FEATURED STORIES
Rescuing America from Wall Street
By Harold Meyerson
Washington Post
Better late than never, the movement to take America back from Wall Street has arrived.
'Occupy' groups emerge on South Florida's political left to protest income gap, Wall Street abuses
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
For those who wondered where the liberal response to the conservative tea party was in U.S. politics, the wait may be over.
Scott disagrees with Scott on how to count to 700,000 jobs
By Aaron Deslatte
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott is getting some tough questioning these days about his gradual walking-back of the campaign pledge to create 700,000 jobs on top of what economists were previously predicting.
Bloomberg: Company that contributed to Florida Republicans did business with Iran
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
On Monday, Bloomberg released a piece on a Koch Industries subsidiary’s ties to under-the-radar sales of petrochemical equipment in Iran.
Mystery ownership of Sunshine State News identified as CNN, but it's not
By Lucy Morgan
St. Petersburg Times
Sunshine State News surfaced in the Tallahassee press center last year as one of many web-based news organizations covering Florida government.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Despite setback, private prison companies have track record of influence
By Yana Kunichoff
Florida Independent
Private prison companies lost one chance for a big profit last week when one of the largest known privatization campaigns in the country was blocked by a Florida judge for being unconstitutional.
Senate redistricting reaches agreement: Panhandle will be divided North and South
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
The Senate Redistricting Committee got into the nitty gritty Wednesday and came to a rare consensus.
Gov. Rick Scott e-mails ‘cleaned out’ from third source
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Florida Gov. Rick Scott is e-mailing again
E-mails on Gov. Rick Scott's BlackBerry may have been lost in another technology mix-up inside his office.
Gov. Rick Scott responds to ‘Full Flop’ from PolitiFact
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott takes questions from reporters after PolitiFact Florida gave the governor a Full Flop on his promise to add 700,000 more jobs to normal economic growth in the state. Watch the first video below.
Scott abides by court ruling; now only informally reviews rules, aide says
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Less than two months after the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Rick Scott could not require agencies to get his formal approval for rules they wanted to enact, a spokesperson said Wednesday the office is still reviewing the proposals — informally.
Greer lawyers to depose Haridopolos, Ballard, others
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer’s lawyers are planning to depose Senate President Mike Haridopolos, top GOP lobbyist Brian Ballard and others in mid-November, according to multiple sources.
What they want on Wall Street
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
Related: Group to tout peace, condemn greed in downtown Tampa protest
With the Occupy Wall Street movement well into its third week, and similar demonstrations popping up elsewhere, including one planned today in Tampa, it's worth asking what the group wants and whether it has the potential to shift the Democratic Party left the way disaffected conservatives have pushed Republicans right.
POLITICAL RACES
Slater Bayliss, Justin Sayfie join Mitt Romney campaign
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Former Jeb Bush aides and top Tim Pawlenty supporters in Florida, Slater Bayliss and Justin Sayfie, are now backing Mitt Romney.
GOP choice of experienced Romney, novice Perry
By Kasie Hunt
Associated Press
The GOP presidential field apparently set, Republican primary voters are likely facing a choice between an experienced, establishment candidate in Mitt Romney and an insurgent presidential campaign novice in Rick Perry.
Herman Cain, the surging presidential candidate, stops to sell a few books
By Aaron Sharockman
St. Petersburg Times
Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain returned to Florida on Wednesday, riding a wave of momentum created by his upset victory in Florida's Presidency 5 straw poll and the result of three new polls that suggest Cain is poised to be the conservative foil to Mitt Romney.
Out for 2012, Christie remains a power player
By Beth DeFalco
Associated Press
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn't joining the GOP field running for president in 2012, but he may have a hand in shaping the race from the sidelines.
Rubio says he won’t be VP nominee
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says he's not going to be the GOP vice presidential nominee in 2012 because he's focused on being a U.S. senator.
Fitzgerald to announce bid for Congress today
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Former state Rep. Keith Fitzgerald is expected to officially announce this morning that he is challenging U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan for re-election to the 13th Congressional District.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Report: New fuel efficiency standards could save Floridians billions
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
A new set of fuel efficiency standards proposed by the Obama administration could save the average Florida family $371 at the gas pump in 2030.
Florida Department of Agriculture rep testifies against EPA water pollution standards
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Testifying on behalf of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (aka DACS) yesterday, Rich Budell, director of the Office of Agricultural Water Policy, said that a set of federally mandated water pollution standards would have a “devastating” impact on the Florida economy.
Water management districts’ reserve funds drying up, senate panel told
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The ranking Democrat on the Senate environmental committee credited water management districts with reducing their "bloated" budgets but raised concerns about the agencies' long-term financial futures.
Gulf state lawmakers work to bring oil spill money home
By Maria Recio
Miami Herald
Members of the House of Representatives from the five Gulf Coast states - Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas - announced Wednesday that they had agreed on a bill to direct at least 80 percent of the fines that BP is expected to pay for last year's oil spill to their states for economic and environmental restoration - a payday that may reach $20 million.
LGBT
Equality Florida gala raises LGBT visibility
By M.C. Coolidge
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Saturday night, I attended the Equality Florida Suncoast Gala, which honored Sarasota activist Donald Geikie with the group's 2011 Voice for Equality award.
Florida Legislation Would Protect LGB Employees
By Zack Ford
Think Progress
The state of Florida does not offer employment non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation, which means employers can fire employees they suspect of being lesbian, gay, or bisexual.
EDUCATION
Vice President Joe Biden gets down to kids’ level at Pasco elementary school
By Jeff Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
When Joe Biden visited Oakstead Elementary School in Land O'Lakes on Tuesday, he spent more time with the students than with the adults.
Educators, business leaders agree that change is needed
By Dave Breitenstein
Ft. Myers News-Press
It’s hard to win a race when everyone else has brand-new running shoes, and your feet are stuck in concrete.
Schools You Think Are Charters…But Aren’t
By Sarah Gonzalez
NPR
There are a lot of Florida schools that look and function like charters, but really aren’t.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
A jumbled message on jobs
Editorial
Northwest Florida Daily News
Gov. Rick Scott got a little mixed up when he spoke Monday to an economic symposium at Sandestin.
State Owes Feds 1.6 M
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
The state barrowed 2.6 billion dollars to pay people out of work and now the bill has come due.
New jobs agency gets to work
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott had a ribbon-cutting Wednesday to open the state's Department of Economic Opportunity, a vast new agency a block from the Capitol that combines the state's economic development, community planning and unemployment programs.
Nightmare scenario looms if more cuts made, law enforcements agencies tell House panel
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott asked all state agencies to conduct a 10 percent budget cutting exercise this summer, but for law enforcement, legal and corrections agencies Wednesday, it was an exercise in futility.
Health department reorganization could affect more than 1,200 workers
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
For the third year in the row, state lawmakers are once again consideringa possible reoganization of the mammoth Department of Health.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Women’s health advocates speak out against legislator’s ‘omnibus anti-choice bill’
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Women’s health advocates are calling foul on the first anti-abortion bill introduced this session, which opponents of the bill are describing as an “omnibus anti-choice bill.”
‘Rip-off’ predicted for Medicaid
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Turning over Florida’s Medicaid program to private managed-care companies statewide will result in a “taxpayer rip-off of epic proportions,” opponents warn in a new report.
State Child Medicaid program is OK
By Kelli Kennedy
Associated Press
One of the state’s top Medicaid official told a judge that Florida’s health insurance program for poor children has no major problems, children are able to access care and any contrary statements other health officials have made to the Legislature were exaggerations.
Fla. seeks task force on addicted newborns
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Newborns are the latest victims of the prescription drug epidemic plaguing Florida and the country, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday.
Tea party influenced Pinellas commission vote to eliminate fluoride in drinking water
By David DeCamp
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Vote for scare over science
Eight years ago, Pinellas County commissioners decided to add fluoride to the drinking water.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Florida Hate Crimes On The Rise
By Erin Guy
West Palm Channel 25 News
The Anti-Defamation League of Florida said there were 116 anti-Semitic incidents reported in the state in 2010, which is up nearly 30 percent from 2009..
Florida’s ‘hunger bill’ is fastest-growing in nation
By Kate Santich
Orlando Sentinel
America's "hunger bill" cost the nation $167.5 billion last year, according to new research released Wednesday — a tab that doesn't even include food stamps and other federal nutrition programs.
Sen, Marco Rubio pulls back on support for tuition breaks for illegal immigrant children
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio pulled back on past support for tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants Wednesday, repositioning himself on a growing controversy in the Republican presidential race.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Florida courts say: Fund us and we can move foreclosures alongBy Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
State leaders say speeding up Florida's lethargic mortgage foreclosure process, third-longest in the country, will jump-start the state's economic recovery.
Court's block of prison privatization a welcome reprieve for Florida
Editorial
South Florida Sun Sentinel
It took a circuit court judge to step in and block Florida from implementing the nation's largest prison privatization plan.
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