FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 27 -- Many rental car customers traveling on Florida's toll roads and bridges are now able to utilize 'SunPass Only' lanes to pay their tolls, even without a SunPass transponder, thanks to a pair of innovative programs announced by Turnpike officials this week.

American Traffic Solutions is currently offering its PlatePass(R) cashless toll payment service to rental car customers using vehicles rented from Avis, Budget, and Hertz.

Langdale leaving here to head foundation running Bush library

The ex-associate displayed a credit card that had no name imprinted on it, just numbers. The card was issued by Continental Trust in Switzerland, it said.

Investigators said Thursday that they have not developed enough evidence to seek an arrest.
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Attorney wants death row ruling immediately

If Rothgery rules that Smith is retarded, Smith, who was convicted in the 1994 murder of a police informant, could not be executed. Rothgery held hearings on the matter in late 2006 and early 2007 and also has received several briefs from both sides in the case, but hasn't issued a ruling yet, according to court records. Smith first began pushing the mental retardation argument in 2003, according to records. “We think we're entitled to a ruling and if Mr. Smith shouldn't be on death row, he shouldn't be on death row," said Alan Rossman, one of Smith's attorneys. But Rothgery said he has a busy docket and isn't going to rush a decision. “I'm going to make the decision when I make the decision. It's a very complicated case with a lot of detailed evidence," he said. “I'm not going to be pushed into making a decision until I'm ready." Luc Lecavalier, the psychologist who examined Smith for the defense, testified last year that he determined Smith's IQ was 69, one point lower than the state's threshold for execution.

fighting words

Indeed, Osama is suddenly so guilty and so all-powerful that any other discussion of any other topic is a dangerous "distraction" from the fight against him. I believe that I understand the convenience of this late conversion.

3) The Unocal company in Texas had been willing to discuss a gas pipeline across Afghanistan with the Taliban, as had other vested interests.

Slate 's Delegate Calculator

Today, Dick Cheney was dispatched to the friendly confines of the American Enterprise Institute to try to reverse the momentum for troop pullouts from Iraq. "A precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would be a victory for the terrorists, an invitation to further violence against free nations, and a terrible blow to the future security of the United States of America." The vice president argued against "self-defeating" pessimism in America and pushed back against the president's critics who say Bush manipulated prewar intelligence. Cheney's message was the one he has delivered often in the last five years: The White House isn't budging.

In a traditional political marriage, the vice president would be too nervous about his political future to give such a full-throated endorsement of unpopular policies and kiss-offs to politicians in both parties.

Chase ends with arrest

With the right front tire on the Gran Prix flat, the car continued to travel south on U.S. HIghway 41 and then attempted to turn right onto the dirt portion of Beech Street when the driver lost control and hit a large yellow and red sign in the Covington Motors parking lot at 1354 S. Main St. Godwin stated that the driver of the Gran Prix got out of the car and ran west on Beech Street. Godwin chased him on foot while ordering him to stop and to get on the ground. Bruner stood by with the three passengers while Godwin continued his foot chase with the driver.

DNC's Dean urges do-over contests in Florida, Michigan

I'm not sure how that vote would shake out now," said Fowler, who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"All they have to do is come before us with rules that fit into what they agreed to a year and a half ago, and then they'll be seated," Dean said during a round of interviews Thursday on network and cable TV news programs.

COTTM gears up as Chinese outbound tourism soars

As China continues to establish itself as the world's new major global economic power, the country is demonstrating a very assertive stance in the development of its industries, travel and tourism included. Chinese outbound tourism peaked to an incredible 700% increase compared with the data of 10 years ago.

The economic boom has provided the Chinese with higher disposable income; better diplomatic relations and relaxed travel regulations have given the Chinese more opportunities to travel to many foreign destinations. According to the World Tourism Organisation, by the end of year 2007 there will be nearly 37.5 million of Chinese tourists to travel abroad, a remarkable 17% increase since year 2006, and it is set to reach a staggering 100 million per year by 2020. This current growth rate of outbound Chinese tourists has now outpaced the average world travel.

Bill takes aim at gaps in airport security

The proposed switch comes after federal immigration officials last week arrested more than 30 O'Hare workers who used fraudulent airport identification cards. Many of those arrested were working in the country illegally. The phony IDs were used to gain access to airplanes and other secure areas.

"This is not the way security should be run at one of the busiest airports in the United States," Kirk said.

Currently, local airport officials assign access badges to workers whose jobs include entering secure areas, including the airfield, aircraft and baggage-handling areas. Airport security guards, local police departments and the Transportation Security Administration all share responsibility for law enforcement at the airport.

But a host of problems at the TSA -- screeners failing to catch decoy bombs in undercover tests, low screener morale and high absenteeism -- raise questions about whether the federal security agency would do a better job protecting airports and passengers from terrorists and criminals than the existing security regimen.