PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
The Blu View September 5th Weekly Show
By Gayle Andrews
The Blu Vu: Florida's Political Reality Show
Show Highlights: Senator Bill Nelson says closing tax loopholes will help the economy, Florida Watch talks about what’s really happened to Florida, and Senator Nan Rich calls the GOP out on redistricting.
FEATURED STORIES
2012 presidential spotlight hits Florida this month
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
Related AP story: Tampa debate on Monday to kick off big Florida push in Republicans' 2012 presidential race
Get ready for Florida to start playing its role as the biggest battleground state in the 2012 presidential election.
Fla. governor may reject money from jobs plan
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Gov. Rick Scott and top Florida Republicans are sending early signals they could reject the billions in federal aid that could flow to the state under President Barack Obama's jobs proposal.
Staffer: Jennifer Carroll's office 'like a juvenile school'; infighting could impact Scott's priorities
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
A spokeswoman for Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll said Friday that infighting in that office is so intense it could hurt Gov. Rick Scott's ability to govern.
Federal judge upholds Florida redistricting amendment
By Jay Weaver
St. Petersburg Times
Related editorial: Getting through to politicians on redistricting
Two members of Congress from Florida vowed Friday to take their redistricting case to the U.S. Supreme Court after a Miami judge squashed their challenge to a state constitutional amendment limiting how districts are drawn for congressional elections.
Florida honors 9/11 anniversary with ceremonies
By Suzette Laboy
Associated Press
As Floridians commemorated the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Sunday, some took part in a 1,600-mile bike ride from Naples to New York City and a small group attended a 9/11 ceremony at the Tampa airport while listening to a bagpipe and bugler.
EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Jeff Parker
Florida Today
Artist's commentary: Wizz Quiz
FLORIDA POLITICS
Gov. Rick Scott has hired fewer minority staffers than Charlie Crist, Florida Cabinet officials
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott's lieutenant governor is the first African-American to hold that job in Florida, but records show Scott has hired fewer black, Hispanic and Asian workers than his predecessor or fellow statewide elected officials.
Adam Hasner failed to file proper financial disclosure, ethics commission finds
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The state Commission on Ethics voted Friday to ratify an agreement with former state Rep. Adam Hasner of Delray Beach, who failed to file a financial disclosure form within 60 days of leaving office as required by law.
In Florida Politics, Who Decides What’s ‘Fair’?
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
The desire to appear to give voters a voice is strong in the political milieu.
POLITICAL RACES
Florida is focus of GOP presidential race
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Related: Tonight's GOP debate in Tampa brings protests, watch parties
Florida will take center stage in the presidential race this month, starting with Monday's GOP candidates' debate in Tampa and leading up to the Presidency 5 straw poll, an event expected to identify clearly the leaders and challengers in the race.
Stakes high entering GOP Florida debate
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The stakes could not be higher when the top GOP presidential candidates meet for the first time in Florida Monday.
In Florida, Cuban coffee meets tea party politics
By Gustavo Valdes
CNN
For politicians seeking public office, a stop at the iconic Cafe Versailles is a must.
GOP candidates' debate in Tampa ramps up Florida offensive against Obama
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
September is Republican-palooza month in Florida.
As Florida debate looms, Gov. Rick Perry rides into Social Security storm
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
The focus of the Republican presidential campaign this week turns to Florida, where one in six residents receives Social Security benefits. And Rick Perry has some explaining to do.
Rick Perry's Florida endorsement coup: John Stemberger
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Florida evangelical leader John Stemberger is a step away from endorsing Rick Perry for president, a big coup for the Texas governor and a loss for fellow Republican Michele Bachmann.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Oil drilling has expanded in western Everglades
By David Fleshler
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Republican politicians caught flak recently for suggesting oil exploration in the Everglades, but it's actually been going on there for decades.
Deep dredge, deep concerns at port
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Dredgers have deepened sections of the Port of Miami twice in the last dozen years. Both times, the digging went awry.
Growth-law rewrite may pave way for Farmton's 23,000 homes
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
On paper, the proposed new city of 23,000 homes called Farmton was textbook urban sprawl: smack in the middle of nowhere on a rural wedge of timber, swamp and habitat for black bears, gopher tortoises and Everglades snail kites.
Top DEP official Bob Ballard abruptly resigns
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Bob Ballard abruptly resigned Friday as deputy secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection after questions and controversy involving state lands in recent months.
EDUCATION
Big payouts for school superintendents get Florida taxpayers' attention
By Ron Matus
St. Petersburg Times
The Broward County school district paid its former superintendent $241,149 for unused sick leave and vacation time this year.
Florida virtual-school options expand
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida, a pioneer in the field of virtual education, is extending its digital reach this year with a new law that will push even more students to log on to learn.
Polk Seeing Exodus of School Employees
By Merissa Green
Lakeland Ledger
After teaching first grade for seven years at Eastside Elementary School in Haines City, Jennifer Smith made the difficult decision to leave to work at a charter school.
Parents are key in educating children
By Bill Maxwell
St. Petersburg Times
Like many other school districts nationwide, the Pinellas County district is urgently trying to figure out how to help black students succeed academically.
Professor tenure poised for legislative comeback
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
Eliminating or changing how professors are awarded tenure, a longer-term contract that carries more job security, is likely to surface again this legislative session.
State colleges to Scott: We're better than Texas
By Lilly Rockwell
News Service of Florida
When Gov. Rick Scott asked Florida college presidents this spring for their views on the controversial Texas higher education reforms that he supports, he received a three-page letter in July extolling the achievements of Florida colleges over Texas.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Economists: State Government Austerity Causing Double Dip Risk
By Les Coleman
Public News Service Florida
Last month's national job figures show 17,000 jobs were created by private businesses, but they were offset by 17,000 public employee lay-offs. Chad Stone, chief economist with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says the trend of state and local governments cutting back mostly hits public education.
Obama jobs plan heartens frustrated blacks
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
President Barack Obama's jobs pitch is already playing well with blacks, who had grown plenty irked with him over what they perceived as his indifference to their needs.
Scott and Obama agree, just a little
Staff Report
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Some may take it as a sign of the apocalypse, but Gov. Rick Scott and President Barack Obama agree on a major issue facing the nation.
Clock ticks on future of jobless benefits — what will Congress do?
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
For more than 240,000 Floridians getting federal unemployment benefits, the next few months will be uncomfortably familiar.
Legislators are counting on rare moment to bring resort casinos to Florida
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
The sponsor of the bill to bring resort casinos to South Florida believes that the arrival of gambling giant Genting, the state’s dismal economy and a rush of casino cash give legislators a chance to catch “lightning in a bottle” and pass the long-sought legislation this year.
Florida senator proposes law to curb tax fraud
By Elaine Silvestrini
Tampa Tribune
Legislation aimed at curbing identity theft and tax fraud was introduced in Washington on Friday by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Lack of profit cap may doom statewide Medicaid managed care
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
A federal waiver granted to Florida back in 2006 allows managed care companies to operate the Medicaid program in five Central and South Florida Counties.
Florida Grudgingly Takes Money for Child Abuse Prevention Program
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers finally accepted $3.4 million in federal money for a child abuse prevention program. Hallelujahs and Hosannas.
Lifestyle Lift under fire from AG
By Marty Clear
Health News Florida
Lifestyle Lift, as portrayed in TV and online ads, sounds nearly miraculous.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Florida Forces Towns to Pull Local Laws Limiting Guns
By Lizette Alvarez
New York Times
The signs — “No Guns Allowed” — are being stripped from many Florida government buildings, libraries and airports.
Drug test law deserves to be overturned
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The federal courts have a chance to end the wholesale assault on personal liberty by Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature and strike a blow against Big Brother government.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Florida Supreme Court to decide whether citizens can sue CitizensBy James Call
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
The Florida Supreme Court will decide whether the state's largest property insurer can be sued for acting in bad faith.
Florida Supreme Court hears arguments in public adjuster case
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The fate of a state law restricting the ability of public adjusters to contact property owners after a disaster is in the hands of the Florida Supreme Court after oral arguments Friday.
Man sues Florida for right to flash headlights
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Erich Campbell thought he was just being helpful the night he flashed his headlights on a busy Tampa highway to warn drivers of a police speed trap ahead.
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