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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Friday, January 22, 2010

Daily Clips for January 22, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Supreme Court overhauls campaign finance rules

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

The Supreme Court dramatically upended campaign finance laws Thursday in a ruling that will send waves of corporate money into Florida and fuel the bitterly contested U.S. Senate Republican primary between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio.


Grayson aims to rein in corporate campaign ads

By Mark K. Matthews

Orlando Sentinel

For weeks, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson had expected a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that would lift long-standing restrictions on election spending for corporations and unions.


Budget ax hangs over justice system

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

Early release for prisoners? Eliminating the Florida Department of Law Enforcement?


Crist plans three stops, environmental announcement Friday in Naples

By Eric Staats

Naples News

Gov. Charlie Crist will be wielding more than scissors when he visits Naples today to cut the ribbon on a pedestrian bridge at Rookery Bay reserve, and make two other stops.


Crist says he'll delay unemployment comp tax hike

By Bill Kaczor

The Associated Press

Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday that he'll delay an increase in the state's unemployment compensation tax until lawmakers can reduce it.


BEST OF THE BLOGS

Take a look at the "Floridians for Smarter Growth" Logo

By Gimleteye

Eye on Miami

This logo is as phony as the Group, "Floridians for Smarter Growth."


Representative Janet Long pushes bill for stronger early-education Standards

By Peter Schorsch

St. Petersblog 2.0

In the wake of a new report from the business community about Florida's workforce, State Rep. Janet Long (D-Seminole) today called on legislative leaders to embrace her plan to improve Florida's pre-kindergarten program.


Dem Registration Gains- Trends in State House Seats

By Steve Schale

Steve Schale

Earlier this week, I took a look at macro-level Florida voter registration trends, which showed that despite a difficult political climate, Democrats are continuing to grow their advantage over Republicans in statewide voter registration.


FLORIDA POLITICS

Thrasher not everyone's choice for top GOP job

By Dana Treen

Florida Times-Union

Related: John Thrasher ready for double duty

A philosophical dustup at a Republican meeting Thursday night designed to elect state Sen. John Thrasher as the GOP state committeeman from St. Johns County ended with police called and a dissenter escorted out.


House Democrats appear ready to ratchet it up a notch

By Gary Fineout

The Fine Print

It's not been a big secret that Democrats and Republicans don't get along well in the Florida House.


Court, House panel to hear charges against Sansom

The Associated Press

Ocala Star-Banner

Criminal and ethics charges against ousted Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom are set for hearings on two fronts.

POLITICAL RACES

Court opens door to more corporate spending in campaigns

By Anthony Man

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that corporations may now spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, a decision that could open the spigot to millions of dollars flowing into this fall's elections.


CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Foster father braces: Ruling may overturn gay-adoption ban or take kids away

By Jeff Kunerth

Orlando Sentinel

Sometimes Martin Gill forgets what day it is. And then he starts to feel stressed and anxious and realizes, Oh, this must be Wednesday.


USF class exploring 'queer theory' riles conservative group

By Richard Danielson

St. Petersburg Times

David Caton's Florida Family Association has flooded the University of South Florida with more than 2,500 e-mails protesting a spring semester course on "queer theory."


House Panel OKs Gun Question Ban from Adoption Forms

By John Kennedy

News Service of Florida

Adoption agencies would be barred from making prospective parents reveal whether they have guns or ammunition at home under a measure that sailed through a Florida House panel Thursday with the backing of the National Rifle Association.


ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Record number of manatees counted

By Curtis Morgan

Miami Herald

An annual aerial survey recorded a record high number of endangered manatees this year -- 5,067.


DEP warns that Florida springs are being degraded

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

A Florida Department of Environmental Protection official on Wednesday warned a Senate panel that waiting to protect Florida's springs could cost more in the long run.


11th Circuit allows Georgia water appeal to proceed

By the News Service of Florida

FloridaEnvironments.com

As Gov. Charlie Crist continues to try to navigate a long-standing water dispute with Georgia and Alabama, a federal appeals court has ruled that Georgia can move forward with an appeal.


Red snapper may be in short supply

By Chris Phillips

Pensacola News Journal

The new year has arrived and once again everyone is left wondering what will happen with the upcoming red snapper season.


Cold killed record number of sea turtles

By Kate Spinner

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Volunteers, state biologists and conservation groups across Florida mounted an unprecedented rescue effort to save most of the 5,000 endangered sea turtles found near death during this month's cold snap.


JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Reining In Wall Street

The Progress Report

Think Progress

Yesterday, President Obama attributed Republican Scott Brown's surprising victory in the Massachusetts special Senate election to his administration's failure to properly address the economic hardships of the middle class.


Economist: Hard year ahead for region

By Aaron Kessler

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Economist Hank Fishkind predicts 2010 will be "an ugly year for foreclosures" in the Sarasota-Bradenton area and across Florida, putting further pressure on home prices, and that new housing starts will be "miserable."


Senate Panel Expands Waterfront Property Tax Protections

By Michael Peltier

News Service of Florida

A Senate panel charged with carrying out a state constitutional amendment to protect working waterfronts made last-minute changes Thursday to expand the amendment's scope and protect it from likely legal challenges from local cash-strapped local governments.


Florida produce prices on the rise after cold snap

The Associated Press

Northwest Florida Daily News

Crops damaged during the record cold snap in Florida earlier this month means state-grown produce will be more expensive.


Details of new Legoland park revealed

By Jason Garcia and Sara K. Clarke

Tallahassee Democrat

Central Florida will be home to the world's largest Legoland by the end of 2011, Merlin Entertainments Group said Thursday.


County leaders drop plan for slots at airport

By Michael Vasquez

Miami Herald

With legal costs mounting and state lawmakers frowning, Miami-Dade County commissioners on Thursday decided that their long-shot bid to install airport slot machines was no longer a gamble worth taking.


Unfair tax policy hurts Floridians

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Today's release of unemployment rates for December is expected to fuel concern that Florida could soon hit 12 percent, a rate not seen since the end of World War II.


EDUCATION

Seminole wasn't only district to miss grant deadline

By Leslie Postal

Orlando Sentinel

The Seminole County school district wasn't the only one reconsidering its Race to the Top decision after the state's Jan. 12 deadline.


HEALTH AND SENIORS

Sen. Nelson helps hurt Haitian kids get care in U.S.

By Linda Shrieves and Mark K. Matthews

Orlando Sentinel

After badgering Obama administration officials for a week to make it easier to fly injured Haitian children to Florida hospitals for treatment, Sen. Bill Nelson prevailed Thursday.


Haitian orphans' adoptive parents wait, worry, battle red tape

By Linda Shrieves

Orlando Sentinel

Since the first earthquake hit Haiti last week, Suzanne Hetherman has careened between despair and elation as she waits for news of the two Haitian girls she has tried to adopt for two years.


As records go digital, cultures clash

By Sammy Mack

Health News Florida

A group of Broward County doctors looking to switch to electronic medical records say the result has been a massive headache: surprise charges, inadequate training and even blocked access to patient files.


No time for nation to retreat on health care reform

Editorial

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Sarah Palin was right. Death panels do exist.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

For sale: lots of stuff owned by an accused conman

By Jon Burstein

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Treasures from fallen attorney Scott Rothstein's law offices were laid bare Thursday under the fluorescent lights of a liquidator's showroom as the curious, bargain-hunters and even the daughter of a former Florida governor came to browse through the mishmash of stuff.

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