Even before being deemed qualified to run, presidential hopefuls in impoverished Haiti faced a hefty bill: a $12,500 nonrefundable filing fee. <p/> Now they are finding that the amount will only get steeper as campaign season begins to sizzle this month.

A red-hot Jacory Harris passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns, two to Leonard Hankerson, helping the Hurricanes open the season in style with a rout of the Rattlers.

Burger King's agreement to be acquired by private investment firm 3G Capital in a $4 billion deal could help the chain gain ground in the burger wars.

Florida is part of a consortium of 26 states that will receive a total of $170 million in federal funding to help develop new tests to assess students' mathematics and language arts skills, the U.S. secretary of education announced Thursday.

Miami's police union, acting rapidly after city-imposed salary and pension cuts earlier this week, has filed suit in state court charging that the cuts were unwarranted and calling for the city to be placed on state financial oversight.

When a repo man towed his mother's car, Antonio Edwards Jr. responded by running after the tow truck -- and firing a MAC-10 at it, police said.<p/> Edwards, 21, didn't hit the driver in the Aug. 25 shooting, but later that afternoon -- as police were on the scene investigating -- he accidentally shot himself in the stomach with the weapon, they said.

In the last two weeks, it seems as though the tropics have exploded: Hurricane Earl, big, scary and steaming toward North Carolina and a string of states. Tropical Storm Fiona, nearing hurricane strength but heading into hostile conditions and out to sea.

At a time when immigration is a political flash point across the country, the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. is in sharp decline.<p/> Fewer migrants without papers are sneaking into the United States and more may be leaving, according to a study released Wednesday by the respected Pew Hispanic Center in Washington.

On Thursday, Miami begins the 2010 season with national championship aspirations, but promises not to overlook lower-division opponent Florida A&M.

You'd think with all the Republican support these days for same-sex marriage, that GOP stood for Gay Old Party.

The Pentagon's war crimes appeals court announced without explanation Friday that the full U.S. Court of Military Commission Review, not a smaller panel, would review the conviction of Osama bin Laden's driver, now free and living in Yemen.

A U.S. appeals court has again upheld the continued detention of a former cook for Taliban forces who said he never fired a shot in battle.

Omar Khadr's terror trial will resume at Guant&#xE1;namo more than two months after his lawyer collapsed in court.

Carol Rosenberg, The Miami Herald reporter banned by the Pentagon earlier this year from covering military commissions at Guant&#xE1;namo Bay, Cuba, has been awarded the Society of Professional Journalists' First Amendment Award for her efforts to cover the detention center there despite "consistent hostility in covering her beat."

Here's a new twist in the U.S. military's Islamic sensitivity effort in the prison camps for suspected terrorists at the Guant&aacute;namo Bay Navy base:

Judges in Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Poland and Lithuania are preparing to hear allegations that their governments helped the CIA run The Obama administration has done nothing.

An Army interrogator's tale of gang rape in an American prison didn't coerce Canadian captive Omar Khadr to confess to anything while he was held as a teen terror suspect in Afghanistan, a military commissions judge said in a Guant&aacute;namo war court ruling made public Friday.

The CIA has videotapes of Sept. 11 plotter Ramzi bin al Shibh being interrogated in a secret overseas prison. Discovered under a desk, the recordings could provide an unparalleled look at how foreign governments aided the United States in holding and questioning suspected terrorists.

This is what Anar Gul found when he came home: eight thin mattresses covered with polyester swirls; a dozen blankets; a broken tape player; and a large metal box buried deep in the mud. The clothes inside had begun to rot after more than two weeks in the ground.

They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy's popular beaches.<p/> For these canine lifeguards, the doggie paddle does just fine.

Here's a new twist in the U.S. military's Islamic sensitivity effort in the prison camps for suspected terrorists at the Guant&aacute;namo Bay Navy base:

Iraqis danced in the streets when U.S. troops withdrew from their cities a little more than a year ago. After the last American combat brigade trundled across the border into Kuwait early Thursday, reversing a journey that began more than seven years ago, there was no rejoicing.

The humanitarian and economic disaster caused by the worst floods in Pakistan's history could spark political unrest that could destabilize the government, dealing a major blow to the Obama administration's efforts to fight violent Islamic extremism.

The Pakistan government's poor response to the worst floods in the country's history has damaged its fragile democracy, while the powerful military establishment has gained stature with its emergency relief work, analysts said.

At least 20 candidates have filed to run for Haiti's critical post-quake presidential elections slated for this fall as registration wrapped up on Saturday.

Boiled plantain-flavored water as soup. A greasy scoop of bland, yellowing beef fat as a side dish. A stew dubbed ``the giraffe'' because ``you had to stretch your neck to find something in it.'' A hairy heap of ground pig eyes, cheek, ears, and other unidentifiable parts served as a main course.

The U.S. and Pakistani governments moved swiftly Monday to say that a trove of leaked U.S. military documents paints a dated and incomplete portrait of Pakistan as an untrustworthy partner against militants who use the country as a safe zone.

Running back Graig Cooper, who seriously injured his knee last season, made good on his vow to return for the season-opening game.

Scott Cousins delivered a game-winning single in the 10th inning for his first big league hit and the Florida Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 Sunday.

After making several miscues snapping the ball Saturday, center Mike Pouncey said he'll focus on ball control.

FSU's new defense worked well against Samford, but the real test comes this week at No. 7 Oklahoma.

The Dolphins put cornerback Will Allen on injured reserve Sunday, part of several roster moves that made the team younger as it heads into next week's season opener in Buffalo.

Beat the experts in our Pigskin Challenge

Coalition for homeless passes on jerseys

V.Williams, Peer cross paths again

The Dolphins placed veteran corner Will Allen on injured reserve and picked up four linemen who have not played a regular-season game.

MIAMI<p/>MIXED-USE BUILDING<p/>SELLS FOR $600,000<p/> Location: 7794 Coral Way.<p/>Seller: 7790 LLC, represented by Kenneth M. Simon, managing member.

We've all said it. ``I'm working like a dog.'' But what, literally, does that mean?

Q: We're high-end wholesale jewelers, selling to celebrities and pro athletes. During Miami's Super Bowl XLIV, we sold $100,000 of gold and diamond jewelry to a customer who represented himself as one of the high-profile players. He paid by check and showed ID that he was that person. The check bounced and the ID was fake. The buyer says he is a relative of the real football player and the purchase was authorized. But nobody has paid us. Who should we sue?

TUESDAY<p/>Broward County Property Appraiser: Deputy appraisers available to assist with Homestead, senior and other property tax exemption applications and answer questions on property taxes. Also accepts applications for portability. Documents required to file a Homestead Exemption include current Florida driver's license or Florida ID card and current voter registration card or declaration of domicile; free. 954-357-6035 or www.bcpa.net/events.asp:

BANKRUPTCIESRecent bankruptcy filings for the Southern District of Florida:<p/>JWill Enterprises, 17720 SW 112th Pl., Miami. Chapter 7. David S. Abrams, 305-598-1880.

By far the best management book I have read in a long time and I have read lots -- forcefully by bosses and suggestively by peers. As a middle manager myself, I wish I had this book as a guide and resource way back when I started out. The author, Stan Slap, really is insightful in capturing the drama, stress and the gold-fish bowl of that which is management.

ACCOUNTING<p/> Robert P. Bedwell, a partner with Berenfeld Spritzer Shechter & Sheer, has been appointed as vice chair of the accounting principles and auditing standards steering committee for the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Bury My Heart At Conference Room B: The Unbeatable Impact of Truly Committed Managers. Stan Slap. Portfolio 272 pages. <p/> It's a reliable axiom that any book authored by a business consultant is essentially an extended sales brochure for his or her services. The initial 20 pages or so of this offering by management trainer Stan Slap is devoted to touting his program's overall wonderfullness, without establishing the foundation for the energetic self-promotion, which portends yet another instance of this phenomenon.

East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, producers are largely anonymous. Now HTC Corp., a Taiwanese maker of smart phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name as it competes with Apple's iPhone.

Craigslist appears to have surrendered in a legal fight over erotic ads posted on its website, shutting down its adult services section Saturday and replacing it with a black bar that simply says "censored."

Former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd is in talks to take a top executive job at Oracle Corp., the database software maker run by his friend Larry Ellison, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions said Sunday.

For small-business owners, creating and implementing effective marketing strategies can be an uphill battle. The question always becomes: What kind of strategies should you employ to grow your business and are they going to work?

THE APP: Available for the iPhone, mTrip is a travel guide and more. It uses the latest in smart phone technology to help travelers stay on track.

The new iPhone application mTrip is a travel guide and then some: It uses the latest in smart phone technology to make it easier to stay on track in a foreign locale.

Worries about spying by the U.S. and Israel spurred plans to sharply limit BlackBerry services in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's police chief said in comments that suggest a tough line in talks with the smart phone maker.

Rap and rock will collide once again - this time in a video game.

LAST-MINUTE SCRAMBLE: Dell Inc. boosted its bid for data-storage maker 3Par Inc. to $32. Hewlett-Packard Co. came back with a $33-per-share offer before Dell's move could be made public. The board of 3Par deemed HP's offer superior and approved the deal.

East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, producers are largely anonymous. Now HTC Corp., a Taiwanese maker of smart phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name as it competes with Apple's iPhone.

Craigslist appears to have surrendered in a legal fight over erotic ads posted on its website, shutting down its adult services section Saturday and replacing it with a black bar that simply says "censored."

Former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd is in talks to take a top executive job at Oracle Corp., the database software maker run by his friend Larry Ellison, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions said Sunday.

For small-business owners, creating and implementing effective marketing strategies can be an uphill battle. The question always becomes: What kind of strategies should you employ to grow your business and are they going to work?

THE APP: Available for the iPhone, mTrip is a travel guide and more. It uses the latest in smart phone technology to help travelers stay on track.

The new iPhone application mTrip is a travel guide and then some: It uses the latest in smart phone technology to make it easier to stay on track in a foreign locale.

Worries about spying by the U.S. and Israel spurred plans to sharply limit BlackBerry services in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's police chief said in comments that suggest a tough line in talks with the smart phone maker.

Rap and rock will collide once again - this time in a video game.

LAST-MINUTE SCRAMBLE: Dell Inc. boosted its bid for data-storage maker 3Par Inc. to $32. Hewlett-Packard Co. came back with a $33-per-share offer before Dell's move could be made public. The board of 3Par deemed HP's offer superior and approved the deal.

Before she became the Republican nominee for Florida attorney general, Pam Bondi was a familiar face as a legal analyst on CNN and the Fox News Channel.

Obama hosts town hall meeting in Ft. Myers, FL

Marco Rubio postponed Sunday's nationally televised U.S. Senate debate with Kendrick Meek, citing his ailing father.<p/> A spokesman for the Miami Republican said Friday that 83-year-old Mario Rubio's health had ``significantly deteriorated in the last 48 hours'' and that Rubio planned to stay with his father and family and wouldn't be able to participate in the Meet the Press debate.

Remember the saying ``Anyone But Bush'' among Democrats in 2004 who feared a second term by George W. Bush?

In the aftermath of the primary elections, District 25 congressional candidates David Rivera and Joe Garcia said the economy and unemployment are the main issues in a race attracting national attention.

A Democratic donor from Miami has filed a complaint against state Rep. David Rivera, asking the Federal Election Commission to investigate whether the Republican congressional candidate violated campaign finance laws by ``coordinating'' attacks on Democrat opponent Joe Garcia with a political committee intended to remain independent.

As an independent candidate for governor, Lawton ``Bud'' Chiles railed against the corrupting influence of special interest cash.<p/> Out of the race, he's supporting an establishment figure: Democrat Alex Sink.

Rick Scott and Jennifer Carroll made their debut as the Republican gubernatorial ticket Thursday and met small but enthusiastic crowds on a three-city fly-around.

It's official.<p/> GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott on Thursday morning announced that state Rep. Jennifer Carroll of Jacksonville will be his running mate as lieutenant governor.

BILOXI, Miss. -- The last five years have been a mental health roller coaster for many among the Mississippi Gulf Coast's post-Katrina population.

Forget bumps and scrapes at the school playground. School nurses help students cope with diabetes, asthma and other conditions that require specialized care.

Does your 4-year-old son dress up in his big sister's tiaras and princess costumes? Does your 3-year-old daughter swap Barbies for Tonka Trucks?

Ask Dr. Leslie Baumann your questions

Social worker Shirley Malove on mental health

Dr. Harlan Selesnick on sports injuries

Dietician Sheah Rarback on healthy eating

The nutrition-facts label on a can of sardines in tomato sauce tells you that a serving provides 25 percent of your daily value for calcium. Sounds good, right? Read more closely, though, and you'll see that's based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Can too much of a good thing be too much? In the case of fiber, the answer could be an embarrassing yes.

Q: Your article about the My T Fine pudding brought back fond memories of a lemon meringue pie my mom made with it. I used to watch the little ball dissolve and I helped her beat the whites for the meringue. I looked forward to Fridays when she made the pies for us. I don't think My T Fine is in existence anymore, but if it is, please let me know where I can purchase it.

Craving curry as well as a California roll? Get both at Thai Rama Sushi, a stylish spot in Miami Springs where you can dial the heat up or down, from mild to mouth-smoking, on a five-star scale.

As Rosh Hashana approaches, its foods, its rituals are steeped in memories of a childhood from another century, another age in which every occasion was a pretext for games and wonderful food.

Your cooking questions answered

Looking for recipes that ran in The Miami Herald? Find them here!

Highlights of the week's food and wine events

Crisp, fruity sauvignon blanc hard to beat

Simple syrup a delicious `ade' for summer drinks

Consider sausages for holiday grilling

Bad bosses, cutthroat competition, stress, layoffs, long hours, not enough pay -- sound familiar? As a salute to Labor Day, we offer up a few of our favorite films about work, just to remind you that there are worse jobs out there than yours.

Every year, the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) presents new work by recipients of its grants and commissions program, with this year's bumper crop of emerging and mid-career Latin American artists inspiring an exhibition titled In Transition.

Begone, summer movie season! You were -- aside from Toy Story 3, Inception and I Am Love -- mostly terrible. But here, just in time, come the films of fall, when Hollywood starts to gear up for awards season, the Oscar bait starts to trickle in, and directors such as David Fincher, Woody Allen and Oliver Stone unveil their latest work. Of course there will still be plenty of action flicks, teen comedies and horror movies, because, in Hollywood, summer lasts all year long. Here is a list of the films scheduled to hit theaters between now and Thanksgiving.

9-10:30 p.m. Tuesday, HBO: As he worked on his book about al Qaeda, not only interviewing insane murderers but also sometimes even befriending them -- one night he found himself at a dinner table with a man who calmly explained that foreign-aid workers in Iraq should be kidnapped and beheaded -- Lawrence Wright was so buffeted by fury, paranoia and blood feuds that he sometimes lost sight of his mission and even himself.

Through Sept. 12 at various venues

Through Sept. 6 at Cinema Paradiso

119 restaurants offering deals through Sept. 30

<ul class="story_list"> <li><a href="http://www.miami.com/american-r-article">The American (R)</a> ***</li> <li><a href="http://www.miami.com/going-distance-pg-13-article">Going the Distance (R)</a> ***</li> <li><a href="http://www.miami.com/lebanon-r-article">Lebanon (R)</a> ***</li> <li><a href="http://www.miami.com/machete-r-article">Machete (R)</a> ** 1/2</li> </ul>