develop new tests to assess students' mathematics and language arts skills, the U.S. secretary of education announced Thursday.

A red-hot Jacory Harris passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns, two to Leonard Hankerson, helping the Hurricanes open the season in style with a rout of the Rattlers.

As an independent candidate for governor, Lawton ``Bud'' Chiles railed against the corrupting influence of special interest cash. Out of the race, he's supporting an establishment figure: Democrat Alex Sink.

In the case of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, the NCAA governed with a moral gavel. Which is to say, the NCAA was morally obligated to do what was best for the image of the NCAA.

The happy convergence of luck and pluck -- plus Internet-powered word-of-mouth -- has put Coral Gables-based chamber choir and orchestra Seraphic Fire in the same orbit as pop music's biggest ladies: Lady Gaga and Lady Antebellum.

Terra Beachside Villas, the once-distressed Miami Beach condo building that has sat empty for two years, is searching for new life as its owners look to complete a rapid turnaround from foreclosure to full health.

Jacory Harris sprinted onto the field Thursday night, and that's when J12 came out to play, the huddle and the adrenaline easing the transformation the way a phone booth used to work for Clark Kent.

Despite an impressive junior season, Leonard Hankerson said he hardly spent any time pondering an early jump to the NFL. The Hurricanes' leading receiver in 2009 said he wanted to come back and make an even bigger splash as a senior.

Iwasn't sure whether to laugh or cry earlier this week when I knocked on the front door of 19-year-old Albert B. Stanley's Pompano Beach home to ask anyone who'd talk to me what he was thinking. I was greeted by a woman whose first question was, ``What did he do wrong?''

Dolphins center Jake Grove and linebacker Channing Crowder did not make the trip to Dallas on Thursday because of injuries -- but both players are still eyeing a return to action by the start of the regular season, multiple sources said Thursday.

Rick Scott and Jennifer Carroll made their debut as the Republican gubernatorial ticket Thursday and met small but enthusiastic crowds on a three-city fly-around.

In the case of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, the NCAA governed with a moral gavel. Which is to say, the NCAA was morally obligated to do what was best for the image of the NCAA.

The Marlins didn't have many nice things to say about Nyjer Morgan after he triggered Wednesday night's benches-clearing brawl at Sun Life Stadium.

A suspicious package forced the evacuation of two terminals at Miami International Airport Thursday night, slowing traffic around the area and prompting many people at the airport to leave the area on foot.

The fall brings a new school year and a new fundraising season, with ways to have fun for a good cause. A win-win event Help the homeless and watch the Florida Marlins take on the Philadelphia Phillies from bullpen seats at 7:10 p.m. Sept. 13 at Sun Life Stadium.

Labor Day isn't just about picnics and parties this weekend. It's all about laughing if you stop by the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival's Comedy-A-Thon at Cinema Paradiso.

For families with children with special needs, attending the High Holy Day services can sometimes be a stressful and unrewarding experience. The children may not be able, or willing, to sit through an entire service, and fellow congregants don't always show much understanding toward interruptions.

Jews around the world will soon gather to mark the holiday of Rosh Hashana, widely celebrated as the start of the Jewish new year. The two-day holiday has traditionally been a time when even less-observant Jews make plans to go to temple services, where they begin to look back over the past year and listen to the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, which heralds the beginning of the 10-day period known as the High Holy Days.

Thousands of miles and several time zones couldn't keep U.S. Army contractor Tobias Barbir from being at one of the most important events in his father's life.

Darrell Gwynn met his match this month -- 16-year-old Levi Lamb. Gwynn, a National Hot Rod Association Hall of Famer from Weston, and Levi, a hunter, fisherman and 4-H hog-raising champ from Okeechobee, came wheel-to-wheel at the Darrell Gywnn Foundation office in Davie.

Broward cities are braced for another brutal budget season in the midst of the worst economic crisis in 70 years. Dramatic drops in revenue and escalating costs for services are leading most of the county's 31 cities -- and Broward County itself -- to slash spending by Oct. 1, the state's deadline for balancing and setting all municipal 2010-11 budgets.

One can never tell from where the next folk hero will emerge. She wasn't her school's Miley Cyrus, not a celebrity her peers would immediately think to look up to at her Colorado high school.

Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone. As we all know, it's the last long weekend for a while so enjoy it!

At the start of the year, the Hialeah Housing Authority faced a backlog of more than 1,000 federal housing vouchers, meant to help families pay rent.

BY BEA HINES bhines@MiamiHerald.com So often some people work behind the scenes, trying to make our community a better place. Because they go about doing what they do without ever making a fuss, many of us never know what an asset they are to the community.

A New Year is a time for fresh starts -- but for many in the community who don't have family near or the means to celebrate the Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashana can be difficult to face alone.

Temple Beth Am hosts Rock N' Rosh haShanah, an open-air service complete with a picnic and a rock band to welcome the Jewish New Year. At Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, kids mark the end of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, by parading down the sanctuary with glow sticks.

In the battle for an open seat on Miami Lakes Town Council, Carmen Elias-Levenson, 51, and Nelson Hernandez, 24, are waging grass-roots campaigns. That means drumming up support on Facebook. Not just old-fashioned block-walking in the town of 27,000 residents.

Seven individuals have qualified to run for seats in the Nov. 2 election in Sunny Isles Beach. Current Mayor Norman Edelcup seeks another term and will face property manager Michael Schnitzer in the race.

North Bay Village residents will head to the polls Nov. 2 to select a new mayor and two new commissioners. Mayor Oscar Alfonso decided not to seek reelection, leaving the seat for mayor up for grabs. In the running: Commissioner Reinaldo Trujillo, who has at times been a vocal critic of Alfonso and the city's operations, and Corina Esquijarosa, who sits on two local boards.

City leaders want West Miami residents to know that the new Rebeca Sosa Multipurpose Facility is open for business. At Wednesday's City Commission meeting, commissioners established rental rates for the use of the center for parties and special events, including wedding receptions, baby showers and teen dances.

Months of contract negotiations and finance talks were supposed to ease the tension heading into a September budget season in which Miami Beach faces a $29 million shortfall.

Campaigning tonight in Delray Beach, Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek raised the stakes for his debate Sunday against Republican rival Marco Rubio on NBC's "Meet the Press." "A lot of people running around here with low expectations, 'Oh my God,...

Another offshore rig exploded Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, an unsettling echo of BP's deep-sea blowout less than six months ago, but this time it appears there won't be another environmental catastrophe.

David Plouffe's days of spending time with his family may be nearing an end again. President Barack Obama may need him to run his 2012 re-election campaign.

David Plouffe was one top member of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign who didn't take a job in the White House. However, Plouffe's days of spending time with his family may be nearing an end again. Obama may soon need him to run his 2012 re-election campaign.

<strong><span class="dropcap-large">L</span></strong>a renovaci&#xF3;n del contrato a Bob Bradley es una apuesta segura en la selecci&#xF3;n estadounidense. La continuidad del t&#xE9;cnico es sin&#xF3;nimo de seguridad y mirada al futuro. Aunque el acuerdo es por cuatro a&#xF1;os, podr&#xED;a extenderse m&#xE1;s tiempo si los resultados lo siguen acompa&#xF1;ando.

The first Middle East peace talks in nearly two years got off to a quick start Thursday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreeing to meet again in two weeks and to commence work on the blueprint for a peace treaty.

In the continuing saga between Florida Power & Light and the Public Service Commission, the Juno Beach-based company filed a motion Thursday asking that Commissioner Nathan Skop remove himself from any remaining cases in which they are involved.

With the Labor Day weekend approaching, union leaders and U.S. business interests expressed concerns Thursday about the fragility of the nation&#39;s economic recovery. They offered drastically different remedies for fixing the country&#39;s woes, however.

WASHINGTON - With the Labor Day weekend approaching, union leaders and U.S. business interests expressed concerns Thursday about the fragility of the nation's economic recovery. They offered drastically different remedies for fixing the country's woes, however.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and NATO disagreed Thursday over whether an airstrike in northern Afghanistan killed the top member of re-emerging insurgent group or 10 election workers.

NBC's The Marriage Ref -- which relies on a panel of celebrities to weigh in on the marital conflicts of bickering couples -- is holding an open casting call in Miami Beach starting Friday.

In the continuing saga between Florida Power & Light and the Public Service Commission, the Juno Beach-based company has filed a motion today asking that Commissioner Nathan Skop remove himself from any remaining cases in which they are involved. The...

Thanks to the tea party, Rep. Mike Castle&#39;s once smooth path to Delaware&#39;s Republican Senate nomination suddenly has become less predictable &mdash; and is providing a fresh reason for already staggering moderate Republicans everywhere to be frightened.

In a new television ad airing on Florida's Panhandle, Democrat Alex Sink say that while we're fighting the oil spill we "have to diversify our economy starting right now." She says in the 30-second spot that she has a "detailed...

Christopher Phillips, a drug-dealing North Carolina handyman, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the slaying of his teenage girlfriend, whose body was never found after she vanished in Homestead in 1993, jurors decided Thursday.

Despite reports to the contrary, sometime Miami resident Jennifer Lopez will become an American Idol judge next season, TMZ reported on Thursday.

An annual survey released Thursday finds that workers are paying, on average, about $482 more for job-based family health insurance this year as companies force employees to shoulder more of the burden of health care costs.

In a Leon County courtroom, the Republican Party of Florida is making a last minute attempt to remove a Tea Party candidate from the ballot in a Central Florida state legislative race. But time is running out before the ballot...

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday strongly rejected as "myth" suggestions that he could have saved investment bank Lehman Brothers and prevented the near-collapse of the global financial system.

In a harshly worded letter to the federal government's BP claims czar Kenneth Feinberg, Senate President Jeff Atwater bascially tells him: don't screw up. "I have become increasingly troubled by reports of delays in the claims process, artificial and capricious...

WASHINGTON &mdash; Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke strongly rejected as &quot;myth&quot; suggestions that he could have saved investment bank Lehman Brothers and prevented the near collapse of the global financial system.

Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes.

Miami's police union, acting rapidly after city-imposed salary and pension cuts earlier this week, has filed suit in state court charging that the cuts were unwarranted and calling for the city to be placed on state financial oversight.

Charlie Crist just picked up an interesting endorsement in his bid for U.S. Senate: state Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee. Lawson, who just narrowly lost a primary race against Congressman Allen Boyd, would be the most high-profile Democrat...

The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says...

Pending home sales were up 33.7 percent in Miami-Dade County in August compared to the same month last year, according to data released Thursday by Miami Realtors.

An offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico exploded on Thursday but company and federal records show it appears to be producing natural gas, not oil.

Metro editor Jay Ducassi just announced this, Florida's loss but the nation's gain: Beth Reinhard, a Herald veteran whose stellar performance as our political writer for the past four years has earned the respect of her peers nationally, has decided...

Miami-Dade's population returned to prerecession levels, another sign of a fragile economic recovery, according to a University of Florida researcher.

Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes.

On Monday, Alex Sink -- in her role as chief financial officer -- ordered an audit of the famed "Taj Mahal" courthouse for the First District Court of Appeals. But the Republican Party of Florida claims Sink's hands aren't entirely...

Two men were detained for questioning Thursday morning after they were seen mutilating a dead whale on the beach in Delray Beach.

With Venezuela's much-watched parliamentary elections coming up Sept. 26, El Universal newspaper has produced an interactive map showing a state-by-state breakdown of the last five national votes from 2004 to 2009.

Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes.

After three months of being rivals, Bud Chiles and Alex Sink are on the same team. Chiles endorsed Sink this morning at a press conference in Tallahassee. In a quick speech, Sink said she and Chiles shared common goals, including...

Personal bankruptcy filings continued to surge in South Florida last month. Miami-Dade continued its bumper crop of new filings, up 75 percent from August 2009 to 1,788 filings. Broward saw personal bankruptcies spike 50 percent to 1,067, reversing a trend of declining increases since March.

It's official. GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott on Thursday morning announced that state Rep. Jennifer Carroll of Jacksonville will be his running mate as lieutenant governor.

WASHINGTON - The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday.

The campaign websites and stump speeches of congressional hopefuls David Rivera and Joe Garcia don't mention the defining issue of their careers: Cuba. In a year when the political refrain is jobs, neither candidate wants to risk being seen as...

Rick Scott's campaign just sent this letter to supporters: I am so grateful today to announce that Representative Jennifer Carroll of Fleming Island Hill is my pick for Lieutenant Governor. She is the House Representative for District 13, which is...

For a solid week now, Rick Scott hasn't appeared in a single television advertisement. It seems unfathomable to even turn on the TV these days and not see his shiny head, given how many ads he bought in the primary....

Rick Scott's running mate on the Republican ticket for governor is expected to be state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, a U.S. Navy veteran and mother of three who, if elected, would be Florida's first black lieutenant governor. Scott will unveil his...

In the past two weeks, both a lawsuit and an ethics complaint have alleged that the late businessman Ralph Hughes bankrolled an Arkansas home for Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman. Norman wasn't talking Wednesday. But the St. Petersburg Timesasked him...

The rate of past-due car payments in Florida has fallen during the past year, mirroring a nationwide trend and providing a glimmer of hope that more cash-strapped Floridians are getting their financial act together, according to a new survey.

AutoNation, America's largest automotive retailer, said that its retail new vehicle unit sales in August fell 17 percent to 18,669 compared to August 2009, which benefited from the Cash for Clunkers program.

The FCAT you've come to know &#x97; and often complain about &#x97; is changing this school year as the state pushes higher academic standards and new testing.

Comair, Delta's regional subsidiary, announced plans Wednesday to cut its fleet by more than half and to reduce staff accordingly. The Cincinnati-based carrier operates Delta's 24 daily flights at Miami International Airport but stopped flying to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach earlier this year, according to the airports. It was unclear Wednesday whether the Miami flights would eventually be affected.

In his tool-packed workshop in Rough and Ready, Calif., David Burns creates a copper forest that will never die.

Most people know about the geothermal system in Boise's Downtown and Warm Springs area. It's one of the oldest in the country.

Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene accused The Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times in a libel lawsuit filed Wednesday of orchestrating a ``plan to assassinate [his] character'' that cost him the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Florida. Greene,...