FEATURED STORIES
By Bill Cotterell
Florida's legislative session marks its halfway point today with the House and Senate poised to pass an election-year budget that mixes painful spending cuts with political posturing.
By Lee Logan and Cristina Silva
Teachers, parents and even some students are flooding the Legislature with e-mails and phone calls.
The Associated Press
Gov. Charlie Crist apparently has no problem with a Senate campaign supporter calling President Barack Obama "the black one" and primary opponent Marco Rubio "a Hispanic who can run his mouth."
By John M. Broder
The Obama administration is proposing to open vast expanses of water along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling for the first time, officials said Tuesday.
By Alex Leary
Ousted House Speaker Ray Sansom on Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss criminal charges against him, saying it is "impossible as a matter of law" to have endeavored or conspired to commit the theft of U.S. currency.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
By John Frank
The state budget takes center stage in the House and Senate on Wednesday. And based on the amendments already filed, it's going to be lively.
By Aaron Deslatte
For Florida Republicans, the silver lining to dire economic times is this: A scarcity of tax dollars is creating momentum to impose their economic and ideological leanings on how the state spends its money.
By Catherine Whittenburg
GOP leaders in the Florida Senate appeared Tuesday night to back off on a controversial budget proposal that would force the closure of two state prisons in order to open a cheaper private one.
By Steve Bousquet and John Frank
A costly symbol of Florida's budget crisis stands on a dusty country road in the Panhandle: a nearly completed private prison that cost the state $113 million and remains idle two years later.
By Josh Hafenbrack
Facing a budget shortfall, Florida's legislators are proposing raiding a controversial source of cash: trust funds, the accounts used to pay for everything from road building to health care to patching leaky gas pipelines.
By Dara Kam
The money gun owners pay to the state to process their concealed weapons permit applications won't be used for anything else no matter how bad Florida's budget crisis gets, thanks to GOP lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist who signed the bill (SB 1158) into law today as promised.
By John A. Torres
A week after the Florida Supreme Court rejected the idea of an "Innocence Commission" to study wrongful convictions and incarcerations because of lack of funding, state Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, will seek $200,000 from the Legislature today.
By Cristina Silva
Taylor Mack was 14 when she told friends and family she had met the love of her life. Calva Haskell, 15, was athletic, popular, handsome.
The Associated Press
The survey is an eye opener, in more ways than one.
Editorial
The Florida Legislature showed last week why it can't be trusted.
POLITICAL RACES
By Adam C. Smith
If Tampa can't land the 2012 Republican convention, it's hard to see how it ever will get one.
By Margie Menzel
This week Senator George LeMieux tweeted the news of his daughter's birth and Congressman Kendrick Meek's campaign credited Facebook with helping him collect 145,000 voter petitions to qualify for the U.S. Senate race.
By Kris Wernowsky
A Longtime Republican activist George "Bud" Day is garnering unwanted attention for making racial references about President Barack Obama and Republican senatorial candidate Marco Rubio.
By Michael C. Bender
Gov. Charlie Crist says he's scheduling a trip to The Villages (pictured right) as soon as possible after FOX News Sunday host Chris Wallace indicated that Marco Rubio may have a problem brewing with some tea party folks there.
Staff Report
Battling suggestions that he's waffling on Republican principles, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist reminded listeners in a televised debate Sunday that Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat.
Staff Report
Bob Smith, a former U.S. senator from New Hampshire has ended his campaign for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Florida.
Staff Report
When one of his challengers switched from being a Republican to the Tea Party, Orlando Democrat Alan Grayson issued a news release that included another memorable series of one-liners.
Clock runs out and company goes unpunished for illegal campaign contributions
St. Petersburg Times
U.S. Rep. Posey seeks re-election; submits petitions to qualify for ballot
TC Palm
'Bud' Day and a fuss over race
Panama City News Herald
BALLOT INITIATIVES
By Mariella Smith
Even after ruining our economy with a drunken spree of speculative over-building, Florida's political leaders cannot stop digging us further into the hole, irresponsibly dishing out way too many development approvals to their developer-cronies.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
By Dan DeWitt
Last year, we wrote about the mapping of an under-appreciated natural treasure: a 380,000-acre sea grass bed -- the second-largest in the nation -- off the coast of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.
Powerful restaurant and hotel group says don't take up drilling
FloridaEnvironments.com
Snapper season reduced but catch increased
FloridaEnvironments.com
Editorial
Florida Today
LGBT
The Progress Report
Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates -- after 1,260 days in office in which more than 2,000 people have been discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) -- belatedly issued more lenient guidelines for enforcing the policy that prohibits gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.
EDUCATION
By Gina Presson
The Florida Legislature is poised to vote on a bill that would implement the first statewide merit-pay system for teachers in the nation.
By Scott Maxwell
It's kind of funny watching these career politicians -- who have made schools one of the lowest financial priorities of any state in America -- continue to blame the people who have actually dedicated their lives to educating our children for all the problems.
By Megan Downs
Brevard Public Schools stands to lose $10 million to $12 million in state funding next year, far less than the $30 million projected a month ago.
By Thomas Stewart
Though the student loan legislation signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama will have no immediate effect on University of Florida students, those eligible for Pell Grants will see increases in the amounts of the grants in about three years, said Karen Fooks, UF's director of student financial affairs.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
By Jim Wyss
Florida's consumer confidence took a hit and a key real-estate indicator slipped, as two reports released Tuesday suggested the Sunshine State is struggling to keep up with the national recovery.
By Mary Shanklin
Related column: Underwater homeowners who pay deserve help, too
Foreclosure fighters on their way back to Fla.
Palm Beach Post
HEALTH AND SENIORS
By Scott Higham and Dan Keating
Related: Interactive Map
Nursing home residents deserve dignity, funding
Tallahassee Democrat
By Lori Jowett
Orlando Sentinel
Unraveling Health Care Reform Would Leave Millions with Less Affordable Care
Center for American Progress
Kosmas tells how health law will help seniors
Daytona Beach News-Journal
By Dave Gulliver
Health News Florida
By Marty Clear
Health News Florida
Seniors confused about what's in store for Medicare
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Editorial
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
By Willoughby Mariano
Expect longer lines to pay traffic tickets, file small-claims suits and obtain passports if a bid to cut $23 million from the budgets of statewide Clerks of Court succeeds, clerks across Central Florida warn.
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