Download this News Illustrated page for more information on the death penalty.

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The swine flu has spread around the U.S. and the globe, but it may be stabilizing. A cautiously optimistic President Barack Obama voiced hope that this virus may turn out to be no more harmful than the average seasonal flu. Here's a map of where there have been confirmed cases and deaths from the swine flu.

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As the economy continues to worsen, nobody is really sure when we will hit the bottom and start to see some improvement. Many students and parents are wondering how they are going to pay for college. Tuition and fees rise just about every year and in 2007, college tuition and fees increased 439 percent in the past 13 years. Thats higher than the consumer price index, which went up by 106 percent in the same time frame.

Unfortunately a bad economy may mean there is less money out there to be had. So here are some tools to help you find what's out there, see what college could cost you and try to figure out how loans will affect what you owe after graduation.

Here is a college cost calculator from www.collegeboard.com

This is another college loan calculator that can help you figure out how much your monthly loan repayments will be.

The best one that I've seen so far is this Sallie Mae investment planner. It shows you the estimated cost of all 4 years of school and allows you to subtract what you have in savings and from income, grants and scholarships. It then shows you charts and tables of what's left to pay for and helps you figure out how best to pay for it. At the end, based on the information given, it comes up with estimated total monthly payments. It really is a great tool.

For more information on types of loans, how much debt is too much and breakdowns of costs and enrollment, check out my News Illustrated page on the back of Outlook on Sunday.

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The economy is down and foreclosures are up. They are so far up in Broward County that the county looks sunburned. The highest zip code had 566 foreclosures in 2008, up from 98 in 2007. Palm Beach County is looking pretty sun-kissed too. Their highest was 293, up from 168. It's only getting worse and it appears that Obama's mortgage plan won't help South Florida very much. If you take a look at the overall difference between 2005 or 2006 and 2008, it is shocking. I'm not sure what it will take to turn this around, but it needs to happen soon.

Check out the interactive we've put together and explore how your zip code compares to other zip codes, and previous years.

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The death penalty has been around since 1608. Since then, changes have constantly been made to laws to ensure that the death penalty is carried out in a way that is constitutional and doesn't fall under cruel and unusual punishment. While it once enjoyed days where it was pretty popular, it now seems to be losing support. There have been a lot of developments in the past few years that suggest the death penalty is on its way out. For example:

- A number of states, including Maryland, Connecticut, Nebraska, Virginia and Alabama, introduced bills to abolish the death penalty this year. To date, none of these have passed, but it is obviously on lawmakers' minds.

- The number of death sentences handed down has decreased steadily from 306 in 1998 to an estimated 111 this year.

For more on the death penalty, its potential fate and its costs, check out my News Illustrated page on the back of the Outlook section on Sunday.

There are also some videos about the experiences of those who have been exonerated and about exploring the death penalty on the Death Penalty Information Center's website.

Also, to find facts about the death penalty by state, use this map on the Death Penalty Information Centers' website . Below is the information on Florida.

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Talks between Gov. Charlie Christ and U.S. Sugar Corp. have now shifted gears to include ethanol production on the land to be used in the Everglades restoration. Lindsay Dubois recently did a full-page graphic on Brazil's role in the world's ethanol production and how the the rise in ethanol use in the U.S. will affect us.

Here is part of the graphic. Click graphic to enlarge.

Download the News Illustrated page to read all the details. • Ethanol production in the U.S. • How does ethanol compare to gas in cost • Flexible fuel vehicles • History of Brazil and ethanol

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Adding to our stress over the economy is the upcoming holiday season. It is quickly closing in on us. It's time to start thinking about how much we are willing to shell out this year on presents, decorations, etc. It seems that every year people spend more and more on Christmas presents, but according to recent surveys that could change this year. Check out the charts below.

Also, if you haven't started thinking about your holiday budget because you aren't really sure how much extra cash you have, take the quiz below the charts and see how financially stable you are. That might be a good starting point.

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So the last of the three presidential debates was on last night. Did you see it? Was there a clear winner?

If you didn't watch but still want to know what went down, here is a great interactive piece from the New York Times. There is a timeline that you can scrub along to different topics of the debate and it will take you directly to that place in the video and the transcript. You can read, hear and see what was said and decide for yourself who did best and hopefully learn something about who they'd be as president. You can also type in a word and see how many times it was used in the debate by each candidate.

And if you missed the earlier presidential debates or the vice presidential debate, those are there also.

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Lionfish are the first exotic saltwater fish to establish themselves in Florida and U.S. eastern coast waters. They have venomous spikes and will sting in defense. They don't pose much threat to humans other than their sting, which can be very painful, but they do pose a threat to other fish in their new environment.

Scientists are still working to figure out how much of an impact lionfish will have, but one recent study suggests that lionfish could drastically reduce other small prey fish populations in some areas by as much as 80%. One lionfish was even seen eating 20 small fish in 30 minutes.

On top of their large appetite, other fish are not familiar with this new fish and so far, it has few known predators. It is near the top of the food chain in its native waters, the Indian and Pacific oceans, and now in their new environments. Below are some videos showing just how dominating this fish can be.

This is video of a lionfish eating a small fish. They are known for using their fanned out fins to corner their prey. Watch as it blocks the fish from escaping.

This video is pretty cool. You can see in slow motion how its jaw expands to eat its prey.

Watch this potential lionfish predator check out the lionfish. You can tell he's checkin' the fish out and may think he's going to have a tasty meal, but the lionfish wins this battle without even breaking a sweat.

To learn more about lionfish and how they have spread, check out my News Illustrated page on the back of the Outlook section on Sunday.

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Are you curious about how different states' electoral votes could affect the outcome of the presidential race in November? Well, we have a handy interactive that will do the math for you. You can click on a state, select a winner and see who would win overall as a result. You can also compare it to the electoral winners from the 2004 election. It's pretty cool. Click here to check it out.

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States and affects thousands of women every year. It is very important to check regularly for lumps and detect breast cancer early. Below is some information on how to check for lumps and what kind of lumps you may find.

For more information, visit the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.

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Wednesday, October 1 marks 100 years for the Ford Model T. It transformed cars from a luxury item to something the average American could afford. Click here to see a video about the Model T.

Now, car companies are having a tough time. One hundred years after introducing the Model T and rising to the top in car sales, here is a look at Ford Motor Co.

To learn more about the Ford Model T,
check out the News Illustrated page here.

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Technology is constantly changing and the trend seems to be having one device that can do everything. I think that sounds great and if I wanted to shell out the money, I'd probably have something like an iPhone too. I mean let's face it, I'm so ahead of the times that in high school, I had games like Tetris on my graphing calculator that I'd play during math class - I'm all for combining.

Given that cell phones are starting to be used more for their built in technologies than for actually making phone calls (check out the chart below), I think it's a great idea to do what this article is talking about. If I could wave my cell phone like a magic wand to purchase something, I'd shop even more than I already do. I never have cash as it is and that pesky plastic needs to go.

The only question that leaves me with is: What if I loose my cell phone? I already feel lost without it, and I really only use it for making phone calls...

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This venomous lionfish, native to the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific spilled into the Atlantic in 1992 and it has spread rapidly up the U.S. coast and into the Caribbean. It is 18 inches long and could certainly hold its own in an eating contest. That's the problem. This dangerous fish is eating up a lot of reef fish at a pretty quick pace. Mark Hixon, an Oregon State University marine ecology expert compared the invasion of lionfish to a plague of locusts. To control the invasion, researchers are trying to figure out what would eat it for breakfast - and lunch, and dinner. It's not the tastiest fish and even sharks steer clear. Surprisingly though, grouper will take the bait.

Check out the video below to see how quickly it attacks its prey.

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Above is an interactive that I did which allows you to go through the voting process in Broward and Palm Beach counties. New optical scan machines will be used in Florida this year, but the machines and ballots do not all look the same.

There always seems to be some kind of voting process issue surrounding election day. Use this simulator to help prepare yourself for voting day so that there will hopefully be no confusion this year.

Also, check out our elections page to view other helpful information and articles about voting and the candidates.

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So the U.S. Department of Transportation released its airport airfare rankings today and crazy enough, Fort Lauderdale International Airport is fourth.

I don't know about you, but I'm a bit surprised. Maybe that's because I tend to fly to Charlotte, NC, where my family lives. According to the charts that you can build yourself on the U.S. Department of Transportation's website, Charlotte has consistently been pricier than the average U.S. domestic airfare. Lucky me.

An airport about two and a half hours away from Charlotte, in Raleigh, NC, is less pricey, though. My new dilemma: which is worse - flying into Charlotte and paying high airfares, or flying into Raleigh and driving two and half hours...

If you fly a lot, or even just a little and are curious, see how your destinations measure up here. Pick three airports and it will chart their airfares and compare it will the U.S. domestic average airfare. Hopefully your destinations are less expensive than mine.

For the full report, click here.

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Now that the death penalty has started up again in Florida, here is a glance at past executions and some of those who are on death row. For more, visit the Florida Department of Corrections.

Here are two men on death row. They are from Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Click on them to learn more. To search for others, click here.

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On Sunday, the Sun-Sentinel will feature a package on Brendan O'Toole, a young man who suffered from severe traumatic brain injury from a horrific car accident in September 2005. Staff reporter Tim Collie and photographer Susan Stocker spent time with Brendan's family to give you this heartfelt story about their hopes and struggles.

Above is the multimedia package with the story that features a powerful video of friends and family; copies of emails Brendan's mother wrote to friends chronicling Brendan's journey for the first few years after the accident; and an interactive graphic explaining the causes of traumatic brain injury.

If you'd like to include your story, feel free to comment at the Sun-Sentinel forum we set up for Brendan's story. Please note that all comments will be approved before they are posted.

If you want more information on traumatic brain injury, visit the Brain Injury Association of Florida or call their family helpline (800-992-3442).

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If you didn't catch my News Illustrated page on Sunday, you can find it here.

For more information on the crime in your city, you can find PDFs of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Uniform Crime Report here. There is information about the number of each type of crime by city, county and state and also information about arrests.

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The overall crime rate in Broward and Palm Beach counties rose in 2007 from 2006. It was the first rise in Palm Beach County since 2002 and the second time in three years that Broward County saw an increase. Fortunately, violent crime fell by 4.5% in Broward and 1.6% in Palm Beach County.

To see maps of where the crime is and see how your city fared, check out my News Illustrated page on the back of the Outlook section on Sunday.

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If you missed my News Illustrated page on Dakota, the dinosaur mummy, in the paper Sunday, check it out here.

Also, the video below talks more about the discovery process and shows some great footage of the dinosaur mummy being uncovered. It is pretty cool because you can actually see the head of the dinosaur being uncovered and see footage of them digging it up in North Dakota.

Here are 6 different parts of a documentary by the National Geographic Channel on Dakota's discovery. You can see how the scientists used CT scans and other information to create a computer generated model of how hadrosaurs walked and ran. It aired on tv back in December.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Also, if you are planning to visit North Dakota anytime soon, the dinosaur's arm, tail and foot will be put on display this summer at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismark. A large life-size photo of the rest of the body will be put on floor tiles, with the body parts in place where they would attach. A camera will also be set up for visitors to see the rest of the body being prepared.

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A 3D dinosaur mummy nicknamed Dakota was found in North Dakota in 1999. Scientists are still uncovering it and learning new things about dinosaurs as they go. It is an amazing fossil because it is one of only five naturally preserved dinosaur mummies ever found, but instead of only having skin impressions on bones, Dakota's entire skin envelope remains. It has maintained it’s 3D shape for 67 million years.

The fossil is also the largest object ever scanned at high resolution. It is so large that it had to be scanned a CT scanner normally used to for space shuttle parts for NASA.

To learn more about how Dakota fossilized and what the scientists have been learning about dinosaurs through their discovery, check out my News Illustrated page in the Outlook section on Sunday.

National Geographic is also airing another segment of their special "Dino Autopsy" on Sunday, June 8 at 2p.m on the National Geographic Channel.

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Who said politics can't be fun? Our Crist-O-Meter, an idea from Managing Editor Sharon Rosenhause, ranks Chuck's likelihood of becoming McCain's running mate. It's updated by Sun-Sentinel editors based on breaking news.

Is he getting closer to snagging the job? The Crist-O-Meter will let you know when his fortunes change!

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Sea level is rising as ice at the poles melts, but will it cover part of South Florida? Who knows? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released maps that project the areas that could be affected. They show the elevations of lands close to sea level. The areas of land in red are the areas that would be covered with a 70 cm (about 2.3 feet) rise in sea level. According to the EPA, this is likely to happen in the next 120 years and has a 1% chance of happening in the next 60 years.

For additional information on sea level rise, check out these reports.

And to learn more about the melting ice in the Arctic, check out this News Illustrated page that ran a few Sundays ago. It talks about the conditions that led to the record breaking melting season last year.

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Foreclosures are rising and so are gas and food prices. Even though the Commerce Department reported Thursday that consumer spending is up 0.4 percent, I think we are all feeling the crunch of rising living expenses. Above is a look at the rising foreclosure problem. Unfortunately, Florida is second worst in that department.

Despite the rise in foreclosures, Florida is doing pretty well in terms of personal income, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. You can explore personal income and employment around the U.S. and take a look at GDP by state. The information is also available in charts.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis has a lot of public information in interactive tables.
Also, you can find tables showing the changing prices of food, gas and other commodities over the past 10 years here.

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This is a cool animation of the sea ice from January through December 2007 from NASA. The first part of video doesn't show much, because it's the winter months, but the last half shows the ice melting which is neat to see. There are also other animations of sea ice from past years.

If you are interested in tracking the changes in the sea ice, the National Snow and Ice Data Center has set up a website for Arctic sea ice news and analysis. They give monthly updates on the ice and the conditions in the Arctic, graphics showing changes and other updates. Their website also has other information about sea ice in general and the processes, natural and otherwise, that are affecting it.

On a lighter note, have you ever wondered what it's like to live under blocks of ice? I know I have. Here is a link to an acoustic live stream from underneath the Antarctic ice to give you an idea, not of what sights you'd see, but of what sounds you'd hear. I think I hear Mumble from Happy Feet tap dancing away down there...

And if you didn't catch my News Illustrated page yesterday, you can download it here.

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Say what you will about global warming, but it is hard to deny the steady and fast loss of sea ice in the Arctic. These two images show sea ice extent at the end of the melting season in September. The top image is from 1979, the bottom image is from 2007.

Pretty big difference, huh? The 2007 melting season set a new record for melting, which isn't good, because sea ice plays an important role in regulating climate and providing a habitat for some pretty cool animals, like the narwhal. Even if you have no particular feelings towards blocks of ice, you've got to admit the narwhal is worth saving. I'm mean, come on - it's got a tooth that's longer than you are tall. Check out my News Illustrated page in the Outlook section on Sunday to find out why the ice is melting so fast and how it's affecting the people and animals living in the Arctic.

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With the rising price of rice and possible shortages, here is a look at rice production in the U.S. You can also find information about acreage and yield in the U.S. and by state on the United States Department of Agriculture website.

Soaring rice prices:

Also, here's a look at where rice is grown around the world.

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Here is an interactive game that I made to go along with my News Illustrated page running in the Outlook section of the Sunday paper. I did the page to go along with an event happening this weekend in Kendall. It's the 25th Annual Sunrise Community Hot Air Balloon Race. More than 40 balloons will be taking off and it's FREE! That is always a plus. Here is a flyer with more information about the activities, such as Laser tag and crafts. It should be a fun event and a great way to see hot air balloons in action.

If you want to see a copy of the full page, click here.

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The flights that American Airlines has canceled over the past few days have no doubt been inconvenient. The chart above shows the large jump in the number of cancellations. If you aren't sure if the changes affect you, here is a link to information about the changes and a place to search for information about your flight. You can also email their customer relations department to receive compensation if cancellations have forced you to stay overnight somewhere. Happy travels!

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Light pollution is most prevalent in urban areas across the U.S. Many parts of Florida are not good for people looking to catch a nice view of stars. Here's some information about where you'll find the most and least polluted areas in case you want to do some star gazing.

Here is another map that has details about where to check out the night sky, including detailed light pollution maps for areas all over Florida.

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Here is a News Illustrated page that was done back in 2006 when there was an attack in the Intracoastal Waterway and "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin died. It explains a lot of things about stingrays, like the stinger, body parts, size, etc. Hopefully it can give some insight into the animal that killed a tourist from Michigan Thursday morning in the Florida Keys.

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I built the really awesome interactive map above so that you can see how the population has changed in Florida from 2006 to 2007. It's pretty neat to see what is going on in your neck of the woods.

If you find all this interesting and want more, here is a link to a U.S. and World population counter. It's always updating, so you can watch the world grow right from your computer.

Here is another really cool link that tells you the number of people of people being born, dying, etc. every few seconds. Not terribly useful for everyday life, but definately cool trivia to know. There are also some world population numbers.

If you want to see the changes as they happen, here is the place for an RSS feed.

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