News: Scripps Howard News Service
The final race for the White House is on
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- After two boisterous national political conventions and two powerful acceptance speeches, which largely succeeded in rallying the party faithful, Republican and Democratic insiders agree both Barack Obama and John McCain must do a better job of convincing swing voters they have a plan for prescribing steroids for the weak economy.
Angola's long march to peaceful elections
SOMBE, Angola -- The last time Arminda Evaristo cast a ballot, the war came back. Sixteen years ago, when she was 20, she voted in the national election that was supposed to transition the country out of nearly two decades of civil war -- a war in which Evaristo saw her grandmother decapitated by vengeful rebels.
Alcatraz gardens are being restored
Alcatraz brings to mind images of hardened prisoners, tough guards and a thankless rock stuck in the middle of a rough, cold bay.
But even prisoners' lives need a little sunshine -- or, in this case, roses, fuchsias and geraniums.
Redesign of basic courses can increase student success
Anyone who thinks computer-programming courses are as boring as binary code hasn't been to the University of Pittsburgh, where Daniel Mosse has enlisted Samurai warriors and ballerinas to help teach.
These and other 3-D animations, culled from instructional software developed at Carnegie Mellon University, are helping the Pitt professor breathe life into an introductory course.
Environmentally-friendly flooring company finds success
It's 2008: The housing market is a mess, new home construction is half the level of four years ago and remodeling sales are down. It's a pretty crummy time to be in the building supply industry.
But not for EcoTimber.
War on terror ... Obama's big in Alaska ... Sears, Army team up
WASHINGTON -- Seven years on, the war on terror -- at least at home -- may well have been won.
An effort to boost border-security technology
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Imagine an invisible laser beam homed in on the carotid artery in your neck, reading your blood pressure, pulse and respiration rate as you wait in line to cross the U.S.-Mexican border.
Chub may replace mosquito fish for pest control
CORONA, Calif. -- Contrary to its name, the mosquito fish might not be king fish when it comes to mosquito abatement.
September is the region's traditional peak in mosquito populations and West Nile virus outbreaks, and 2008 promises to be a bad year for the spread of the virus.
John Edwards cancels engagements to help Obama's chances
Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has decided to stay out of public view until after the election, saying he doesn't want the controversy surrounding his extramarital affair to harm the candidacy of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Facing drought, Calif. orders creation of 'water bank'
SACRAMENTO -- Anticipating another bone-dry winter, California is preparing to act as a water go-between next year, buying from water-rich districts in the north and selling to cities and farmers hit hard by drought.
Like a moose to cabbage... Gay Republicans... Hello? Hello?
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Snapshots from the Republican National Convention:
The Republicans went to great lengths to make sure everyone noticed that the podium from which John McCain accepted the party's presidential nomination Thursday was far simpler and more humble than the Parthenon-meets-the-White-House-columns in front of which Barack Obama appeared for his speech.
Anarchists plotted to kidnap GOP delegates, affidavit says
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- GOP-ANARCHISTS (Pheifer, Minneapolis Star Tribune) -- ST.
Palin's command of Alaska National Guard limited
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- When presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain introduced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate last week, the Arizona senator emphasized her role as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard.
Florida delegates rated Palin 'amazing'
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Floridians attending the Republican National Convention convention were so taken with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin that Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, speaking to state delegates Thursday morning, sounded almost critical when he said, "Sarah Palin was good last night. Very good." 600.
Palin isn't making this easy
Now you've seen Sarah Palin, and now, I'm guessing, a lot of you are more confused than ever.
Whatever your expectations, Palin passed her first test. She was confident. She was occasionally funny. She was reliably very, very, extremely conservative.
Democrats to Palin: Let's hear some solutions
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- After a night when Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin rocked the Republican-packed Xcel Energy Center with a message of small-town can-doism and mockery of alleged Democratic elitism, Democrats demanded her specifics on national issues.
Black Nev. delegate is proud of Obama, but backs McCain
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Lorraine Marshall of Las Vegas is one of only 36 African American delegates at the Republican National Convention, and the only one in the Nevada delegation.
But Marshall doesn't feel alone.
Ex-eBay chief Whitman a rising GOP star
SAN FRANCISCO -- Former eBay chief Meg Whitman is one of the fastest-rising stars in the GOP universe, and her stature as national co-chair for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign was highlighted this week with her speech at the Republican National Convention on economic reform.
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION BUDGET
Here is the Scripps Howard News Service budget of stories and opinion pieces on the REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION for Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008. If you have questions or comments, SHNS editors can be reached at 202-408-1484. For all SHNS content and archives visit our Web site at www.shns.com.
NEWS ... PROFILES ... NOTES:
Now 100, identical Indiana twins look back
Curtis and Curran Carter sit in the dining room of Curran's Newburgh, Ind., apartment, their conversation bouncing from heat waves, big snows and milking cows before school to cars, fishing and late-night talk show host Jay Leno.
