PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Bondi to launch inquiry over dismissal of two state attorneys
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Excerpt: Progress Florida, a liberal advocacy group based in St. Petersburg, accused Bondi of being beholden to the financial industry and began circulating a petition calling for an investigation. Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida, said more than 6,000 Floridians have signed the petition. "We clearly felt there was enough smoke here to warrant looking for a fire. We're glad to hear there's going to be an independent investigation," he said.
Bondi wants outside inspector to review terminations
By Catherine Whittenburg
Tampa Tribune
Excerpt: Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida, said via email that Bondi's decision was "great news," but that the group…”will remain vigilant in ensuring that this investigation is truly independent of Pam Bondi's office and entirely removed from potential political or outside influence."
Bondi seeks independent review of attorney dismissals
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
Excerpt: "The Florida Office of Attorney General is on the front lines in the never ending effort to protect Floridians from scam artists, fraudsters and corporate criminals," said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida. "It's of paramount importance that the 'people's attorneys' be free to act on our behalf and not subject to the political shenanigans in Tallahassee."
AWAKE THE STATE IN THE NEWS
Argenziano Planning a Run for Congress
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
Excerpt: Argenziano, who said she will officially announce her candidacy in the next couple of weeks, has grown increasingly vocal about what she views as the "hijacking" of her former party…And Argenziano was part of a series of "Awake the State" rallies held earlier this year to slam the agenda pursued by Scott and the GOP-dominated Legislature.
FEATURED STORIES
Protesters greet Scott at doughnut shop
Staff Report
Fox 13 News Orlando
Gov. Rick Scott was doing more than just cooking up doughnuts Wednesday morning in Tampa.
State agency releases details of sweeping Medicaid waiver request
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
State officials on Tuesday released details of a sweeping plan to overhaul Florida's $22 billion Medicaid program.
Florida medical leaders at odds with some religious groups over new women's preventive health rules
By Stacey Singer
Palm Beach Post
Private health insurance plans will have to cover birth control, well-woman visits, breast-feeding support and domestic violence counseling next year under a new women's preventive health rule announced by the Obama administration today.
Florida senators' debt votes reflect Washington divide
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Obama signs debt bill but new battles loom
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson cast it as a grand compromise.
Tea Party’s War on America
By Joe Nocera
New York Times
You know what they say: Never negotiate with terrorists. It only encourages them.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Scott goes kinder, gentler, more savvy
By Sue Carlton
St. Petersburg Times
So the governor with the bald head and the bad poll numbers appears to be undergoing an extreme makeover.
Notes from a longer-than-usual Q & A with Rick Scott
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
What better indicator of the glasnost and perestroika that have been sweeping through his administration than Gov. Rick Scott actually outlasting reporters at today’s post-cabinet press conference?
Who Created 85-Thousand Jobs?
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Governor Rick Scott won the election promising to create 700-thousand jobs in seven years.
Allegations spurring a Buchanan response
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan has launched an aggressive campaign to undermine the credibility of a once-trusted business partner who has accused the congressman of pressuring his employees to give illegal campaign contributions.
Florida redistricting battle lines drawn
By Dan Hirschhorn
Politico
Rep. Corrine Brown enjoys one of the most airtight districts in Florida: a thin, nine-county snake whose constituents have sent her to Washington for nearly two decades.
Florida Chamber asked for help raising $$$ from Scott
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Back when they were locked in legislative combat with unions over scaling back public-employee pensions, it appears the Florida Chamber of Commerce reached out for some fundraising help from Gov. Rick Scott.
A Fine Mess for Ethics Commission
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Here’s a real kick in the wallet to all Floridians struggling to deal with their legal responsibilities and financial obligations.
Florida lawmakers favor auto racing
By Derek Catron
Daytona Beach News-Journal
It didn't take long for Florida lawmakers to respond to news that North Carolina had named stock-car racing its official state sport.
POLITICAL RACES
Attorney who represented Bush in 2000 "Bush vs. Gore" case to hold fundraising reception for Obama campaign
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
The man who is probably more responsible than any other Floridian for putting George W. Bush in the White House will host a fundraising reception in three weeks for President Obama’s re-election.
Underdog Tim Pawlenty drawing strong Republican support in Florida
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
The vast majority of Floridians couldn't pick Tim Pawlenty out of a lineup. He barely registers in the polls.
Michele Bachmann coming to The Villages
Staff Report
Gainesville Sun
Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann will be in The Villages on Aug. 27 to address the Tri-County Tea Party Florida.
About that talk of Vern Buchanan jumping into Fla Senate race....
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
The chatter and speculation about Vern Buchanan preparing for a U.S. Senate run has been widespread since Mike Haridopolos dropped out of the race.
Proposed shift in Florida primary may force change in city election dates
By Jennifer Sorentrue
Palm Beach Post
Most Palm Beach County cities and towns may have to shift their election dates to coincide with a potential shift in Florida's 2012 presidential primary, Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher is warning.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Fla. restarting effort to regulate water pollution
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida is restarting efforts to develop tougher water pollution regulations to avoid an impending federal takeover of that responsibility.
PSC chairman: Nuclear remains big part of state's energy future
By Ivan Penn
St. Petersburg Times
Despite Progress Energy's broken nuclear plant and questions of whether the utility ever will build a second reactor, the chairman of the state Public Service Commission touts nuclear power as a critical source for Florida's future.
Conservative legal foundation creates property rights institute to beef up Florida presence
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The conservative Pacific Legal Foundation of Sacramento has created the Wade Hopping Institute for Private Property Rights in Stuart to beef up its presence in Florida.
Department of Environmental Protection may approve previously denied Pasco landfill
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Though a plan to build a landfill near environmentally sensitive lands in Pasco County was once thought dead, the permit has been reborn in recent months.
The GOP's Hidden Debt-Deal Agenda: Gut the EPA
By Bryan Walsh
Time
It was lost in the endless drama of the debt-ceiling negotiations, but last week the Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives launched an unprecedented attack on the country's environmental protections.
LGBT
Mrs. Cardenas on gay marriage
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
The American Conservative Union -- now led by Miami attorney Al Cardenas -- has barred the conservative gay Republican group, GOProud, from sponsoring and fully participating at its next national convention.
EDUCATION
Meeting in Tampa, state Education Board hears both complaints and ideas for saving money
By Jeffrey S. Solochek and Marlene Sokol
St. Petersburg Times
Gathered to discuss school funding, Florida's Board of Education spent much of Tuesday listening to complaints.
Changes needed in dual-enrollment funding, college presidents say
By Jeff Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
Few Florida educators see anything but good in the state's dual enrollment program, which allows high school students to take college courses and earn college credits for free.
Florida's voluntary pre-kindergarten has a long way to go become the 'high quality' demanded by voters
Editorial
TC Palm
In 2002, Florida voters by a 59 percent majority approved an amendment to the state Constitution.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty wants to phase in Citizens sinkhole rate hike
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related editorial: Slow the surge in sinkhole rates
Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said Tuesday that he is prepared to phase in the massive rate increase for sinkhole insurance to soften the hit imposed by Citizens Property Insurance last week.
Former state representative will become Florida's top banking regulator
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
Former State Rep. Tom Grady was tapped on Tuesday to take over the job as the state’s main banking regulator.
Fla. Retail Federation defends sales tax holiday
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
The Florida Retail Federation on Tuesday defended the state's upcoming sales tax holiday on back-to-school purchases against arguments that such breaks do little or nothing to stimulate the economy or benefit consumers.
Panhandle bridge boondoggle could spur expressway authority takeover
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott is eyeing a proposal that stalled last session to merge regional expressway authorities, in light of the financial collapse of one Panhandle authority that represents what could be the state's first-ever debt default.
Economic development group sued over its unpaid bill
By Meg Laughlin
St. Petersburg Times
An economic development nonprofit that teaches "best business practices" to economic organizations around Florida recently had its own business problems: It couldn't pay a $30,000 bill to a Tampa hotel, which slapped it with a lawsuit.
State orders Workforce Central Florida to repay $739K in grants
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida's workforce-development board, an agency facing two government investigations, has been ordered to repay more than $739,000 that state and federal officials say was improperly used to settle a 2-year-old lawsuit.
Round Two: The Progressive Debt Deal America Wants
The Progress Report
Think Progress
With the wealthy, Big Oil, and other corporations asked to contribute nothing in the first round of the austerity plan President Obama signed today to avoid a catastrophic default on our nation’s obligations, there is little for progressives to celebrate.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Rick Scott's work group must show zero tolerance for neglecting the elderly
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Next week, Florida leaders take a closer look at the state's assisted-living facilities.
DCF head outlines changes to safeguard children
By Andrew Abramson
Palm Beach Post
Department of Children and Families Secretary David Wilkins visited Palm Beach County on Tuesday, meeting with DCF employees, community providers and The Palm Beach Post editorial board to lay out his vision of revamping the organization.
Debt deal sets up another round of Medicare cuts
Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
Associated Press
Medicare and Medicaid were spared from immediate cuts in the debt deal, but it looks like just a temporary reprieve.
Federal Health Care Funds: Politics Of Suffering
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
The Republicans who run Tallahassee don't like President Barack Obama's health care reforms.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Truce: Homeless feedings moved to City Hall -- arrests stop
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
A truce has been declared in the battle between homeless-feeding activists and Orlando City Hall.
Not working
Editorial
Miami Herald
If nothing else, the hardline immigration laws passed by some states recently may once again demonstrate the wisdom of an old adage: Be careful what you wish for.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Death Row inmate's fate rests on legal challenge of new lethal injection drugBy Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
The fate of a man scheduled to be executed for shooting and killing a Coral Gables police officer 33 years ago rests on the answer to one question: Is the new use of a drug in Florida's lethal injections effective and safe?
Mom drops request for video of son’s death
By Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
The mother of a teenager who died at a South Florida juvenile detention center after seeking medical attention for hours is no longer seeking the video of his final hours at the lockup.
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