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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Friday, July 16, 2010

Daily Clips for July 16, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Oil Spill Capped for a Second Day, Offering Some Hope

By Campbell Robertson and Henry Fountain

New York Times

The hemorrhaging well that has spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico remained capped for a second day Friday, providing some hope of a long-term solution to the environmental disaster.


Republicans likely to reject Crist's proposed drilling ban

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

In a politically charged confrontation with a newly independent governor, Florida lawmakers appear ready to quickly reject Gov. Charlie Crist's call for a state constitutional amendment banning oil drilling near Florida's beaches.


Legislators grapple with illegal immigrant bill

By Aiyana Baida

Tampa Tribune

Nothing seems to polarize politicians more so than the idea of bringing an illegal immigration bill to Florida.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

FL: Editing the Constitution - Amendment 3

By Norwood

Daily Kos

Florida's 2010 Amendment 3 can be seen as a legacy of sorts of former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.


St. Pete Beach & Amendment 4: The real story

By Geniusofdespair

Eye on Miami

The developer and developer-allied opponents of Amendment 4 (Florida Hometown Democracy) have been misrepresenting what actually happened in St. Pete Beach.


Get to know a candidate: Joe Garcia, the Reid Report interview

By Joy Reid

The Reid Report

Democratic Congressional candidate Joe Garcia, with wife Aileen and daughter Gabriela

Last Thursday, I interviewed Joe Garcia, Democratic candidate for Congress in District 25, who despite facing a primary, is considered the front runner to take on Marco Rubio disciple David Rivera in November.


Marco Rubio's Simple Ideas: Pull His String And He'll Say "TAX CUTS!"

By Inkberries

Beach Peanuts

Marco Rubio dazzled himself and the crowd at a Crabby Bills seafood restaurant in Tampa Tuesday when he unveiled his "new economic plan" for the country: "Lunch is on me! You take credit cards here, right?"

FLORIDA POLITICS

House speaker, Senate president dismiss special session

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

House Speaker Larry Cretul told fellow House members on Thursday they could expect a "very short" stay in Tallahassee for next week's oil drilling special legislative session, suggesting there would be no serious consideration of a drilling ban.


Second oil session looms

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

Republican legislative leaders agreed on Thursday to hold another oil-themed special legislative session this fall.


Legislature should let voters have say on drilling

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Gov. Charlie Crist, a former Republican and now an independent U.S. Senate candidate, gambled by calling next week's special legislative session to strengthen Florida's offshore drilling ban.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist trails Rubio in latest fundraising, but has much more in the bank

By Alex Leary and Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times

Gov. Charlie Crist got swamped by rival Marco Rubio in the latest round of their fundraising battle for U.S. Senate, but Thursday's reporting deadline revealed a major upside for Crist.


Rubio's campaign on upward cash swing

The Associated Press

Palm Beach Post

Billionaire Jeff Greene will report Thursday that he has spent nearly $6 million so far on his Democratic Senate campaign and Gov. Charlie Crist's fundraising is back on an upswing now that he's bolted the Republican Party to run as an independent.


Republican Rick Scott appeals ruling to give state funds to gubernatorial rival

By Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Republican candidate for governor Rick Scott wasted no time Wednesday and immediately filed an appeal of federal Judge Robert Hinkle's decision to deny his request for an injunction to block the release of state funds to his rival under Florida's public finance law.


Rick Scott wants live audience debate in Jacksonville

By David Royse

Florida Times-Union

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott wants a live audience debate with GOP rival Bill McCollum in Jacksonville, and may decline to participate in the only debate currently scheduled between the two that would be televised statewide.


All the free speech he can buy

Editorial

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Nothing in Florida's constitution or laws has prevented Rick Scott from spending millions of his own dollars to campaign for governor.


Deadline looming

Editorial

Gainesville Sun

Judging by the angry tone of our letters recently, folks hereabouts have a few things they want to say to their elected officials.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

FPL's Turkey Point expansion plans debated

By Laura Morales

Miami Herald

Florida Power & Light's plan to expand its nuclear power plant at Turkey Point faced opposition


Squirts confused with an oil gusher

By Tiffany Lankes

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Once he saw the black globs on the beach and smelled petroleum, beachcomber Tony Damian immediately assumed the worst: that tar balls from the Gulf oil spill were tarnishing the pristine Siesta sands.


BP must grant Florida additional promotion money

Editorial

Ft. Myers News-Press

BP rejected Gov. Charlie Crist's request for $50 million more in advertising and promotion money, but he should not relent in his demand.

LGBT

Gay groups urge passage of immigration reform including provisions for same-sex partners

By Steve Rothaus

Miami Herald

A coalition of Congressional leaders joined Immigration Equality and advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) immigrant families on Capitol Hill today to press for passage of an immigration reform measure which would end discrimination against the LGBT community.

EDUCATION

46 school districts see FCAT problems

By Leslie Postal

Orlando Sentinel

Two days after five Florida superintendents asked the state to investigate "anomalies" with this year's FCAT, 41 other districts said they, too, have concerns with student performance on 2010 state tests.


Fourth- and fifth-grade FCAT scores tossed

By Mae Yousif-Bashi

Ft. Myers News-Press

FCAT results for fourth- and fifth-graders will be thrown out in the wake of problems that led state education officials to hire independent contractors to examine results.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

More Than an Act of Congress Needed to Extend Florida Unemployment Benefits

By Gina Presson

Public News Service Florida

As early as Monday, Senate leaders in Washington could vote to re-authorize extended unemployment benefits, but Florida workers won't receive those benefits unless state law is changed.


Bill Nelson space plan looks like the better deal

Editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Florida Democrat Bill Nelson has offered a new blueprint for space policy.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Report: Treatment centers feel depth of pain pill crisis

By Letitia Stein

St. Petersburg Times

A national report revealed Thursday that more people than ever need treatment for addiction to pain pills. Admissions for therapy more than quadrupled in the last decade across the U.S., a trend mirrored in Florida.


Officials worry about food safety

By Cynthia Washam

Health News Florida

Health departments stopped checking kitchens at day-care centers, hospitals and nursing homes on July 1 under a new law intended to spare business owners the expense and burden of multiple state inspections.


Special session may provide way to restore Shands' funding

By Nathan Crabbe

Gainesville Sun

A special legislative session next week on oil drilling might give lawmakers an opportunity to reverse Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of $9.7 million in funding for Shands at the University of Florida.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Mack sends letter to legislators urging them not to pass Arizona-style immigration legislation

Staff Report

Naples Daily News

Representative Connie Mack sent a letter to Florida legislators and Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday, urging them not to pass immigration legislation at a special session next week.

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