FEATURED STORIES
Rock the Vote: Florida voting system pretty lousy for young people
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
A report released today by a group that aims to increase youth voter participation blasts states for “actively restricting access to the political process,” and finds Florida is no exception.
Gov. Rick Scott takes credit for business expansion that started before he took office
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Phone a CEO. Support tax cuts. Attend a press conference.
Federal appeals court hears Florida health care challenge
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
Grappling with how far Congress' powers can go, three appeals-court judges Wednesday pointedly questioned attorneys in a case that could decide the future of last year's federal health overhaul.
Crisis pregnancy centers get $2 million in state budget for sixth year in a row
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Health services for low-income women and children in Florida took a big hit this year.
New applicants step forward as John Winn named interim state education commissioner
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Already a frontrunner for Fla education commissioner?
John Winn, who helped create Florida's A-Plus plan under Jeb Bush, is returning to the Florida Department of Education as interim commissioner beginning Saturday.
Judge Paul Hawkes files motion to dismiss 'Taj Mahal' charges
By Lucy Morgan
St. Petersburg Times
Judge Paul M. Hawkes says all of his fellow judges at the 1st District Court of Appeal participated in key decisions leading to construction of a posh $50 million courthouse many have dubbed the Taj Mahal.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Florida seeks Justice Dept. preclearance for new elections law
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
The U.S. Justice Department was asked by Florida officials Wednesday to approve the state’s sweeping new elections law for five counties that need such preclearance under the federal Voting Rights Act.
Free speech covers everyone
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
When critics of Gov. Rick Scott's priorities were ejected from his budget-signing pep rally, it was a peaceful and orderly violation of their constitutional rights.
Anti-regulation, unless it makes NRA happy
By Tom Lyons
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Considering how keen our governor has been to reduce government regulation, it seems odd that he just signed a new one into law.
Gov. Scott to address statewide journalist group
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott, who has been interviewed by one editorial board in two years, is scheduled to address a statewide group of journalists this summer.
$100 Bill Takes Toll, Part 1
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
It was Sunshine Week 2007. A week when the rules of open government are tested.
POLITICAL RACES
Will Florida abandon Obama?
By William Gibson
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
President Obama’s visit to Virginia on Wednesday prompted Republican strategists to claim that he has lost political support in battleground states like Florida that gave him an edge in 2008.
A Thursday presidential primary in Fla?
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus today once again predicted that Florida Republicans ultimately would comply with RNC rules and hold their presidential primary contest no sooner than March.
Charlie Crist vs. Rick Scott in 2014?
By Dennis Maley
Bradenton Times
The Internet has been abuzz with speculation that Charlie Crist might be positioning himself for a run against Rick Scott in the 2014 Florida gubernatorial race – as a Democrat!
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Florida black bear to come off the protected species list
By Amy Wimmer Schwarb
St. Petersburg Times
The Florida black bear, long a poster mammal for wildlife conservation, will no longer be among the state's protected species.
Old phosphate plant gushes contaminants into Tampa Bay
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
The millions of gallons of water gushing into Tampa Bay from the abandoned Piney Point phosphate plant contains high levels of a pollutant called cadmium, as well as enough nitrogen and phosphorus to potentially cause a harmful algae bloom and a fish kill, state Department of Environmental Protection officials announced Wednesday.
EDUCATION
Florida rolls out algebra I results
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
On Florida’s first ever standardized end-of-course exams, Broward County students outperformed their counterparts statewide in algebra, according to data released Wednesday by the Department of Education.
Broward schools say goodbye to 1,400 teachers
By Carli Teproff
Miami Herald
Like a refrain stuck in his head, one thought kept repeating in Everglades High music teacher Marcos Rodriguez’s head.
Educator and author Diane Ravitch battles the system she helped to build
By Tom Marshall
St. Petersburg Times
Diane Ravitch has never been one to mince words.
FCAT focus takes away from well-rounded education
By Russ Lemmon
TC Palm
Someone said it in passing the other day, and I refused to believe it.
Misplaced emphasis
Editorial
Florida Today
This week's release of FCAT scores showed that students in Leon County and around the state didn't take any major dips this year, despite having more rigorous testing measures in place.
New rules let for-profit schools off the hook
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The Obama administration caved in to pressure from the for-profit college industry by watering down regulations designed to protect low-income students from exploitation.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Florida Tax Collections On the Rise
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Lakeland Ledger
Florida tax collections are rising, reflecting a national trend as state revenues increase with a slowly improving economy.
Gov. Scott re-announces Canada company's 100-job move to Boca
By Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Governor Rick Scott owes his seat to the campaign promise that he was going to be a “jobs” governor – something critics say his austere budget flatly contradicts.
The Profound Impact of a Penny
By Barry Estabrook
Zester Daily
Would you pay one penny more per pound to buy a tomato if you knew it would go a long way toward alleviating labor abuse in the fields?
SunRail lobbying hits fevered pitch
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
Lobbying for and against the SunRail commuter train is growing louder and more frenetic as Gov. Rick Scott gets closer to his self-appointed deadline of July 1 to decide the fate of the $1.2 billion project.
Workforce ends business deals with board members
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
Workforce Central Florida, the region's publicly funded jobs agency, voted Wednesday to stop giving contracts to companies tied to agency board members.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Scott’s office backtracked on aid to disabled
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Who decided that Florida should give up millions of dollars' worth of federal grants that would have helped the disabled leave nursing homes, as well as services for children and the elderly?
State healthcare agency to hold public medicaid managed care hearings statewide
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
The Florida agency overseeing Medicaid is embarking on a week-long tour of the state.
Legal fight continues over health care reform law
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal health care law moved to a federal appeals court Wednesday, where a trio of judges grilled President Barack Obama's top lawyer and repeatedly questioned whether Congress can force people to buy health insurance.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Police arrest 5 more activists for feeding homeless
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Food Not Bombs founder lives his philosophy
Orlando police arrested five more activists from behind a makeshift buffet table at Lake Eola Park on Wednesday evening, bringing to a dozen the number charged in the past week with violating city restrictions on feeding the homeless.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Florida Bar pushing lawyers into digital ageBy Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
The state Supreme Court should exempt criminal cases from a proposed rule that would require attorneys to exchange most pleadings with each other by email instead of on paper until the court system itself goes digital, a lawyer for Florida's public defenders told justices Wednesday.
Citizens United’s Outrageous Offspring
Editorial
New York Times
Judge James Cacheris gave the impression last week that he was considering putting right what he got wrong when he ruled in May that corporations are free to make direct donations to federal candidates.
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