Daily Clips for July 17, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Election officials hope to access federal database by week's end, but issue could be moot
By James Call
Florida Current
State-level elections officials hope to have access by the end of the week to a federal database to check the names of suspected noncitizens on its voter rolls.

Unlimited money floods into Florida state lawmakers' campaign funds
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
When state Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, held a fundraiser to promote his bid for Senate president, the invitation was straight and to the point: "No maximum amount."

Fla. spent nearly $2.5 million on security
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida spent nearly $2.5 million in the past year to provide security for Gov. Rick Scott, as well as a long list of visiting governors and leaders from other U.S. territories and Puerto Rico.

Connie Mack's war on Adam Smith
By Charles Mahtesian
Politico
GOP Rep. Connie Mack IV, who’s been smacked around pretty good by the media in his Florida Senate bid, has declared war on one of the state’s top political journalists.

Mitt Romney-Helmed Olympics Outsourced Uniforms To Burma
By Sabrina Siddiqui
Huffington Post
Mitt Romney was noticeably unwilling Friday to engage in a controversy around the manufacturing of U.S. Olympic uniforms in China, despite criticism from Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Prosecutor says he may expand charges against Carroll aide
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The bitter feud between Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and a disgruntled aide escalated Monday as the aide’s attorney called for a state arson investigation into a trash can fire in Carroll’s office and the state attorney said he may expand the charges against the aide, Carletha Cole.

Would someone remind me again why we even have a Lt. Governor?
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
This would be a great time to do without a Florida Lt. Governor.

Jeb Bush says he's no 'heretic' in his party
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
Mixing his brother President George W. Bush's "compassionate conservatism" theme and his own "nerdy" variety, former Gov. Jeb Bush is pushing a political agenda that includes data-driven education, immigration, and regulatory and energy reforms.

Scott's and Rubio's role at RNC uncertain for now
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott has already been tapped to host a series of economic development events aimed at wooing CEOs coming for the Republican National Convention.

POLITICAL RACES

In Pawlenty, Romney Campaign May Find Down-to-Earth Appeal
By Jeff Zeleny
New York Times
It was four years ago this summer, when Tim Pawlenty ranked high on the list of John McCain’s potential running mates, and Mr. Pawlenty and his wife, Mary, were plowing through a voluminous questionnaire probing deep into their finances and almost every other aspect of their lives.

President Barack Obama will hold local campaign event
Staff Report
Florida Times-Union
President Barack Obama will hold a grassroots campaign event in Jacksonville at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, his campaign said Monday.

West/Murphy race shaping up as most expensive congressional contest
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
In what could end up being America’s most expensive congressional race, U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Palm Beach Gardens, crossed the $10 million mark in fundraising last month while his likely Democratic challenger, Patrick Murphy, topped $2 million in contributions and will join West in the TV ad wars this week. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Florida to receive billions in BP Gulf oil funds
By Kate Spinner
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida avoided the worst of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill two years ago, but could reap billions of dollars from environmental fines levied against the British oil company.

Environmental activists praise U.S. Senator Bill Nelson for RESTORE Act
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
A piece of legislation that will bring billions of dollars to Gulf coast communities for restoration efforts was signed by President Obama earlier this month.

Office of Public Counsel expert says FPL's nuclear project on 'runaway course of its own'
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A nuclear energy consultant testifying on behalf of Public Counsel J. R. Kelly says Florida Power & Light Co.'s Turkey Point nuclear plant upgrade project is on a "runaway course of its own," with costs having increased more than half a billion dollars in the past 14 months.

EDUCATION

Uncertain times for school budgets
By Travis Pillow
Tallahassee Democrat
Florida’s budget picture is showing signs of improvement, according to preliminary estimates by state economists.

FAMU president james Ammons to leave office immediately, trustees decide
By Kim Wilmath
Tampa Bay Times
Florida A&M University president James Ammons, who last week announced plans to resign in October amid a host of problems at the university, will now step down immediately.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Citizens' proposed 7.5 percent insurance rate hike infuriates Florida homeowners
By Toluse Olorunnipa and Martha Brannigan
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The board of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. received a tongue-lashing from lawmakers and homeowners during a Monday workshop in Miami after unveiling a plan to raise rates by an average of 7.5 percent next year.

Tallahassee Judge Backs Online Travel Firms in State Tax Case
By Michael Peltier
News Service of Florida
A Tallahassee judge has sided with online travel companies like Expedia and Orbitz in a dispute over local tax obligations — a blow to counties that have argued the companies weren't paying enough.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Florida's surgeon general says, "Our community is not at risk for tuberculosis"
By Tracy Jones
Florida Times-Union
At a visit to the Times-Union, Dr. John Armstong, state surgeon general for the Florida Department of Health, said, "Our community is not at risk for tuberculosis."

Escambia, Santa Rosa get break on Medicaid bill from state
By Nate Monroe
Pensacola News Journal
The state has agreed to reduce millions of dollars in Medicaid costs to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties that were the result of accounting errors, providing some relief from the state-imposed expenses that could have caused cuts in services in personnel.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Let “Docs and Glocks” Law Die
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Voices
In an early Woody Allen comedy, there’s a scene where he's being taken before a firing squad and he tries to reason with his captors: "No, really, fellas, my doctor says I am not allowed to have bullets enter my body at any time..."

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

“Witness 9” accused Zimmerman of sexually molesting her
By Frances Robles
Miami Herald
Despite a last-minute rush to the courthouse by the defense to keep a witness’ damaging story out of public view, on Monday prosecutors released a recorded statement from George Zimmerman’s cousin, who said he molested her for 10 years when they were both children, beginning when she just 6 years old.