Morning Roundup Weekend Edition

A bonanza of must-reads:

• Shannon Behnken documents what the rumor mill has been saying for some time: Trump's Tampa condo is stalled and might not get built at all. Especially enjoyable is the project's flack's tap-dancing.

• For cigar aficianados: Stanford Newman has passed. Trib, Times.

• Finally, someone asks why our local governments, flush with growing tax rolls, won't cut taxes. And remarkably, it's the local daily that has never met a tax it didn't like.

• Mayor Pam is a control freak.

• Is St. Pete legislative candidate Liz McCallum stupid, lying or working both sides of the fence?

• A night in Tim's cab.

• Katherine Harris and the phantom tree. (via Sayfie)

• "The Secret World of Campaign Financiers." (ditto)

This article appears in Aug 16-22, 2006.