Daily Clips for August 18, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Gulf surface cleaner, but questions lurk far below By Seth Borenstein The Associated Press Researchers are warning that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a bigger mess than the government claims and that a lot of crude is lurking deep below the surface, some of it settling perhaps in a critical undersea canyon off the Florida Panhandle. Sink taps Rod Smith as running mate By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink confirmed Tuesday she will choose ex-prosecutor Rod Smith as her running mate in the race for governor. Money vs. grass roots in fight to win votes By Beth Reinhard and Marc Caputo Miami Herald In the frenzied homestretch before the Aug. 24 primary, U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek made a brief detour into tiny Holmes County to have lunch with a single Democratic party leader. It's not Arizona Editorial Miami Herald Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Just one day after he unveiled a harsh Arizona-style immigration proposal for Florida, Attorney General Bill McCollum was obliged to backpedal, conceding a need to consult with “my supporters in the Hispanic community” about the provisions in his punitive and potentially unconstitutional measure. FLORIDA POLITICS Lobbying income dipped during first half of year By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune Florida lobbyists reported receiving less money during the first six months of this year compared with the same time period in 2009. POLITICAL RACES Alex Sink's tactical, conventional and safe choice: Rod Smith By Mary Ellen Klas and John Frank St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Democratic candidate for governor Alex Sink offered a glimpse into her decision-making style Tuesday when she confirmed that she has chosen former state Sen. Rod Smith as her running mate. Sink touts passion for education reform at Jacksonville ‘Women for Alex’ event By Virginia Chamlee The Florida Independent Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink made a stop in Jacksonville Tuesday morning as part of her “Women’s Week of Action,” which began yesterday at Orlando’s University of Central Florida. Obama to attend Democratic fundraiser in Miami Beach By Anthony Man Orlando Sentinel President Barack Obama visits South Florida on Wednesday for a Florida Democratic Party fundraiser. Cash flies in GOP race for Florida governor By Steve Bousquet and Marc Caputo Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau As Rick Scott freely spends his fortune in his bid to become governor, Republican rival Bill McCollum is fighting to keep up by spending the millions of others. Can either Scott or McCollum push Republicans to the polls? By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post A pair of polls released within the past week gave competing predictions of who was winning the Republican gubernatorial primary between Bill McCollum leading Rick Scott. The insiders are back: McCollum, Meek lead in Q poll By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has surged by 12-percentage points and now leads fellow Republican Rick Scott, leading by a 44-35 percent margin in the governor's race, according to the latest Quinnipac University survey. Labeled a "spoiler,'' Bud Chiles cuts a bipartisan swath in the governor's race By Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Lawton "Bud" Chiles and his no-party campaign was supposed to be the spoiler in this year's race for governor. Rubio: Offshore drilling could be good for state By Kris Wernowsky Pensacola News Journal Framing it as an issue of energy independence and national security, U.S. Senate hopeful Marco Rubio said Tuesday that offshore drilling isn't a dead issue for Florida. Greene, Meek swap charges over mortgage meltdown By Brandon Larrabee Florida Times-Union The race for the Democratic nomination for Florida's open U.S. Senate seat has in some ways become a rehashing of the battle over blame for the collapse of the housing market. Jeff Greene's Yacht Described As 'Sex, Drugs, And Techno Music' By Former Stewardess By Elyse Siegel The Huffington Post Billionaire candidate Jeff Greene, who's facing-off against Rep. Kendrick Meek in Florida's Democratic Senate primary, insists he's "not a partier" despite reports painting his 145-foot luxury yacht, the Summerwind, as a raging celebrity-clad party ship. Tyson: 'I never did drugs on the boat' By Maggie Haberman Politico Former boxing champ Mike Tyson said in an exclusive interview with POLITICO that he never did drugs aboard Florida U.S. Senate hopeful Jeff Greene's yacht as they traveled together on the Summerwind in August 2005. Billionaire Greene takes U.S. Senate campaign to Westgate homeless shelter By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, the Democratic Senate candidate who profited by predicting subprime borrowers would default on their home mortgages, drove his Cadillac Escalade to Westgate today to visit a church that has sheltered as many as 100 homeless people a night. No Jeff Greene retraction from the Times By Travis Pillow Florida Independent Last week, Jeff Greene threatened the St. Peteresburg Times with a libel lawsuit after it ran a long, prominent article about a real estate deal in California in which his counterpart is now facing federal fraud charges. State Attorney General Primaries' Rivals More Alike Than Not By Lloyd Dunkelberger Lakeland Ledger Floridians face a pivotal political question next week that may be buried under the big-money glitz of the primary contests for governor and U.S. Senate. Strategists Say Negative Campaign Ads Could Hurt Voter Turnout By Carson Cooper and Joshua Stewart WUSF Public Radio Tampa The last-minute ads are nasty. The rhetoric is flowing. It's the last week before the state's primary election and candidates in the high-profile contested races have gone negative. National GOP picks its Florida House targets By Mark Matthews Orlando Sentinel With control of the U.S. House at stake, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced this week that it had reserved $22 million in television ad buys for 40 districts nationwide, including three in Florida. Florida launches website for election results The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Florida is launching a new website offering election results including a tool for tracking specific races. BALLOT INITIATIVES Florida Supreme Court to Rule on Amendment 9 By Dalia Colon WUSF Public Radio Tampa On Wednesday, the Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments on Amendment 9, which challenges the federal health care overhaul passed earlier this year. Fla. justices hearing argument on 3 amendments The Associated Press Miami Herald The Florida Supreme Court is hearing arguments in challenges to three proposed state constitutional amendments. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Could threat from Gulf spill still remain? Report says yes By Curtis Morgan Miami Herald Two weeks ago, the White House proclaimed that most of the oil spewed from BP's blown-out well was either outright gone or widely dispersed and diluted -- a finding suggesting the Gulf of Mexico was on the way to a stunningly swift recovery. BP to stop handling most Gulf claims Staff Report CNN BP has picked Wednesday as the deadline for accepting claims from people and businesses affected by the Gulf oil disaster. Most oil spill advisories lifted at Florida beaches By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com State and local officials are asserting that most of the waters off the Panhandle are now safe for swimming. PSC members continue sparring despite new blood By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Two outgoing members of the Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday accused the remaining PSC veteran of stirring up trouble as two new commissioners watched in silence. Sarasotans voice support for aggressive negotiations with FPL over renewable energy By Cooper Levey-Baker Florida Independent Around 75 City of Sarasota residents filled the pews at a local church Tuesday evening in order to ask questions and air their thoughts on the city’s ongoing negotiations with energy giant Florida Power & Light over the possible renewal of a 30-year franchise agreement that gives FPL a monopoly on energy delivery within city limits. Groups educating about saving manatees By Sadia Ahmed WMNF Community Radio Tampa Manatees have been living in Florida waters for thousands of years. SW Fla. residents want rare panthers relocated The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Residents in a southwest Florida neighborhood want the state to relocate nearby panthers that they say have killed 11 other animals this year. EDUCATION Report faults South Florida schools on educating black males By Rafael A. Olmeda South Florida Sun-Sentinel Young black men are poorly served by Florida's public school system, particularly in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, according to a new report released Tuesday. County joins class-size amendment suit By Harriet Daniels Gainesville Sun The Alachua County School Board on Tuesday voted to join the lawsuit challenging the penalties associated with the state's class-size amendment, which will be strictly enforced when school opens Monday. HEALTH AND SENIORS FL gets $1M to review rates By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Florida insurance regulators won a $1 million federal grant Monday to beef up rate reviews and improve consumer information to help carry out the new federal health-reform law. Florida KidCare Offers Free or Low Cost Health Insurance By Lynn Hatter WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee Across Florida students are heading back to school, heads of the major state agencies are asking parents to add health insurance to their school supply list. Doctors being pushed to use electronic medical records By Marissa Cevallos and Bob LaMendola South Florida Sun-Sentinel Patient histories, growth charts, immunization logs and X-rays bulge from racks of color-coded file folders lining the walls at Pediatrics by the Sea in Delray Beach, where Dr. Karen Kuhns and a partner see 4,000 patients. The dishonest war on Social Security By Paul Krugman New York Times Social Security turned 75 last week. It should have been a joyous occasion, a time to celebrate a program that has brought dignity and decency to the lives of older Americans. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES An inconvenient Constitution By Daniel Ruth St. Petersburg Times We sure do love our cherished freedoms, our beloved rights, our rock-ribbed values — unless, of course, we actually have to defend them. Florida immigration proposal goes too far Editorial St. Petersburg Times There are many reasons why Florida should not copy Arizona's unconstitutional attempt to crack down on illegal immigration. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Too tough on crime Editorial Gainesville Sun Recently, an 18-year old Gainesville man was sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter and battery, a 23-year old Williston woman was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for vehicular manslaughter and a 19-year-old Satsuma woman was sentenced to 15 years for selling 25 hydrocodone pills to an undercover officer.