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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Friday, July 23, 2010

Daily Clips for July 23, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

State's jobless may miss out on extended benefits

By Patrick Peterson

Florida Today

The federal government on Thursday finalized an extension of unemployment benefits that will bring welcome relief to millions of the struggling jobless.


Florida may lose billions in tourism from oil spill

By Sara K. Clarke

Orlando Sentinel

The nation's biggest travel trade group said Thursday the BP PLC oil spill will cost the Gulf region's tourism industry between $7.6 billion and $22.7 billion, with most of the economic damage falling on Florida's shoulders.


Three of every four oil and gas lobbyists worked for federal government

By Dan Eggen and Kimberly Kindy

Washington Post

Related: BP's changing lobbying disclosure amount? It figures.

Three out of every four lobbyists who represent oil and gas companies previously worked in the federal government, a proportion that far exceeds the usual revolving-door standards on Capitol Hill, a Washington Post analysis shows.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Official 2010 Netroots Awards Winners List

By Kenneth Quinnell

Florida Progressive Coalition

Here is the official list of winners for the 2010 Netroots Awards.


Florida's Fraudulent GOP & Their Fiscal Fickleness

By Jdwolverton

FLA Politics

It's been awhile since the fraud case against former Florida GOP chairman, Jim Greer, came to light.


"Do-nothing" gives far too much credit

By Jon Bleyer

Progress Florida

After the Republican-led Florida legislature refused yesterday to consider allowing citizens a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment to ban oil drilling in Florida waters, Gov. Charlie Crist ripped into what he called the "do-nothing" legislature.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Lawmaker: End Cuba travel curbs

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, is signing onto a bill that would lift decades-old travel restrictions to Cuba, becoming the first member from Florida to do so.


Obamas to vacation on Florida's Gulf Coast in August

Staff Report

Northwest Florida Daily News

President Barack Obama and his family will vacation on the Gulf Coast next month, as they've urged other Americans to do to help the area's battered economy.

POLITICAL RACES

Belize: Jeff Greene's yacht tore up coral reef, left unpaid fines up to $1.87-million

By Adam C. Smith

St. Petersburg Times

On a Tuesday morning five years ago, Summerwind, a three-story, 145-foot luxury yacht, maneuvered above the celebrated barrier reef that lines the coast of Belize.


As state legislator, Meek omitted ties to bankrupt company accused of cooking books

By Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

When he was a state legislator, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek failed to disclose his stock ownership in a medical-waste company that eventually went bankrupt, one whose officials were accused of cooking the books.


Chamber backs tea-party-favorite Rubio in Florida

By Philip Elliott

The Associated Press

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is backing Marco Rubio's bid for the Senate, pledging to help the tea party-favored candidate emerge from a tight three-way race in Florida.


Crist just won't be buried

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Republicans in the Legislature keep thinking they are about to put Gov. Charlie Crist in his political grave.


More of the Rich Run as Populist Outsiders

By Damien Cave and Michael Luo

New York Times

When Jeff Greene, a k a the Meltdown Mogul, recently brought his Democratic campaign for the United States Senate to a poor Miami neighborhood rife with the kinds of subprime mortgages that he became a billionaire betting against, did he:


McCollum fighting back as poll shows his chances are fading

By William March

Tampa Tribune

With a new poll showing Bill McCollum's hopes fading in the Republican primary for governor and Rick Scott inundating him with a tidal wave of television ads, McCollum is fighting back with his best weapon - attacking the Medicare fraud history of Scott's former hospital company.


Poll: More money is meaning more votes for Scott

Staff Report

Florida Times-Union

In a poll released Thursday of the landscape for the Republican nomination for governor, Public Policy Polling shows Rick Scott with a substantial 43 percent to 29 percent lead over Bill McCollum.


Gubernatorial candidate Scott visits Sarasota

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Anthony J. Lingrosso had to see Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott in person.


Scott finds some in his Fla. GOP crowds worried about negatives - in ads and in polls

By George Bennett

Palm Beach Post

Speaking to an overflow crowd of 500 here, Republican governor candidate Rick Scott touted a new poll that shows him with a 14-point lead in the GOP primary over Bill McCollum.


Rick Scott Campaign Staffers Block Reporter

Staff Report

Local 6 TV News Orlando

A veteran political reporter at Local 6's sister station in Miami says Rick Scott's campaign staff did a 180 because the reporter interviewed Scott's mother.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Remember Amendment 3? It's being challenged in circuit court

By Michael Peltier

News Service of Florida

A proposed constitutional amendment that would provide additional tax benefits for some homebuyers is misleading and should be taken off the November ballot, an attorney representing labor unions and a property owner contended Thursday before a circuit judge who is expected to rule before the weekend.


St. Petersburg City Council votes 7-1 to change land use plan

By Sara Gregory

St. Petersburg Times

The City Council voted Thursday to limit the number of land use changes that would require voter approval if Florida Hometown Democracy's Amendment 4 passes in November.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Marine Toxicologist: Warns of Longterm Consequences from Oil Spill

By Margie Menzel

WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee

A marine toxicologist whose specialty is oil pollution warned Thursday that the Gulf oil disaster will have devastating consequences for Floridians' health as well as for their environment.


Cap to remain in place if storm forces evacuation of gulf well site

By Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

Federal and BP officials have decided that if they have to evacuate the Deepwater Horizon well site because of a tropical storm, the cap now on the well will remain.


Some areas of the Gulf reopened

By Bill Cotterell

Florida Capital News

The federal government reopened vast areas of the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and Gov. Charlie Crist urged quick action to permit fishing in more oil-free waters.


Cave explorer, springs advocate Wes Skiles dies while diving

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Florida's globally known cave explorer, photographer and Florida springs advocate Wes Skiles died Wednesday while filming off the coast of Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

EDUCATION

Santa Rosa schools deal with lowest state funding

By Carmen Paige

Pensacola News Journal

The Santa Rosa County School District has some good items in next year's $282 million budget despite its per student funding being the lowest in Florida.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Floridians will lose out without fix to jobless benefits

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

With Congress finally passing the federal extension to unemployment compensation benefits and the president expected to sign it, about 250,000 Floridians whose benefits had run out over the past couple of months will soon be tossed a financial lifeline.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Florida doctors to consider splitting ties with AMA over healthcare reform

By Julian Pecquet

The Hill

The House of Delegates of the Florida Medical Association is scheduled to consider a resolution severing ties with the American Medical Association because of its support for the healthcare reform law.


Hopkins' chief-to-be reassures

By Carol Gentry

Health News Florida

The Johns Hopkins professor in line to become physician-in-chief at All Children's Hospital if the merger announced Wednesday is signed says the physicians who treat patients and do clinical research there should not be affected.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Arizona law attacked as U.S., ACLU argue cases

By John Lantigua

Palm Beach Post

A federal judge in Phoenix on Thursday heard two arguments against Arizona's controversial new immigration law, a measure that could serve as a model for similar legislation in other states, including Florida.


Immigration, civil rights groups "skeptical" of ICE fingerprinting program used in Florida

By Marcos Restrepo

Florida Independent

Subhash Kateel, of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, calls Florida a "testing ground for Immigration and Customs Enforcement programs."

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