FEATURED STORIES
Coast Guard: Despite BP Efforts, Gulf Oil Spill Is Getting Worse
By Shashank Bengali and Lauren French
McClatchy Newspapers
Related: Feds Expand Gulf Fishing Ban
Related: Wakulla, Franklin Counites Submit Plans For Protecting Coast
The massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill is growing despite British Petroleum's effort to siphon some of the spewing crude from its ruptured deepwater well, the U.S. Coast Guard official leading the cleanup warned Tuesday.
Rekers Scandal Stirs Legal Questions In Anti-Gay Cases
By John Schwartz
New York Times
For years, George A. Rekers has held himself out as an expert witness in court on homosexuality, arguing in cases concerning same-sex marriage and gay adoption that gay men and lesbians lead parlous lives and raise troubled children.
Republicans Feeling Sting Of Crist's Veto
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Gov. Charlie Crist has antagonized Republican legislative leaders by vetoing some of their major bills. And indications are that inflammatory atmosphere will continue as Crist weighs the merits of dozens of bills pending on his desk, including a $70.4 billion state budget.
Florida Among First States To Make Attacks On Homeless Hate Crimes
By Kate Santich
Orlando Sentinel
For four years, Florida has been named the worst state in the nation for violence against the homeless. But now it's one of the first states to enact a law making it a hate crime to attack a homeless person.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Abortion-Bill Strategy, Election-Year Politics Prompt Massive Early Influx Of Bills To Crist
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Florida House and Senate leaders have swamped Gov. Charlie Crist's office with 139 bills in the past week, the latest tactic in an ongoing election-year battle between Crist and a legislature dominated by the Republican Party he recently spurned.
"Smarter Is Better" For Florida, Sink Says
By Bill Cotterell
Pensacola News Journal
Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said Tuesday taxpayers could save at least $700 million a year by changing the attitude of state government from "bigger is better" to "smarter is better."
A Passion For The Job
By Chad Smith
Gainesville Sun
Sporting earmuffs like a true Floridian, Pegeen Hanrahan stood on the National Mall in Washington on Jan. 20, 2009, to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office in front of the Capitol.
POLITICAL RACES
Kendrick Meek Faces Uphill Fight In Broward
By Amy Sherman and Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
Squeezed between a newly independent Gov. Charlie Crist and an aggressive new Democratic rival in the U.S. Senate race, Kendrick Meek faces unexpected and formidable foes in the fight for Florida's biggest pot of Democratic voters: Broward County.
Crist Seeks Labor Aid
News Service Of Florida
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, up until last month a Republican, will step into a bastion of Democratic politics this weekend with a speech to the AFL-CIO of Florida as the union umbrella group vets candidates for possible endorsement.
Joe Garcia Kicks Off campaign For Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart's Former Seat
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Democrat Joe Garcia officially launched his congressional campaign Tuesday, setting his sights for the second time on U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart's seat in Washington -- this time by attacking Tallahassee.
Billionaire Jeff Greene, Checkbook In Hand, Charges Into Florida Democratic Senate Primary
By Adam Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Florida has never had an erotic art-collecting billionaire who pals around with Mike Tyson run for statewide office, so it's hard to tell whether Jeff Greene has a real shot.
Poll: Rick Scott Mixes Up Governor's Race
By Michael C. Bender
Post On Politics
Rassmussen Reports today labels Rick Scott's gubernatorial campaign as an "out-of-nowhere bid."
Candidate Dawn Thompson's Flier Violates Florida House Rules
By Anne Lindberg
St. Petersburg Times
State House candidate Dawn Thompson must change some of her campaign literature because it violates House rules.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Lake Okeechobee Water Dump Continues Despite Environmental Damage
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun Sentinel
While South Florida braces for oil spill pollution potentially reaching its shores, weeks of dumping Lake Okeechobee water out to sea to protect South Florida from flooding has already created an environmental emergency to the north.
Chemicals Will Protect The Gulf, Rep. Miller Says
By Bart Jansen
Pensacola News Journal
Using chemicals deep underwater to disperse oil pouring from a damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico is necessary to protect beaches and wildlife, even though the risk to marine life is unknown, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller said Tuesday.
Okaloosa Wants $1 Million From BP
By Kari C. Barlow
Northwest Florida Daily News
Okaloosa County officials say they are prepared to ask BP for at least $1 million to pay for extra costs related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Nelson Posts Videos Of Crude Spewing From Deep
By Bart Jansen
Pensacola News Journal
Four videos showing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill were posted online Tuesday by Sen. Bill Nelson.
Palm Beach County Commission, Florida Crystals Agree To Inland Port Compromise
By Jennifer Sorentrue
Palm Beach Post
An industrial distribution center, known as the "inland port," won't be built on 318 acres next to Florida Crystal's Okeelanta sugar mill.
Commission Rejects Lime Rock Mine In Marion County
By Bill Thompson
Ocala Star Banner
Opponents of a lime rock quarry proposed for northwest Marion County turned out in force Tuesday night to deliver a simple message to the County Commission: They weren't coming to the mine; the mine was coming to them - and they were saying no thanks.
LGBT
69 Percent Of Polled Florida Voters Say Let Gays Serve In The Military
By Steve Rothaus
Palm Beach Post
Sixty-nine percent of Florida voters support allowing gay men and lesbians to serve in the U.S. military, according to a new survey released Monday by Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay-rights group.
EDUCATION
Class Size, Teachers Top State Agenda
By Sherri Ackerman
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Board of Education tread close to the job of legislators during a discussion Tuesday morning about the failed teacher reform bill known as Senate Bill 6.
Broward School Board Says Yes To State Effort To Win Funds
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
The first time the application for millions in federal education-reform funds came before them, Broward School Board members said no thanks.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Moody's Warns Oil Spill Impact On Florida Could Be Worse Than Recession
By Robert Trigaux
St. Petersburg Times
A Moody's report released Tuesday on the potential impact of the oil spill on Florida warns it could hurt the state on a major scale.
Catastrophe Fund: Good For $25.5 Billion In Losses
Associated Press
The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is as healthy as ever heading into the 2010 storm season.
Crist Estends State Jobless Benefits
By Kevin Turner
Florida Times Union
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed a bill Monday extending unemployment benefits.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Amid Concern, White House Speeds Up Health Care Benefits
By Jennifer Haberkorn and Sarah Kliff
Politico
President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies are using the levers of government to speed up and promote what they consider the most popular aspects of the new health care law before a highly skeptical public passes judgment in November.
State Tables Plan To Limit Sugary Drinks In Schools
By Denise-Marie Balona
Orlando Sentinel
Florida education leaders backed off a plan to drastically limit sugar-laden drinks in Florida public schools Tuesday, after objections from the dairy and beverage industries, and local school districts.
Florida Hospitals, Surgeons Look To Cut Errors, Costs With Program
By Diane Chun
Ocala Star Banner
Florida surgeons hope to cut infection rates and improve outcomes as part of a new statewide initiative unveiled Tuesday.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Bill McCollum To Pay $7M In Bingo "Case From Hell"
By Marc Caputo
The Buzz
Back in 1995, then-attorney general Bob Butterworth used a secret type of injunction in an effort to shut down out-of-state interests running bingo parlors as illegal gaming operations.
By Kaustuv Basu
Florida Today
The cases of three Brevard residents who were sentenced to life in prison as teenagers for crimes other than murder might get another look after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday.
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