it's not just about the road to the Final Four anymore. With the announced resignation of Cathi Martin, it's also about finding someone to fill, appropriate to the season, the fifth spot on the Pasco County School Board roster. ...more

March 18, 2009

A state agency will hire an independent auditor to determine how former Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson spent federal funds meant for voter education and equipment. ...more

March 12, 2009

Perhaps it was all the hoopla about the historic nature of Barack Obama's presidency. Maybe the hype of election night and all that talk about wishing our first black president well actually made us all believe, for just a fleeting moment in time, that things would not be as bad as we feared they would be. ...more

February 12, 2009

It's official: Michelle Obama is the first lady of American fashion, appearing on the cover of the March issue of Vogue. ...more

February 10, 2009

Braving frigid temperatures, an exuberant crowd of hundreds of thousands packed the National Mall on Tuesday to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as America's first black president. He grasps the reins of power in a high-noon ceremony amid grave economic worries and high expectations. ...more

January 20, 2009

In a bizarre postscript to the problem-plagued Nov. 4 election, Hillsborough County officials said Friday they have discovered 440 uncounted ballots more than two months after the official results were submitted to the state for certification. ...more

January 17, 2009

Tuesday was her first day on the job, and Hillsborough County's new elections supervisor was faced with a $2 million deficit and voting machines that had misfired on election night. ...more

January 6, 2009

A Minnesota board has certified results showing Democrat Al Franken winning the state's U.S. Senate recount over Republican Norm Coleman, but a legal challenge probably will keep the race in limbo. ...more

January 5, 2009

Every American president is at risk of an assassination attempt. But because of the historic nature of President-elect Barack Obama's victory as the first black in that office, the risk of assassination is greater. ...more

November 30, 2008

While I'm no fan of Barack Obama, it's hard to not be proud of the fact that Americans have shed enough of their prejudices to elect a black man president. As a nation we're not that far removed from segregated classrooms, separate drinking fountains and other racist policies, but we have progressed mightily very quickly. ...more

November 19, 2008