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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Daily Clips for June 8, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

House sends anti-abortion bill to Florida governor

By Brent Kallestad

The Associated Press

After a wait of more than five weeks, lawmakers finally sent Gov. Charlie Crist the most contentious bill of the 2010 legislative session on Monday.


Florida says it's likely to exact penalties for late FCAT scores

By Ron Matus

St. Petersburg Times

The company contracted by the state to administer the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test may be on the hook for millions of dollars in damages for this year's scoring delays.


Cap Collecting More and More Oil, Coast Guard Says

By Melissa Nelson

The Associated Press

Related: Economist: Oil Spill Could Cost Fla. 39,000 Jobs, $2.2 Billion

The geyser of oil spewing from sea floor is tapering off more day by day with the help of a wellhead cap, but there's no quick fix for containing much of the crude that has already escaped and is spreading across the Gulf of Mexico.


Spreading Gulf oil spill changes response to crisis

By Patricia Mazzei, Laura Figueroa and Daniel Chang

Miami Herald

Related AP story: Crist announces loans for oil-affected businesses

The single battle to contain the massive oil spill in the Gulf is now playing out on multiple fronts.

POLITICAL RACES

Campaign could weigh into Crist decision on abortion bill

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

The two-week countdown began Monday for Gov. Charlie Crist to decide whether to veto a controversial abortion bill, a move that could have lasting political repercussions this election year.


Democratic Senate rivals Meek, Greene agree to June 22 debate

By George Bennett

Palm Beach Post

The Democratic Senate campaigns of Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene have tentatively agreed to debate on June 22 and have sent a joint letter to TV stations in the West Palm Beach market in search of a host.


McCollum says gubernatorial opponent ruthless

By Brendan Farrington

The Associated Press

Attorney General Bill McCollum said Monday that he is angry his opponent in the GOP primary for governor is using "ill-gotten gains" to spend millions on untruthful ads.


Oil vote threatens incumbent in Democratic primary

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Two years ago, state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda sidestepped an all pro pass rusher to win a seat in the Florida House.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Competing Reapportionment Amendments on the Ballot

By Tom Parkinson

WMFE Public Radio Orlando

The battle over redistricting in Florida is attracting dueling lawsuits.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

20-year-old oil spill liability law creates "incentives for spills"

By Chris Kromm

Institute for Southern Studies

No one knows the economic damage the Gulf oil spill will inflict on fishing fleets and coastal communities -- most observers simply say it will cost "billions" of dollars, and today, President Obama only allowed that the economic consequences will be "substantial" and "ongoing."


Crist Predicts House Will Drop Opposition to Oil Drilling Ban

By Scott Finn

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

Gov. Charlie Crist is repeating his call for a constitutional amendment on the November ballot banning oil drilling in Florida's waters.


Gov. Crist visits bay area to reassure leaders on oil spill

By Cristina Silva

St. Petersburg Times

Gov. Charlie Crist traversed Pinellas County on Monday, reassuring hoteliers, government leaders and boat captains that he would help them keep the Tampa Bay area's tourism economy strong.


$700,000 ad money rouses divvying feud

By Carlton Proctor

Pensacola News Journal

Behind the scenes political wrangling is stalling a $700,000 media campaign aimed at countering the negative publicity BP's oil spill is having on Escambia County's beaches.


Writers take on oil drilling issue with new book

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Before Florida residents had ever heard about the Deepwater Horizon oil rig or had seen their beaches covered with tar balls, a group of writers decided last fall to pen their thoughts against oil drilling.


Red snapper ban may become permanent

By Jim Waymer

Florida Today

Charter owner Tony Adams says red snapper keep beating the "legal" fish to the bait. But people fishing off his boat, the Miss Cape Canaveral, must toss them back for now.


Fighting for Florida's future

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Florida's future is on the line this summer.

EDUCATION

Florida slow to rid schools of sugar-laden drinks

By Denise-Marie Balona

Orlando Sentinel

Lloyd Werk and some other health-care advocates say it's taking too long for Florida educators to purge public schools of unhealthy, sugar-laden drinks.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Beaches are largely OK, but tourists are vacationing elsewhere

By Dusty Ricketts

Northwest Florida Daily News

Northwest Florida has been lucky in that area beaches have remained relatively free of the oil catastrophe that has washed ashore to the west.


BP not paying much yet to Fla. businesses

By Paul Flemming

Tallahassee Democrat

BP's putting cash into the hands of workers who miss paychecks because of the oil spill, but businesses with larger losses are taking longer to get reimbursed.


The Plight of the Unemployed

The Progress Report

Think Progress

Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 431,000 jobs were created in May and the unemployment rate dropped from 9.9 percent to 9.7 percent.


Study touts long-term advantages of foreign workers

By Alfonso Chardy

Miami Herald

Immigrant workers reduce job opportunities for native-born workers in the short run, but improve the economy after several years, thus making it easier for everybody to be hired, according to a study released Monday.


Counties facing tough choices

By Doug Sword and Dale White

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

By the time residents and businesses get their property tax bills in November, taxes will have fallen by more than $400 million over a three-year period in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Ultrasound bill sponsor Andy Gardiner has personal motive beyond abortion politics

By John Frank

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

The smiles in the delivery room didn't last long.


Wrong-organ surgery: $5,000 fine

By Carol Gentry

Health News Florida

A Broward surgeon who performed a gallbladder operation but took out a healthy kidney by mistake wasn't inept or careless, state Board of Medicine members said Friday.


The taxpayer-abortion myth: Part of campaign in favor of ultrasound amendment

Editorial

Palm Beach Post

Florida doesn't spend any public money on abortion unless the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother or is the result of rape or incest.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida should say "no thanks" to Arizona-type immigration law

Editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Polls show a majority in Florida and across the nation support Arizona's law.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Scott Rothstein's fate: Money buys love till the party ends

By Fred Grimm

Miami Herald

He was the less-than-great Gatsby, the cartoon version.

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