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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Monday, February 15, 2010

Daily Clips for February 12, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Lincoln Diaz-Balart's exit from Congress sets off political scramble

By Lesley Clark, Luisa Yanez and Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

Related: Cuba issues define Diaz-Balart's legacy

Lincoln Diaz-Balart, the passionate defender and architect of measures to strengthen the Cuban embargo, said Thursday that he won't seek reelection to Congress, setting off a political scramble that reached from Tallahassee to Miami.


Democrats seek criminal probe of GOP credit-card scandal

By Aaron Deslatte

Orlando Sentinel

Two Democratic candidates for attorney general are asking the current GOP officeholder to press for a state investigation into the use of credit cards at the Republican Party of Florida.


Fair Districts gets its hearing in Tally; Haridopolos 'look at me'

By Aaron Deslatte

Orlando Sentinel

Backers of two constitutional changes making it harder for lawmakers to gerrymander their political boundaries made their first appearance before a testy legislative panel Thursday.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Who Broke the Florida Republican Party?

By Buck Banks

Pensito Review

The Florida Republican Party is:

A. penniless

B. destitute

C. insolvent

D. All of the above.


I Suspect This Is Where We're Going

By Brian S.

Incertus

Via Pandagon, I present Colorado Springs, CO. Colorado Springs is home to, among other things, the Air Force Academy and Focus on the Family, as well as Ted Haggard's former mega-church, Saddleback.


Breaking News: County Commissioner Katy Sorenson will not run for re-election

By Gimleteye

Eye on Miami

In a 2 PM press conference, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson will announce that she will not run for re-election.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Fla. justices uphold local election law

By Bill Kaczor

Associated Press Writer

The Florida Supreme Court ruled the state's election code does not pre-empt local laws Thursday in a voting machine dispute that traces its origins to the Florida recount that decided the 2000 presidential race.


McCollum calls GOP spending unforgivable

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Attorney General Bill McCollum says he'd assist with a criminal investigation if an audit of recent Republican Party spending suggests illegal activity.


Fla. House readies for potentially explosive hearing to decide fate of ex-Speaker

By Michael C. Bender

Palm Beach Post

A Republican U.S. Senate candidate, a Democratic Palm Beach County Commission candidate and the next Florida Senate President could all be forced to testify if a state House investigation into whether its former leader betrayed the public trust goes forward as scheduled.


Senate leaders backing off effort to replace consumer advocate

By Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

With the arrival of Gov. Charlie Crist's letter endorsing J.R. Kelly, the public advocate in utility rate cases, Senate leaders now appear to be backing off attempts to challenge Kelly's confirmation.


Sarah Palin to speak in Daytona Beach, at Orange County GOP event -- but media glare isn't welcome

By David Damron and Ludmilla Lelis

Orlando Sentinel

Sarah Palin will make two high-profile, big-ticket appearances in Central Florida during the next month -- but she doesn't want any media coverage.

POLITICAL RACES

Mario Diaz-Balart to run for his brother's U.S. House seat

By Elysa Batista

Naples News

A potential shift of political power Thursday may end up affecting Collier County as well as Washington come November.


As Senate campaign lags, Crist stresses budget, job creation

By David Hunt

Florida Times-Union

Gov. Charlie Crist said he's looking past U.S. Senate race polls and man-hugs to concentrate on Florida's budget, a $69.2 billion spending plan relying heavily on a gaming compact and the state's economic recovery.


Senate candidate Meek sponsors race car, driver

By Ron Hurtibise

Daytona Beach News-Journal

U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek needed a bridge to NASCAR Nation.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Keep commitment to Florida's schoolchildren

By Kendrick B. Meek

Tampa Tribune

Not too long ago, Florida schools ranked at the bottom of the national barrel, known for being overcrowded and underfunded.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Federal agency rejects habitat protection for Florida panthers

By Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

For the second time, federal wildlife officials have rejected a request that they designate thousands of square miles of South Florida as critical habitat for the Florida panther, the agency announced Thursday.


House panel hears about oil spills, beach sand

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Members of a House panel Wednesday were provided with oil spill figures and they were told that seismic research is needed to find offshore deposits of beach sand before oil drilling is allowed.


Suit threatened over pesticide risks to Florida's animals

By Steve Patterson

Florida Times-Union

From panthers to shy salamanders in Baker County's woods, Florida's federally protected species have become players in a bid by environmentalists to tighten controls on pesticide use.


PSC chairwoman says enemies want her off panel

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Florida Public Service Commission Chairwoman Nancy Argenziano says Senate talk of beefing up educational requirements for the PSC is aimed at getting her off the panel.


Cleaning up fouled Florida waters can't wait

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

The clean water standards the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed for Florida are good for public health and the state's economy.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Conservative budget advisor for Gov. Bush to head Fla. Senate Budget Office

By John Kennedy

News Service of Florida via Palm Beach Post

The state Senate's newest office is going to be staffed by a familiar name from the recent past.


Justices adopt Fla. foreclosure mediation rules

By Bill Kaczor

The Associated Press

Lenders will be required to pick up the tab for investigating and verifying ownership and then try mediation before foreclosing Florida home mortgages under new rules approved Thursday by the Florida Supreme Court.


Foreclosures soar in Manatee County

By Tom Bayles and Aaron Kessler

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Foreclosures surged 150 percent in Manatee County last month when compared with a year ago, a probable sign that the new wave of foreclosures predicted by several state economists is under way.

EDUCATION

Florida's universities take big role in Haiti relief

By Scott Travis

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
They are best known as places of learning and research, but Florida's universities have taken on another role in recent weeks: Haiti relief agencies.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

DCF to formally track prevention efforts

By Kelli Kennedy

The Associated Press

The state's child abuse hot line got a worried call in May 2008, alleging that a baby's father had passed out snorting cocaine and the boy was chewing on a cable wire.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Bankruptcy lawyers: Scott Rothstein partners made ``fraudulent'' transactions

By Jay Weaver and Amy Sherman

Miami Herald

Two senior law partners of convicted Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein received $18 million in "purported loans" from his Fort Lauderdale firm -- and then almost immediately paid out most of the money to the firm, Rothstein or others, according to allegations in new bankruptcy court filings.


Capital punishment: planned execution brings out some unusual opponents

By Paul Flemming

Tallahassee Democrat

Florida is set to execute Martin Grossman on Tuesday.


Judge to be reprimanded by Fla. Supreme Court

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

A Seminole County judge will be publicly reprimanded by the Florida Supreme Court for judicial misconduct.

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