FEATURED
STORIES
Fla. Gov. started push to remove voters from rolls
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida's quest to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls was started at the direct urging of Gov. Rick Scott, the state's former top elections official said.
Of 7,000 felons purged from voting rolls, many are Democrats, blacks
By Steve Bousquet and Carolyn Edds
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
As Florida scours its voter rolls in search of non-U.S. citizens, another form of purging continues: stripping felons of the ability to vote, including high numbers of Democrats and African-Americans.
Florida's education chief holds forum in Tampa on FCAT
By Cara Fitzpatrick
Tampa Bay Times
Florida's education chief will be in Tampa today to host the first in a series of public forums, part of a blitz to quell frustrations about the state's testing system.
Q Poll: Romney tops Obama 47-41. Rubio barely helps Republican ticket.
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Mitt Romney has crept to a 6-percentage point lead over President Barack Obama in Florida, where a new poll shows a majority of registered voters don’t think the incumbent deserves a second term.
Top Democrats break with Obama over Castro visa issue
By Erika Bolstad and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Florida’s top Congressional Democrats broke with President Barack Obama on Tuesday over his administration’s decision to issue Fidel Castro’s niece a visa to attend a conference this week in San Francisco.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
George LeMieux's aggressive campaign for 2009 Senate seat a window into his ambition, savvy
By Adam C. Smith and Marc Caputo
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Staff Writers
George LeMieux is an old hand running political campaigns, but he wound up in the U.S. Senate by ferociously campaigning for just one vote: Gov. Charlie Crist's.
Rubio proposes help for business startups, immigrants
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
In a rare show of bipartisanship, Sen. Marco Rubio teamed up with a couple of Democratic colleagues to propose a bill on Tuesday to help startup businesses and immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs.
Is Connie Mack the dumbest speaker in Congress? It's complicated
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Is Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, a candidate for U.S. Senate, the dumbest speaker in Congress?
Ethics Commission begins annual check of officials' finances
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
>From Gov. Rick Scott to members of obscure local boards, thousands of elected officers and appointed government managers across Florida are receiving their annual financial-disclosure reporting forms.
POLITICAL
RACES
The Top 10 GOP Attacks on Bain Capital
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Just as it did earlier this year during the Republican primary, Mitt Romney’s record of amassing a quarter-billion dollar fortune by bankrupting companies, shipping jobs overseas, and laying off thousands of American workers is dominating the headlines.
President Obama to speak at Latino leadership conference at Disney in June
By Susan Jacobson
Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama will be among of the speakers at a Latino leadership conference scheduled for next month at Walt Disney World.
Sachs-Bogdanoff state Senate race is No. 1 race for Florida Dems, party chief says
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
In their quest to regain relevance in the Florida legislature, Democrats are zeroing in on a newly drawn Palm Beach-Broward Senate district where a pair of incumbent Senators -- Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff and Democrat Maria Sachs -- appear headed for an expensive clash.
Future House Speaker Dorworth draws local GOP official in primary contest
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Future House Speaker Chris Dorworth is facing a primary run-off against John Moffitt, the treasurer of the Republican Party of Seminole County.
Critics question plan to close dozens of polling places
By Carrie Wells
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Local civil rights and civic leaders say plans to eliminate dozens of precincts in Sarasota County will amount to voter suppression and wreak havoc in a crucial election year.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Land crucial to future of Florida panthers to be preserved from development
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
The Nature Conservancy announced Tuesday that it has preserved a key piece of property that allows Florida panthers to flee their shrinking habitat in the state's southern tip.
Mecca Farms proposed for Everglades restoration
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
The South Florida Water Management District wants to swap some of its land for Mecca Farms -- the former orange grove that has been sitting idle since Palm Beach County bought it for $60 million as a potential site for The Scripps Research Institute in 2004.
Lower interest proposed for Fla. utility deposits
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A Public Service Commission proposal would lower interest rates that state-regulated Florida utilities pay on customer deposits.
Line in the sand
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
In neighboring Marion County, Frank Stronach is asking for a state permit to pump some 13 million gallons of water a day from the aquifer for his massive Adena Springs Ranch cattle operation in the midst of a historic drought.
LGBT
Orange leaders approve domestic-partner registry
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County leaders voted 6-1 on Tuesday to approve a domestic-partner registry, ending a hard-fought battle that had entangled Mayor Teresa Jacobs and gay activists for months.
Jacksonville council hears from public on gay rights bill
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
Those who filled Jacksonville's City Council chambers to overflowing asked lawmakers Tuesday night to support legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The Business Case for Same-Sex Marriage
By Susan Clary
Florida Voices
If you don’t agree with President Obama’s views on same-sex marriage, at least consider the business case for supporting it.
EDUCATION
Scott sought to limit fallout from low FCAT scores
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
As the Florida Department of Education tries to handle the fallout of the collapse in FCAT writing scores, the office of Gov. Rick Scott has been intimately involved in efforts to roll out the test scores, according to staff emails.
Not the Schooling You Had in Mind, Perhaps?
By Mary Jo Melone
Florida Voices
Students always teach the teacher.
Adding Up The Cost Of Florida’s Absenteeism
By John O'Connor
StateImpact
Yesterday we told you about a new study tabulating the often hidden cost of absenteeism.
Colleges, universities asked to hold back some funding for construction projects
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
Florida colleges, universities and other institutions are being asked to hold back a portion of their money for construction projects to avoid a deficit in the trust fund that helps finance them.
Volusia schools cutting college-prep program
By Mark Harper
Daytona Beach News Journal
Graduating Taylor Middle-High School senior Janet Lopez says she doesn't know where she would be headed without the AVID program.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
The $1.45 Trillion Fighter Jet—and the Florida Deficit Hawks Who Love It
By Adam Weinstein
Mother Jones
The F-35 fighter jet's first missile floated wide.
Florida sends $33.4 million in foreclosure settlement money to general revenue
By Toluse Olurrunipa
Miami Herald
Out of $334 million in cash payments sent to Florida in a multi-billion dollar mortgage settlement with major banks, about $33.4 million will go to help bolster the state’s budget.
Florida home sales falter, but prices rise in April
Staff Report
Florida Current
According to a report released Tuesday by the Florida Association of Realtors, the number of existing single-family home sales dipped 0.7 percent in April, compared with the same month last year, but the median sales price jumped 10.2 percent to $144,350.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
FL says no to PSA guidelines
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Leading urologists in Florida say they’re disappointed with a government panel’s advice against routine prostate-cancer screening.
Ag Commissioner Putnam launches free summer nutrition program
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced the start of a summer nutrition program Tuesday.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Despite Stand Your Ground Law, Woman’s ‘Warning Shot’ Brings 20-Year Sentence
By Howard Goodman
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Just weeks after the Trayvon Martin shooting touched off a nationwide outrage, Florida is again the subject of a controversy involving a heated confrontation, a fired gun and an outcome for the shooter that seems beyond all common sense.
Hialeah case could be beginning, not end of slots battles
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
A recent Florida Supreme Court decision surrounding slot machines is being interpreted differently by state officials and the pari-mutuel owners who say the machines are vital to the future of their industry, meaning more lawsuits could be on the horizon.
Courts side with voters, not campaign secrecy
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Federal courts struck two blows last week for more transparency in election campaigns. Voters should be pleased.
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