PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Election is too close to take this call
By Melanie Payne
Ft. Myers News-Press
Excerpt: “Unfortunately this type of trickery and deception is happening more and more each election cycle,” said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida. (snip) Ferrulo said people should report these calls to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
FEATURED
STORIES
5 things to watch in the final presidential debate
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Presidential debate brings small Lynn University to big stage
Related editorial: Obama for president
The final two weeks of the 2012 campaign kick off tonight in Boca Raton with the last presidential debate — focused on foreign policy.
Democrats face 'fight of our lives' to win Florida
By Jonathan Martin and James Hohmann
Politico
Related: Mitt Romney keeps distance from Rick Scott in Florida
Florida Republicans are feeling increasingly optimistic that Mitt Romney will carry the biggest of swing-state prizes, and for good reason — he’s narrowly leading in most every poll here and President Barack Obama is under 50 percent in the same surveys.
Eight states hold key to White House
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Sorry, Florida. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney may be ardently courting America's biggest battleground state, but their real passion is for Ohio.
Apathy deters some, but youth voters still factor in tight presidential race
By Allison Ross
Palm Beach Post
Four years ago, Jon Rosen, then 18, excitedly cast his vote for Barack Obama for president — his first time voting ever.
Lawyers, Volunteers to Monitor Polls on Election Day
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Due to an onslaught of new voting laws in Florida, different voting precincts, as well as a slew of other changes to voting in Florida, lawyers are expected to watch the polls diligently to make sure people aren’t confused or intimidated on Election Day in Florida.
EDITORIAL
CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Mike Luckovich
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Florida elections officials to oversee duplication of flawed Palm Beach County absentee ballots
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post
Underscoring the deep concern surrounding Palm Beach County’s latest election snafu, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner is sending two observers here on Monday as workers begin an unprecedented process of duplicating an estimated 27,000 absentee ballots.
Does Crist have designs on a Democratic run in 2014?
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Charlie Crist is much too seasoned a politician to speak publicly about anything beyond the Nov. 6 elections.
Rod Smith rules out '14 gov run; predicts Al Lawson upset over Southerland
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Scratch one name off the list of potential Democratic candidates for governor in 2014: Florida Democratic Party chairman Rod Smith.
Argenziano sues GOP over mass mailing
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Former Republican state legislator Nancy Argenziano, waging a rugged comeback campaign as an independent, is suing her former party over a mass mailing that alleges "she violated the law" by briefly trying to run for Congress as a Democrat early this year.
Special interests derail sick-time initiative
By Stephanie Porta
Orlando Sentinel
The corrosive impact of moneyed interests in politics has been on full display in Orange County in the struggle to get earned sick time on the November ballot.
POLITICAL
RACES
Clash over foreign policy sets up Obama-Romney debate
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama came into office promising to reach out to the Cuban people, close a prison at Guantánamo Bay, end wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, chase down terrorist leaders and spark peace talks in the Middle East.
Teacher would show ’em how to run a debate
By Carl Hiaasen
Miami Herald
First of all, everybody say good evening to Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama.
Some say Jewish support for Obama strong; others see fissures
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
Related: Boca Raton, in all its excesses, perfect setting for final presidential debate
Monday night’s third and last presidential debate will focus on foreign affairs, and one issue sure to be urgently addressed at Lynn University — an issue that could swing decisive votes in the crucial state of Florida— is the security of Israel.
Gloria Steinem calls Romney extremist
By William R. Levesque
Tampa Bay Times
Feminist, author and political activist Gloria Steinem on Saturday described Mitt Romney as the most extremist presidential candidate ever.
A look at the other presidential candidates on the Florida ballot
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Larry King will moderate minor-party presidential debate
Including President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Florida's presidential ballot has 12 candidates and six write-ins.
Futile or credible, write-in candidates deny hundreds of thousands a vote in state legislative races
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
They are the candidates you don't see.
Biden talks Medicare, women's issues at Sun City Center rally
By Katie Sanders and Shelley Rossetter
Tampa Bay Times
Vice President Joe Biden energized a hall of senior citizens in this mostly conservative community on Friday, issuing stark warnings for the future of entitlement programs and women's rights in a Mitt Romney administration.
Ann Romney joins thousands for annual breast-cancer walk in Orlando
By Jon Busdeker
Orlando Sentinel
Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, joined the sea of pink bras, pink feather boas, pink socks and pink hats in Orlando on Saturday as she walked in the fight against breast cancer.
Re-electing Nelson is crucial to Democrats
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Gainesville Sun
Bill Nelson waded into a crowd of more than 360 Democrats with his microphone in hand.
Nelson sweeps newpaper endorsements over Mack
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
Democrat Bill Nelson has swept the endorsements of the top five major daily newspapers in Florida in the U.S. Senate race against Republican challenger Connie Mack IV.
Clemens wins in court, Bernard concedes
Staff Report
Florida Current
State Rep. Jeff Clemens has successfully defended his victory in the Democratic primary for Senate District 27.
BALLOT
INITIATIVES
Some amendments tied to business-backed group
By Jerome R. Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
Eleven constitutional amendments appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot were all placed there by the Florida Legislature.
Money Pours Into Campaigns on Merit Retention, Amendments
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
As money floods into campaigns and ballot issues, a group that supports three targeted Florida Supreme Court justices has collected — and spent — $1.45 million, according to newly filed campaign-finance reports.
From vouchers to funding all religions' schools, this 'Religious freedom' amendment is anything but
By Donna Slutiak
TC Palm
Floridians are being asked to vote on a long string of amendments on Nov. 6.
Vote 'No' on amendments
Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
When you head to your favorite polling place this year, get ready to work.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
BP Settlement Should Happen in Public Forum, say Environmentalists
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
It's a waiting game as BP oil company executives and federal officials meet to discuss the settlement amount the company will have to pay as a result of the Gulf oil spill that leaked an estimated 4.1 million gallons of oil into Gulf waters.
Sea Turtle Nests Making a Comback
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Tropical Storm Debby tore up Florida's gulf beaches right in the middle of the nesting season for loggerhead sea turtles.
Utility customers lose again
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott says he wants it to be inexpensive to do business and live in Florida, and he has a tax-cut agenda to prove it.
LGBT
Romney and Obama divided over abortion, contraception, gay marriage
By Anita Kumar
Miami Herald
The economy still may dominate the nation’s to-do list, but a nation divided in its values continues to passionately debate social issues: abortion, birth control and gay marriage.
Home rule or bigotry? Boca opts out of expanded anti-discrimination policy
By Anne Geggis
South Florida Sun Sentinel
It took the Boca Raton City Council members exactly 1 minute and 38 seconds to unanimously pass an ordinance that one Palm Beach County official said makes them look like the most bigoted public officials in the county, if not the state.
EDUCATION
Charter school companies, online learning outfits try to wield more influence in Tallahassee
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
In the looming battle for public education dollars, Jon Hage has launched a pre-emptive strike.
Gov. Rick Scott distances himself from race-based student achievement goals
By Laura Isensee and Michael Vasquez
Miami Herald
Florida’s controversial plan that pegged different goals for different races has triggered more fallout.
Florida superintendents target thorny issues in recommendations to governor
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
If its early recommendations are any indication, a panel of superintendents put together by Gov. Rick Scott to find ways to reduce red tape won’t be scared to take on contentious issues.
VAM, the new teacher evaluation system, stirs concern, confusion
By Curtis Krueger, Jeffrey S. Solochek and Marlene Sokol
Tampa Bay Times
Geoffrey Robinson is a National Board certified teacher at Osceola High School in Pinellas County who says 60 percent of his upper-level calculus students last year tested so well they earned college credit.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Republican Rick Scott Caught in GOP Spin
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Florida’s unemployment rate in 8.6 percent down from 8.7 a month ago, according to labor statistics released today.
State jobless rate edges downward again
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Florida's unemployment rate edged downward another tenth of a percent last month, to 8.7 percent, the state Department of Economic Opportunity announced Friday.
Lower unemployment rate means fewer state benefits for jobless workers next year
By Emily Roach
Palm Beach Post
Florida ranks last in the nation for the rate of unemployed people receiving state benefits and in January its going to become even stingier.
Citizens' loan incentive program to get second, third look
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board members voted unanimously Friday to contract with two separate companies for independent reviews of a hotly contested program that would use the state-run company’s surplus to lend money to private companies that take over its policies.
Florida's home sales, prices rise in September, but condo sales dip
Staff Report
Florida Current
Sales of existing single-family homes in Florida rose 2 percent last month, according to a report released Friday by the Florida Realtors.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Rubio Develops ‘Romnesia’ While Trying To Explain Romney’s Position On Contraception
By Annie-Rose Strasser
Think Progress
Last week, President Obama joked that some Romney surrogates are suffering from “Romnesia” — an ability to forget the candidate’s old positions on major campaign issues, in favor of his new positions.
Florida Is Key Battleground In Presidential Contest
Staff Report
Kaiser Health News
A recent poll shows GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney doing well among key groups in the Sunshine State, including with older voters, which is considered notable because of his proposal to overhaul Medicare.
Two more cases of TB found
By James Call
Florida Current
The Florida Department of Health reported Friday two new cases of people testing positive for an active form of the TB bacillus that has claimed 13 lives.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Florida justices fighting against tyranny of the minority
By Myriam Marquez
Miami Herald
The Bill of Rights was created to counter what our Founding Fathers called the “tyranny of the majority.”
Court halts execution of John Ferguson
Staff Report
Miami Herald
A federal court on Saturday put the execution of John Ferguson on hold and scheduled arguments for Friday on whether he is, as he contends, insane.
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