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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Daily Clips for June 9, 2010

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Abortion Bill Battle (includes video)

By Whitney Ray

Capitol News Service

Excerpt: But opponents of the legislation, like Damien Filer and his political action group Progress Florida, say the legislation raises privacy and financial concerns for women because they would be required to pay for the ultrasound. "It really is going to adversely impact low income women and women who don't already have access to health care," said Filer.

FEATURED STORIES

Crist considering abortion-bill veto

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Gov. Charlie Crist strongly indicated Tuesday he will veto a politically charged abortion bill that Republican lawmakers tactically timed to upstage him in his independent bid for the U.S. Senate.


Double-whammy: Oil confirmed deep below surface and may be rounding Florida's tip

By Adam Playford

Palm Beach Post

Related: BP exec: No large concentrations of underwater oil

Related: Democrats try to seize initiative on oil spill

Tuesday, Florida's oil forecast went from grim to grimmer.


Gov. Crist and Cabinet bash BP's response to oil spill, demand payment for losses

By Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Related editorial: Florida must keep pressure on BP to pay for damages

Gov. Charlie Crist and Florida's Cabinet publicly lashed out at one of BP's top executives Tuesday as frustration continued to mount over what they consider a lackluster response to the plight of businesses crippled by the oil disaster and the insufficient cleanup effort.


BP Oil Leak Estimates Growing

By Ray Henry, Arry R. Weber and Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

While BP is capturing more oil from its blown-out well with every passing day, scientists on a team analyzing the flow said Tuesday that the amount of crude still escaping into the Gulf of Mexico may be considerably greater than what the government and the company have claimed.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Fla. GOP doubts Crist line on Greer

By Shira Toeplitz

Politico

Florida Republicans supportive of Marco Rubio's Senate campaign are questioning Gov. Charlie Crist's claim that he was unaware of an alleged scheme to skim money from the Republican Party of Florida, which led to the arrest and indictment of former Crist adviser Jim Greer last week.


'Tea party' becoming a capital issue

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

As it matures from an unorganized coalition opposed to President Barack Obama's two signature domestic policy initiatives into a full-fledged political movement, the tea party is beginning to set its sights on elections for state offices.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist has small lead in Senate; Sink scrambles

The Associated Press

Miami Herald

A new statewide poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist holding a slim lead in the three-way race for the U.S. Senate.


Rubio Calls Crist Out

By Alex Altman

Time Magazine

After abandoning his bid for Florida's Republican Senate nomination, Charlie Crist gave an interview to National Review in which he gushed about life as an independent candidate.


Ft. Lauderdale attorney Jim Lewis ditches GOP for independent bid for attorney general post

By Carrie Wells

Miami Herald

Fort Lauderdale attorney Jim Lewis cut ties to the Republican party Tuesday and announced he would run as an independent in Florida's attorney general race, mirroring a similar backlash toward party affiliations across the state and country.


Oil Spill Centerpiece of Campaign Against Rep. John Mica

By Scott Finn

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

The issue of oil drilling is popping up in Congressional races across Florida, especially the one involving long-time drilling supporter Congressman John Mica.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Debate intensifies over Amendment 4

By Derek Catron

Daytona Beach News Journal

Hometown Democracy's Amendment 4 is either Floridians' "final opportunity" to take control of the state's growth or a Trojan horse that would make matters worse.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

U.S. knew of Gulf oil spill risk

By Shashank Bengali

Miami Herald

Related: It's boom time for companies cleaning up oil spill

A decade ago, U.S. government regulators warned that a major deepwater oil spill could start with a fire on a drilling rig, prove hard to stop and cause extensive damage to fish eggs and wetlands because there were few good ways to capture oil underwater.


Has Oil Entered Gulf Stream, Reached Fort Lauderdale?

By Deirdra Funcheon

Broward New Times

Yesterday, a Fort Lauderdale-based yacht captain was boating about 12.5 miles offshore from Port Everglades when he and his passengers noticed the oil slick pictured above.


That other gulf oil spill

By Travis Pillow

Florida Independent

It appears there is a rig other than Deepwater Horizon that has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April.


BP buys Google, Yahoo search words to keep people away from real news on Gulf oil spill disaster

By Maryann Tobin

Examiner

In their most tenacious effort to control the 'spin' on the worst oil spill disaster in the history, BP has purchased top internet search engine words so they can re-direct people away from real news on the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.


Gulf Researchers Getting Roadblocks from BP

By Steve Newborn

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

Related: Oil Spill Researchers Confirm Underwater Plumes

Some USF scientists who have been in the forefront of research into the effects of the Gulf oil spill say they've been getting resistance from BP officials after asked the company for help.


Is industry runoff to blame for hundreds of fish deaths in the St. Johns River?

By Virginia Chamlee

Florida Independent

Reports of a vast number of redfish deaths in the St. Johns River have Jacksonville residents, and many more throughout Florida, worried.

LGBT

Jackson Memorial Hospital scores well in treating gay patients

By Steve Rothaus

Miami Herald

Three years after a lesbian complained she wasn't allowed to visit her dying partner at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the South Florida healthcare center now ranks high in how it responds to gay patients and families, according to a report released Monday by the national Human Rights Campaign.

EDUCATION

FCAT firm gets an 'F' from Florida

By Kathleen McGrory and Hannah Sampson

Miami Herald

Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith on Tuesday slammed the testing company in charge of administering the FCAT for delaying the release of this year's scores and threatened to impose hefty fines, which are likely to reach into the millions of dollars.


Miami-Dade schools official charged in Broward tuition fraud

By Kathleen McGrory and David Ovalle

Miami Herald

A Miami-Dade schools administrator who oversees special-education programs used public money intended for disabled children to pay for her own children's tuition at a Broward private school, investigators said Tuesday.


UCF and other universities seek tuition hike

By Luis Zaragoza

Orlando Sentinel

UCF and the 10 other schools in the state university system are asking the state university Board of Governors to approve 15 percent tuition hikes that would take effect in the fall.


Make company pay for failure to deliver FCAT results

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Florida agreed last year to pay NCS Pearson, the nation's leading scorer of standardized tests, $254 million over five years to score the annual Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and report those scores back to the state in a timely manner.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Counties' bed-tax losses may run into the millions

By Paul Flemming

Tallahassee Democrat

Just when county tourism councils need it most, the money they depend on to fund marketing campaigns is going to take an oil spill hit.


Panel meeting to aid Fla. businesses hurt by oil

The Associated Press

Palm Beach Post

A diverse panel of government officials and private citizens is meeting to help Florida businesses that are suffering financially from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.


Broward cities near casinos to see millions from Seminole gambling compact

By Jennifer Gollan

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

For some Broward municipalities, it's akin to hitting the jackpot in the midst of a losing streak.


Chinese drywall vendor goes on trial in Miami

By Marcos Restrepo

Florida Independent

Armin and Lisa Seifart purchased drywall for their Coconut Grove home at Banner Supply.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Crist hints at quick veto

By Jim Saunders

Health News Florida

With lawmakers finally sending him the bill, Gov. Charlie Crist signaled today that he could quickly veto a measure that would require women to have ultrasounds before they can receive abortions.


Three of 5 nurses in Florida are leaving the state's work force

By Stacey Singer

Palm Beach Post

At a time when good jobs with benefits are tough to come by, South Florida's nursing shortage lingers, a new study shows, and therein lies a mystery.


Miami site of first fraud 'summit'

Staff Report

Health News Florida

Miami will be the site of the first regional health-fraud prevention "summit" for a wide range of players in the crackdown effort, including senior citizens, organized crime, according to a letter today from federal officials to state attorneys general.


Sarasota, Manatee put hold on new pain clinics

By Dale White

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Parrish resident Sandra Wesenberg has observed a pain clinic that she suspects is a "pill mill" for the last three weeks, taking photos of out-of-state license plates in the crowded parking lot.


Jackson Health System reports $1.7M surplus for April

By John Dorschner

Miami Herald

For the second straight month, Jackson Health System finished with a surplus, but executives said Tuesday that the money came from one-time charges that would not be repeated.


'Sonogram bill' needs Crist veto

Editorial

Ft. Myers News-Press

Gov. Charlie Crist has the opportunity finally to veto one of the worst pieces of legislation to find its way to a governor's desk in recent Florida history -- HB 1143, the anti-abortion, anti-choice "sonogram bill."

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Muslim Leader Receives Suspicious White Powder In Third Recent Anti-Muslim Incident In Jacksonville, FL

By Amanda Terkel

Think Progress

Yesterday, a Florida Muslim leader named Joshua Evans was at the center of an anthrax scare, when he received a "tissue stuffed inside with white powder" in the mail.


Pouring immigrants on oil: Haridopolos ready to distract Floridians

Editorial

Palm Beach Post

Florida's next Senate president is eager to change the subject.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Gap in new sex offender law may lead to disparities in enforcement

By Robert Napper

Florida Independent

Gov. Charlie Crist last month signed into law tougher restrictions on sex offenders in Florida, which lawmakers touted would close significant loopholes in protecting the state's children.


Former Fla. Senate president's bribery conviction reversed

The Associated Press

Northwest Florida Daily News

A federal appeals court Tuesday reversed the bribery conviction of former Florida Senate President W.D. Childers, who was known as the Legislature's "banty rooster'' because of his feisty personality and short stature.

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