PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
The BluVu: Week of October 14th
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu
Florida Democrats engage in an old fashioned beat down when it comes to registration and early voting, the Republicans are losing credibility and US House seats in the Sunshine State, and Progress Florida’s Damien Filer issues a warning on the Constitutional Amendments as political reality comes your way!
FEATURED
STORIES
No holding back for Joe Biden, Paul Ryan in debate
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Breaking down the vice presidential debate
Related: Fact-checking the vice presidential debate
During the vice presidential debate with Paul Ryan on Thursday, Joe Biden did what President Barack Obama failed to do last week: He vigorously defended their record and went on the attack.
President Obama returns to Florida, attacks Romney for 'extreme makeover'
By Marc Caputo and Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Related: Times/Bay News 9/Herald exclusive Florida poll: Romney 51, Obama 44
A confident and mocking President Barack Obama gave one of his most sharply worded speeches this campaign season here Thursday when he accused rival Mitt Romney of engaging in a dishonest "extreme makeover."
Dems lead GOP in battleground voter registration
By Julie Pace
Associated Press
A robust registration push by President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has resulted in more Democrats than Republicans on the voter rolls in most battleground states, including Florida and Nevada, according to data from state election boards.
Florida schools' race-based plan draws criticism
By Greg Toppo
USA Today
A five-year academic "road map" for Florida public school students is angering some educators and civil rights groups, who note that it sets different proficiency goals for African-American, Latino and white students, among others.
Judge may allow questioning of Carroll
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
A Leon County judge ruled Thursday that attorneys for a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll could probe the governor’s office if they can prove the information they seek is relevant to a case that has spiraled into allegations of illegal taping, a sex scandal and an arson attack at the state Capitol.
BEST
OF THE BLOGS
Why Haven’t Republican Legislators Attracted New Companies to Florida?
By Kartik Krishnaiyer
The Political Hurricane
We constantly hear about how a positive climate for business needs to be created in Florida.
My Ballot: Rename Florida State Amendments
By Diane
Occupy My Soapbox
So what makes my November ballot the longest in history?
Book From Alan Grayson Opponent Features Fake History
By Troutfishing
Daily Kos
I knew Former U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson was running for a seat in Florida's newly-created 9th District, but I didn't know a thing about his Republican opponent in the race.
Florida 2012 Informed Voters' Ballot Guides
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
The deadline for voter registration in Florida ended yesterday, and now that absentee and vote by mail ballots are already arriving, it's a good time to remind ourselves how important our votes in this election are.
The Stories that Break Through
By Benjamin J. Kirby
The Spencerian
The thing I like least about the debates is that they signal the apex of the opposite of what campaigns are supposed to be really about.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Human error a concern in hand-copying Palm Beach County votes
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post
With some Palm Beach County voters voicing concerns about Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher’s plan to hand-copy votes from thousands of defective absentee ballots onto new ones, it appears there’s no other solution to the problem that was created by a printing error, a lawyer who is monitoring the situation said Thursday.
Florida senator files ethics complaint against 'Progressives' group over finance reporting
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
Citing violations in state election law, state Sen. Audrey Gibson has filed a complaint with the Florida Ethics Commission against a committee that has been hammering Democratic candidates with negative mail pieces.
Newspaper fights reporter subpoena in Cole case
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Attorneys for the Florida Times-Union asked a circuit judge Thursday to quash a subpoena seeking a deposition by the reporter who received a secret recording of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll's top aide criticizing Gov. Rick Scott and his former chief of staff.
Swing state: Florida's capital is a Democratic city surrounding Republican lawmakers
By Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Naples Daily News
For a city built on politics, you'd think there would be more buzz surrounding the upcoming presidential election.
Morality play antagonists
By Daniel Ruth
Tampa Bay Times
Lame duck (in more ways than one) Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon was in a grumpy mood.
A Tale of Two Floridas
By Steven Kurlander
Florida Voices
Charles Dickens’ opening line in A Tale of Two Cities came flooding back to me Wednesday on reading two headlines in Florida.
Joe Martinez drops lawsuit over absentee ballots in losing race for Miami-Dade mayor
By Charles Rabin
Miami Herald
Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez changed his mind Thursday, dropping a lawsuit he filed challenging the absentee ballots cast in the Aug. 14 mayoral race he lost to Carlos Gimenez.
POLITICAL
RACES
Two polls show tie, narrow Obama lead in Florida
By William March
Tampa Tribune
One new poll in Florida shows a tie in the presidential race while another shows a very narrow lead by President Barack Obama.
Obama stirs students in Miami, after “wake-up call” of a debate
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
President Obama, still smarting from a debate performance that a top adviser dubbed a “wake-up call” for his campaign, told a college crowd Thursday that Mitt Romney is attempting a “severe makeover” of his past positions during the final weeks of the campaign.
Ryan asked for federal help as he championed cuts
By Jack Gillum
Associated Press
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, a fiscal conservative and critic of federal handouts, has sought for his constituents in Wisconsin an expansion of food stamps, stimulus money, federally guaranteed business loans, grants to invest in green technology and money under President Barack Obama's health care reform law.
Liberal political action committee slams Romney economic plan
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
A political think tank studied the economic plan pushed by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and didn’t like what they found.
Time-share mogul David Siegel takes on Obama — and reality
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
I know he drives some folks crazy. But I can admit that I love watching the reality show that is David Siegel.
Voter polls criticized, championed by politicians depending on results
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
There may be more polling this election than ever, but when it comes to whether those results are reliable, it depends who you ask.
Retain all three Florida Supreme Court justices
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Even before Palm Beach County’s latest ballot debacle, it was important for voters to understand this year’s vote on the Florida Supreme Court.
BALLOT
INITIATIVES
Amendment 5 Would Give Florida Legislature More Control Over High Court
By Curt Anderson
Associated Press
The Florida Legislature would gain greater authority over the state Supreme Court and the rules governing state courts if voters approve constitutional Amendment 5 in the Nov. 6 election.
Sandra Fluke joins Amend 6 opposition
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Sandra Fluke has joined a cadre of abortion advocates urging voters to shoot down Amendment 6, a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot dealing with abortion.
EDUCATION
Florida to measure student goals by race
By Allison Ross and Jason Schultz
Palm Beach Post
A plan by Florida to set goals for students in math and reading based on their race has educators and community activists furious in Palm Beach County and across the state.
Blue Ribbon Task Force may finalize recommendations
By James Call
Florida Current
"Flexibility" is emerging as a buzzword among education officials while they begin formulating proposals for the 2013 Florida legislative session.
Interim ed commish responds to strategic plan dustup, doesn’t rule out keeping job
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times
Interim Education Commissioner Pam Stewart went on the defensive today, saying she needed to clear up misconceptions about the five-year strategic plan approved by the Florida Board of Education earlier this week.
Costs for Florida Prepaid College program rise again
By Denise-Marie Ordway
Orlando Sentinel
If you're thinking about enrolling a newborn in the Florida Prepaid College program, get ready to pay $331.59 a month for the next 18 years to pay for four years of classes at a state university.
Gov. wants probe of college president salaries
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is asking his chief inspector general to review the contracts of the 28 presidents who serve in the state college system.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Fewer US layoffs no longer suggest strong hiring
By Christopher S. Rugaber
Associated Press
Declining applications for unemployment benefits have typically pointed to stronger hiring.
Gov. Rick Scott talks up an economic comeback in Florida
By Drew Harwell
Tampa Bay Times
As Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney argued the nation's jobs market remained in crisis, Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday praised Tampa Bay's chief executives for helping turn the economy around.
AG Holder highlights Fla. investor fraud summit
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Attorney General Eric Holder is the featured speaker at a South Florida investor fraud summit aimed at helping people avoid getting snared in the schemes.
New companies look to get in on Citizens loan incentives
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
As Citizens Property Insurance Corp. officials and lawmakers wrangle over whether to provide low-cost loans to companies that take over their policies, new companies are battling behind the scenes to be included in the program.
Nationwide reaches agreement with Florida over life insurance payments
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
Insurer Nationwide reached an agreement with Florida and other states over life insurance payments, regulators said Thursday.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Second Floridian dies from tainted steroid shot
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
An 83-year-old Marion County is the second person in the state to die from a national fungal
meningitis outbreak.
Broward doctor was paid $477,000 for 140 days work at pill mill
By Paula McMahon
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A Coral Springs doctor admitted in court Thursday that he wrote excessive prescriptions in exchange for cash at a Deerfield Beach pill mill.
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