Daily Clips for August 11, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Rick Scott health care company accused of overbilling Medicare By Tristram Korten Florida Independent Two weeks before Florida’s primary, new allegations of improper Medicare billing by Solantic, a health care company co-founded by Rick Scott, have surfaced, in addition to charges made by former Solantic doctors that their names and licenses were used without their consent. Meek, Greene blast each other in debate, complain of negative tactics By Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard St. Petersburg Times Jeff Greene and Kendrick Meek used their only statewide televised debate Tuesday to blast each other's character and credentials while complaining about negative attacks. $1.3B from federal stimulus will give Florida a boost By William E. Gibson Orlando Sentinel Florida's fragile economic recovery will get a $1.3 billion boost from a state aid bill that cleared Congress on Tuesday. Now McCollum can't recall what he said By Catherine Whittenburg Tampa Tribune State Attorney General Bill McCollum said Tuesday that he can't remember whether he told a conservative religious newspaper that Florida should change its law permitting gay people to become foster parents. FLORIDA POLITICS Embattled Fasano resigns from Pasco GOP By Jeff Scullin and Kevin Wiatrowski Tampa Tribune After months of fighting with local party bosses, state Sen. Mike Fasano has resigned from the Pasco County Republican Party's Executive Committee. POLITICAL RACES Defiant Rick Scott assails suit over sealed testimony, says McCollum abusing power By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Rick Scott, the Republican frontrunner for Florida governor, said Tuesday that a video deposition he gave in a lawsuit over a health care company is none of the public's business. Hypocritical Scott is reverse Robin Hood By Frank Cerabino Palm Beach Post For a guy in the irony business like me, it's hard to beat Rick Scott's new TV ad, the one claiming that he would protect taxpayers from the ravenous scourge of welfare recipients. Debate will go on without Scott The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Rick Scott won't be there, but Bill McCollum still plans to show up in Orlando and take questions in what was supposed to be a third televised debate between the Republican candidates for governor. Marco Rubio shrugs at debate over 14th Amendment and babies of illegal immigrants By Cristina Silva St. Petersburg Times A Republican-led charge to block children of illegal immigrants from birthright citizenship has become a distraction, said Marco Rubio, the Republican frontrunner in Florida's U.S. Senate race. Florida Gov. Crist to attend fundraiser held by Democrats By Margaret Talev Miami Herald He hugged President Barack Obama at his peril, or so it seemed at the time. Senate candidates Meek, Greene rip each other on ethics issues in Orlando debate By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Democratic Senate candidates Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene continued ripping each other on ethics issues today in the first debate to put the primary rivals before a statewide TV audience. Ausley not happy with new DCA building By Jim Ash Florida Capital News With the new $48 million First District Court of Appeal courthouse looming behind her, its stately dome and towering columns gleaming, former state Rep. Loranne Ausley lashed out Tuesday at what she called a "perfect example of everything that's wrong and broken in Tallahassee." Republicans line up to challenge Grayson for House By Bill Thompson Ocala Star-Banner U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson has been political public enemy No. 1 among Republicans for some time. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Tropical depression halts drilling at Gulf well By Jeffrey Collins and Harry R. Weber The Associated Press Drilling the final feet of a relief well intended to permanently plug the busted BP oil well deep below the Gulf of Mexico will have to wait two to three days as a tropical depression bears down on the site. Feinberg: I'll Bend Over Backwards for Oil Spill Victims By Dave Dunwoody WUSF Public Radio Tampa The man overseeing the $20 billion fund for oil spill victims promises he will “bend over backward” to get their claims paid. Feds open more Gulf waters off Florida to fishing By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Florida officials on Tuesday welcomed the reopening of 5,144 square miles of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico that had been closed to fishing because of the BP oil spill. Regional meetings on Everglades land buy could air out controversy: restoration or politics By Christine Stapleton Palm Beach Post The proposed purchase of 28,000 acres to help restore the Everglades is as much about appeasing a federal judge as it is about clean water. LGBT ACLU reacts to McCollum’s call to forbid gays from being foster parents listen By Sean Kinane WMNF Community Radio Tampa According to several press reports, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum is attempting to back away from his statement that gays should not be allowed to become foster parents in Florida. McCollum plays to extreme, threatens to disrupt loving families Editorial St. Petersburg Times Desperate to make up ground in the Republican primary for governor and with his conservative credentials under attack, Attorney General Bill McCollum has moved to the extreme. EDUCATION Laid-off Broward, Miami-Dade teachers could be back at work By Carli Teproff and Kathleen McGrory Miami Herald With less than two weeks before the start of the new school year, hundreds of Broward teachers and support staff laid off this summer, and temporary teachers in Miami-Dade who hadn't been asked to return, will be getting their jobs back -- thanks to a federal bill expected to pump more than$115 million into South Florida's school districts. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Florida in line to get $1.3 billion from new federal stimulus bill By Alex Leary, Jeff Solochek and Rebecca Catalanello St. Petersburg Times Related editorial: Congress tosses Florida a lifeline on health, teachers Florida is set to receive $554.8 million to help schools retain or hire back teachers, as well as $784 million in extra Medicaid funding under a sweeping aid package for states approved Tuesday by the U.S. House. State subpoenas records from 'foreclosure mills' By Todd Ruger Sarasota Herald-Tribune Sarasota's legal community has sounded the alarm for years over shoddy or fraudulent paperwork being used to take thousands of properties from Florida homeowners in foreclosure. Law Firms Under Investigation in Foreclosure Cases By Gina Jordan WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee Three Florida law firms are under investigation by the state for their handling of foreclosure cases. HEALTH AND SENIORS Replace Medicare fear with facts, Democrat urges seniors By Stacey Singer Palm Beach Post With polls across the country showing that seniors have misgivings about what health reform might mean for their Medicare benefits, Democrats took their case to the friendliest possible audience on Monday. Bogus health insurance targets Floridians By Katie Lagrone TC Palm If health care is a business, perhaps it's no surprise that health insurance has become a business of opportunity, say state regulators. Cut to food inspections hits 'vulnerable populations' By Diane Chun Gainesville Sun State budget cuts have halted food inspections at local hospitals, day-care facilities and nursing homes. Hospital chain paid kickbacks: suit By Mike Wells Health News Florida A former hospital executive has accused Naples-based Health Management Associates of offering money, free rent and private jet trips to entice doctors to refer Medicare patients to the company’s hospitals. Fluoride Helps, Officials Say, But Fears Persist By Kimberly C. Moore Lakeland Ledger At 8:10 every Tuesday morning during the school year, after all the announcements have been made, Cedar Key School teachers hand out cups with a fluoridated liquid for the children to swish in their mouths for about a minute. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES The Right's Shameful Muslim-Bashing The Progress Report Think Progress Six days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, President Bush delivered a speech at the Islamic Center of Washington, DC, making clear his belief that the Islamic radicals who attacked America did not represent all Muslims.