PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
The Blu Vu August 29th Weekly Show
By Gayle Andrews
The Blu Vu: Florida's Political Reality Show
Show Highlights: This week's episode features Gov. Scott's missing emails, the prison privatization debacle and Michelle Bachmann’s wacky ideas.
FEATURED STORIES
Critics of Texas higher ed changes warn of fallout should Florida embrace Perry model
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Gov. Rick Scott hasn’t been specific about his plans to overhaul the state’s higher education system, but he has made clear his intention to make some changes — and higher education reforms in Texas will be a likely template.
Florida Ranks Fifth for Job Cuts in 2011
By Kyle Munzenrieder
Miami New Times
18,098 jobs have been cut so far in 2011 in Florida. That makes Florida fifth for job cuts in America. Way to go "Job Governor" Rick Scott!
New leak near Deepwater Horizon site quickly becoming a massive oil slick
By Judson Parker
The Examiner
Over the past two weeks, I have been closely following reports of renewed leaking in the Macondo oil field, the site of last year's Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Tea party organization will offer more classes for children
By Marlene Sokol
St. Petersburg Times
After a successful summer experience, a tea party-affiliated organization is offering Saturday morning civics classes for children.
The GOP War on Voting
By Ari Berman
Rolling Stone
As the nation gears up for the 2012 presidential election, Republican officials have launched an unprecedented, centrally coordinated campaign to suppress the elements of the Democratic vote that elected Barack Obama in 2008.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Ailing Florida Republican Party chairman Dave Bitner to step down
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
His voice weakened from Lou Gehrig's disease, the Republican Party of Florida's beloved chairman told fellow Republicans on a conference call Wednesday that he's stepping down because the illness has become too much.
Southwest Floridians deliver redistricting message
By Bob Rathgeber
Ft. Myers News-Press
Eliminate cross-state districts. Reconfigure districts into concise and neighborhood areas. Work quickly to design the new lawmaking map and follow the mandate of amendments 5 and 6.
West challenges Black Caucus members' 'hate-filled comments,' threatens to quit group
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, says he might quit the Congressional Black Caucus if the group doesn't condemn recent remarks by caucus members saying members of the tea party favor lynching and can "go straight to hell."
Gov. Scott bad for Florida
By Franklin Sands
South Florida Sun Sentinel
When an individual seeks public office, it entails a public trust. That is one problem I have with our governor; he often doesn't tell the truth.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Proposed Amendment Would Ban Near-Shore Drilling
By David Royse
News Service of Florida
A Tampa Democrat has filed a Senate version of proposed constitutional amendment to ban oil drilling within about 10 miles of Florida’s coastline.
Sen. Nelson touts plan for Gulf restoration with oil spill funds
Staff Report
Pensacola News Journal
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson was in Pensacola on Wednesday touting a bill that would direct fines from BP to the Gulf states impacted by the 2010 oil spill.
Audubon of Florida releases ‘State of the Everglades’ report
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Environmental group Audubon of Florida has released its “State of the Everglades” report, a summary of the most important stories and policies to come out of the Greater Everglades during the first half of 2011.
Evers files bill to repeal septic tank inspections
By Tom McLaughlin
Northwest Florida Daily News
As promised, state Sen. Greg Evers will take another run in 2012 to repeal legislation to require statewide inspections of septic tanks.
DEP fills slots but has new high-level vacancy
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Department of Environmental Protection has a new inspector general and a new southwest district director along with a new high-level vacancy.
LGBT
Tampa Bay Rays tell LGBT community: "It Gets Better"
By Atecia Robinson
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Last week the Tampa Bay Rays became the 5th Major League Baseball team to speak against homophobic bullying when they partnered with St. Pete Pride to film a video for the “It Gets Better” campaign.
EDUCATION
Scott wants Race to the Top funds
Associated Press
Florida Capital News
Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants the state to compete in the next round of the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top competition, which could award up to $100 million to improve early learning.
Seeking federal funds benefits pre-K kids
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Scott has thumbed his nose at federal stimulus dollars.
Not all Florida teachers feel the same financial pinch, report shows
By Jeff Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
Many teachers in Florida have not received a raise in four years.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Florida's budget woes might be over
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
Florida is projected to have a small budget surplus for the coming year a new forecast released on Wednesday shows.
In Florida, Job Engines Stalling
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Gov. Rick Scott made jobs a key component of his campaign, promising 700,000 new jobs — above and beyond the jobs which would have been naturally created by the economy — in seven years.
The New Resentment of the Poor
Editorial
New York Times
In a decade of frenzied tax-cutting for the rich, the Republican Party just happened to lower tax rates for the poor, as well.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
GOP governors call for major Medicaid changes
By Florida News Service
Ft. Myers News-Press
Echoing the arguments of Gov. Rick Scott and other Florida GOP leaders, a Republican governors panel issued a report Tuesday calling for states to have wide leeway in running the Medicaid program.
Florida Shutting ‘Pill Mill’ Clinics
By Lizette Alvarez
New York Times
Florida has long been the nation’s center of the illegal sale of prescription drugs: Doctors here bought 89 percent of all the Oxycodone sold in the country last year.
Florida's prescription-drug database launches today
By Amy Pavuk
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's prescription-drug-monitoring database, which advocates say will help discourage doctor shopping and deter physicians from over-prescribing, is slated to launch today — after an effort by Gov. Rick Scott earlier this year to kill the program.
Mental-health groups turn to feds
By Brittany Davis
Health News Florida
A coalition of 13 mental health groups has asked the federal government to help determine whether Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida is breaking a law that prohibits discrimination against the kinds of services they provide.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Because of new state law, cities and counties are scrambling to get their gun laws off the books
By Curtis Krueger
St. Petersburg Times
The state of Florida is going after a gang of gun outlaws by threatening them with $5,000 fines, firings and lawsuits.
Activists push Publix to pay penny more for tomatoes
By Sandra Pedicini
Orlando Sentinel
A group of activists seeking better pay for tomato pickers is bicycling to Publix Super Markets headquarters in Lakeland and will ask company leaders to see firsthand laborers' living conditions.
Poor prove gov wrong on drugs
Editorial
Ft. Myers News-Press
The first results of the state's new policy of drug-testing all Floridians applying for cash welfare must be a surprise for those who think the poor are more likely to be addicts than better-off people.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
A cautionary tale about private prison shiftBy Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times
As Florida enters the uncharted territory of a huge expansion of private, for-profit prisons, this story serves as a cautionary tale.
State says that number of juvenile offenders is dropping
By Kim MacQueen
Florida Current
The number of Florida juvenile offenders who entered the justice system in 2010-11 is down 11 percent over last year, and the number of kids cooling their heels in juvenile detention centers is the lowest in state Department of Juvenile Justice history, according to a new DJJ report issued this week.
Appeals court sides with former Tallahassee lobbyist and fundraiser
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
An appeals court in Tallahassee on Wednesday overturned a move by the Department of Health to suspend the medical license of prominent political fundraiser and Broward county eye doctor Alan Mendelsohn.
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