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TAMPA, Fla. (970 WFLA) - Beware of cranking up your car stereo in Tampa. City council has given preliminary approval to a new noise ordinance that would outlaw car stereo noise that can be heard 50 feet or more from the car. A first-time offiense will set you back $250. That goes up to $450 for a second offense. If you're cited a third time, it's 60 days in jail. Council member Lisa Monteleone thinks that's a bit too harsh. She believes that will put more young people behind bars. And she spars with Councilman Charlie Miranda over that fact....

TAMPA — The son of a Lutz fertility doctor killed an ex-girlfriend's unborn child by tricking her into taking an abortion drug, federal authorities said Wednesday. The act could put John Andrew Welden, 28, in prison for life. Welden forged the doctor's signature on a prescription for Cytotec, relabeled a pill bottle as "Amoxicillin" and told the woman that his father wanted her on antibiotics, a federal prosecutor asserted Wednesday. The incident occurred in March after an ultrasound at Dr. Stephen Ward Welden's office confirmed the pregnancy, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Muldrow. The doctor, a board certified obstetrician...

TAMPA - Bomb threats, fistfights and TV news vans outside. It's just another day for a taco joint serving tacos made with real lion meat. “We're getting all kinds of threats over it,” said Ryan Gougeon, owner of Taco Fusion on Bay to Bay Boulevard in Tampa that put lion meat on their taco menu this week. Controversy soon erupted and social media exploded with criticism that anyone would serve lion meat. “Now we're getting bomb threats, and everything else. Some guy just called and said he'd kidnap me and grind me up for a taco. There are so many...

A Saudi family who “fled” their Sarasota area home weeks before 9/11 had “many connections” to “individuals associated with the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001,” according to newly released FBI records. One partially declassified document, marked “secret,” lists three of those individuals and ties them to the Venice, Fla., flight school where suicide hijackers Mohamed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi trained. Accomplice Ziad Jarrah took flying lessons at another school a block away. Atta and al-Shehhi were at the controls of the jetliners that slammed into the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center, killing nearly 3,000 people. Jarrah was the...

Sheriff's deputies are asking for the public's help to find two children taken from their grandmother's home Wednesday morning. Authorities say Joshua Hakken came into Patricia Hauser's home, on the 14000 block of Shady Shores Drive, tied her up and took her two grandchildren. Hakken fled the home in Hauser's 2009 silver Toyota Camry. Authorities are looking for the children, 2-year old Chase and 4-year old Cole Hakken, who could possibly be in a black 2006 GMC pickup with Florida tag BHNV-86 registered to Joshua Hakken. Deputies believe Sharyn Hakken may be with them as well. Chase Hakken is 3...

Today, retired Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf was laid to rest at West Point. The commander of coalition forces in the first Gulf War was 78-years-old when he passed away on Dec. 27 in Tampa, Fla. due to complications from pneumonia. On Thursday, the U.S. Military Academy announced that a memorial service was held in honor of the four-star general who evicted the Iraqi army out of Kuwait in 1990.

ST. PETERSBURG — If the safety of those you love was threatened, how would you respond? Many people contemplate this question with commingled curiosity and fear. For Jeremy Reed and Anna Soto, the answer came early Sunday when a pair of violent men burst into the bedroom where they slept with their 7-day-old daughter. -------------------------------cut------------------------ By then, one of them had grabbed the keys to Soto's Mazda 6. They barreled out the front door and into the car. Reed ran back to the bedroom and emerged with a .22 rifle belonging to Soto. He stepped outside and pointed the gun...

Documents obtained by CBS News show that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discussed using their covert operation "Fast and Furious" to argue for controversial new rules about gun sales. PICTURES: ATF "Gunwalking" scandal timeline In Fast and Furious, ATF secretly encouraged gun dealers to sell to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels to go after the "big fish." But ATF whistleblowers told CBS News and Congress it was a dangerous practice called "gunwalking," and it put thousands of weapons on the street. Many were used in violent crimes in Mexico. Two were found at the murder...

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Obama administration official says a Tampa Bay socialite whose emails triggered the eventual downfall of CIA director David Petraeus visited the White House three times this year with her sister, twice eating in the Executive Mansion mess.

Tickets are still available for President Barack Obama's campaign appearance in Tampa on Thursday, campaign officials said today.

SNIPPET: "New York City is the center of a public uproar as Internet blogger Pamela Gellar rises with an “anti-jihad” ad campaign." SNIPPET: "Gellar and her group are protesting the Jihad, which in definition is the religious duty of Muslims. According to the Dictionary of Islam, jihad is defined as “A religious war with those who are unbelievers in the mission of Muhammad . . . enjoined especially for the purpose of advancing Islam and repelling evil from Muslims.” The literal meaning of jihad, according to the British Broadcasting Network, “is struggle or effort, and it means much more than...

Tampa FL, Adamo Drive & U.S. 301 - Obama bows to the Saudi King - Flanked by gasoline prices on Obama's first day in office and today. Awesome photo in "Comments."

More than 300 Social Security checks that should have gone to Tampa Bay residents earlier this month have been stolen, officials have confirmed. "Apparently this is fairly widespread," said U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, who has received calls from several distraught residents. "It's hundreds and mainly in Pinellas County." Young said he was told by investigators that the theft appeared to be an inside job carried out by one or two people, though he declined to divulge for which agencies the suspects work. "They have a target," he said of the investigators. "They know who it is."

Tampa, Fla., was like the Republican National Convention delegation -- older, more experienced, less excitable. Tampa has hosted the Super Bowl; the city had lots of space and nothing to prove. There was a been there/done that feel to the entire affair. Tampa Bay is used to welcoming visitors and has plenty of nice hotels to host them. You say a hurricane is coming? No worries. They laid out some sandbags, closed up for a night and started up a day later. No need to rush a convention. People don't come to Florida to be in a hurry. Charlotte, N.C.,...

Tonight, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is addressing the Republican National Convention. Why is he being given that honor, you say? That is a good question, since he is at great odds with both the party's nominee, the party's platform, and the American people on the issue of immigration, and continues to insult us on a weekly basis to pimp his pro-amnesty views that we have consistently rejected. At a forum on immigration, Bush said Republicans aren’t going to close the gap with Hispanic voters until they “stop acting stupid” by being too "tough" on "immigrants" (the usual code for illegal...

Some of you will want to read portions of Romney’s speech before he delivers it; some will not. For those that do, the excerpts that have been released by the Romney campaign are below: I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed. But his promises gave way to disappointment and division.  This isn’t something we have to accept. Now is the moment when we CAN do something. With your help we will do something. Now is the moment when we can stand up and say, “I’m an American. I make my destiny. And we deserve better!...

The radical pro-abortion group Code Pink has been doing its best to rain on the Republican convention parade in Tampa.Two members unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt pro-life vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s speech on Wednesday night, while the rest of the “vagina dancing� and costume-wearing crew has been relegated to the official protest areas outside the Republican convention. Below are pictures (courtesy Jill Stanek), a video and commentary about these radical activists.“Yesterday Code Pink activists were featured at the Planned Parenthood bus stop in Tampa, dressed in full frontal feminist regalia. These vulgar women represent mainstream American women?� Stanek writes, “At...

Pro-abortion activist Sandra Fluke and pro-abortion Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair and Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz crashed the Republican convention on Thursday afternoon.Leading up to the nomination acceptance speech from Mitt Romney, Fluke and Wasserman Schultz somehow made it through security and into the convention center to speak to members of the press. Reporters surrounded Schultz to get her take on the GOP convention. She made a brief statement to the press and walked to the Google-sponsored bloggers lounge where press members also are found.Although Democrats have set up an office near the GOP convention center, this was the...

It was a truce of sorts, delivered between two slices of bread. Food: from Tampa police officers to hungry protesters camping out at Romneyville, the unofficial headquarters of the many activists who gathered to protest the Republican National Convention this week. "I give them the most props of any police agency we've seen," said 28-year-old Brendan Hunt of Occupy Wall Street. The boxed lunches — sandwiches, fruit and ice cold bottled water — came after police heard that protesters were getting low on provisions. It didn't help that the big blue school bus-turned-kitchen that had been parked at Romneyville all...

Paul Ryan’s speech brought more than just cheers to the convention hall Wednesday night, it picked a fight. The VP candidate’s speech had RNC delegates at a fever pitch from the beginning. It brought a packed convention arena to its feet with over a dozen standing ovations. By many reports and reactions, Paul Ryan can count his keynote a resounding success. And while the speech was filled with conservative buzzwords, what really hat had the faithful cheering were the well timed one-liners about President Obama and his record. Convention delegate and lifelong Republican Mark Mitchell told TheBlaze, “That speech is...

TAMPA, Fla. — Here in the middle of the biggest gathering of Republicans in the world, you’d think the Occupiers and anarchists and liberals would be everywhere. But that hasn’t been the case. Maybe it’s the oppressive humidity, or threat of storms, or armies of police, but the protests have petered out on the streets of Tampa. The one place where hundreds of protesters were supposed to gather was dubbed “Romneyville,” a vacant lot next to an Army Navy store. But just a few dozen were there when the Truth Squad stopped by, and they weren’t doing any protesting —...

The result of the RNC new rules will be to centralize power in the hands of the Republican Establishment in Washington at the expense of the grass roots. It will also have the effect of making a primary challenge to Romney from the right in 2016 (if he wins) more difficult, given that he will control the party apparatus to an unprecedented degree given his new rules. Mark Levin stated that John Boehner ignored the “nos” which were at least as loud, if not louder than the “ayes” so that he could give Romney surrogate John Sununu, standing right next to...

Two RNC Attendees Threw Nuts At A Black CNN Employee And Said, 'This Is How We Feed Animals' Brett LoGiurato Aug. 29, 2012, 9:32 AM Two spectators at the Republican National Convention were kicked out Tuesday after allegedly throwing nuts at a black CNN employee and saying, "This is how we feed animals," according to a CNN report this morning. CNN did not have any further official comment beyond its short report. The convention released this statement this morning: “Two attendees tonight exhibited deplorable behavior. Their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated." The...

Robert Gibbs: ‘Angry’ night ‘full of insults’ By: Kevin Cirilli August 29, 2012 12:06 AM EDT In Tampa to lead the pushback for President Barack Obama’s campaign, top adviser Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that the first night of the Republican National Convention was “angry” and “strange” and “full of insults.” “I’m kind of flabbergasted at the whole night,” Gibbs said on MSNBC after Gov. Chris Christie’s keynote speech. “It seemed first and foremost like this was a very angry convention tonight full of insults.” He said that the night’s speakers, including House Speaker John Boehner, did not capture the struggles...

Code Pink Shakes Tampa Daily Beast - ‎6 hours ago‎ Spunky Code Pink cofounder Medea Benjamin dishes to Lynn Waddell on the Republican National Convention protest scene in Tampa—and why her antiwar group started wearing vagina costumes. Print; Email; Comments. Political activist Medea Benjamin ...   Read My Lips! Vaginas Protest Republican National Convention (VIDEO) Global Grind - ‎1 hour ago‎ Republicans need to read the lips of Code Pink activists who have been protesting outside the Republican National Convention against the GOP's war on women. STORY: A No-Show! Rep. Todd Akin Absent From Piers Morgan Interview. Dressed up as ......

The Hillsborough County School Board in Tampa Florida appears to be the only school district in Florida and perhaps the nation which will knowingly allows Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) officials to instruct students regarding Islam and Sharia law. Tragically, board members have no problem with CAIR officials giving their biased version of “Sharia”, “Human Rights and Islam” and “Women and Islam in different countries” to hundreds of students at Steinbrenner High School funded by taxpayer dollars. A condensed history of this issue is posted at the end of this article.

At 2:00 p.m. today in Tampa, the Republican National Committee, led by Team Romney, is moving to shut down conservative grassroots activists. I’ve been on the phone with several individuals involved in the fight who tell me that the fight is not over, it is only just starting.Specifically, the media is reporting that the rules fight is over because Team Romney is abandoning Ben Ginsberg’s effort to allow candidates to control delegates. Under an initial proposal, delegates would, in effect, be chosen by the presumed nominee’s campaign and not based on votes in the states and delegate selection processes in...

One arrested during peaceful — and wet — day of protest at Republican National ConventionBy Alexandra Zayas and Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writers Posted: Aug 27, 2012 05:06 PM TAMPA — Police arrested one protester on Monday afternoon and Tampa police Chief Jane Castor said that so far officers and protesters alike are getting along during this storm-shortened session of the Republic National Convention. "We hope this is it," Castor said. "But I doubt that's going to be the case." Police said protester Dominick De La Rosa, 19, was arrested on misdemeanor charges of wearing a mask — which is...

TAMPA -- A Republican National Convention protestor was arrested while he allegedly carried a machete strapped to his leg, according to deputies. According to Hillsborough County Sheriff's officials, Jason T. Wilson, of Tallahassee, was arrested as he walked in the RNC Event Zone carrying a "full size" machete. When deputies approached Wilson, they said he continued to walk away despite orders to stop. "When deputies caught up to Wilson, he advised he did not have to stop and that he was allowed to carry whatever he wanted," HCSO spokesperson Larry McKinnon said. When deputies attempted to physically stop him, Wilson...

Politico has an interesting and provocative interview with Mitt Romney this morning — although perhaps not provocative enough for some of the passionate base.  After dumping the “nice guy but failed President” argument in the overwhelming volume of nasty attacks from Barack Obama and his campaign, including insinuations of being a felon, a murderer, and a modern-day slaver, Romney tells Politico that the theme will return at the Republican National Convention this week in Tampa: Mitt Romney conceded President Barack Obama has succeeded in making him a less likable person, but he offered a defiant retort to those hoping he will open...

Monday 2:00 p.m. Chairman of the RNC Reince Priebus Call to Order/Start Debt Clocks 2:10 p.m. Announcement of Recess Tuesday 2:00 p.m. Chairman of the RNC Reince Priebus [SNIP] Roll Call for Nomination of President of the United States Roll Call for Nomination of Vice President of the United States [SNIP] Remarks by Speaker John Boehner [SNIP] Remarks by former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum Remarks by Host, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers 8:00 p.m. Remarks by U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH), accompanied by Jack Gilchrist Remarks by Governor John Kasich (OH) Remarks by Governor Mary Fallin (OK) Remarks by Governor...

Zeke Miller is reporting that a set of changes to the convention rules pushed through by Mitt Romney’s team is raising a few hackles among the delegates and could potentially lead to a squabble on the convention floor. The modifications in question deal – among other things – with the method used to select and approve the individual delegates from each state. Frustration over changes to the Republican Party’s rules pushed through by the Romney Campaign on Friday may lead to a fight on the floor of the Republican National Convention on Monday. The Convention Committee on Rules took a...

Like teenagers on vacation with their parents, Republicans from blue states and Democrats from red states don't want to be seen with party elders. "I don't spend a lot of time thinking about Mitt Romney," Elizabeth Emken, the Republican who will face off against Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November, recently told me. "That's the truth. I've never met him." Emken thinks she has a shot at winning the election precisely because she is not the pick of the GOP establishment. "We've had millionaires and billionaires and CEOs and movie stars," said Emken in a not-so-subtle swipe at former top-of-the...

Tropical Storm Isaac forced Republicans on Sunday to rewrite the script for their national convention in Tampa, as party officials scrambled to make sure candidate Mitt Romney's message to voters would not be blown off course. Isaac was expected to spare Tampa a direct hit and strike, with hurricane strength, farther north along the Gulf Coast this week. But it has left Republicans who canceled most of their schedule for Monday in anticipation of the storm with a new challenge for the convention's remaining three days: Help Romney make an aggressive, memorable argument to be president, while being careful to...

Mitt Romney’s legal advisor, Ben Ginsburg, has been attacking grassroots activism within the Republican Party during the Convention of the Rules Committee that met Friday prior to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL according to a source at the meeting.  I was told late yesterday that one of the amendments that he offered and was passed by the committee changes the RNC rules so that the presumptive nominee and the state party can decide who the delegates are that can go to the national convention.  The language of the rule states that the presidential nominee and state party can...

Like teenagers on vacation with their parents, Republicans from blue states and Democrats from red states don't want to be seen with party elders. "I don't spend a lot of time thinking about Mitt Romney," Elizabeth Emken, the Republican who will face off against Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November, recently told me. "That's the truth. I've never met him." Emken thinks she has a shot at winning the election precisely because she is not the pick of the GOP establishment. "We've had millionaires and billionaires and CEOs and movie stars," said Emken in a not-so-subtle swipe at former top-of-the...

St. Petersburg sees first RNC-related arrests after men found on downtown rooftop with weaponsBy Kameel Stanley, Times Staff Writer Tampa Bay Times In Print: Sunday, August 26, 2012 ST. PETERSBURG — Two suspected protesters were arrested after they were found playing with a BB gun atop a downtown parking garage, authorities said. **SNIP** They also found several items indicating the people were protesters, including antigovernment T-shirts and a backpack stuffed with a large machete, a pocketknife, tin snips and a pry tool, Puetz said. The backpack belonged to Trevor Swanson, 19, of St. Petersburg, who is prohibited from having weapons...

...... Soon, tens of thousands of Republicans will descend upon Tampa Bay, but this area's Democrats say they aren't going anywhere. Their schedules are packed: protests, rallies, vigils, press conferences, a visit from the vice president and even a secret-but-not-so-secret "counter-convention." "We don't want to ruin the convention for delegates," said Ella Coffee of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party, which opened its Tampa campaign office Thursday night. "We just want to be able to have a conversation." Preparation for that conversation starts today with a protest training session in Tampa. The Code Pink-organized gathering, which many area Democrats are expected...

Threats from anarchists have Tampa on lockdown ahead of GOP conventionBy Jordy Yager - 08/25/12 04:00 PM ET The city of Tampa, Fla., is on virtual lockdown this week as local and federal law enforcement authorities ready for tens of thousands of protesters, politicians and media to swarm the coastal metropolis during the Republican National Convention. With the Secret Service at the helm, the FBI, the Coast Guard and the military have taken extensive steps to guard against potential terrorist attacks as well as uprisings from anarchists intent on disrupting the five-day event. “As far as demonstrators, we don’t make...

Republicans have postponed their national convention in Tampa at least a day because of concerns about Tropical Storm Isaac. The event will kick off Monday morning but the convention will immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. “Due to the severe weather reports for the Tampa Bay area, the Republican National Convention will convene on Monday August 27th and immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon, August 28th. After consulting with Governor Scott, NOAA and local emergency management officials, we are optimistic that we will begin an exciting, robust convention that will nominate the...

From the RNC: Republican National Convention President and CEO Bill Harris made the following statement: “Our chief priority is the safety of the residents of Florida, of those visiting the Convention, and all those in Gulf Coast states who may be impacted by Tropical Storm Isaac. We have been working closely with the campaign, the party, and state and local officials for months to ensure a successful, enjoyable convention. Federal, state and local officials assure us that they are prepared to respond, if needed, and the scheduling changes we are announcing today will help ensure the continued safety of all...

Pinellas sheriff’s Deputy Ed Diluzio asks CodePink and St. Pete for Peace protesters to move off private property in Largo. ARGO — Seventy-five protesters, many dressed in pink, gathered outside the local production plant of Raytheon on Thursday, denouncing the defense contractor for its role in drone warfare. The demonstration, organized by the groups CodePink and St. Pete for Peace, marked the unofficial start of protests surrounding the Republican National Convention, set to kick off Monday in Tampa. "Raytheon, shame on you," they chanted. "Children die because of you." The director of the Young-Rainey Star Center was not happy to...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden is postponing his planned trip to Tampa, Fla., the site of the Republican National Convention. An Obama campaign official says Biden is putting off Monday's trip in order to ensure that all local law enforcement and emergency management resources can stay focused on Tropical Storm Isaac, which could impact Florida during the convention.

While RNC is limited for security reasons, Buckhorn chose to use $57,000 in taxpayer money to rent an empty lot for protesters to “occupy” 24/7 in sight of it.

Speaking with a long-time Liberal friend of mine tonight, and though he has to tell why abortion under any circumstances is just a matter of the woman's choice, he also has to tell me that maybe the track that hurricane Issac is making is "God's telling us something", and he corrected it to "God's telling the Republicans something". I can only say "disgusting" because my mouth should not speak all else I would say.

WASHINGTON - Republican officials say they are moving forward with plans to hold the Republican National Convention on Monday as scheduled, despite an approaching tropical storm.

Bucking protocol, President Obama and the Democrats are planning a full-scale assault on Republicans next week during their convention. Presidential candidates have traditionally kept a low profile during their opponent's nominating celebration, but Democrats are throwing those rules out the window in an attempt to spoil Mitt Romney’s coronation as the GOP nominee. President Obama, Vice President Biden and leading congressional Democrats have all scheduled high-profile events next week to counter-program the Republican gathering in Tampa, Fla. Even first lady Michelle Obama is in on the act, scheduling an appearance on the “David Letterman Show” smack in the middle of...

All-American gay (or closeted) conservatives attending next week's Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., can get their freak on for free courtesy of the Ybor Resort and Spa. Billed as "Tampa Bay's only gay owned and gay operated private club, resort and bathhouse," the Ybor Resort and Spa is opening its steamroom and "darkroom" (i.e. public sex area) for free to Republican National Convention delegates. The offer expires Aug. 31, according to the bathhouse's website. The amenities of the Ybor Resort and Spa include a courtyard with a 300-square-foot Jacuzzi, dry sauna, billiard table and "gang showers" to go along...

This is a Special Report from the AIM Center for Investigative Journalism Republican delegates arriving in Tampa for the convention this week will likely find one thing more oppressive than the humidity: hordes of motley Occupiers, political puppeteers, Teamsters, Code Pink activists dressed as giant female body parts, open-borders extremists, vegan Marxists, and tattooed anarchists, all assembling for their quadrennial temper tantrum. One major target is the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, and anything ever associated with him. Plans include a tent city called “Romneyville” and protests against any companies assisted by Romney’s old firm, Bain Capital. The purpose, in...