Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • 1

"1 i. a -t a 1.0 1 HI II II THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008 75 CENTS I 1 Jr Jrl Add seasonal flair to your dinner. -At- 6 (Pi 9 spouts si0 0 Bidon ml JSIL. A I i Watch it The vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will be at 9 tonight and can be seen on TV networks NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS and cable news channels. Healthy dose of tax breaks sweetens deal, as measure slides on, 74-25 Key points Of Senate kill (Read more key points on 3A) FX3 BANK5NG INDUSTRY Allows financial institutions to sell assets, mostly mortgage related, to the government.

FCH TREASURY Only allows the Treasury access to the $700 billion in stages. FC.l PRESIDENT Requires president to send a taxpayer reimbursement plan to Congress after five years. Dodgers, Phillies take leads in playoff rounds James Loney hit a go-ahead grand slam off a wild Ryan Dempster, as the new-look Los Angeles beat Chicago in their playoff opener, 7-2. The Cubs entered the postseason with the best record in baseball. In other action, the Phillies beat the Brewers, 31, ID and 4D NATION WORLD Polls: Palin's numbers slipping Debate could change image ASSOCIATED PRESS 'i ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened.

Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections. In the House, leaders were working feverishly to convert enough opponents of the bill to push it through by Friday, just days after lawmakers there stunningly rejected an earlier version and sent markets plunging around the globe. The measure didn't cause the same uproar in the where both parties' presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, made rare appearances to cast "aye" votes. In the final vote, 40 Democrats, 33 Republicans and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut voted "yes." Nine Democrats, 15 Republicans and independent Sen.

Bernie Sanders of Vermont voted "no." The rescue package lets the government spend billions of dollars to buy bad mortgage-related securities and other devalued assets held by troubled financial institutions. If successful, advocates say, that would allow frozen credit to begin See BAILOUT, 3A if Kl i High storm activity predicted for October Hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University say weather patterns indicate that October will see above-average Atlantic storm activity. One storm could become a "major hurricane" of Category 3 or higher, 4A SPACE COAST Mayfeld dies of cancer NEW YORK Sarah Palin is heading into her debate with Joe Biden, easily the most anticipated vice presidential faceoff ever, weighed down by fresh evidence that voters are developing serious doubts about her readiness for the job. A new AP-Gfk poll released Wednesday found that just 25 percent of likely voters believe Palin has the right experience to be president. That's down from 41 percent just after the GOP convention, when the Alaska governor made her well-received debut on the national stage.

There's a potential bright side: Tonight's debate in St, Louis gives her a chance to overcome the doubts in a 90-minute showcase, the first time most See DEBATE, 9A Rep. Stan May-field, a 52-year-pld member of the House Republican leadership team who was poised to become the Indian River Countv tax AP Success. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, left, Sen. Judd Gregg, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speak at news conference on Capitol Hill after the vote. Anger intensifies as bailout is imminent Mayfield collector, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2007, but continued his legislative duties, IB WEATHER Sunny, highs near 83 Chance of rain 10 percent.

Winds 7-16 mph. Overnight lows near 72, 12A COMING UP Larry Dennison, 54, faces more than 100 counts of fraud Involving the wrong dollar amounts on permit ft J- fa" i "te V- Lj iJi i I Fraud suspect sldps bail BY SUSANNECERVENKA FLORIDA TODAY Bill Thomas is sure a federal bailout of the financial institutions will infuse the stock market with money that will lift his retirement fund. But the idea of helping out chief executives of those companies whom Thomas sees as being at iault for the market meltdown burns up this retired telecommunications, worker. "I don't want CEOs to be bailed out. I don't want anything for them, but for them to be walked out of a courtroom in their underwear," said Thomas, 72, of Merritt Island.

"No clothes. Just their underwear, and no thongs." Thomas is not alone. Emotions run high across the country, as the economy tumbles with financial markets leading the slide. Amid worries about money and uncertainty of the future, many Brevard County residents are feeling angry about the country's financial crisis. And they feel free to pin blame, mostly on financial and government leaders.

Brenda Capps, 45, called the economic situation "horrible." And she lays most of the blame on the banking and investment executives, as well as the politicians who let the problems fester and grow to where it is now. The supermarket deli worker from Titusville who recently broke her wrist and is having trouble makings ends meet wonders why there is talk of bailing out the people that caused the problems. See ANGER, 3A Christina Stuart. FLORIDA TOPAY Locals weigh in on economy. Teri Rodriguez talks during the economic forum held at FLORIDA TODAY'S Palm Bay bureau on Wednesday.

Find what she and others said on 3A. Florida senators Poll: Crisis NEC features Palm Bay. NBC uses the city to illustrate the dire financial times for municipalities. 3A hurts people. Fifty-six percent say their financial situation has been harmed.

7A split on plan. Mel Martinez votes for the measure. Bill Nelson votes against it. 7A Fay broke records of most rainfall in Brevard 'Crighton' brings new blood to Henegar "Brighton Beach Memoirs" brings a new show and a new director to the Henegar Center for the Arts in Melbourne. Coming Friday in TglF The latest Space Coast news: FLORIDA, Gannett Co.

Inc. BY JEFF SCHWEERS FLORIDA TODAY A Melbourne air-conditioning contractor accused of more than 100 counts of forgery in connection with defrauding the county and Palm Bay permitting departments, can't be found. Larry Dennison, 54, posted $134,000 in bail to get out of jail after his arrest two weeks ago by the Brevard County Sheriffs Office on one count of scheming to defraud and 66 counts of forgery. When Palm Bay Police asked him to surrender to face more than three-dozen similar counts, Dennison hung up the phone and hasn't been found, Detective Luis Figueroa said. "Oftentimes when things like that happen, we worry if the person is going to hide or flee from you," Figueroa said.

Palm Bay police put out a warrant for Dennison's arrest and are talkingto Dennison's lawyer to persuade him to turn himself in. Dennison's lawyer, Tom Sommerville, has filed a motion to reduce the $428,000 bond sought by Palm Bay police to something that Dennison can See BAIL, 5 INDEX Tcp fiv'8 wettest storms The National Weather Service added Tropical Storm Fay to the record books Wednesday as the fourth-wettest tropical rain event in Florida history. Storm Year Inches City 1. Easy 1950 38.7 Yankeetown 2. Georges 1998 38.46 Munson 3.

Unnamed 1941 35 Trenton 4. Fay 2008 27.G3 Melbourne 5. Dennis 1985 25.56 Homestead Hurricanes and tropical storms cause damage in a variety of ways. Wind, storm surge, floodwater and erosion bring their own threats. A map at fioridaioday.comdataceiJter shows how great these threats are throughout Brevard, miles northwest of Melbourne.

"It produced flooding like most people who live here have never seen before," weather service meteorologist Randy Lascodysaid. The previous rainfall record for a tropical storm system in the region was set in 1950, hen Hurricane King dumped 15.44 inches on Patrick Air Force Base, the weather services said. In tliird place is 2005's Hurricane Wilma, which dumped 13.26 inches of rain on Kennedy Space Contact Summers at 242-3642 or ksummers8ftoridatcflay.com. BY KEYONNA SUMMERS FLORIDA TODAY Tropical Storm Fay will go down in the record books as the wettest tropical cyclone to touch the east coast of Central Florida. Fay ranks as the fourth-wettest tropical system to hit the state, but the six-day downpour was the wettest system in recorded history to drench the region that includes Brevard County, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

The highest rainfall on record 27. Co inches fell 8 Classified 4-14C Comics 6E Crosswords 5E 5-Minuteread 12A Help! 2E Lottery L2A.6B Obituaries 5B Opinions 10-11 A 3C CD.