Regionals in Todays News

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Jerry Zremski follows Clinton and Obama's money in the Buffalo News.

THAR SHE BLOWS: Regional coverage of the home insurance bill the House passed on Thursday includes Sean Reilly for the Press-Register; and Gerard Shields in the Baton Rouge Advocate; and Bruce Alpert in the Times Picayune.

INDIANA CONGRESSWOMAN HOSPITALIZED: Maureen Groppe reports on Rep. Julia Carson's hospitalization in today's Indiana Star.

OTHER REGIONAL NEWS: There are growing allegations of unfair housing laws, Deborah Barfield Barry reports in USA Today; and Dana Wilkie reports in the San Diego Union-Tribune that dispite last year's brouhaha, earmarks are still alive and well.

Regionals in Todays News

SCHIP, SCHIP AND MORE SCHIP: Gerard Shields in the Baton Rouge Advocate; Raju Chebium in the Courier Post; Ellyn Ferguson for Gannett News; and Maureen Groppe for the Lousiville Courier-Journal.

THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Aaron Sadler for Stephens Media Group examines Mike Huckabee's support among black voters.

BILLS, VOTES AND HEARINGS: Lesley Clark covers the impact of the homeowners insurance bill on Florida residents for the Miami Herald.

OTHER REGIONAL NEWS: Lisa Mascaro looks at the future of Yucca Mountain in the Las Vegas Sun; Noelle Straub writes about Minerals Management Service problems in the Billings Gazette; and Suzanne Struglinski continues to follow the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster for the Deseret News; Biden's Iraq plan endorsed by the Senate, Nicole Guadiano reports in the Wilmington News Journal; Tony Batt looks at what the retirement of an Illinois House member means for Nevada's gaming industry; and Herb Jacksonlooks at what the DOT's new airport delay plan means for New Jersey travelers in the Bergen Record.

Regionals in Todays News

SCHIP COVERAGE: Ellyn Ferguso for Gannett News; and Maureen Groppe in the Indiana Star.

OTHER REGIONAL NEWS: Larry Lipman writes about homeowners insurance legislation for the Palm Beach Post; and Noelle Straub is working on the railroad hearings for the Jackson Hole Star Tribune.

Regionals in Todays News

Regional coverage of the WRDA bill: Jim Myers in the Tulsa World; Gerard Shields in the Baton Rouge Advocate; and Bruce Alpert in the Louisiana Times Picayune.

Aaron Sadler reports on Huckabee's fundraising efforts for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau.

Salt Lake Tribune reporter Tommy Burr and Deseret News regional Suzanne Struglinski cover Crandall Canyon mine disaster developments.

Regionals in Todays News

Joe Biden speaks. Not that the Delaware presidential hopeful ever stops talking -- but this time he did it on the Senate floor, for the first time in months, reports Nicole Guadiano in the Wilmington News Journal.

Utah may be growing weary of teaming up with D.C. in their mutual and fruitless quest for new congressional seats, reports Tommy Burr in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Rob Hotakainen writes about a plan for a gas tax hike to raise money to fix crumbling bridges in Sunday'y's Wichita Eagle.

Bruce Alpert reports in this weekend's Times Picayune on the federal government delaying bids on 500,000 acres in the Gulf of Mexico for new oil and gas development.

What's Your Local Angle?

Josh Drobnyk examines the fate of aging pilots and congressional efforts to extend the retirement age in Sunday's Allentown Morning Call.

Regionals In Todays News

Leo Shane writes in Stars and Stripes today about the plight of homeless veterans.

Faith Bremmer keeps tabs on returning Sen. Tim Johnson in the Argus Leader.

Lots of us are writing about SCHIP this week. Raju Chebium for Gannett, Suzanne Struglinski in the Deseret News; and Noelle Straub in the Helena Record;

The Hsu is dropping in Louisiana: Gerard Shields reports in the Baton Rouge Advocate that Sen. Mary Landrieu is distancing herself from the indicted donor.

Regional coverage of the USDA secretary Mike Johans resignation: Aaron Sadler for Stephens Media; Jake Thompson in the Omaha World Herald; and Maureen Groppe in the Indiana Star.

What's Your Local Angle?

In addition to keeping you plugged into what fellow regionals are writing about, RRA also is starting a section called “What’s Your Local Angle?” in which we keep an eye out for great stories that can be easily re-localized. Feel free to come up with a better title. Please.

Have you taken a crack at the earmark disclosure story yet?Lesley Clark in the Miami Herald got at the story by looking at who in the Florida delegation has made their federal funding request public. You can do the same.

EVERYBODY hate cell phone cancellation fees.Jake Thompson writes in the Omaha World Herald about the rise in complaints.

Regionals in the news today

Stephens News reporter Aaron Sadler writes about veterans’ bills that Arkansas lawmakers are pushing in the coming weeks.

Nicole Guadiano is in Iowa following Delaware Sen. and presidential hopeful Joe Biden.

Indiana Star regional Maureen Groppe writes on homeowner deduction bills proposed by two Indiana lawmakers.

Wes Allison has a great news analysis on the shifting political Iraq winds in today's St. Petersburg Times.


Noelle Straub writes in the Missoulian of Sen. Max Baucus' attempt to create an agriculture disaster relief fund as part of the Farm Bill.

Deseret News reporter Suzanne Struglinski writes about a growing push for a federal review of the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster.

Regionals in the news today

Regionals in today’s news…

Patriot-News reporter Brett Lieberman blogs on the Duke Cunningham-related subpoena of Rep. John Murtha: http://blog.pennlive.com/pennsyltucky. Dana Wilkie in the San Diego Union Tribune is also following the subpoenas; http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/cunningham/20070918-1624-cnssubpoenas.html

Check out a great piece by Bruce Alpert in the Louisiana Times-Picayune about how the sub-prime lending crisis is affecting folks in New Orleans: http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/09/mortgage_woes_mount_in_area_af.html

Palm Beach Post reporter Larry Lipman is following Florida Democrats’ call for a FEMA office: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/state/epaper/2007/09/18/0918FLfema.html

Seattle Times Alicia Mundy talks to local congressman back from Iraq: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003885616_reichert15m.html

Stories our regionals are doing...

Allentown Morning Call reporter Josh Drobnyk blogs on Sen. Arlen Specter's silence surrounding the Iraq surge drawdown: http://blogs.mcall.com/penn_ave/2007/09/specter-on-iraq.html

Copley's Paul Krawzak and Bruce Bigelow are following the Qualcomm case in the San Diego Union Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070912-2141-bn12qcom.html

Wes Allison of the St. Petersburg Times blogs on Rep. Tom Feeny's third-year-running appearance on CREW's "most corrupt members of Congress" list: http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2007/09/feeney-follies.html

Reminder: Upcoming SPJ Conference

This just in from Dallas Morning News regional Todd Gillman...

Looking for some primo professional development without leaving town or going broke?
The Society of Professional Journalists annual conference is here in Washington, Oct. 4-7, at the Hyatt on New Jersey.

The complete schedule and registration info are available at www.spj.org/convention.asp.

The program is crammed with useful and edifying sessions – on multimedia skills; writing; primers on immigration, disaster planning, climate change and demographics; computer-assisted reporting; a five-session track on planning and executing smarter campaign coverage, featuring top pollsters and pundits and first-rate journalists from The New York Times, Politico, Washington Post, USA Today, The Wall St. Journal and more. Woodward and Bernstein will talk about their impact on American journalism 35 years after Watergate. Sen. John Cornyn will talk about FOIA reform. Comptroller General of the United States David Walker will debunk myths about the national debt. We’ve got war correspondents fresh from Baghdad. Pulitzer winners from Copley will get under the hood of their Duke Cunningham coverage. Journalists from the Idaho Statesman and Roll Call will explore the downfall of Sen. Larry Craig. NBC News president Steve Capus and others will discuss the Virginia Tech massacre. We’ve got five White House correspondents and three former White House press secretaries. Len Downie, Washington Post executive editor, will share his vision of the future of journalism. And… see for yourself.

To sweeten the pot, SPJ is extending the “early bird” deadline for Regional Reporters Association members.
You didn’t register by Aug. 27? No problem, if you register by Monday. The form is available on the website but you must FAX your registration (no special secret discount available if you register online) and jot “Regional Reporters Association” on the form.

Note the huge discount for SPJ members, so it makes sense to join if you’re going to attend the conference.
Early bird member registration rate is $175. Without this offer, the current fee is $225, and it jumps to $275 after Monday Sept. 24.