FEATURED STORIES
Bowing to pressure, Florida Republican Party chair Jim Greer steps down
By Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Days before Republican activists planned to vote state GOP chairman Jim Greer out of office, he bowed to their pressure Tuesday and resigned suddenly in a blow to Gov. Charlie Crist who had picked Greer for the post and stood squarely behind him to the end.
Power-broker Thrasher is anointed choice to lead Florida GOP
By John Frank
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
State Sen. John Thrasher likes to call himself a "poor country lawyer from Clay County." And every time he says it, the line brings a good laugh.
By Amy Sherman and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Accused Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein will soon plead guilty to running a $1-billion-plus investment racket that could send him to prison for 30 years to life.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Florida GOP chairman Greer resigns in effort to reunite party
By Bill Cotterell and Jim Ash
Tallahassee Democrat
Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer announced his resignation Tuesday amid a rebellion stretching from the conservative grassroots to the top ranks of the state GOP.
Florida GOP chair resigns amid infighting over his style and party direction
By Michael C. Bender and Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist's handpicked state party chairman resigned Tuesday under pressure from conservative activists and top campaign fundraisers.
John Thrasher to seek Florida GOP chairmanship
By Brandon Larrabee and David Hunt
Florida Times-Union
State Sen. John Thrasher, who just months ago defeated a group of hardline conservatives in a nasty campaign to return to the state Legislature, said he's confident he can repair Florida's beleaguered Republican Party as its next chairman.
Sen Thrasher poised to lead Fla. GOP
By Jim Saunders
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Local lawmaker John Thrasher emerged Tuesday as the front-runner to become chairman of the Florida Republican Party, after embattled GOP leader Jim Greer announced his resignation.
Bay GOP head won't support sitting senator for party chair
By Matt Dixon
Panama City News Herald
In the wake of Jim Greer stepping down as GOP party chair the universal sentiment has been that the presumed next-in-line, state Sen. John Thrasher, is a good choice. Well, almost.
Crist's political reputation comes full circle in Year 4
By Mark Lane
Daytona Beach News-Journal
This is the first week of Gov. Charlie Crist's last year as governor. A good time to review the swings his political reputation has taken.
Gov. Crist won't order misconduct inquiry on disaster planning chief
By Shannon Colavecchio
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Charlie Crist said he won't order an investigation into allegations of misconduct and misspending that resulted in the forced resignation earlier this week of Florida's disaster planning chief.
POLITICAL RACES
Ocala's Kelly to run against Grayson
By Bill Thompson
Ocala Star-Banner
State Rep. Kurt Kelly ended speculation on Tuesday about whether the Republicans could find a name challenger in their attempt to unseat controversial Congressman Alan Grayson.
Gaetz takes heat for endorsement of Evers
By Tom McLaughlin
Panama City News Herald
State Sen. Don Gaetz's decision to name Greg Evers as his choice to join him in the Florida Legislature's upper chamber in 2010 has been greeted with some skepticism.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
FPL is accused of not sharing its tax break
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
The Florida Public Service Commission said Tuesday it is looking into anonymous allegations that Florida Power & Light's parent company took an estimated $1 billion in tax credits -- and didn't pass the savings on to customers.
New leader of PSC to take on FPL's requested $1.2B rate hike
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Public Service Commission Chairwoman Nancy Argenziano, who earned a reputation as a maverick lawmaker unwilling to cede to leaders' demands, took over as head of the regulatory panel today in advance of a decision on Florida Power & Light Co.'s requested $1.2 billion-a-year rate hike.
3 states in water wars ask for confidentiality
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Georgia, Alabama and Florida have asked a judge to keep their negotiations in the long-running regional legal fight over water rights confidential.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Fla. governor signs emergency order for cold
The Associated Press
Florida Today
Florida's governor has signed an emergency order to deal with the cold weather threatening the state's agricultural industry.
Powerball is a hit, but overall lottery sales down $300 million
By Lee Logan
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Since the multistate lottery game Powerball arrived in Florida a year ago, people have bought more than $430 million in tickets. But even that couldn't stop overall lottery revenue in 2009 from dropping 3 percent compared with the year before.
Can Tampa sustain a more international airport?
By Ted Jackovics
Tampa Tribune
Despite Sun Belt and Rust Belt identities shaped a thousand miles apart, Tampa and Pittsburgh have similarities forged by a working-class heritage, a passion for sports that binds their regions and a quest to enhance their economies.
EDUCATION
Is Florida committed to education?
Editorial
Leesburg Daily Commercial
Here's one of those bad news, good news situations.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Miami-Dade clinic owner held on Medicare fraud charges
By Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
The Miami-Dade man hasn't held a steady job in more than a decade.
By Janine Zeitlin
Ft. Myers News-Press
An almost $500 million Department of Children and Families contract that would cover Southwest Florida has stalled as concerns are raised that the process has been muddied.
H1N1 response shows need for better medical emergency plans
By Bob Graham and Jim Talent
Washington Post
For generations, the United States has neglected to nurture the technologies and systems needed to respond to emergencies related to disease.
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