PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
More than 8,000 sign petition calling for FSU to dump Koch contract
By Kim Wilmath
St. Petersburg Times
Florida State University President Eric Barron got an e-mail this morning from the progressive advocacy group Progress Florida, calling for the university to rescind its controversial contract with the Koch Foundation.
Progressive group to hand FSU President a petition demanding they cancel Koch Brothers contract
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
Excerpt: On Thursday, the group Progress Florida contacted FSU President Eric J. Barron alerting him and a review committee about a petition calling on the university to "uphold the principle of, and avoid even the appearance of divergence from, academic freedom at FSU," by rescinding the contract with the Koch Foundation. Progress Florida says 8,841 Floridians have signed the petition. 1,382 of whom are faculty, alumni, students, donors and "other immediate members of the FSU family."
Progress Florida, petitioners call for cancellation of FSU/Koch deal
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
In a letter sent to four FSU representatives, Progress Florida’s Mark Ferrulo again calls for the cancellation of a contract that allows a foundation run by Charles Koch to oversee a portion of the faculty hiring process at FSU’s Economics Department.
AWAKE THE STATE IN THE NEWS
Best explosion of political unrest: Awake the State
Staff Report
Orlando Weekly
The state’s nascent liberal base reacted loudly to the election of Gov. Rick Scott and the supermajority of conservative legislators this year – not once, but twice, all over Florida.
FEATURED STORIES
The slow-moving vs. the slow-witted
By Daniel Ruth
St. Petersburg Times
Related column: Pass the tea and stop the manatee insanity!
Who would have ever imagined that our much-beloved, big, fat, lumbering, harmless, vegetarian, gentle manatee would be transformed into a tool of delusional tea party alternative universe international intrigue?
Scott faces tough task meeting jobs pledge, official says
By Ted Jackovics
Tampa Tribune
Related editorial: Scott's lack of business appeal
Gov. Rick Scott faces a tough challenge to meet his campaign promise of creating 700,000 new jobs in seven years, but current trends are encouraging, the state's top economic development official said today.
Florida and a Federal Shutdown
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
If there isn’t an agreement in Washington on raising the debt ceiling and there is a lengthy federal government shutdown, Florida may not be prepared to deal with the consequences.
As Florida school construction money dries up, charter schools are the winners
By Rebecca Catalanello
St. Petersburg Times
In an already lean budget year, Florida's public schools are facing yet another challenge: Finding money to build badly needed new schools and fix crumbling old ones.
Floridians with pre-existing conditions may be eligible for cheaper premiums
By Linda Shrieves
Orlando Sentinel
Thousands of Floridians unable to buy health insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions may be getting an unexpected summer surprise.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
FL Special Needs Vouchers: "Using Disabled School Kids as Lab Rats"
By AnnieJo
Daily Kos
Here is how a recent article in the Miami New Times described Florida's McKay Special Needs Scholarship program: It's like a perverse science experiment, using disabled school kids as lab rats and funded by nine figures in taxpayer cash: Dole out millions to anybody calling himself an educator.
Rep. Allen West To Host Islamophobic Group’s Briefing On ‘Homegrown Jihad’
By Eli Clifton
Think Progress
Rep. Allen West (R-FL) has a lengthy history of pandering to Islamophobes and a well recorded willingness to rub shoulders with members of the extreme right.
Florida Legislature Does A Little "Fine-Pruning" With Medicaid
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
Another little dose of reality vs. Rick Scott "salesmanship" that popped up today concerns his claims of "growing jobs" in Florida as he calls it. (Plant a PR seed, add a little unregulated and polluted water, and "poof!" Jobs created?)
On a Sugar High: could welfare payments to Florida's billionaire sugar barons end in 2012?
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
Every time the Farm Bill comes up in Congress as it will next year, I wonder-- will the billionaire sugar polluters finally lose their protected status by US government farm policy?
FLORIDA POLITICS
Scott Fails to Report Plane Use as Gift
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
Since taking office in January, Governor Rick Scott has been using a private jet to travel.
Is Rick Scott correct to make phasing out the business tax his top priority for next year?
By Nicole Brochu
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The governor who promised to create 700,000 jobs in seven years, and then spent his first term in office smacking around the little guy with such important spending priorities like welfare roll drug tests, has big plans for 2012.
Gov. Scott draws criticism for not vacationing in the Sunshine State
By Peter Schorsch
St. Petersblog 2.0
Florida Democrats criticized Republican Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday because he’s planning a vacation out of state, while he’s talked in the past about the need to boost tourism in Florida to help the economy, reports the News Service of Florida.
Will majority-Black districts disappear?
By James Harper
Florida Courier
The concept of "majority minority" voting districts – voting districts that are designed to maximize the number of Blacks, Hispanics or Native Americans in a single district – took a hit this week at the latest in a series of statewide public town hall-style meetings on redistricting, with some speakers calling majority-minority districts "legalized segregation."
BP Oil Spill Defined the Political Fortunes of Charlie Crist
By Susan Giles Wantuck and Steve Newborn
WUSF Pubic Radio Tampa
At first, the spill was a political gift for then-Gov. Charlie Crist. But as the oil spill dragged on, it dragged down his political career.
Back injury slows Rep. C.W. Bill Young, but he stays feisty and motivated
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young gripped a wooden cane and slowly made his way onto the House floor Wednesday.
POLITICAL RACES
Marco Rubio is everywhere
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Remember back in February when new U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was keeping a low profile after his big election victory in 2010 and staying away from national interviews.
Mike Haridopolos's campaign says goodbye to spokesman, pollster
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Earlier, we reported on likely staff changes at the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate Mike Haridopolos.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Gulfside Businesses Still Reeling from BP Oil Spill
By Craig Kopp and Tara Slusher
WUSF Public Radio Tampa
Thursday is the one-year anniversary of the day the BP oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico was finally capped.
Analysts puzzle over jobless claims from BP spill
by John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
When the Florida Panhandle was staggered by the effects of last summer’s BP oil spill, hotels, restaurants and other employers along the coast laid-off workers and braced for economic calamity.
Playing Politics With Florida Water Pollution?
By Les Coleman
Public News Service Florida
A critic of Florida's 7th District congressman is charging that he is playing a pollution shell game with big oil and the health of the state's waterways.
Slashing budgets of water districts shortsighted
By Lauren Ritchie
Orlando Sentinel
I love the St. Johns River Water Management District. I hate the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Rainy July boosts Lake Okeechobee water levels
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Lake Okeechobee's water level crept back to 10 feet above sea level on Thursday, offering another sign of South Florida's improved water supply situation thanks to a July drenching.
Groups come out against biomass plants
By Tom Flanigan
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
Today, there are about a dozen bio-mass fueled power plants in various stages of construction throughout Florida.
LGBT
Feds want 'don't ask, don't tell' halt stayed
Associated Press
Miami Herald
The federal government asked the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday to reconsider its order last week demanding an immediate halt to the enforcement of the ban on openly gay troops in the military.
EDUCATION
New education chief touts school choice, other goals
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
Gerard Robinson, Florida's incoming education commissioner, visited Orlando on Thursday for a "look, listen and learn" tour and to familiarize Floridians with his background and approach to education.
Florida Not Alone in Push to Make it Tougher on Teachers
By John Rehill
Bradenton Times
Its been a tough year to be a teacher.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Quinnipiac poll: Americans favor Obama, Dems over GOP in debt ceiling debate
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
President Obama appears to be winning the war of words with congressional Republicans over who will be at fault if the stand-off over raising the debt ceiling leads to a government default, according to results of a national poll released Thursday.
S. Fla. water managers to cut 80-100 jobs; slash pay of employees making $90,000-plus
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
Between 80 and 100 workers of the South Florida Water Management District's 1,723 employees will be laid off before Aug. 17, Executive Director Melissa Meeker told the governing board during an overview of her cost-cutting plan at Thursday's board meeting.
Drywall deal clears hurdle
By Mary Wozniak
Ft. Myers News-Press
A federal judge Thursday gave a preliminary OK to a $54.5 million settlement between Banner Supply and thousands of homeowners the company supplied with defective Chinese drywall, including many in Southwest Florida.
Thirty people apply to take over watchdog agency
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
Thirty people have applied to become head of the office meant to keep tabs on taxpayer money and whether government programs work.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Senate turns its attention to medical malpractice
By Gary Fineout
Florida Current
Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature is already showing signs that it may venture again next year into a host of controversial insurance issues, including medical malpractice and personal injury protection.
Sarasota family's tragedy becomes potent symbol in the war on prescription drug abuse
By Letitia Stein
St. Petersburg Times
The smiling girl in the photo on Attorney General Pam Bondi's desk could have been any promising Florida teen.
State files complaints against doctor involved in Brandon hepatitis outbreak
By Richard Martin
St. Petersburg Times
The state has filed a pair of administrative complaints against a doctor for her role in a hepatitis C outbreak that occurred at a holistic medical clinic in Brandon.
New law forbidding doctors to talk to patients about guns angers physicians
By Anne Geggis
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Area doctors fear that a first-in-the-nation law prohibiting them from asking about guns in patients' homes unless there is a legitimate safety concern could put children at risk.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Orlando lawmaker wants to ban jurors from cashing in immediately after trialsBy Bianca Prieto
Orlando Sentinel
A Florida legislator came to Orlando on Thursday to talk about a law he proposes that would make it a third-degree felony for jurors to sell their stories within 270 days of serving on a jury.
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