FEATURED STORIES
Florida economic forecast the best in five years, but still dark
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Florida lawmakers Wednesday received their brightest economic forecast since the recession hit, with projected tax collections and spending in harmony and no budget shortfalls seen through 2015.
Home Visiting Grant Passed By Lawmakers; Voted ‘No’ By Rep. Hudson
By Kimberly Vlach
HealthyState.org
The Legislative Budget Commission approved Gov. Rick Scott’s request for budget authority over the $3.4 million Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program grant Wednesday.
Scott's plan to limit HMOs coming under fire
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Gov. Rick Scott, who began his political career by criticizing the federal health care overhaul, has constantly said he opposes President Barack Obama's plan because it is a "job killer" and would limit consumers' health care choices.
ACLU, Navy vet sue over welfare drug testing law
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A state law that requires poor Floridians to pass a drug test before receiving cash welfare assistance — a key tenet of Gov. Rick Scott's campaign — is now being challenged in federal court.
Rick Scott Wins "Worst Governor Ever"
By Matthew Hendley
Broward New Times
Gov. Rick Scott has officially been crowned Worst Governor Ever.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Rich challenges Gaetz's offer, urges special session on redistricting
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times
For weeks, Republican Senate Redistricting Chairman Don Gaetz has been making a magnanimous offer to Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich: on the first day of meetings of the Senate Redistricting Committee in September, she gets the first chance at presenting a districting map.
Rick Scott schedules work day at Naval Air base
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott is once again revisiting his past with his third "Let's Get to Work Day" set for Thursday.
The liberal answer to video touting Florida's right leadership by Mike Haridopolos
By Katie Sanders
Miami Herald
Florida Watch Action, the group that handed Gov. Rick Scott pink slips as he sold doughnuts in Tampa and brought you www.RoboCallRickScott.com, has skewered the "Something Different is Happening in Florida" video by Senate President Mike Haridopolos in a parody.
Floridians join Koch brothers’ million dollar donor club
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
According to audio recordings of a retreat hosted by the billionaire Koch brothers in Colorado this past June, wealthy donors with Florida ties gave more than $1 million each to the brothers’ cause.
Upholding the law
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
For years, too many politicians in Florida have ignored the fines they've racked up for violating state election laws.
POLITICAL RACES
Debate was the Rick Perry Show, but Mitt Romney stole some of the spotlight
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Eight Republican candidates stood on stage during Wednesday’s presidential debate, but it was really the Rick Perry show.
Will Rick Perry's Social Security remarks dog him in Florida?
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
Rick Perry doubled down during Wednesday's debate, again calling Social Security a "Ponzi scheme" and "monstrous lie" to younger Americans because it cannot remain solvent.
Special election to replace Tony Hill gets nasty
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
A group calling itself Friends of Florida's First Coast filled mailboxes Wednesday across the area with mail attacking state Senate candidate Terry Fields.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Oil drilling in the Everglades was a race to the start — in 1940s
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
Related editorial: Everglades drilling: The correct answer is no
GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann startled some people last week when she said she'd be in favor of drilling for oil in the Everglades.
Federal officials propose spending $600 million for wildlife refuge to aid Everglades
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
Federal officials unveiled a formal proposal Wednesday to spend more than $600 million for a 150,000-acre wildlife refuge in Central Florida that's designed to protect the northern headwaters of the Everglades.
Oil and water don’t mix in the Everglades
By Fred Grimm
Miami Herald
South Florida oil wells, those that don’t come up dry (most do), tend to yield a low-grade, sour crude and an ever sourer politics.
PSC interviews three finalists for executive director
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Florida Public Service Commission on Wednesday interviewed three candidates with widely varying backgrounds for the executive director vacancy.
For Florida, Water Quality an Increasing Challenge
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Florida has 1,700 streams and rivers, 7,800 freshwater lakes, 700 springs, 11 million acres of wetlands, not to speak of 1,350 miles of coastline and more than 8,000 miles of tidal shoreline.
Public hearing set on water district's austere budget plan
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
Thursday night, in what would be a routine meeting any other year, the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District will hold its first public hearing on its annual budget.
EDUCATION
Lawmakers clear way for Race to the Top application
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida lawmakers — some reluctant and some angry — agreed Wednesday to accept a federal child-abuse prevention grant, clearing the way for the state to apply for $100 million in Race to the Top funds.
School officials, parents protest state funding cuts
By Nicole Linsalata
WSVN News 7 Miami
Teachers and school officials in one South Florida school district are protesting budget cuts from the state that have reduced funding to districts across Florida by nearly 10 percent.
Scott vs. teachers unions: Round 2
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
As the school year started, Gov. Rick Scott sent state legislators two homework assignments indicating he's ready for more combat with Florida's teachers unions.
A winning formula for schools
Editorial
Miami Herald
Miami-Dade business leaders will hear from Miami-Central Senior High School Principal Rennina Turner Thursday about how business partnerships, coupled with a strong mentor and tutoring program, are helping turn around a once failing school to one where more students are on track to head to college or trained for work.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Fla. lawmakers worry about state's finances
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida state lawmakers are worrying that recent economic turmoil could lead to more budget cuts.
Obama's $300 billion jobs plan a mix of tax cuts, spending
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The economy weak and the public seething, President Barack Obama is expected to propose $300 billion in tax cuts and federal spending Thursday night to get Americans working again.
Notion of new stimulus draws mixed reception in Florida
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
Would another round of stimulus spending help Florida?
State Opens Vault
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
The economic downturn and record high gold prices have people looking for lost treasure.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
After rejecting plenty, Scott admin accepts some ObamaCare dollars
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
A legislative panel gave Gov. Rick Scott’s administration approval Wednesday for a $3.4 million grant drawn from the federal Affordable Care Act, the measure backed by President Obama which Florida’s Republican chief executive ridicules regularly.
Florida Risks Federal Takeover Of Health Insurance Exchange
By Kimberly Vlach
HealthyState.org
As far as Gov. Scott is concerned, Florida has officially rejected the $1 million federal grant intended for the creation of the state health insurance exchange, the governor’s office confirms.
Bid protest holds up HMO contracts for state of Florida employees
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A battle is brewing over the right to offer HMO coverage to state of Florida employees.
Florida doctors taking millions of dollars in Big Pharma money
By Marni Jameson
Orlando Sentinel
Doctors in Florida have received more than $56 million from a dozen pharmaceutical companies since 2009, according to data released Wednesday by ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative news organization.
Florida ranks 44th for long-term care
By Barbara Peters Smith
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A new national rating indicates that Florida's elderly and disabled residents would be best off moving to Minnesota, Washington or Oregon, based on measurements of the quality and availability of help for people who need long-term care.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
West promotes film about controversial Ground Zero mosque
By Erika Bolstad
Miami Herald
U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., no stranger to controversy for his remarks about Muslim-Americans, on Wednesday renewed the debate over the Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York City, just days before the country marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Florida Security Changes Since 9/11
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
Three of the nations seventy-two “Fusion” centers are located in Florida. The Centers were created in the aftermath of 9-11 to correct failures in the sharing of intelligence and other information.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Fla. appeal court hears slot machine argumentBy Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
A former state Supreme Court justice representing Hialeah's race track urged an appellate court on Wednesday to rule that lawmakers can allow slot machines anywhere in Florida.
Libertarian gets ticketed on purpose to make argument in court
By Curtis Krueger
St. Petersburg Times
Adrian Wyllie was probably the only person in traffic court on Wednesday who actually wanted to be there.
When will state stop arbitrary death-penalty decisions?
By Mike Thomas
Orlando Sentinel
The state couldn't prove how or where Caylee Anthony died.
A third death-penalty lawyer is fired
By David Ovalle
Miami Herald
Another lawyer has been booted from a state-funded criminal defense office, bringing the total to three in the past few days.
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