Daily News Clips for May 24, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Budget cuts making hurricane season more dangerous
By Amanda Warford
WAWS Jacksonville
Excerpt: With six major storms predicted in coming months, Mark Ferrulo, Executive Director of Progress Florida, says the government needs a better plan. "It's just really time Congress gets down to doing the people’s business. Now is not the time to be political posturing.  You're putting lives at risk."

FEATURED STORIES

In Florida, the scheme rises to the top
By Daniel Ruth
Tampa Bay Times
Maybe you are one of those 1 million low-income Floridians who are uninsured and were just informed by the Florida Legislature that if you get sick in this state, buster, you're pretty much on your own.

Left Out: FL’s Poorest Uninsured (AUDIO)
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
At 7 a.m. on a Monday morning, poor people who don’t qualify for government health programs such as Medicaid are lined up outside a health department building on a busy street in St. Petersburg.

Heritage president defends Citizens deal
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
Letters began rolling out to thousands of homeowners in Palm Beach County Thursday as company officials defended a $52 million deal to transfer up to 60,000 Citizens insurance customers to a start-up company that gave to Gov. Rick Scott’s political committee, but one lawmaker blasted it.

Sides debate whether Scott should sign 'Timely Justice Act'
By Patrick Kelly
Gainesville Sun
With 405 prisoners awaiting execution — a death row population exceeded only by California — Florida is looking for a way to speed up the death penalty process.

Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths
By Eric Eckholm
New York Times
The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its longstanding policy of forbidding openly gay youths to participate in its activities, a step its chief executive called “compassionate, caring and kind.”

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Florida Progressives need to make environmental issues a bigger priority
By Kartik Krishnaiyer
The Florida Squeeze
Last year a coalition of Environmental Groups launched a petition drive to place a constitutional amendment on the 2014 ballot that would guarantee a consistent source of money for environmental protection.

Exonerated Inmates: Florida Bill To Speed Up Executions Would Have Cost Us Our Lives
By Nicole Flatow
Think Progress
Several exonerated men whose innocence of murder was proven years after they were sentenced to death are imploring Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) not to sign a Florida bill that would set automatic timelines for imposing the death penalty, and likely would have resulted in the execution of these and other innocent people.

Thinking about water and conflict
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
Taxpayers view cheap, affordable water as a right. We pay the water utility bill and expect copious clean water to drink, flush and clean.

Falling in love with another girl lands Florida teen in criminal jeopardy
By Joan McCarter
Daily Kos
Florida teen Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, is seeing her young life turned upside down and her future jeopardized simply because she fell in love.

Michelle Rhee’s Pattern of Deceptive Marketing
By Bob Sikes
Scathing Purple Musings
Just days after PBS reporter John Merrow blew the door off Michelle Rhee’s cover-up of widespread cheating that occurred on her DC watch, she looked for a like-minded crowd of education reform partisans for comfort and affirmation.

FLORIDA POLITICS

New insurance deal, governor’s campaign raise eyebrows
By Troy Kinsey
Tampa Bay News 9
Two months after Heritage Insurance gave Governor Rick Scott’s 'Let's Get to Work' political committee $110,000 to help his re-election bid, the upstart company has gotten a $52 million deal with the state-run insurer Citizens whose board the governor helps oversee.

Dems take aim at Buchanan on tax issue
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The more U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan joins in the criticism of the IRS, the more Democrats are going after him for his own past issues with the agency and demanding he recuse himself from the investigations into the IRS.

Gov. Rick Scott set to act on slate of bills, including some from First Coast lawmakers
By Matt Dixon  
Florida Times-Union
Each year during The Players Championship, Northeast Florida residents look to make a few extra dollars renting their houses out to visitors, golfers and members of the media.

POLITICAL RACES

Poll: Hillary Clinton tops in Iowa for 2016
By Kevin Cirilli
Politico
Hillary Clinton beats Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in potential 2016 match ups in Iowa, according to a new poll Friday.

Fla GOP notices Nan Rich
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Great news for longshot Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Rich: The Florida GOP is attacking her.

Crist boosts Gwen Graham’s House bid
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Two former governors — once political opponents — headlined a who’s-who-among-Tampa-Democrats fundraiser in Palma Ceia on Wednesday night for a candidate who hopes to retake a Panhandle U.S. House seat for the party.  

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

4 DEP attorneys ousted, prompting Facebook backlash
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The removal of four Department of Environmental Protection attorneys this week is raising questions among some environmentalists after one attorney wrote that the DEP legal office is moving "not in the direction of environmental protection."

Protect imperiled waterways
By Lisa Rinaman and Jimmy Orth
Florida Today
On one point we can all agree — everyone wants a robust and stable economy that affords opportunities for jobs and economic prosperity.

After veto, Florida coast-to-coast bike trail boosters look for other sources of money
By Martin E. Comas
Orlando Sentinel
A paved bike trail stretching from coast to coast across the center of Florida can still get built despite Gov. Rick Scott's veto of $50 million for the project, state Sen. Andy Gardiner said Thursday.

Congressional committee concerned about the state of U.S. weather forecasting
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
With memories of Monday's deadly Oklahoma tornado still fresh, a U.S. House panel on Thursday debated the best ways to improve weather forecasting and reduce the number of weather-related deaths -- though firm answers proved elusive.

Forecasters: Thirteen to 20 storms expected in Atlantic this season
By Erika Bolstad
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Expect another busy Atlantic hurricane season, government forecasters said Thursday.

LGBT

Gay community in Orlando applauds Scouts decision
By Jeff Kunerth
Orlando Sentinel
The Boy Scouts of America's decision to lift the ban on gay Scouts is a big step in the right direction, gay community leaders said Thursday.

Boy Scouts of America decision to take in openly gay youth as members a bitter pill for John Stemberger to swallow
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
John Stemberger is not a happy camper tonight.

Report: Student facing charges in same-sex relationship speaks publicly
Staff Report
Orlando Sentinel
Kaitlyn Hunt, an East Florida high-school student facing felony charges in connection with her same-sex relationship with a younger student, has spoken publicly about her experience, according to WPTV.com.

Felony charge for high-school romance doesn’t make the grade
By Andrew Marra
Palm Beach Post
Around Florida and across the country, cries are going up to “Free Kate!” Count us among them.

EDUCATION

Fla. using federal grant money to settle lawsuit
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida is dipping into federal grant money that was supposed to help improve the state's schools in order to settle a bitter contract dispute.

New round of FCAT results due Friday
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
The year's first big release of FCAT results comes Friday.

USF eyes degree programs for termination
By Stephanie Hayes
Tampa Bay Times
In tight financial times, Florida universities have been told to comb degree programs to figure out which ones work, which ones need help and which ones need to go.

FAU’s acting president takes helm after controversies, looks to raise long-frozen faculty pay
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
Dennis Crudele, acting president of Florida Atlantic University after the resignation last week of embattled Mary Jane Saunders, on Thursday defended Saunders’ advocacy for accepting a donation from a private prison group.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida pays off federal loan used to keep unemployment benefits flowing
By Jeff Harrington
Tampa Bay Times
Here's one more sign Florida's jobs market is reviving: The state has paid back the $3.5 billion loan it needed to pay weekly unemployment benefits during the economic crisis.

In Show of Big Sugar’s Influence, Price Supports Continued in Farm Bill
By Trevor Aaronson
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
This year’s farm bills in the U.S. House and Senate will cut back on many of the subsidies for the nation’s agriculture industry.

Gov. Scott's justification for rejecting Amazon, jobs, revenueis unreasonable
Editorial
Bradenton Herald
It's impossible to fathom the tortured logic that Gov. Rick Scott expressed in rejecting a sure-fire jobs initiative from none other than Internet retail giant Amazon.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Video: Should Florida opt-in to the Affordable Care Act?
Staff Report
Florida Today
State Rep. Steve Crisafulli is a Republican who has been elected by peers to serve as House Speaker starting in 2014. Florida Today's Matt Reed asks him about the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid.

St. Mary’s, Bethesda among hospitals pledging no 2014 request for Medicaid-transition cash
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
As Gov. Rick Scott considered budget vetoes last week, some of the state’s best-known hospitals, including St. Mary’s Medical Center and Bethesda Memorial Hospital, feared he would slice $65 million that lawmakers had set aside to help the industry move to a new Medicaid payment system.

Memorial Day: Statewide March Against Genetically Modified Seeds
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
On Saturday, thousands of Floridians will start their Memorial Day weekend by speaking up against an international company.

DCF investigator may have falsified report
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Authorities say a child abuse investigator may have falsified the substance abuse screening of a South Florida mother who later left her baby to die in a hot car.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Survey reveals Floridians conflicted about immigrants, related policies
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
Floridians have negative feelings about undocumented immigrants, but an overwhelming majority favor policy that would allow such immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship, a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences survey suggests.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Defense releases photos, texts of Trayvon Martin
By Mike Schneider
Associated Press
Data released Thursday by the defense from slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin's cellphone includes texts with a friend about fighting, smoking pot and being forced to move out of his mother's house because of trouble at school, as well as photos of a gun and what looks to be a potted marijuana plant.

Condemned Man To Be Mentally Evaluated
Staff Report
Lakeland Ledger
Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a panel to examine whether a man set to be executed next month is mentally competent.

Justice for poor affirmed
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
The Florida Supreme Court embraced justice for all Floridians on Thursday when it reaffirmed the right of the poor to adequate legal counsel.

Daily News Clips for May 23, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

Citizens OK’s deal for Scott donor
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
Related: Despite hundreds of insurance violations, president of upstart company could get $52 million deal from Citizens
Related Editorial: Sweetheart insurance deal hurts consumers
A startup insurance company with ties to current and former top politicians could receive up to $52 million from Citizens Property Insurance Corp., after the board voted 3-2 Wednesday to approve a “unique” and “outside-the-box” deal.

Appeals court shields lawmakers from testifying, showing draft maps in redistricting lawsuit
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
A divided appeals court ruled Wednesday that Florida legislators should not be questioned under oath about whether they "intended" to gain partisan advantage when they re-drew congressional maps last year.

LGBT activists in Doral protest U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio after gay couples left out of immigration plan
By Alfonso Chardy and Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
Gay activists gathered Wednesday in front of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s Doral office to protest the Senate Judiciary Committee’s failure to include undocumented gay foreign nationals in a bipartisan immigration reform bill the panel approved late Tuesday.

Immigration bill allies aim for added support
By Ashley Parker and Julia Preston
New York Times
After its solid bipartisan approval in committee, broad legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration laws was headed Wednesday to the Senate floor, where supporters of the plan are already mobilizing to bring more Republicans on board by focusing on strengthening border security provisions in the bill.

Republicans Scramble to Save Governor in Florida Battleground
By Elahe Izadi
National Journal
The 2014 Florida governor's race is shaping up as one of the most consequential contests in the country, featuring two problematic candidates in a state President Obama won twice but where a Democrat hasn't been elected as governor in nearly two decades.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Senate president, House speaker tout legislative accomplishments during tour
By Tony Marrero
Tampa Bay Times
Maj. Gen. Emmett Titshaw didn't get far into his tour of the Brooksville armory before he brought up some trouble on his mind.

Florida ranks 23rd in electing women to Legislature
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida has actually taken a small step backwards when it comes to electing women to the state Legislature.

Chamber gives lawmakers high marks
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Not that anyone ever doubted the Florida Legislature's commitment to a pro-business agenda, but the state's major corporate lobby released a 2013 session "report card" Tuesday, indicating that lawmakers posted high marks on issues affecting the bottom line for employers.

Broward may be Koch brothers’ own ‘deal from hell’
By Fred Grimm
Miami Herald
As puns go, the caption was pretty vapid. “Sun Sentinel doesn’t need a Koch problem.”

Marco Rubio calls for more IRS hearings
By Breanna Edwards
Politico
Sen. Marco Rubio showed his disappointment in the lack of facts coming from congressional hearings on the IRS, calling the proceedings “outrageous” and demanding a more investigative approach.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

What spending counts as conservation spending? Analysts wrestle with proposed constitutional amendment
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A proposed constitutional amendment directing state revenue towards conservation land acquisition, management and restoration would not necessarily require more spending on those activities, state analysts say.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

You Need Phosphorous to Live—and We're Running Out
By Tom Philpott
Mother Jones
Western Sahara, a sparsely populated slice of desert on Africa's northwestern coast, doesn't get much ink as a potential crisis point in the global food system.

Congressional committee to look at state of U.S. weather forecasting
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
Though U.S. weather forecasting has improved gradually in recent years, there's a growing fear among scientists and policymakers that these gains could stall -- and perhaps reverse -- even as other nations have stepped up their ability to predict the weather.

Beachgoers, Look Out For Baby Birds, Audubon Says
By Jessica Palombo    
WFSU Tallahassee
Heading to a Florida beach this Memorial Day weekend? A wildlife conservation group is asking beachgoers to keep nesting birds in mind.

EDUCATION

Department Of Ed Overhaul Runs Into Headwinds Due To Common Core Concerns
By Lynn Hatter 
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett is going through the Department of Education’s job descriptions to see what’s necessary, and what’s not.

Amid budget cuts, last bells ring for Brevard schools
By Britt Kennerly and Stacey Barchenger
Florida Today
On the last day of school, Mike Blake rolled into Clearlake Middle School’s parking lot in his big, bronze pickup truck, its horn blaring as he waved and shouted greetings to passersby.

The courage of teachers
By LZ Granderson
CNN
Each day more than 55 million students attend the country's 130,000 schools.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Scott says deal-making hot in Chile
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday that the Chilean company, Crystal Lagoons Corp., maker of the world’s largest swimming pool, is moving its worldwide headquarters to Miami.

Divided Citizens board approves retroactive incentive take out plan
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
By a narrow 3-2 vote, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board members approved a plan Wednesday to give up to $52 million in surplus to nine month-old Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance Co. for taking over 60,000 of its policies.

Homeowners air beefs against insurers at forum, say state officials not doing enough
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
Homeowners asked Florida’s insurance consumer advocate for help with problems involving state-run Citizens and other insurers at a Palm Beach County forum Wednesday that also featured criticism that state officials are not doing enough.

State plans do-over on bidding for I-4 makeover
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
Once was not enough for the state, which said Wednesday it is going to repeat a meeting held this week to cull the list of bidders on the $2.1 billion makeover of Interstate 4 through Metro Orlando.

Home and condo sales surge in April, boosted by cash deals
Staff Report
Florida Current
Sales of existing single family homes and condos shot up last month according to a report released Wednesday by Florida Realtors, as Florida continues to climb its way back from the housing bust.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Public in Deep South supports expanding Medicaid, poll finds, but lawmakers don’t
By Tony Pugh
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Even though governors and lawmakers in five Deep South states oppose a plan to cover more people through Medicaid under the health care overhaul, 62 percent of the people in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina support expanding the program, according to a new poll.

Nelson urges veto of Florida bill suspending state power to set health insurance rates
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson urged Florida Gov. Rick Scott to veto legislation his fellow Republicans advanced that suspends for two years the state’s authority to set health insurance rates.

Poverty Rate for FL Seniors 17% on New Scale
Staff Report
Health News Florida
Using a revised version of the Census Bureau's poverty measure, which takes into account medical expenses, the rate of poverty among those 65 and older is much higher than previously estimated, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Pam Bondi says Urban Outfitters' novelty prescription pill items go too far
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and 22 other attorneys general accused Urban Outfitters on Wednesday of "undermining" nationwide efforts to fight pharmaceutical-drug abuse because the store sells a line of drinking novelties that mimic prescription-pill bottles, boxes, pads and syringes.

We'll Post REAL Prices, Hospital CEO Says
Staff Report
Health News Florida
The CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center says he's willing to reveal the actual contractual prices that his hospital pays Aetna, Florida Blue and other insurers -- and dares other hospitals to do the same.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Gov. Scott vetoes legal aid funding for third year in a row
By Margie Menzel         
News Service of Florida
For the third year in a row, Gov. Rick Scott has vetoed funding for legal aid to low-income Floridians.

Daily News Clips for May 22, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

Gov. Rick Scott signs elections bill to fix long voter lines
By Mary Ellen Klas
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott has finished the fix of the flawed election law that relegated Florida to a late-night joke in 2012 by signing an elections cleanup bill passed on the final day of the legislative session.

After big donations to Gov. Scott, insurance company may reap $52M
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Two months after contributing $110,000 to Gov. Rick Scott's re-election campaign, an upstart property insurance company is likely to reap a $52 million windfall, paid from the coffers of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Attorneys pledge lawsuit if Gov. Scott signs foreclosure bill
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
A group of foreclosure attorneys say they will quickly file a lawsuit should Gov. Rick Scott sign HB 87, a bill designed to speed up the foreclosure process, which they claim is unconstitutional.

Senate immigration bill passes key test, headed to floor
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Allen West, other conservatives ask Congress to redo immigration bill
Ending on an emotional note over same-sex couples, the Senate Judiciary Committee tonight passed a sweeping immigration bill that would create a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people while spending billions on more border security and other enforcement.

America 10 Years After Sequestration
By Mattea Kramer and Jo Comerford
Mother Jones
The streets are so much darker now, since money for streetlights is rarely available to municipal governments.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Florida’s presidential primary officially going back to Super Tuesday
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida’s rogue days are behind it, at least when it comes to mucking up the presidential primary calendar.

Disney executive tapped for panel that will look at election problems
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
A Walt Disney World executive was among 10 professionals tapped Tuesday by President Barack Obama to serve on a new commission charged with improving Election Day and reducing the long lines that thousands of Florida voters endured last fall.

Gov. Scott on trade mission trip to Chile
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
In just 2½ years, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has traveled overseas eight times - a record that eclipses his predecessor, Charlie Crist.

Scott gets bill banning texting
Staff Report
Florida Current
Lawmakers Tuesday sent 14 bills to Gov. Rick Scott who will have until June 5 to decide whether to sign them into law.

Judge will review 'textgate' messages privately
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Circuit Judge Robert J. Egan decided Tuesday that he will review cell phone bills and text messages at the heart of a public-records fight that has engulfed several top Orange County leaders.

Tampa tea party groups protest at IRS office
By Jessica Vander Velde
Tampa Bay Times
At first glance, Tuesday's event looked like a Fourth of July celebration.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist making rounds for Democratic candidates
By Christopher O’Donnell
Tampa Tribune
It’s still unknown how well Charlie Crist’s newly minted Democratic ideals will withstand the intense scrutiny and pressure of a gubernatorial campaign.  

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Veto does not deter backers of bike trail across Florida
By Dave Heller
WTSP Tampa
Gov. Rick Scott's veto of money to build a bike trail across Florida from St. Petersburg to Brevard County is not deterring supporters of the project.

Water district leader submits resignation letter
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The head of the South Florida Water Management District resigned Monday, leaving after just two years and creating another leadership shakeup for the far-reaching agency charged with guarding against flooding and leading Everglades restoration.

LGBT

GaYBOR group wins unexpected recognition as economic engine
By Bill Varian
Tampa Bay Times
In the recent past, it would seem almost unthinkable that the Hillsborough County Commission would salute a group promoting the region to gay business owners and tourists.

EDUCATION

Fla. ranked 42nd in nation in per-pupil spending
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Florida's per-pupil spending is among the lowest in the nation according to data compiled by the U.S. Census.

Devil in the details for distributing teacher pay raises in Florida
By Dave Heller
WTSP Tampa
Florida teachers could start receiving raises soon, now that Gov. Rick Scott has signed the state budget for next year.

Governor's Office offers guidance on teacher raises in budget
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
At the same time Gov. Rick Scott prepared to sign Florida's 2014 budget, he delivered to school district superintendents some details on how to implement one of his top priorities in the budget -- raises for teachers.

Bennett considers Dept. of Ed. reorganization
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
Education Commissioner Tony Bennett is mulling a reorganization of the state Department of Education, but the project has been slowed by laws that spell out the responsibilities of some positions at the agency, reports Brandon Larrabee of the News Service of Florida.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Floridians get nearly $9 billion in mortgage relief
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
More than $8.6 billion in mortgage relief has flowed to Florida homeowners under last year’s National Mortgage Settlement, a heftier windfall than state officials expected and one that has been paid out two years before deadline.

Citizens board meets to consider transfer of 60,000 customers
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
The board of state-run insurer Citizens will meet Wednesday to approve the transfer of up to 60,000 customers to Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance Co., removing $14 billion in exposure from Citizens personal lines and coastal accounts.

State to finally replace ancient jobless-claims computer
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
In good news for the jobless and employers alike, the state's 1970s-era computer that processes unemployment claims is finally getting replaced.

Sales tax holiday to extend to computers, tablets, e-readers
By Susan Thurston
Tampa Bay Times
Anyone in the market for a tablet, laptop, e-reader or non-recreational software might want to wait a few months.

Scott wrong on Amazon deal
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott’s rejection of Amazon’s plans to build a warehouse in Florida is puzzling at best. At worst, it smacks of politics getting in the way of what’s best for Florida.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

New Efforts to Undercut Health Reforms
Editorial
New York Times
Congressional Republicans are trying to exploit two controversies bedeviling the Obama administration to undermine the health care reform law.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Rubio and AFL-CIO clash over immigration bill amendments
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and the head of the AFL-CIO clashed Monday as the Senate Judiciary Committee adopted two amendments dealing with the importation of workers in high tech fields.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Florida death row inmate loses appeal in killing of guard
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Supreme Court says the execution of a man who killed a prison guard in 1987 can go forward.