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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Friday, May 14, 2010

Daily Clips for May 14, 2010

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Oil drilling industry's 'wildcat' ethic embraces high risk and reward

By Curtis Morgan and Scott Hiaasen

St. Petersburg Times

Excerpt: Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida, said federal regulators have let drillers roll the dice at the public expense for too long. "When BP is making $93 million a day in profits, they're going to do everything possible to convince the public this activity is safe," he said. "It's pure hogwash."


Class size debate heats up: Is it working? Is it worth it?

By Ron Matus and Jeffrey S. Solochek

St. Petersburg Times

Excerpt: Damien Filer, former spokesman for Florida's Coalition to Reduce Class Size, the group that led the 2002 effort, said parents will make up their minds regardless of what dueling studies say. "Is it worth some investment for their child to be in a class where they can get adequate attention from their teachers?" Filer asked. "They'll say yes every time."

FEATURED STORIES

U.S. Said to Allow Drilling Without Needed Permits

By Ian Urbina

New York Times

Related: Size of Oil Spill Underestimated, Scientists Say

The federal Minerals Management Service gave permission to BP and dozens of other oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico without first getting required permits from another agency that assesses threats to endangered species -- and despite strong warnings from that agency about the impact the drilling was likely to have on the gulf.


BP tries smaller pipe

By Rick Jervis

Pensacola News Journal

Engineers unveiled a plan Thursday to thread a 6-inch steel tube into a leaking oil pipe, hoping to stop oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.


Planned Parenthood rallies across the state, calling on Crist to veto pre-abortion ultrasound bill

By Kate Santich

Orlando Sentinel

Pressure is intensifying on newly independent Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to either sign or veto a controversial 11th-hour bill passed by the Legislature that opponents argue makes it more difficult for women seeking abortions.


Crist expects to veto all special projects in budget

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Gov. Charlie Crist has already alienated the Republican-controlled Legislature on three fronts, and a fourth emerged Thursday when he said he's likely to veto dozens of special projects in lawmakers' districts as part of the $70.4 billion budget.


McCollum wasted tax dollars on a controversial psychologist

Editorial

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Florida is so hard-pressed for money that it skimps on services for vulnerable orphans and foster kids.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Dems, Independents trounce Republicans in FL voter registration

By Joy Reid

The Reid Report

The past 19 months have been very good to Florida Democrats, between the implosion of the scandal-plagued Republican Party of Florida (more grimey news on that front here), and its existential split with its former darling and top fundraiser, Charlie Crist (though it remains to be seen if the chief victim of Crist's apostasy will be Marco Rubio or Kendrick Meek.)


McCollum Favors Anti-Immigration Law For Florida Like Arizona's

By Iinkberries

Beach Peanuts

For a guy who is running for Governor of Florida, Bill McCollum sure has a funny way of going about getting votes.


Going inside the poll numbers on Florida's cabinet races and constitutional amendments

By Peter Schorsch

St. Petersblog 2.0

A new statewide poll released by Ron Sachs Communications shows an open and competitive field in the state Cabinet races for Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Agriculture Commissioner, with most voters undecided.


It's Not All About You

By Brian S.

Incertus

Amy told me about this yesterday--Tina Harden is an Orlando mom who thinks she ought to be able to decide, unilaterally, which books belong on the public library's shelves.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Charlie Crist unleashed: A wide-ranging interview with the newly independent one

By Adam C. Smith

St. Petersburg Times

Something peculiar is going on with Charlie Crist.


Crist wields mighty veto pen

By Josh Hafenbrack

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

He may be a lame duck governor with no political party, but Charlie Crist has one big weapon in his arsenal: the veto pen. Expect him to use it.


Analysis: Florida Continues to Hold Political Spotlight

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lakeland Ledger

Florida will keep its role as the most intriguing political destination in America, with the Republicans announcing Wednesday that they will hold their 2012 national convention in Tampa.


Gov. Crist signs red-light camera bill

By Sara Kennedy

Bradenton Herald

Gov. Charlie Crist signed the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act on Thursday, creating uniform standards for the use of cameras as a deterrent to red-light running.

POLITICAL RACES

In flip, McCollum now backs Arizona immigration law for Florida

By Beth Reinhard

St. Petersburg Times

The Republican Party's frontrunner for governor, Attorney General Bill McCollum, threw his support Thursday behind a tough new immigration law in Arizona that he criticized as "far out'' just two weeks ago.


Immigration policy key to Florida races

By Brendan Farrington

The Associated Press

The issue of immigration is emerging as sort of a litmus test for candidates in Florida's busy political season.


Dockery woos Duval GOP voters with war story about CSX

By David Hunt

Florida Times-Union

State Sen. Paula Dockery, a Republican candidate for governor, worked the campaign trail in Jacksonville on Thursday with a tale of her fight against one of the city's corporate giants.


Charlie Crist hires a campaign manager

By Adam S. Smith

St. Petersburg Times

It's his big sister, Margaret Crist Wood, there in the background of this photograph by Scott Keeler.


Once rising with Crist, now out of work

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

He was there but not there, exhausted and unshaven, pacing on the periphery of Straub Park while a crowd grew for the blockbuster announcement.


200 turn out to see Rubio in Cape Coral

By Don Ruane

Ft. Myers News-Press

Marco Rubio hit hard Thursday on the need for economic reforms and thanked Southwest Florida for believing in him, during a campaign stop in Cape Coral.


Sleazy deal snares McCollum

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Attorney General Bill McCollum and George Rekers have this in common: They were both happy to hire sleazy services, and they knew what they were getting for the money.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Sen. Bill Nelson loses out on bid to increase damages cap

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

Sen. Bill Nelson's hard-charging reaction to the gulf oil disaster ran into a wall Thursday, a reminder of how influential the industry remains.


First Oil Stricken Birds Rescued Along the Gulf Coast

By Gina Presson

Public News Service Florida

The race is on to protect birds threatened by the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; birds that would also be finding their way to other locations.


Where's the oil? Model suggests much may be gone

By Cain Burdeau

The Associated Press

For a spill now nearly half the size of Exxon Valdez, the oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster is pretty hard to pin down.


"Seize BP" holds rally in St. Petersburg, and across the US

By Joshua Lee Holton

WMNF Community Radio Tampa

Yesterday, activists in St. Petersburg protested BP's response to the oil spill in the Gulf.


South Florida's plan to battle oil spill will be different from measures used in Gulf

By David Fleshler

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

If oil from the Gulf spill comes to South Florida, a different scene is likely to unfold from the desperate struggle taking place off the Louisiana coast.


Florida sets up oil spill info line

Staff Report

Tallahassee Democrat

Florida has set up a toll-free telephone line to provide residents and visitors with information about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.


A greener way

Editorial

Gainesville Sun

Among the many actual and potential casualties of the Gulf oil spill is the U.S. Senate's climate-change bill.

EDUCATION

FSU faculty and administrators face off in day two of arbitration hearing

By Angeline J. Taylor

Tallahassee Democrat

Today marks the second day that Florida State University's faculty and administrators will face off in an arbitration hearing in the training center on Jackson Bluff Road.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Floridians not feeling jobs stimulus yet

By Toluse Olorunnipa

Miami Herald

Nearly five months after Gov. Charlie Crist announced ``Florida Back to Work,'' a program that would pump $200 million into state coffers and create as many as 25,000 jobs this year, only 56 South Floridians have been hired -- and time is ticking.


Senate Amends Financial Overhaul Bill

By David M. Herszenhorn

New York Times

In the latest sign of the zeal in Congress to get tough on Wall Street, the Senate approved two initiatives on Thursday aimed at addressing the role that major credit rating agencies played in the 2008 financial collapse, including a proposal to end the reliance on companies like Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

McCollum to talk about health care lawsuit

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Attorney General Bill McCollum plans to talk to the media about developments in the lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.


Environmental Health Risks: Not Just Cancer

By Gina Presson

Public News Service Florida

A recent report delivered to President Obama by a special panel appointed by President Bush warned that the risk of cancer from environmental toxins is "grossly under-estimated."


Outbreak irony: IV wasn't needed

By Marty Clear

Health News Florida

An outbreak of hepatitis C that originated at a clinic near Tampa last year occurred during treatments that mainstream medicine views as virtually worthless - even risky.


WellCare ex-director fires more volleys

By Mike Wells

Health News Florida

Rather than simply resign from WellCare Health Plans' board of directors and leave peacefully, Dr. Regina Herzlinger apparently isn't willing to let the company have the last word.


DCF tightening medicine rules

By Deborah Circelli

Daytona Beach News-Journal

A bill that would have ensured tighter controls on administering psychotropic drugs to foster children failed to pass this legislative session, but the head of the state Department of Children & Families is moving forward with rules he says will ensure children are safe.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Right-Wing Machine Attacks Kagan

The Progress Report

Think Progress

Immediately after President Obama announced Solicitor General Elena Kagan as his nominee to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court, the right-wing attack machine kicked into high gear.


Supreme Court's swing vote to speak in Fla.

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

The man considered the swing vote on the U.S. Supreme Court is due to speak in Florida.


Eggelletion to start his federal prison term Friday

By Paula McMahon

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Former Broward Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, now Inmate 91181-004, will begin serving his 2 1/2 year federal prison sentence Friday.

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