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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Daily Clips for June 30, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Prosecution documents reveal more in fraud case against former GOP chairman Jim Greer

By John Frank

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Related: Audio: Hear the taped conversation between Delmar Johnson and Jim Greer

Gov. Charlie Crist and a future House speaker are listed among the witnesses that could be called into court as part of a criminal corruption case against former Republican Party boss Jim Greer, according to documents released Tuesday by state prosecutors.


McCollum now acknowledges ties to 2 groups attacking Scott

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

After weeks of denying it, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum has disclosed that he is raising money for two of three secretive political committees attacking his primary opponent, Rick Scott.


FCATs see gains, and a plateau

By Tiffany Lankes and Christopher O'Donnell

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

After years of steady progress, Florida elementary school students are starting to lose some ground in reading and math performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.


Storm forces suspension of oil spill skimming and booming operations

By Charles Rabin and Daniel Chang

Miami Herald

Rough seas and high winds from Hurricane Alex, the category 1 storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico far west of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, forced the suspension Tuesday of skimming and booming operations off the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, a BP spokesman said.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Documents raise further questions in Greer case

By Gary Fineout

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Some of the innermost secrets of the Republican Party of Florida spilled out in the open on Tuesday as prosecutors released documents that raise additional questions about the ongoing financial scandal that has resulted in the arrest of the former party chairman.


Prosecutors: Ex-GOP chief Greer lied about ties to company

By Rene Stutzman

Orlando Sentinel

Jim Greer, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, called a friend at a Tallahassee law firm in February 2009, asking for help in setting up a company.


Slew of new laws starts July 1

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

If you're a drug user and just broke your bong, or if your Burmese python just slithered away, you might want to shop for a new one -- today.


Most new laws don't receive any attention

By Jackie Bueno Sousa

Miami Herald

This past session the state Legislature passed 274 laws, many of which take effect Thursday.


No-limit poker becomes legal in Florida on July 1

By Nick Sortal

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Unlimited poker becomes legal in Florida on July 1, and the sharks from across the U.S. are coming looking for fish.


Head shop owners don't like Florida's new 'bong bill'

By Shelley Rossetter

St. Petersburg Times

A state law that makes it a crime to sell smoking devices such as pipes and bongs at most head shops takes effect Thursday.

POLITICAL RACES

How Candidates for U.S. Senate in Florida Compare on Issues

By Amy Keller

Florida Trend

This time last year, Gov. Charlie Crist appeared to have a lock on Florida's 2010 Senate race, with the National Republican Senatorial Committee breaking its long-established tradition of not getting involved in primaries to declare him the "candidate with the best chance to win."


Who the hell is Jeff Greene?

By Mitch Perry

Creative Loafing

Jeff Greene is staring at me with a somewhat bemused grin.


Democratic AG candidates squabble over proper response to BP's hiring of law firm

By Michael C. Bender

Palm Beach Post

Florida Attorney General candidate Dan Gelber resigned from his law firm after it was retained by BP, but not soon enough for his Democratic primary opponent, Dave Aronberg.


GOP practices work for selected candidates, not for voters

Editorial

TC Palm

Want to get elected to the Florida Legislature or to a prime seat in the U.S. Congress?

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Give local voters a say on major developments

By Pamela Winchester

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Sometimes, when the political system gets corrupted and out of touch, citizens need to step in to restore proper balance -- and that's what Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 will do.


Coffee Party takes stand on redistricting amendments

By Anthony Man

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The fledgling coffee party group, formed largely in response to the better known and louder tea party movement, is taking on the proposed Florida constitutional amendments that would reform legislative and congressional redistricting.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Oil spill: Biden says more boom, skimmers to come

By Jamie Page

Pensacola News Journal

Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday promised that more oil skimmers and protective boom are headed to the Pensacola area, and said the administration remains committed to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill recovery effort.


Dangers of spill foreshadowed in report

By Grace Gagliano

Bradenton Herald

New College of Florida Professor Frank Alcock could hardly believe it when he learned BP's oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico had exploded April 20.


Sea turtles facing threats on two fronts in Gulf oil spill

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

With the Gulf oil spill threatening wildlife and coastal economies, federal officials are planning to relocate sea turtle hatchlings from the region to the Atlantic Ocean, the St. Petersburg Times reported Tuesday.


Fishing ban in Gulf of Mexico expanded

By Jennifer Portman

Tallahassee Democrat

Grouper and snapper fishing will be among the hardest hit by the expanded closure of federal Gulf of Mexico waters east to Cape San Blas, officials say, but near-shore fishing in state waters -- including the harvesting of scallops and oysters -- remains largely open.


The Numbers Behind the Oil Spill and U.S. Seafood Production

By James Hudson

Public News Service Florida

As the Gulf of Mexico oil slick is blackening beaches from Louisiana to Pensacola, one of the major issues facing residents of the Gulf Coast is the effect this spill is having on the seafood industry.


"Clean Energy Congress" calls for renewables target

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Related: Sink calls for energy leadership but avoids committing to policies

The "Clean Energy Congress" concluded Tuesday in Tallahassee with a series of policy recommendations for reducing energy use and boosting renewable energy. With the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as a backdrop, representatives from a variety of environmental and industry groups and agencies met in the Florida House chambers to develop energy proposals.


Utilities-only cap may be last hope for carbon-pricing legislation

By Aaron Wiener

Florida Independent

If President Obama hoped that his meeting with key senators on Tuesday would produce anything resembling a consensus on energy legislation, he came away disappointed.


Government sends mixed messages on oil policy reforms

Editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Obama administration says it will break apart and retool the corrupt and wholly ineffectual Minerals Management Service, whose employees shamelessly cozied up to the oil industry, resulting in a twisted embrace that enabled rather than regulated the industry.

LGBT

Case challenges 'don't ask, don't tell' policy

The Associated Press

Miami Herald

A judge has agreed to hear a case challenging the U.S. government's "don't ask, don't tell' policy against openly gay soldiers.

EDUCATION

Florida Education Official: Scores Late, but Accurate

By John Chambliss

Lakeland Ledger

The contractor for the FCAT faces costs and damages that could top $25 million for being late with the scores.


The wait is over, FCAT scores are here

By Akilah Johnson

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The long-delayed FCAT results, released by the state Tuesday, show South Florida's elementary students stumbled, but middle and high school students generally improved from last year in reading, science and math scores that continue to beat statewide averages.


FCAT reading scores drop

By Sherri Ackerman

Tampa Tribune

Fourth-graders statewide scored lower on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test this year.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Gulf Coast tourism officials want $500M for campaign

By Bart Jansen

Tallahassee Democrat

A $500-million marketing campaign will be necessary to combat public perceptions about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that could ripple for years, tourism officials told congressional staffers Tuesday.


Gulf oil spill affecting Floridians' interest in spending, experts say

By Anthony Clark

Gainesville Sun

The Gulf oil spill is weighing on Florida consumers' minds, combining with other economic concerns to lower their mood to spend.


NASA budget: Lawmakers make no decision on Constellation, space shuttle future

By Mark K. Matthews

Orlando Sentinel

A key congressional committee sidestepped a potential vote on NASA's future Tuesday, opting to take no position on White House plans to scrap NASA's moon-rocket program and replace the space shuttle with commercial rockets.


Debt-relief con artists dodging state crackdown

By Richard Burnett

Orlando Sentinel

Along with ads for payday-advance loans and roadside signs touting foreclosure-prevention aid, offers of help from debt-relief companies have turned up nearly everywhere during the housing slump and recession.


Congress must step up and help unemployed

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

The unemployment rate in Florida and the nation remains depressingly high, few private sector jobs are being created and the Consumer Confidence Index plummeted again Tuesday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Levine: WellCare CEO lied

By Carol Gentry and Jim Saunders

Health News Florida

A former secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration said WellCare Health Plans' CEO tricked him into believing the company was spending more than it actually was on Medicaid patients and says state prosecutors should consider criminal charges against WellCare's former executives.


More lawsuits against Tampa company WellCare made public

By Kris Hundley

St. Petersburg Times

The allegations of wrongdoing at WellCare Health Plans Inc. continued Tuesday with the unsealing of two more whistle-blower complaints against the Tampa company.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida jails linked to immigration databases

By Alfonso Chardy

Miami Herald

Federal immigration officials now have the ability to identify potentially deportable foreign nationals booked into Florida county jails on suspicion of crimes.

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