News in United States

• Higher education: Students talk to astronauts
  

  Pinellas County students got to talk to astronauts as they floated through space Thursday morning.

• Zephyrhills man arrested on charges of possession of child porn
  

  A 49-year-old man was arrested Thursday on seven charges of possession of child pornography, a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report said.

• Crews try to reach smoldering homes in Calif. blast zone
  

  Fire crews tried to douse the remnants of an enormous blaze and account for the residents of dozens of homes today after a gas line ruptured and an explosion ripped through in a neighborhood near San Francisco, killing at least four people.

• Tampa teacher dies after being struck by minivan
  

  The wreck happened about 7:15 a.m. on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, deputies said.

• Castro says he was misinterpreted on Cuban economy
  

  Fidel Castro said today that his comments about Cuba's communist economic model no longer working were misinterpreted by a visiting American journalist — taking back an admission that had caused a stir around the globe.

• Winter Haven traffic control goes high tech
  

  The city streets just got a lot more automated thanks to a new $4 million traffic monitoring system.

• Mulberry mayor charged with having sex with teen
  

  The mayor of the city of Mulberry has been charged by the Polk County Sheriff's Office with having sex with a 17-year-old boy.

• 9/11 politicized by mosque, Quran controversies
  

  For almost a decade, the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was marked by somber reflection and a call to unity, devoid of politics. Not this time.

• Roger Ebert to appear on movie review show
  

  Film critic Roger Ebert, who lost his ability to speak and eat after cancer surgeries, said Friday that he is returning to television on a movie review show that he is producing for public television.

• Florida growers see orange juice sales decline
  

  Orange juice sales are on pace to be the lowest since the late 1990s, squeezed by a stubbornly slow economy, rising prices and increasing drink options on store shelves.

• Bucs radio voice Deckerhoff won't be blacked out for Browns game
  

  The voice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knows his voice is even more important this Sunday.

• USF fans excited at prospect of win against Gators
  

  For the past three years, the University of South Florida Bulls football team has flirted with national attention. Games with West Virginia have been memorable landmarks; as was last years thumping of Florida State.

• Winkles, killer of 2 Pinellas women, dies in prison
  

  James Winkles, convicted for the murders of two women in Pinellas County 30 years ago, died Thursday on Florida's death row near Starke while awaiting execution.

• Atlanta airport finalist drops out, leaving Miller and 1 other
  

  One of the three candidates for general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport dropped out of the running today, leaving former Tampa International Airport director Louis Miller and former Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport director Lester Robinson in the running.

• Accountant to plead guilty in scheme to defraud Cast-Crete
  

  An accountant has agreed to plead guilty to federal mail fraud and tax evasion charges in a scheme to steal millions from a company founded by the late conservative activist Ralph Hughes.

• Bucs CB E.J. Biggers steps into starter's role for Talib
  

  Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback E.J. Biggers is no Aqib Talib.

• USF Bulls aim to weather heated atmosphere in 'Swamp'
  

  Now it's real.

• MTV hoping to move on from West debacle at VMAs
  

  Don't expect a duet between Kanye West and Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards.

• Buju Banton codefendant may testify against reggae singer
  

  A codefendant of Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton has agreed to cooperate with the government as part of a plea deal in his drug case.

• Median price on grocery basket at 5 stores: $63 to $77
  

  Grocery prices are going up.