While residents in some Western and Plains states were digging out Friday after an early blast of snow, heavy rain and strong winds that toppled trees, power lines and church steeples lashed parts of the South, leaving one person dead. ...more

October 31, 2009

As more Floridians face losing their homes to foreclosure, more crooks emerge to take advantage of them, and the state's attorney general says the problem has become a crisis. ...more

March 27, 2009

Florida's attorney general says mortgage fraud in the state has become a crisis, and he's asking state agencies to step up their plans to battle mortgage fraud in a more cooperative way. ...more

March 26, 2009

A winter storm blew through northern New England on Monday, dumping 2 feet of snow in spots, forcing schools to cancel classes and leaving tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power. ...more

February 24, 2009

The economic situation in one Florida county is so bad that an official wants to declare a state of emergency. ...more

February 10, 2009

Visitors in town for the Super Bowl will pay a lot more than usual to stay and play in the Bay area. Don't expect action from the Florida Attorney General's Office, though: The state's gouging restrictions only apply during a state of emergency. A sports windfall, under the law, is no hurricane. ...more

January 29, 2009

Joined by people seeking shelter from the bitter cold, parishioners at the Jaffrey Bible Church on Sunday thanked God for a warm place to sleep and for the utility crews struggling to repair power lines snapped by New England's devastating ice storm. ...more

December 14, 2008

Protesters occupying Bangkok's two airports braced for a raid Thursday night after Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat declared a limited state of emergency authorizing police to take back the terminals. ...more

November 28, 2008

Mandate Generators We here in Tampa Bay have watched a parade of hurricanes swirl around us and breathed a collective sigh of relief when they did not directly hit the area. Is Florida really as ready as we can be for the next "big one?" I've watched the news and see cities without power for days, and lines for relief and supplies. Since the weather is so unpredictable and we don't or can't all evacuate, I think our Legislature should pass new laws that mandate that all gas stations and grocery stores in the state have generators to keep them running when power is out. That way, those who endure the aftermath will have access to food and gas to keep things running until things are repaired and moving back to normal. ...more

September 19, 2008

The Florida Attorney General's office has received 50 gasoline price gouging complaints from Highlands County as of noon Monday. According to Florida law, price gouging on essential commodities, including gasoline, is prohibited during a declared state of emergency. ...more

September 15, 2008