[TYPO3-english] Not rendering HTML?

[Wendy Putler]

Hi, I'm working on my first site and I'm having a problem with rendering
HTML. I am not sure where to start looking:

Using Typo3 4.2.8

Extensions:

rtehtmlarea 1.7.11
version 1.2.0
simulatebe 1.0.0
cooluri 1.0.16
css_styled_content 0.4.0
felogin 1.0.0
ab_linklist 1.9.6
automaketemplate 0.1.1
t3skin 4.2.0


In the ab_linklist, I am not getting HTML rendered properly. In the
description of the link (RTE), I type:

********************************************
Does your child have P.E., Music or Library today? Check the calendar
and find out.
Day 1: P.E.
Day 2: No Special
Day 3: Music
Day 4: P.E.
Day 5: Library
Day 6: Music
********************************************

If I look at the HTML in the RTE, I see:
********************************************
<p>Does your child have P.E., Music or Library today? Check the calendar
and find out.<br /> Day 1: P.E.<br />Day 2: No Special<br />Day 3:
Music<br />Day 4: P.E.<br />Day 5: Library<br />Day 6: Music<br /> </p>
********************************************

If I look in the database, I see:
********************************************
Does your child have P.E., Music or Library today? Check the calendar
and find out.<br /> Day 1: P.E.<br />Day 2: No Special<br />Day 3:
Music<br />Day 4: P.E.<br />Day 5: Library<br />Day 6: Music<br /> 
********************************************

Saving it to the database has stripped out <p></p> - which is fine.

Now if I look at it on my Typo3 site, I see:
********************************************
Does your child have P.E., Music or Library today? Check the calendar
and find out.<br /> Day 1: P.E.<br />Day 2: No Special<br />Day 3:
Music<br />Day 4: P.E.<br />Day 5: Library<br />Day 6: Music<br />
********************************************
Exactly what was in the database. The "<br />" is showing up in the
source as "&lt;br /&gt;". Why is the field being treated as straight
text instead of interpreting the HTML?

I feel like this must be a problem with ab_linklist, but isn't typo3 in
charge of the rendering?

Where do I go next?

I appreciate the help I've received here so far. I'm having a hard time
with the documentation because so much of it refers to older versions of
Typo3.

/Wendy