PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Progress Florida endorses ‘Hometown Democracy’ amendment
By Cooper Levey-Baker
Florida Independent
Excerpt: “For too long we have watched deep-pocketed real estate speculators negotiate backroom deals with elected officials, who then run roughshod over local growth plans,” says Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo in his organization’s release. “As a result, Floridians now face gridlocked roads, depressed home values, higher taxes, inadequate infrastructure, critical water shortages, and the loss of Florida’s natural landscape to empty parking lots and vacant strip malls.”
FEATURED STORIES
Scientists question government team's report of shrinking gulf oil spill
By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post
The "greatest environmental disaster" in U.S. history -- which has appeared at times to leave a high-control White House powerless -- seemed to have lost its power to scare.
Attacks characterize GOP rivals' debate
By Steve Bousquet and Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related editorial: Scott, McCollum launch familiar attacks
Rick Scott "ripped off taxpayers." Bill McCollum is a "desperate career politician."
Bill Clinton to campaign in Florida for Kendrick Meek
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
Former President Bill Clinton will campaign in South Florida later this month for U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek, a boost for a campaign that has struggled for momentum.
Is the Haridopolos Health Tour Leaving Patients Out of the Mix?
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
Patient advocates are criticizing incoming Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos as he wraps up his three-day statewide Health Care Solutions Tour today.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
Florida Can Learn From Prop 8 Ruling
By Daniel Tilson
The Examiner
Celebrations following Wednesday's ruling by a federal judge overturning California's ban on same-sex marriage may have been premature.
Charlie Crist wins, Fanjuls lose
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
The Fanjuls are sugar barons whose lands in the historic Everglades are pivotal to control of Florida politics.
Marco Rubio: Robin Hood’s Evil Twin..?
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
Once again this past weekend, Marco Rubio was busy raising money and campaigning while singing the praises of keeping the Bush tax cuts that he’s made a cornerstone of his “Reclaim America” campaign for the U.S. Senate.
His Life
By Benjamin Kirby
The Spencerian
Kendrick Meek has a new ad out, called "My Life." I'd like you to please watch this ad, and then I'll tell you what I think about it.
Merit Pay for Teachers: Take Time to Do It Right
Center for Economic and Fiscal Policy
When Florida public schools open for a new school year this month, students and teachers will take up where they left off last May.
POLITICAL RACES
Fla. GOP gubernatorial debate hits tax, jobs, immigration, but mostly name-calling
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Republican gubernatorial candidates Bill McCollum and Rick Scott occasionally sparred Thursday over taxes, job creation and illegal immigration, but spent most of their hour-long debate name-calling and questioning the other's character.
New poll: Scott’s lead in primary shrinks
By Tristram Korten
Florida Independent
A new poll of 600 likely Republican voters shows self-funded governor candidate Rick Scott’s lead over Attorney General Bill McCollum shrinking to within the margin of error.
Top Candidates Turn Sarasota Into Campaign Central Thursday
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
It may be low season for tourism, but it was high season for politics Thursday in Sarasota County, when four candidates for top Florida offices came through in the span of six hours.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Study finds Florida, Alabama beach cleanups are "superficial"
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
A University of South Florida study on Thursday described the cleanup of oiled beaches on the Florida Panhandle and Alabama as "superficial" because oil remains buried within sand.
With well capped, Florida's economic outlook brightens
By Douglas Hanks
Miami Herald
In June, Sean Snaith ran the numbers and concluded the Gulf oil crisis might cost Florida’s economy $11 billion. This week, the University of Central Florida economist dialed back that nightmare scenario and says the damage will probably be about 80 percent less.
Incoming spill claims czar will drop BP's contractor
By Sasha Chavkin
ProPublica
Kenneth Feinberg, the independent paymaster chosen by President Barack Obama to administer damage claims from the gulf oil spill, will drop the contractor that BP has been using to manage the claims process and hire two new companies to replace it.
LGBT
The California gay marriage ruling
By Chan Lowe
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
There are so many dramatic aspects to Wednesday's federal court ruling overturning California’s ban on gay marriage.
Another victory in our fight for equal rights
By Alexandra Caldwell
Creative Loafing
Allow me to add one more voice cheering California for overturning Proposition 8.
EDUCATION
Superintendents object to release of school grades
By Robbyn Mitchell
St. Petersburg Times
Florida's school superintendents raised strong objections Thursday to the release of school grades planned for today, blasting recent state audits of questionable FCAT results as insufficient.
Fla. school grades due out more than a month late
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida school grades are being released more than a month later than usual.
Senate approves jobs bill to stop teacher layoffs
The Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Congress is moving rapidly just weeks before the start of the school year to speed billions of dollars in emergency education aid to states in hopes of reversing the layoffs of tens of thousands of teachers.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Report: Floridians Get the Least Stimulus Dollars
Staff Report
Lakeland Ledger
An extensive national analysis of stimulus benefits by USA Today found Wednesday that Florida ranked last in the nation in benefits per resident from the federal assistance package.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
States respond in health care overhaul lawsuit
By Jennifer Kay
The Associated Press
Twenty states and the nation's most influential small business lobby plan Friday to file their response to the government's attempt to dismiss their lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
FL Medicaid could get $700M
By Jim Saunders
Health News Florida
After months of uncertainty, Florida is poised to receive about $700 million in additional Medicaid funding after Democrats in the U.S. Senate overcame fierce Republican opposition Wednesday.
Next Senate president says Medicaid can be helped by lawsuit limits
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Tribune
Senate President Mike Haridopolos has a solution for some of the problems with Florida's massive Medicaid system: Putting limits on lawsuits against doctors and providers who treat Medicaid patients.
Health care activists challenge Mike Haridopolos Medicaid tour
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing
On Thursday, incoming Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos and friends visit Tampa on the second leg of his “Health Care Solutions Tour.”
Florida lawmakers: Local clinics may be solution for new Medicaid patients
By Linda Shrieves
Orlando Sentinel
Incoming state Senate president Mike Haridopolos and a team of legislators brought their three-day "health-care solutions tour" to Orlando on Thursday, stopping at an Orange County clinic that serves thousands of uninsured and Medicaid recipients.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
New Miami ICE field director lays out Florida immigration enforcement priorities
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
Marc Jeffrey Moore is the new field director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami Field Office.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Elena Kagan confirmed as U.S. Supreme Court justice
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan as the 112th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday, creating a historic, liberal, three-woman bloc likely to vote together much of the time.
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