1. INSURANCE:
Fla. creates 'lifeline' and takes on $454B property risk

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Worry is a chronic condition here as a new hurricane season brews in the Atlantic. The concern is amplified by grim descriptions of Florida's public insurance program and predictions that the experiment could sink with the homes it insures when the next big storm strikes the state with the nation's riskiest coastlines. "The reality is, we're one major hurricane away from being broke," warned U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, a Florida Democrat who believes climate change is threatening his state and others with stronger storms and wants the federal government to become the final backstop against devastating losses. Go to story #1