FEATURED
STORIES
Lawmakers to review Citizens' Heritage deal
News Service of Florida
Orlando Sentinel
Both sides of the Florida Legislature will spend time this fall reviewing a controversial deal approved by state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Miami-Dade Dems bash Rick Scott over DREAMer driver-license veto
By Marc A. Caputo
Miami Herald
Related: Rubio says Gov. Scott's veto an 'argument for immigration reform'
With all the talk of the crucial Hispanic vote in states like Florida, it's a surprise to some that Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill that gave temporary driver-license eligibility to so-called DREAMers (those higher ed-bound undocumented immigrants who are eligible to stay in the U.S. under President Obama's deferred-action decree).
Rick Scott hearing it over consumer-related legislation
By Steve Bousquet
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott, who often cites his concern for middle-class families, must soon decide whether to sign several bills that consumer activists say would make things worse for working people in Florida.
Lawmakers say Medicaid expansion not dead
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Florida Legislature may not be done with the idea expanding Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s health care reform law, two House Republicans told a Sarasota audience Thursday.
Rubio vows to press hard for immigration reform
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
Related column: Immigration will show whether Marco Rubio is still a lightweight
Is Marco Rubio walking away from his own immigration bill?
BEST
OF THE BLOGS
Town Where Once a Man Was Killed for Being Gay Now Shields Its Residents from Westboro Baptist Hate
By Trish Ponder
Pensito Review
Somewhere, Ryan Skipper is smiling. No, Ryan Skipper is laughing, high-fiving, and doing the chicken dance.
NY Times focuses on Apalachicola Bay: in fact, no different from Biscayne Bay or Florida Bay. Once gone, it's gone...
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
The state of Florida is ringed in a sea of pollution. In Miami-Dade elected officials, having shoveled under the carpet adequate pollution infrastructure until a lawsuit by Biscayne Waterkeeper (and, now, a $1.5 billion sewerage fix that is inadequate to the tasks), ignores its own staff acknowledgement of sea level rise associated with global warming.
Koch's Comments On Need For "Agenda-Free Newspapers" Are Unconvincing
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
Recently the word got out that Koch Industries was considering the purchase of Tribune Co. newspapers, which includes The Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, setting off protests and alarm that the move would turn newspapers into propaganda machines fueled by the Koch ideology.
Rick Scott vetoes hugely popular immigrant driver license bill
By Joan McCarter
Daily Kos
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is becoming increasingly politically schizophrenic as he faces re-election in 2014.
Appeals Court Allows Florida To Privatize Prison Health Care, Ignoring Rampant Abuse Of Inmates
By Aviva Shen
Think Progress
Florida will be allowed to outsource its prison health care system to a private contractor, the First District Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
'Outraged' S. Florida officials urge Scott to veto ban on local 'sick time' laws
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
More than a dozen local politicians from Miami-Dade County — including Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado — say they are “outraged” that the Florida Legislature wants to pass down another mandate on local governments.
Citizens CEO pledges better communication with board as Gaetz seeks review
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
In the wake of a deal to give a Republican political donor up to $52 million to take over 60,000 Citizens Property Insurance Corp. policies, which was approved less than a week after it was made public, the state-run company’s CEO sent a letter to board members committing to more upfront communication with them.
Sen. President Gaetz joins long list of Republicans questioning $52M deal for Scott contributor
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
Senate President Don Gaetz is calling for special hearings on the $52 million special deal between Citizens Property Insurance and a politically connected upstart insurance company, the latest sign of legislative angst with the state-run insurer.
Florida officials use onset of storm season to blast Washington
By Mary Ellen Klas
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
As the first tropical storm of the season bore down on Florida Thursday, Republican state officials seized the moment to blast Washington and warn that the required budget cuts to federal programs could impede the state’s ability to respond to hurricanes or floods.
Florida Dems announce big-data hire from Obama 2012 campaign
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Florida Democrats have long faced a conundrum: They greatly outnumber Republicans (522,267 by the most recent count of active registered voters), but the state Legislature, governor's mansion and Cabinet are controlled by the GOP.
State Rep. Darryl Rouson pays back taxes on Tallahassee townhome
By Susan Taylor Martin
Tampa Bay Times
State Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, has paid his property taxes.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Gov. Rick Scott can make history by making timely call on Everglades
Editorial
South Florida Sun Sentinel
By simply picking up the telephone, Gov. Rick Scott can make history as the governor who saved the Florida Everglades. If he blows it, history won't be so kind.
Ousted DEP attorney says deputy secretary intervened in cases
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A Department of Environmental Protection attorney who caused a stir on Facebook last month by posting about his departure now says he and other attorneys were forced out they aggressively enforced laws contrary to the policy initiatives of a deputy secretary.
Kennedy: Environmental concerns in water dispute
By Ray Henry
Associated Press
Leaders in the Southeast should pay more attention to the environmental damage caused by a long-running water dispute between Alabama, Florida and Georgia, environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr. said this week.
Andrea makes landfall at Florida’s Big Bend
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Tropical Storm Andrea drenched much of the state and spun off at least eight tornadoes, including three in Broward and Palm Beach counties alone, as it headed for landfall Thursday afternoon along Florida’s Big Bend.
LGBT
Kevin Beckner picking up wins for gay equality in second term
By Bill Varian
Tampa Bay Times
Related column: A moment of pride for commission
Related: Equality advocates to celebrate repeal of Hillsborough gay pride ban
Hillsborough County's first openly gay commissioner didn't focus on advancing gay equality in his first term on the board, and didn't have much success when he did.
Four same-sex couples discuss U.S. Supreme Court's DOMA debate
By Chris Zuppa and Eve Edelheit
Tampa Bay Times
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon issue rulings in two important gay marriage cases.
EDUCATION
FCAT, end-of-course exam scores coming Friday
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
The state is to release more FCAT scores -- from math, reading and science exams -- as well as results from standardized exams in algebra, biology, geometry and U.S. history on Friday.
Florida sees strong growth in graduation rates, report says
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Florida has seen a 23 percentage point increase in its graduation rate over a decade (2000-2010), second only to Tennessee, Education Week reports in its latest Diplomas Count publication.
School Board member Nancy Stacy promises 'tsunami' over layoffs
By Joe Callahan
Ocala Star-Banner
School Board member Nancy Stacy believes there is too much fat in the school district's budget and promises to rally the community to stave off the impending layoffs of all 160 first-year teachers.
University Board of Trustees Pressured by Governor Scott
By Matt Horn
Capitol News Service
University Boards of Trustees are getting pressure from Governor Rick Scott to forego an automatic tuition hike based on inflation.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
State leaders look to feds to prevent National Guard furloughs
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Florida elected officials are looking to Washington for help to prevent furloughs to the Florida National Guard they fear will hamper hurricane preparation and clean-up efforts.
Appeals Court Sides With DOC In Prison Health Privatization Case, But Is The Fight Over?
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Tallahassee
A Florida appeals court has reversed a lower court decision, and has given the Florida Department of Corrections the go-ahead to privatize prison health care services throughout the state.
Rep. Fasano questions Cat Fund contract over condo coverage
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Rep. Mike Fasano is questioning whether the reimbursement contract for state-backed reinsurance through the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, or Cat Fund, is in violation of state laws because it does not cover certain condominium developments.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Florida Health Choices' debut 'imminent'
By James Call
Florida Current
Florida lawmakers may have rejected the Affordable Care Act during this year's session but they did pass a scaled-down attempt to create greater access to health care.
DCF says tot’s death not a sign of systemic incompetence
By Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
The child welfare investigator who resigned under fire after an 11-month-old Kendall boy was left to die in a sweltering car by his mom had a history of sloppy paperwork and slipshod investigations, Department of Children and Families administrators said Thursday.
Bacteria, Fungus Found in Vials
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Microbial contamination has been verified in two batches of drugs from a Tennessee compounding pharmacy that were shipped into Florida and other states, federal health officials say.
Paying too much for too little health care
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Exotic prescription drugs and extraordinary end-of-life efforts are not the only factors driving up the cost of health care.
IMMIGRATION,
CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Gov. Scott sends mean message to families of undocumented immigrants
By Gary Stein
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Yes, Gov. Rick Scott wants you to know he is all for families. All for families. He’ll say it until you want to burst.
Tampa Dream Defenders criticize Governor Scott for vetoing bill to make it easier to get licenses
By Sean Kinane
WMNF Tampa
This week Florida Governor Rick Scott vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature to make it easier for undocumented Floridians to get identification documents like driver's licenses.
Instead of detention, many undocumented immigrants being electronically monitored
By Brenda Medina
El Nuevo Herald
Claudio Rojas was released from an immigration detention center in Broward County in August. Shortly after, the Argentine citizen obtained his work permit, a driver’s license and the opportunity to resume his daily life.
Grayson measure would stop DHS from using armed drones
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
The Department of Homeland Security would be forbidden from buying or using armed drones under a measure that passed the U.S. House last night.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Zimmerman judge considers allowing voice experts
By Mike Schneider
Associated Press
For a second day in a row, a Florida judge is weighing whether to allow certain voice experts to testify at George Zimmerman's trial.
Florida Supreme Court rejects final appeal to stay execution of condemned killer Van Poyck
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay the execution of condemned prison guard killer William Van Poyck.
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