Daily Clips for October 26, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Anger, contempt flare in final Scott and Sink debate in Florida governor's race By Steve Bousquet and Michael C. Bender St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related editorial: Sink shows grit, command Related article: Sink fires advisor who sent message during her televised debate with Rick Scott Related Politifact article: Governor candidates take national stage for CNN debate Related Video: Watch the debate Rick Scott and Alex Sink displayed contempt for each other in their final debate Monday and gave a nationwide TV audience a glimpse of the mounting tension in the close race for governor. Enthusiasm gap hits young voters, hurts Dems By Luis Zaragoza Orlando Sentinel Law student and staunch Democrat Rafael Nunez is worried. GOP poised to win Congress redistricting edge, too By Jennifer C. Kerr The Associated Press The Republicans' expected gains next week go way beyond Congress. 3 US Senate candidates set for for final debate The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Gov. Charlie Crist and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek have one last opportunity to derail front-runner Marco Rubio in their final U.S. Senate debate. Bullet train money not enough to start project By Alfonso Chardy Miami Herald Florida on Monday got the news it will receive an additional $800 million from the federal government to build a bullet train line from Tampa to Orlando -- but the grant is $300 million short of the amount the state needs to start construction. FLORIDA POLITICS Florida's Campaign Finance Laws Under Fire By Lynn Hatter WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee Florida's campaign finance laws are under fire. There are two pending lawsuits challenging the state's rules on political advertising. Crist Gets The Old PSC Nominee List For Next Year's Chairs Staff Report Lakeland Ledger Gov. Charlie Crist is getting a familiar list of candidates to chair the Public Service Commission for the rest of the year. Braman: Signatures in place for recall By Matthew Haggman Miami Herald In his bid to recall Miami-Dade's first strong mayor, billionaire businessman Norman Braman announced Monday he has collected 90,000 signatures from registered voters, more than enough to put Mayor Carlos Alvarez's fate with the voting public. POLITICAL RACES Sink, Scott spar over issues, slam each other's character in final gubernatorial debate By George Bennett and Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Rick Scott and Alex Sink sparred on the economy, Florida's budget, abortion and other issues tonight but continually returned to slamming each other's character in a testy final gubernatorial debate before the Nov. 2 election. Sink, Scott have heated exchanges in final debate By William March Tampa Tribune Accusations of fraud, lying and incompetence flew thick Monday night in the last public confrontation between Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Rick Scott in the too-close-to-call Florida governor's race. Gubernatorial hopefuls hurl mud in last debate By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink called Republican Rick Scott a liar who knows nothing about government Monday and Scott called her "a failed fiscal watchdog" and an "Obama liberal" who supports costly big-government policies. Now that talk's over, it'll be fight to finish By Bob Rathgeber Ft. Myers News-Press The Florida gubernatorial debates have concluded, and for those who still haven't made up their minds between Republican Rick Scott and Democrat Alex Sink, it's doubtful Monday night's argument at the University of South Florida did anything to help voters make a decision. Sheriff wary of Scott's plans for pensions By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News A Republican sheriff has written a memo to his employees urging them to consider how they vote this election while recounting a meeting with gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott and changes to the Florida Retirement System. Sink to seek forgiveness for skipping NAACP forum By Jane Musgrave Palm Beach Post After being blasted for ignoring black voters, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink on Tuesday is to expected to perform a mea culpa on a radio station owned by one of Miami-Dade County’s most influential African-Americans. Ausley hits campaign trail on her bicycle By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News Call her Spinnin' Loranne, the 2010 answer to Walkin' Lawton. Two outlooks, but only one state job By Lee Logan Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau Adam Putnam and Scott Maddox both want to be Florida's next commissioner of agriculture, but their campaign rhetoric makes it sound like they're running for two separate jobs. Alan Grayson in danger of losing his seat in Congress to Daniel Webster says analyst By Sean Kinane WMNF Community Radio Tampa On Friday we brought you our interview with progressive member of Congress from Orlando, Alan Grayson. West’s campaign finance sheets link him to controversial figures By Dan Sweeney Florida Independent Congressional candidate Allen West‘s massive quarterly financial reports document donations made to the far-right Republican by a pair of controversial figures: an Ohio man accused of “racial vigilantism” and a soldier imprisoned for the unpremeditated murder of an Iraqi terror suspect. Rivera accuses opponent of promoting deceitful off-hours phone calls By Marcos Restrepo Florida Independent Republican David Rivera, running to represent U.S. congressional District 25 against Democrat Joe Garcia, posted today on his Facebook page the following statement. Miller: shoo-in or incumbent foe? Voters will decide By Tom McLaughlin Northwest Florida Daily News To hear U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller’s opponents tell it, the incumbent Republican from Chumuckla, who hasn’t been in a close political race since his first one nine years ago, is as susceptible to this cycle’s anti-incumbent sentiment as anyone. Political commercials: annoying but effective By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Political commercials pack the Orlando airwaves to such an extent that even TV executives acknowledge some fatigue. BALLOT INITIATIVES Florida's 60 percent rule may doom amendments on ballot By Howard Troxler St. Petersburg Times Floridians might have made the biggest decision of the 2010 election already — back in 2006. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY BP to give Fla. additional $20M By Jim Ash Florida Capital News Oil giant BP has agreed to give Florida $20 million for more aggressive seafood safety inspections and marketing. BP CEO hits back at media and politicians By Jane Wardell The Associated Press BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley accused some politicians and the media on Monday of being too hasty to pin all the blame on his company for the devastating Gulf of Mexico spill - and emphasized the need for deep-water drilling. EPA taps Florida's Hankinson as director of Gulf restoration panel By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com John H. Hankinson Jr., a Florida native and former regional U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, was named Monday as executive director of the new federal Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. Protests Grow over New Septic Tanks Rules By James Call WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee Two Panhandle lawmakers say after the November election they will begin work to repeal a law requiring septic tank inspections every five years. Builders, environmentalists at odds over wood stork's spot on endangered species list By Christine Stapleton Palm Beach Post The endangered wood stork — the pterodactyl-like bird that faced extinction in the 1980s, has made a comeback. BP's big plans Editorial Sarasota Herald-Tribune There's great uncertainty about the long-term impacts of the BP oil spill. LGBT McCollum folded bad hand: Attorney general had no case to fight gay adoption. Editorial Palm Beach Post On Friday, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced that he would not appeal a September court ruling that effectively ended the state's 33-year-old ban on gays and lesbians adopting children. EDUCATION Broward teachers say some schools creatively skirting class-size limits By Rafael A. Olmeda South Florida Sun-Sentinel Some of the math being used to measure class-size compliance in Broward County is getting an F from teachers at about two dozen schools, union officials said Monday. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Feds authorize additional $800 million for Tampa-to-Orlando high-speed rail line By Shelley Rossetter and Justin George St. Petersburg Times The high-speed rail line slated to run between Tampa and Orlando received an additional $800 million Monday. Banks continue to cancel hearings By David McLaughlin Miami Herald Banks are still canceling foreclosure hearings and sales in Florida, the state with the third-highest foreclosure rate behind Nevada and Arizona, after Bank of America said it was resuming efforts to seize homes.