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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Friday, July 2, 2010

Daily Clips for July 2, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Florida county leaders' complaints on spill cleanup still unheeded

By Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

Related: Obama's BP claims czar pledges prompt aid for oil spill victims

Local and state officials are still finding flaws in the way BP and the Coast Guard are responding to oil washing ashore across the Florida Panhandle, they said Thursday.


Weather hampers oil spill response but plans unveiled

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Bad weather hampered oil spill cleanup operations Thursday as state officials weighed in on efforts to help wildlife, fishermen and counties that are battling the spill.


Lacking G.O.P. Largess, Crist Turns to Democrats

By Michael Luo

New York Times

Gov. Charlie Crist seemed very much in his element as he worked the room at a fund-raiser here last week -- clapping backs, leaning in for small talk, touching an elbow here and a shoulder there, always making sure to introduce himself: "Hi, I'm Charlie."


Ouster of PSC members is shameful

By Beth Kassab

Orlando Sentinel

Any pretense of fairness in the process for selecting who regulates our electric, water and telephone rates in this state went out the window this week.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

A Mean Season Postponed in Florida

By Jeff Weinberger

End Homelessness

In the meanest of all of the states in the land -- at least so says the National Coalition for the Homeless -- a mean season looks to have been put on hold.


BP Turning My Kid Into Eco-Activist

By Daniel Tilson

Progress Florida

It's hard to know what to tell young children about the biggest news story of our time, the BP Gulf Oil Spill.


Johnson Turns on Greer as Florida GOP Corruption Scandal Deepens

By Buck Banks

Pensito Review

Et tu, Delmar? That must have been what Jim Greer, former chair of the Republican Party of Florida who is under indictment for money laundering and fraud, thought when he learned his executive director and godfather of his son, Delmar Johnson, had ratted him out.


Why it is downright silly to count out Kendrick Meek

By Steve Schale

Steve Schale

Conventional wisdom is a lot of things, but one thing is for certain, it is often wrong in the long run.


Earth To Marco Rubio

By Inkberries

Beach Peanuts

Gosh, Marco Rubio is having a real problem making up his mind as usual.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Greer theft and fraud trial set for October

By Michael Kruse

St. Petersburg Times

Related: Crist says no hookers on Bahamas trip

An Orange County judge on Thursday set an October trial date for the ousted chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.


Greer enters not guilty plea

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Former Republican Party chairman Jim Greer pleaded not guilty to six felony charges Thursday as Florida Democrats sought to cash in politically on his case.


Stay tuned for episode 2 of Greer's GOP drama

By Frank Cerabino

Palm Beach Post

For those of you who miss the HBO series, The Sopranos, there's a new organized crime saga unfolding closer to home.


Fallout continues over ousting of Florida PSC members

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Related: Nominating council could limit governor's PSC picks

Independent candidate for governor Bud Chiles on Thursday called on Gov. Charlie Crist to aks for a grand jury to investigate the Florida Public Service Commission.

POLITICAL RACES

Oil spill disaster raises Crist's profile as he campaigns for the U.S. Senate

By Beth Reinhard and Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

The nation's worst environmental disaster could be Gov. Charlie Crist's lucky charm.


Panhandle residents share oil spill frustration in Rubio's virtual town halls

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Bad weather grounded Marco Rubio's campaign plane Thursday, but it didn't stop the Republican U.S. Senate candidate from hearing bad economic news from Panhandle residents frustrated about the gulf oil spill.


Marco Rubio's next act

By Chris Cillizza

Washington Post

Did Marco Rubio win the Republican Party nomination four months too early?


Rick Scott sketches states' rights, small government plan to a Pinellas 912 Project crowd

By Martine Powers

St. Petersburg Times

Rick Scott, the billionaire, self-financed Republican candidate for governor, told a crowd of about 250 voters Thursday night that he would fight for "states' rights'' by suing the federal government to limit its influence over Florida.


Webster: Grayson a 'tough candidate'

By Alex Isenstadt

Politico

Facing the prospect of running against a deep-pocketed Democratic opponent, Florida Republican congressional candidate Dan Webster acknowledged this week that Rep. Alan Grayson would be difficult to defeat this fall.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Novelist Carl Hiaason speaks out for Florida's Amendment 4

By Maryann Tobin

Examiner

Outside the clouds of doubt about the Gulf oil spill, there is a ray of hope in Florida's future.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Florida tests inventors' sand-cleaning ideas

The Associated Press

Palm Beach Post

Florida officials are seeking inventors to save the state's pristine beaches from the Gulf of Mexico spill.


Teen Sacrifices College Fund to Help save Florida Wildlife from Oil

By Gina Presson

Public News Service Florida

A 14-year-old Ohio girl is sacrificing her college fund to help save wildlife injured by the Deepwater Horizon spill, and she's encouraging other teens to follow her example.


Climate Peacocks

The Progress Report

Think Progress

Like deficit peacocks who pretend to be hawkish on budgets but refuse any real solution, climate peacocks are politicians who strut with fine words about science, energy reform, and the environment, but reject solutions to the threat of climate change.

LGBT

Congressman Kendrick Meek endorsed for U.S. Senate by gay Stonewall Democrats

By Steve Rothaus

Miami Herald

Stonewall Democrats, a Washington, D.C.-based national gay political group, announced Thursday it has endorsed Congressman Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, for U.S. Senate.


Gay U.S. citizens seek to claim residency for foreign spouses

By Alfonso Chardy and Steve Rothaus

Miami Herald

Juan Carlos Galán and Greg Nardi of Miami Beach live together as a family and would like to get married.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida insurance regulators: state's catastrophic risk overblown

By Julie Patel

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

State officials are contesting a congressional report that said Florida's government-backed and private insurers would be on the hook for up to $2.57 trillion in damage claims, in the event of a catastrophic storm season.


Florida rolls out amnesty program for overdue state taxes

By David Bauerlein

Florida Times-Union

Florida taxpayers with any unpaid state tax bills hanging over their heads can clear that liability at a reduced cost during a three-month amnesty period that started Thursday and runs through Sept. 30.


Last 2 shuttle flights delayed, final trip in 2011

The Associated Press

Palm Beach Post

NASA's space shuttle program will keep going until next year.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Floridians who opt into the new federal high-risk health insurance pool will pay pricey premiums

By Richard Martin

St. Petersburg Times

Related editorial: Another benefit of health care reform launched Thursday

Help is on the way for people who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer or AIDS -- if they can afford it.


Obama's Health Plan Getting Tested In Court

By Carrie Johnson

NPR

The Obama administration's biggest domestic policy accomplishment -- the new health care law -- is under steady legal attack.


Criminal probe of execs confirmed

By Jim Saunders

Health News Florida

Atty. Gen. Bill McCollum's office confirmed Wednesday that a criminal investigation into former executives accused of committing fraud at WellCare Health Plans is still going on.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Miami immigration activist: Obama has caused 'anger and frustration in the undocumented community'

By Marcos Restrepo

Florida Independent

The Florida Independent recently spoke with Juan Rodriguez, who attended a meeting with President Obama at the White House on Monday to discuss the current state of immigration reform.


10 years on, Elian not angry at Miami relatives

The Associated Press

Palm Beach Post

Elian Gonzalez says he's not angry at his Miami relatives who fought to keep him in the United States during a nasty international custody battle a decade ago, and is thankful "a large part of the American public" supported him being reunited with his father in Cuba.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Confirmation Is Likely, but Not G.O.P. Support

By Sheryl Gay Stolberg

New York Times

There is only one question left in the debate over the Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan: How many Republican votes will she get?


Fla. justices OK some lethal injection challenges

The Associated Press

Miami Herald

A sharply divided Florida Supreme Court has agreed to let state lawyers for death row inmates challenge lethal injection in federal courts.

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