Author: Tamara Lush
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‘Fifty Shades’ too steamy for some library shelves
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Public libraries in several states are pulling the racy romance trilogy “Fifty Shades of Grey” from shelves or deciding not to order the best-seller at all, saying it’s too steamy or too poorly written. Even in the age of e-books and tablets, banning a book from a public library still…
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Rare turtle found stranded in Europe returns “home” to Gulf
SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Johnny the sea turtle has traveled more than many people do. But the journey that took him from the Gulf of Mexico to Europe and back isn’t over yet. The 68-pound, rare Kemp’s ridley turtle was released into the Gulf on Tuesday morning near Sarasota. About 300 people stood on the…
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Giant box close to being over oil-spewing well
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO — A 100-ton concrete-and-steel box plunged toward a blown-out well at the bottom of the sea Friday in a first-of-its-kind attempt to stop most of the gushing crude fouling the Gulf of Mexico. The quest took on added urgency as oil reached several barrier islands off the Louisiana coast, many…
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BP brings in the big box to deal with oil disaster
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO — Workers gathered to begin lowering a giant concrete-and-steel box over the blown-out oil well at the bottom of the sea Thursday in a risky and untested bid to capture most of the gushing crude and avert a wider environmental disaster. “We haven’t done this before. It’s very complex and…
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U.S.: No troops flights for now through Kyrgyzstan
TAMPA, Florida — The U.S. military does not know when troop flights vital to the war in Afghanistan will resume through a key Central Asian air base after being suspended last week because of a political revolt in Kyrgyzstan, a U.S. Central Command spokesman said Tuesday . Major John Redfield, a spokesman for the Florida-based…
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Achoo! Pollen at its worst in years in many areas
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Pollen: It’s on your car, in the air and especially in your sinuses. From Colorado to Texas to Florida, 2010 is shaping up to be a monster of an allergy season. The words “pollen” and “allergy” are among the top 10 trending topics on Twitter in several U.S. cities. Everywhere, it…
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Fewer shark attacks reported in U.S., study says
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Good news for beachgoers: The number of shark attacks in the United States has declined, according to a University of Florida report released Monday. The number of attacks reported in the U.S. dropped from 41 in 2008 to 28 in 2009, said George Burgess, curator of the International Shark Attack File…
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Aid groups struggle to get food, water to Haitians
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti • Aid workers hoping to distribute food, water and other supplies to a shattered Port-au-Prince are warning their efforts may need more security today as Haitians grow increasingly desperate and impatient for help. Hundreds of U.S. paratroopers arrived overnight to back up the relief effort. Hard-pressed government workers, meanwhile, were burying thousands of…
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Angels & Demons in Rome: Tour book and movie sites
ROME – On the stone steps of the 500-year-old Santa Maria del Popolo church, our tour group huddled around our guide in a tight circle. “Come closer,” the guide said. We leaned in even more. “Be really quiet inside,” he advised. He was holding a tattered, hardcover copy of Dan Brown’s “Angels & Demons,” and…
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Town sympathizes with Travolta
OCALA, Fla. • This small central Florida town is about as far from Hollywood as you can get. Maybe that’s why actor John Travolta moved his family here. The town square features a fondue restaurant, the social scene revolves around ranchers’ soirees, and horse riding is one of the main pastimes. Mobile-home parks, peanut farms…