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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Daily Clips for May 26, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

BP Prepares for 'Top Kill' Procedure

By Clifford Krauss

New York Times

Related: BP's Ties to Agency Are Long and Complex

Related: Crisis Places Focus on Beleaguered Agency's Chief

Related: Panel Suggests Signs of Trouble Before Rig Explosion

BP was poised Wednesday morning to decide whether to move ahead with its most ambitious -- and potentially most consequential -- effort to plug the mile-deep gusher of oil that has been streaming into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month.


Gov. Charlie Crist the target of frustration over state's oil spill response

By Steve Bousquet, Marc Caputo and Lee Logan

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Simmering frustration over the oil spill's potential damage to Florida tourism erupted Tuesday into blunt criticism of Gov. Charlie Crist, who defended the state's response and later trumpeted the arrival of $25 million from BP for TV ads aimed at calming tourists' fears.


Fla. GOP candidate favors raising retirement age

By Brendan Farrington

The Associated Press

Marco Rubio wants Americans to work longer and retire later to places like Florida, a stand that has drawn criticism from his Senate rivals and unnerves some in the Sunshine State where one out of every seven residents gets a Social Security check.


Bill Nelson says he'll vote for repealing military ban on gays

By Ray Reyes

Tampa Tribune

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson will vote for repealing a 17-year-old law banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, the senator's spokesman said Tuesday.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Florida Republican party credit cards gone, $7.3 million legacy remains

By Matt Dixon

Florida Times-Union

Jon Sweede misses Jim Greer and Delmar Johnson.


Veto Sneaky, Last-Minute Bill That Would Hurt Injured Workers

By Sanford Silverman, M.D.

Florida Thinks

This year was supposed to be different. With the stain on the Florida legislative process caused by the Ray Sansom saga just starting to dry, lawmakers promised a budget process conducted fully in the sunshine.


Democrats defy GOP on earmarks, push for the pork

By Mark K. Matthews

Orlando Sentinel

For years, U.S. Rep. John Mica has taken pride in snagging federal dollars for hometown projects, once even vowing that there was "no way in hell" that he would support a ban on the so-called "earmarks" that lawmakers slip into federal spending bills.

POLITICAL RACES

$6 million in ads later, GOP candidate for governor Rick Scott talks to voters

By Janet Zink

St. Petersburg Times

In his first public campaign appearance, Republican candidate for governor Rick Scott presented himself Tuesday as a political newcomer interested in applying business principles to managing the state.


Florida Democrats accuse Bill McCollum of reckless spending

By Trenton Daniel

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact

In 2008, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum hired a little-known psychologist to testify in favor of Florida's ban on gay adoptions.


State's new GOP leader notes key races in 2010

By Derek Catron

Daytona Beach News-Journal

As if 2009 hadn't been eventful enough for John Thrasher, the new head of the Florida Republican Party spoke to the Tiger Bay Club Tuesday about just how momentous this year could be.


Wasserman Schultz, the congresswoman some love to hate, faces field of opponents

By Anthony Man

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D- Weston, is arguably South Florida's brightest political star -- and facing an unprecedented field of challengers fighting to take her seat.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Congress Members Want Redistricting Initiative Removed From Florida Ballot

Staff Report

Lakeland Ledger

Two members of Congress want a court to remove a citizen initiative on congressional redistricting from Florida's Nov. 2 ballot.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Florida gets good news - its beaches still clean - and $25 million to tell the world

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

BP wired $25 million to Florida Tuesday to help the state get out the message to tourists that its Panhandle beaches are clean and open for business - just some of the good news that frustrated officials received Tuesday about the massive gushing of oil in the Gulf of Mexico.


As oil gushes in the Gulf, frustrations rise in Florida

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

With the Gulf oil spill some 55 miles from Pensacola, state officials on Tuesday vented their frustration over BP's failure to staunch the flow and ease its impact on Florida's vital summer tourist trade.


BP agrees to show live feed of 'top kill' effort to plug oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

By Erica Werner

The Associated Press

BP has agreed at the request of the Obama administration to show video of the "top kill" designed to choke off the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.


2010-11 budget includes $15.5 million for beaches

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Supporters of beach sand replacement projects are welcoming a $15.5 million appropriation in the 2010-11 state budget approved by the Legislature.

LGBT

UF professors helped research 'don't ask, don't tell' policy

By Nathan Crabbe

Gainesville Sun

A compromise on the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy is imperfect, but might be the best chance for repeal under the political circumstances, according to a University of Florida law professor who has studied the issue.

EDUCATION

Florida schools back revamped application for federal "Race to the Top" grants

By Kathleen Haughney

News Service of Florida

Fifty-nine school districts, three lab schools and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind all pledged their support Tuesday to the state's revamped effort to bring in $700 million in federal dollars for Florida schools.


3rd-grade FCAT scores rise, but 8,500 kids in South Florida face retention

By Kathleen McGrory and Hannah Sampson

Miami Herald

Florida's third-graders will soon learn whether the fourth grade is in their immediate future.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida a tax haven?

By Gary Fineout

Florida Tribune

Southern states - including Florida - lead the nation in having the highest percentage of people who wind up paying no annual income taxes to the federal government.


U.S. aid still needed for hurting Florida families

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

The U.S. House could consider as early as today a jobs bill that would be a lifeline for Florida.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

TaxWatch aims at health 'turkeys'

By Jim Saunders

Health News Florida

With Florida struggling financially, a tax-watchdog group Monday called on Gov. Charlie Crist to veto $12.7 million in "turkey" projects that lawmakers stuffed into the health and human-services budget.


Drug companies' marketing drowns out evidence

By Carol Gentry

Health News Florida

If you think quality is the reason the U.S. health care system costs twice as much per capita as those of other industrial countries, here's a study you need to read.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Opponents, proponents of legalizing farmworkers tussle over AgJobs bill

By John Lantigua

Palm Beach Post

Mike Carlton, labor relations director for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, is sometimes criticized for his position on U.S. immigration law.

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