It happened in Rome, on the way to Florence. Joe Maddon had said for months that he hoped to run into just one person wearing Rays gear on his honeymoon in Europe in November as a sign that his team had truly arrived. Enter Ryan Atwood of New Tampa, spotted wearing a Rays cap in the train station as Maddon and his bride Jaye waited to head off to Italy for the second stop on a tour that also took them to Prague and London. ...more

December 9, 2008

Criticizing the White House directly for the first time since November's election, President-elect Barack Obama on Sunday accused President Bush of not doing enough to stem the nation's home foreclosure crisis. ...more

December 8, 2008

Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss handed the GOP a firewall against Democrats eager to flex their newfound political muscle in Washington, winning a bruising runoff battle Tuesday night that had captured the national limelight. ...more

December 3, 2008

President Bush expressed remorse that the global financial crisis has cost jobs and harmed retirement accounts and said he'll back more government intervention if needed to ease the recession. ...more

December 1, 2008

Barack Obama has succeeded where Hillary Clinton failed. She hoped to win a third Clinton term, but it is her vanquisher who is reconstituting the Clinton administration. Obama's just-named nominee for treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, served under Clinton Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Larry Summers. Summers is Obama's choice to head the National Economic Council. Both are part of Rubin's circle, known for its brains and its relative moderation. ...more

November 29, 2008

President George W. Bush is relishing the chance to see "the klieg lights shift somewhere else," although he admits he'll miss perks like White House cooking and flying on Air Force One. ...more

November 28, 2008

171 Number of pardons President Bush has granted in seven years 2,064 Number of petitions for a pardon Bush received in seven years ...more

November 25, 2008

Amtrak ridership continues to increase nationwide and on the Silver Star through Tampa as travelers seek alternatives to paying costly gasoline prices. ...more

November 22, 2008

For those of us who didn't live through The Great Depression, these days are as scary as they come when it comes to our country's economic situation. It seems as if every day there's a new angle to our woes, and most folks feel helpless to do anything about it. ...more

November 21, 2008

Cuba, hit by three hurricanes this season, is struggling through a new cycle of hard times. Its rich northern neighbor, Florida, is in recession and also could use some economic help. ...more

November 19, 2008