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Homeland Security Advisory System Current Threat Level September 15, 2008 — The United States government's national threat level is Elevated, or Yellow. The U.S. threat level is High, or Orange, for all domestic and international flights. Only small amounts of liquids, aerosols and gels are allowed in carry-on baggage. See the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Web site for up-to-date information on items permitted and prohibited on airlines. There is no credible, specific intelligence suggesting an imminent threat to the homeland at this time. Still, we are closely assessing potential threats and response planning leading into and following the electoral process...

Crist on Ike: Evacuations may be necessary Friday, September 5, 2008 TALLAHASSEE (Bay News 9) -- Gov. Charlie Crist says the danger to Florida posed by Hurricane Ike is real and growing. He will head to Miami on Saturday to meet with local officials from the four-county South Florida region, and says it may become necessary to evacuate as many as 1.3-million people from the low-lying Keys, mobile home parks and other vulnerable areas. Another possibility, Crist said, is converting I-95 to one-way northbound traffic, if necessary, to make a mass exodus more efficient. Ike is a Category 3 storm...

TALLAHASSEE (Bay News 9) -- A state of emergency has been issued for Florida in response to Tropical Storm Hanna. Gov. Charlie Crist declared the state of emergency Tuesday morning as Hanna prepared to pass across the Bahamas in the next few days. Hanna is the third system to threaten Florida in the past three weeks and one of four current name weather systems in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. More Information State of Emergency declared The storm is about 550 southeast of Miami and could be a Category 2 storm by the end of the week as...

Edwards' mistress raised in Ocala By Fred Hiers Star-Banner Published: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. OCALA - Before she was former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' mistress, before she was Rielle Hunter, before she was the face splashed on national television networks, she was the teenage equestrienne Lisa Druck of Ocala. Chuck Olsen/The Associated Press At work: In this video still, Rielle Hunter films John Edwards after a rally in New Hampshire in 2006.In a story already spawning countless tabloid headlines, here's another - Hunter was familiar with controversy...

WTNT85 KNHC 032031 TCVAT5 FIVE WATCH/WARNING BREAKPOINTS/ADVISORY NUMBER 1 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL052008 400 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008 .TROPICAL DEPRESSION FIVE LAZ054-059-065-066-067-068-069-040300- /O.NEW.KNHC.TR.W.1005.080803T2100Z-000000T0000Z/ 400 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008 INTRACOASTAL-CITY-LA 29.62N 92.04W MOUTH-MISSISSIPPI-RIVER-LA 29.12N 89.10W $$ LAZ051-052-TXZ200-213-214-215-235-236-237-238-040300- /O.NEW.KNHC.TR.A.1005.080803T2100Z-000000T0000Z/ 400 PM CDT SUN AUG 3 2008 PORT-OCONNOR-TX 28.39N 96.41W INTRACOASTAL-CITY-LA 29.62N 92.04W $$ ATTN...WFO...HGX...LIX...LCH...

Obama's Plane Scare July 08, 2008 7:36 AM By the time we all heard about it the unscheduled stop that the campaign plane of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, made in St. Louis yesterday was ultimately uneventful. But the incident was quite dicey there for a spell. As the pilot struggled to re-gain control of the pitch of the plane - the angle of the nose of the plane - Obama was told that he and the other 44 passengers on board might have to assume the brace position upon landing, bending forward with their heads between their knees. That ultimately...

BULLETIN HURRICANE BERTHA ADVISORY NUMBER 17 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL022008 500 AM AST MON JUL 07 2008 ...BERTHA BECOMES THE FIRST HURRICANE OF THE 2008 ATLANTIC SEASON... AT 500 AM AST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 50.2 WEST OR ABOUT 845 MILES... 1365 KM...EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH...28 KM/HR. A CONTINUED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...AS BERTHA REMAINS OVER THE WATERS OF THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC. IT IS STILL TOO...

The Greenest Show on Earth: Democrats Gear Up for Denver From Organic Fanny Packs to 'Pure' Trash, Party Planners Face Logistical Nightmare By STEPHANIE SIMON June 25, 2008; Page A1 DENVER -- As the Mile High City gears up to host a Democratic bash for 50,000, organizers are discovering the perils of trying to stage a political spectacle that's also politically correct. Consider the fanny packs. With biodegradable balloons and organic snacks, Denver Democrats hope to stage the "greenest convention" ever. See examples. The host committee for the Democratic National Convention wanted 15,000 fanny packs for volunteers. But they had...

BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM ARTHUR SPECIAL ADVISORY NUMBER 1 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012008 100 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM ARTHUR...FIRST STORM OF THE 2008 ATLANTIC SEASON...QUICKLY FORMS NEAR THE COAST OF BELIZE...ALREADY MOVING INLAND... AT 1 PM EDT...1700 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE COAST OF BELIZE....AND THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM CABO CATOCHE SOUTHWARD TO THE BORDER WITH BELIZE. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA..IN THIS CASE...WITHIN THE NEXT 6 TO 12 HOURS....

Proposed Law Looks to Wipe Out Problem TALLAHASSEE (CBS4.com) ― A proposed law currently making its way through the Florida legislature might help you with what can be an embarrassing problem. Here's the bottom line, the bill would be a mandate that all eating establishment must have enough toilet paper when you go into the restroom. The only problem is the bill doesn't dictate how much toilet paper is "enough." State Senator Victor Crist, a Republican from Tampa, felt the problem was so important, a law must be passed to protect the backsides of anyone in Florida. The measure will...

March 11, 2008 Read More: Romney Romney says he'd take Veep, calls McCain "Big Dog" Mitt Romney said in his first interview since departing the GOP race that he would accept the number two position on the ticket and that there is no lingering bitterness between him and John McCain. “I think any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included," Romney told FOX's Sean Hannity in a broadcast set to air tonight. "Of course this is a nation which needs strong leadership. And if the nominee of...

Gay marriage amendment may impact presidential race Sunday, February 10, 2008 The issue on whether to ban same-sex marriages is expected draw more conservatives to the polls.STATE (Bay News 9) -- An amendment on the ballot in November could impact the presidential election. The amendment would ban same-sex marriages. It defines marriage as a legal union of only one man and one woman. Like Amendment 1 on property tax reform did earlier this month, Amendment 2 is expected to draw a high number of voters to the polls. "It will become a big issue as it relates to turnout," said...

Is Crist in McCain's future? Friday, February 8, 2008 Gov. Charlie Crist, rear, helped Sen. John McCain win the GOP Florida primary. TALLAHASSEE (Bay News 9) -- A month into the primary season and the GOP is close to having its candidate. Arizona Sen. John McCain has racked up enough victories to claim the party's presumptive presidential nomination. Now his big decision is who to pick for a running mate. Governor Charlie Crist likes to say everyone loves Florida. Possibly the only man who loves her more than Crist is McCain, whose triumph in the Florida primary was due in...

5 dead after crash at "fly-in" community runway Associated Press - January 26, 2008 2:44 PM ET OCALA, Fla. (AP) - Florida Highway Patrol says five young men are dead today after a car they were riding in crashed after traveling off an airport runway. The runway is at the exclusive "fly-in" community of Jumbolair Aviation Estates. The crash at the community, which is also the home of actor John Travolta, happened at about 3:45 a.m. According to a preliminary FHP investigation, a 2008 gray BMW with 5 occupants, ages 18 to 20, was traveling at a high rate of...

Ex-Lawmaker Charged in Terror Conspiracy Jan 16 02:42 PM US/Eastern By LARA JAKES JORDAN Associated Press Writer 19 Comments WASHINGTON (AP) - A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al-Qaida and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan. The former Republican congressman from Michigan, Mark Deli Siljander, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to...

BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM OLGA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 4A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172007 800 PM AST TUE DEC 11 2007 ...HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE FINDS OLGA A LITTLE STRONGER WITH TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF HISPANIOLA FROM CABO ENGANO IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO LE MOLE ST. NICHOLAS HAITI. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM CABO ENGANO TO PUNTA PALENQUE. FOR STORM INFORMATION...

SPECIAL TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATEMENT NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1030 PM EST SUN DEC 9 2007 THE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CENTERED ABOUT 425 MILES EAST OF PUERTO RICO REMAINS FAIRLY WELL-ORGANIZED...BUT SATELLITE IMAGES AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT THIS SYSTEM HAS NOT DEVELOPED A CLOSED CIRCULATION YET. THIS SYSTEM IS MOVING WESTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH AND IS PRODUCING HEAVY SQUALLS WITH GALE FORCE WINDS TO THE NORTH OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS APPEAR TO BE FAVORABLE FOR SOME DEVELOPMENT AND A TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL STORM COULD FORM...

By BILL POOVEY, Associated Press Writer Wed Oct 3, 3:15 AM ET CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - In an unlikely marriage of desire to secede from the United States, two advocacy groups from opposite political traditions — New England and the South — are sitting down to talk. ADVERTISEMENT Tired of foreign wars and what they consider right-wing courts, the Middlebury Institute wants liberal states like Vermont to be able to secede peacefully. That sounds just fine to the League of the South, a conservative group that refuses to give up on Southern independence. "We believe that an independent South, or Hawaii,...

SPECIAL TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATEMENT NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 400 PM EDT THU SEP 20 2007 A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATING THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO FOUND A BROAD CIRCULATION CENTERED ABOUT 115 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF ST. PETERSBURG FLORIDA. THE AIRCRAFT WILL CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE LOW THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS YET THAT THE LOW HAS BEGUN TO ACQUIRE TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WITH THIS SYSTEM REMAINS LIMITED AND DISORGANIZED. HOWEVER...THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO AS IT MOVES WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...

FDA says food recall is urgent health threat Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:49PM EDT By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A recall of canned meat products and dog food made at a Georgia plant due to botulism fears could involve tens of millions of cans that pose an urgent public health threat, U.S. officials said on Monday. U.S. food regulators appealed to consumers and retailers to find and dispose of the cans. Two people in Texas and two others in Indiana remain seriously ill and hospitalized with botulism poisoning associated with eating Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce, officials said. "This...