FEATURED STORIES
The First Senator From the Tea Party?
By Mark Leibovich
New York Times Magazine
Charlie Crist's perma-tanned face bears none of the strain you would expect from the archetype of the embattled Republican.
Quick choice of Sen. John Thrasher for GOP chairman doesn't please all
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
Some grass-roots GOP activists are unhappy over the selection of state Sen. John Thrasher as party chairman.
Sansom charges in airport deal escalate to grand theft
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
In a surprise escalation of the case against ousted House Speaker Ray Sansom, a state prosecutor Wednesday charged him with grand theft and conspiracy to commit grand theft for directing $6 million in taxpayer money for an airport building that a private developer wanted to use.
Why is our state fighting our children?
By Lawton "Bud" Chiles
Tallahassee Democrat
Here's a sign of how miserly and hard-hearted Florida's political leaders have become: Florida's attorney general is fighting in federal court to limit the amount that Florida pays for medical care for uninsured children, even after being presented with evidence that our system is hurting their health.
Party leader or senator, not both
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Whether Jim Greer's resignation as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida on Tuesday is the right move for the party is up to Republicans to judge.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Replacing Greer leads to even more GOP infighting
By Jim Stratton and Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Embattled Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer may be on the way out, but that doesn't mean the folks who wanted him gone are entirely happy.
John Thrasher can't serve 2 masters at the same time
By Ron Littlepage
Florida Times-Union
The year certainly is getting off to a rip-roaring start.
Complaints, accusations roil Florida's disaster planning agency
By Shannon Colavecchio
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Turmoil and finger-pointing within the state's disaster planning agency intensified Wednesday -- with the recently resigned general counsel accusing top officials of wasting taxpayer dollars and violating state laws for bids and contracts.
Haridopolos seeks testimony to boost port security in Florida
By Wayne T. Price
Florida Today
State Sen. Mike Haridopolos on Tuesday asked Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer J. Stanley Payne and other officials to come to Tallahassee during the upcoming legislative session to testify on what needs to be done to strengthen security at Florida's 14 deep-water ports.
POLITICAL RACES
In last quarter, McCollum outpaces Sink in fundraising
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
In the race for campaign cash, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum outraised Democrat Alex Sink in the final three months of 2009.
There's still a lot of time left for surprises in U.S. Senate race
By Gary Fineout
The Fine Print
While conservative bloggers gleefully dance to the news of Jim Greer's resignation as the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, it's important to note that a lot could stlll happen between today and November.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Rosa Parks: Set the record straight
Editorial
Florida Times-Union
Florida Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, plans to reintroduce the Rosa Parks Act this year, but is still looking for a House cosponsor, The Times-Union reports.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Manatee death rate hit record high in '09
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Related editorial: Boats, cars take high toll on Florida's creatures
It was a landmark year, good and bad, for Florida manatees.
Everglades advocates gathering to push for restoration progress
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Flying low over the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee, Everglades advocates look out the window and visualize the time before sugar cane fields and cities blocked the life-giving flow of lake water that once drifted slowly south.
Obama environment officials to visit Fla.
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Officials from the Obama Administration plan a visit to Florida this week for events related to ongoing Everglades restoration.
Florida joins with Ala., Ga. in seeking closed water talks
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Alabama, Florida and Georgia have agreed to at least one issue in their dispute over water -- that their talks on a water agreement should remain confidential.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Florida Fights Fruit Freeze As Record Cold Descends
By Deborah Tedford
NPR
Florida farmers scrambled to protect fruit and vegetable crops on Wednesday, as forecasters predicted five days of freezing temperatures for much of the South.
Castor cites woes in call for high-speed rail money
By Ted Jackovics
Tampa Tribune
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor told President Barack Obama in a letter this week that Florida needs the jobs and economic investments high-speed rail can provide more than any other state.
Mica: Florida among 4 high-speed-rail finalists
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
Florida is one of four finalists in the running for billions of federal stimulus dollars to build high-speed rail, U.S. Rep. John Mica said Friday.
Tampa Bay planners prepare for the worst: A category five hurricane
By Joshua Lee Holton
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina still haunts America, as many recall the failure of FEMA, the levees, and government response to the disaster.
EDUCATION
Teachers union resistance called a threat to bid for federal funds
By Ron Matus
St. Petersburg Times
Strong opposition from teachers unions could be enough to kill Florida's chances of securing up to $700 million in federal school reform money, the state's top education official said Wednesday.
South Florida schools face mid-year budget crisis
By Patricia Mazzei and Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
South Florida school districts will lose millions of dollars in funding because more students enrolled in public schools than the state was expecting.
Angry parents, students confront Collier School District at first rezoning meeting
By Katherine Albers
Naples News
The cold air outside was nothing compared to the chill Collier County School District administrators felt as they faced nearly 100 angry parents and students Wednesday night.
Reflections on the importance of art education
By Ernest Hooper
St. Petersburg Times
It's written in crayon, and she incorrectly spelled the school superintendent's name.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
C-SPAN wants to televise healthcare compromise talks
By Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
A Florida Republican gained a high-profile ally Tuesday in his effort to prod congressional leaders to open up healthcare negotiations to the public.
By Henry A. Waxman
Orlando Sentinel
In a recent My Word column, Congressman Cliff Stearns, a Republican representing Florida's 6th Congressional District, critiqued an earlier column by Congressman Alan Grayson, a Democrat representing Florida's 8th Congressional District.
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Legend has it that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. For eight years, Florida lawmakers played the same tune while a plague of unscrupulous pain-management clinics proliferated and dispensed powerful painkillers as if they were Pez.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
DCF probe in deadly South Miami case called inadequate
By Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
A child-abuse investigator assigned last March to determine whether South Miami Commissioner Jay Beckman was properly supervising his 17-year-old son thought the case was ``stupid'' and should have been dismissed by hot line workers before it ever reached him.
Fort Lauderdale police chief: Rothstein fooled me, but I'm not alone
By Brittany Wallman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
When Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley looked at Scott Rothstein, he saw a great man who shared his money with charities and even homeless people.
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