Latest Articles

  • Approval of Christina RaceTrac Store Upheld

    Approval of Christina RaceTrac Store Upheld

    BARTOW | County commissioners voted Tuesday to uphold county planners' approval of a new RaceTrac convenience store near the intersection of State Road 37 and Christina Boulevard.

  • Commission Says No Chickens for Lake Alfred

    Commission Says No Chickens for Lake Alfred

    LAKE ALFRED | Chickens are not welcome in Lake Alfred after city commissioners Monday night denied a change to the city code that would have allowed the birds in city neighborhoods.

  • 8 Million to Gain Legal Status in Senate Bill

    About 8 million immigrants living unlawfully in the United States would gain legal status under sweeping legislation moving toward a vote in the Senate.

  • IRS Worker: No Political Bias Against Tea Party

    An Internal Revenue Service manager and self-described conservative Republican said the close scrutiny of tea party groups' tax forms originated in his Cincinnati IRS office and not in Washington.

  • Director: NSA Program Foiled Plot to Bomb Stock Exchange

    Director  NSA Program Foiled Plot to Bomb Stock Exchange

    The U.S. foiled a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange because of the sweeping surveillance programs at the heart of a debate over national security and personal privacy, officials said Tuesday at a rare open hearing on intelligence — a...

  • Bringing Amazon to Florida: Retailers Seek Laws To Resolve Tax Issue

    Although some conservative lawmakers support the measure, other lawmakers and anti-tax groups have criticized the bill as a "tax increase."

  • LRMC Buys 13 Properties from City of Lakeland to Expand Medical Campus

    LRMC Buys 13 Properties from City of Lakeland to Expand Medical Campus

    Lakeland city commissioners voted 6-0 to approve the sale of 13 pieces of property to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for $2.4 million.

  • G8 Summit: U.S. and EU Agree to Start Free Trade Talks

    G8 Summit  U S  and EU Agree to Start Free Trade Talks

    ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland | The European Union and the United States will open negotiations next month on a long-sought deal to create free trade between the world's two mightiest economic regions, an effort designed to create millions of jobs...

  • On the Agenda

    MONDAY
    LAKELAND CITY COMMISSION
    TIME: 9 a.m.
    LOCATION: 228 S. Massachusetts Ave.
    LAKELAND UTILITY COMMITTEE
    TIME: 1 p.m.
    LOCATION: 228 S. Massachusetts Ave.
    BARTOW CITY COMMISSION

  • Political Calendar

    WINTER HAVEN 9-12 PROJECT GROUP
    The Winter Haven 9-12 Project group will meet 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Poolside Room at the Chain of Lakes Complex, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven.

  • Snubbed Former State Senator Nan Rich Revels in Free Media

    Snubbed Former State Senator Nan Rich Revels in Free Media

    Nan Rich easily got more out of not speaking at the Florida Democrats' annual fundraising dinner than she would have if she had been given the five minutes she wanted to address party activists.

  • IRS Scandal Threatens Funding of New Law

    WASHINGTON | Mounting scandals at the Internal Revenue Service are jeopardizing critical funding for the agency as it gears up to play a big role in President Barack Obama's health care law.

  • Obama Positioned More Aggressively on Syria Ahead of G-8 Summit

    Obama Positioned More Aggressively on Syria Ahead of G 8 Summit

    After months of caution, President Barack Obama suddenly is positioned more aggressively on Syria than the global leaders he's joining at a summit Monday, now that he has authorized weapons and ammunition shipments to struggling rebels.

  • Votes in Congress

    SENATE
    IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL

  • House OKs $638 Billion Defense Bill

    WASHINGTON | The House overwhelmingly passed a sweeping, $638 billion defense bill Friday that imposes new punishments on members of the armed services found guilty of rape or sexual assault.

  • Medicaid Managed Care Plan Gets Final Approval

    TALLAHASSEE | The federal government gave final approval Friday to Florida's long-debated proposal to overhaul the Medicaid system by requiring beneficiaries statewide to enroll in HMOs and other types of managed-care plans.

  • Half of Those Younger Than 5 Are Minorities, Census Finds

    WASHINGTON | For the first time, America’s racial and ethnic minorities now make up about half of the under-5 age group, the government said Thursday. It’s a historic shift that shows how young people are at the forefront of sweeping...

  • Health Care Act May Not Be Affordable for All

    WASHINGTON | It's called the Affordable Care Act, but President Barack Obama's health care law may turn out to be unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels.

  • Official: Terrorists Change Tactics After Leaks

    WASHINGTON | The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Thursday that terrorists are already changing their behavior after leaks about classified U.S. data gathering programs, but he offered no details.

  • Obama to Arm Syrian Rebels After Use of Chemical Weapons Against Them

    Obama to Arm Syrian Rebels After Use of Chemical Weapons Against Them

    WASHINGTON | President Barack Obama has authorized sending weapons to Syrian rebels for the first time, U.S. officials said Thursday, after the White House disclosed that the United States has conclusive evidence Syrian President Bashar Assad's...

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