FEATURED
STORIES
Marco Rubio: Poster Boy For The GOP Identity Crisis
By Mara Liasson
NPR
The Republican Party seems like two parties these days. In the Senate, Republicans joined a two-thirds majority to pass an immigration bill. But in the House, Republicans are balking.
In House, GOP balks at sweeping immigration overhaul
New York Times
Tampa Bay Times
Related: House rejects Rubio/Senate's 'flawed' bill, will take piecemeal approach to immigration
Meeting for the first time as a group to hash out their approach to immigration, House Republicans on Wednesday came down overwhelmingly against a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's immigration laws.
Incumbent Fla. governor keeps raising millions
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida Gov. Rick Scott continues to set aside millions for his 2014 re-election campaign, putting considerable distance between himself and his announced challengers.
Group asks Rick Scott to return $500K contribution
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times
St. Petersburg mogul (and Vietnam veteran) Bill Edwards, saying Scott should not take the money following news of Edwards' company being hit with a record fine for violating the “Do Not Call” telemarketing rule.
Teacher of the year interviews turn up in Scott ad
By William March
Tampa Tribune
A least some candidates for Florida Teacher of the Year didn't realize the video interviews they gave during a reception at the governor's mansion would be used in a political advertisement for Gov. Rick Scott – and one called it inappropriate.
Senate President Gaetz sees Medicaid opportunity
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The federal government's decision to delay until 2015 the requirement that large businesses provide health insurance for workers has stalled any momentum for calling a special session to expand Medicaid coverage for low-income Floridians.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Publisher promises Crist memoir will be ‘frank,’ ‘very frank’ and ‘no-holds-barred’
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist will publish a memoir that his publisher says will include a “no-holds-barred” look at his partisan journey with a “frank indictment” of the GOP and “very frank” opinions of Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Sarah Palin “and other top-tier Republicans.”
Miami-Dade should take steps to thwart absentee-ballot fraudsters, advisory group says
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Members of a group advising Miami-Dade on how to improve its elections want the county to try get ahead of the curve of fraudsters who have attempted to manipulate the system by submitting phantom absentee-ballot requests online.
Officials take closer look at Tampa port chairman's 'shocking' rentals
By Jamal Thalji and Will Hobson
Tampa Bay Times
The decrepit and illegal mobile homes were gone.
Brandes will seek greater personal privacy protections in 2014
By Steve Bousquet
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Citing two recent cases in which Floridians' personal privacy was violated, Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, says he will file legislation in the 2014 session to expand personal privacy.
POLITICAL
RACES
Incumbents haul in cash preparing for 2014 battles
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Candidates in the 2014 midterm elections filed campaign finance reports for the second quarter on Wednesday, with most incumbents racking up early cash leads over fledgling opponents.
GOP holds fundraising edge
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Republicans who control the governor’s mansion and Florida Legislature are maintaining their substantial fundraising edge over Democrats.
Democrats ramp up profile of state House campaign operation
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Normally the folks who run state House Democratic campaigns every two years remain relatively anonymous, working below the radar while the state party leads the overall messaging effort.
Fla. Ag Commissioner raises nearly $600,000
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Incumbent Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is already amassing a large campaign account for his re-election.
Ford noticeably absent from St. Pete mayor's debate
By Kate Bradshaw
Tampa Tribune
While polls show Kathleen Ford as the frontrunner in the mayor's race, her absences from recent debates is raising questions.
BALLOT
INITIATIVES
Medical marijuana ballot initiative push begins
By Zac Anderson
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Medical marijuana supporters received final approval Wednesday from the Florida Department of State to begin collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would enshrine doctor-approved cannabis in the state constitution.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Environmentalists: Don't allow spaceport to be built in wildlife refuge
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
A coalition of Florida environmental groups has called in the cavalry — this time to help stop a proposed spaceport inside the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Swiftmud boss may take new job running South Florida water agency, overseeing Everglades
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Two years ago, Blake Guillory took over as executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and sparked controversy by slashing the staff.
Senate president creates select committee to look into Indian River wildlife die-offs
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Senate President Don Gaetz on Wednesday appointed an eight-member select committee to review policies and spending related to Indian River Lagoon, where manatees, dolphins and pelicans have been dying for unknown reasons during the past year.
Tropical storm, depression or big mess, Chantal could bring the rain to South Florida even without the name
By Sonja Isger and Julius Whigham II
Palm Beach Post
Chantal — whether a tropical storm, depression or wave — is still forecast to bring South Florida rainy weather Friday and through the weekend and residents would be wise not to shrug despite the system showing signs of weakening, forecasters said.
A Scientific Storm is Brewing Over the Hurricane-Climate Connection
By Chris Mooney
Mother Jones
It's the month of July, right before the Atlantic hurricane season really gets chugging. And there are already signs that a busy year might be on the way, chief among them the unusual early appearance of a "Cape Verde-type" storm.
LGBT
Senate panel OKs Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) bill banning anti-gay job bias
By Sam Hananel
Associated Press
A Senate panel has approved a bill that would ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
EDUCATION
Gov. Rick Scott signs law to allow out-of-state companies to run virtual Florida schools
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
Last month Gov. Rick Scott signed HB7029 into a law. It opens the Florida market of online classes to out-of-state digital learning companies.
Dual-enrollment costs go to districts
By Erin Kourkounis
Pensacola News Journal
When Tristan Dopyera graduated from Gulf Breeze High School in May, he left with more than a diploma.
Dismal future for Hispanic students
By Daniel Shoer Roth
Miami Herald
For students of English as a second language in Florida public schools the American Dream keeps fading away like a falling star.
Florida Teacher of the Year to be announced
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Florida's 2014 Teach of the Year is set to be named in Orlando.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Misdirection
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Gov. Rick Scott has warned President Obama that plans to temporarily lay off employees of the Florida National Guard could jeopardize the state's ability to prepare for and respond to hurricanes.
Employment agencies trim staffs due to sequester
By Marcia Heroux Pounds
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Like other government-funded programs, South Florida's workforce agencies have been forced to reduce staff and trim programs because of the mandated federal sequester cuts.
More Florida homes headed to foreclosure auction
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Florida’s foreclosure gridlock got a kick start this spring with scheduled auctions in June doubling to more than 9,000 from last year as cases are hastened through the legal system.
Survey says Fla. continued to add jobs in June
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Florida continues to add jobs according to a new employment survey.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Educating Florida about healthcare reform starts with conversation
By Patricia Borns
Miami Herald
Enroll America, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit whose mission is to educate Americans about their healthcare options under the Affordable Care Act, kicked off its Florida campaign Wednesday in Miami with a training session for more than 25 newly hired organizers who will be reaching out to residents statewide.
DCF Responds To Spate Of Child Deaths With New Training Program
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida Department of Children and Families officials say the deaths of four children in six weeks in May and June have led to meaningful changes in the organization.
Amanda Prater, chief of staff at Dept. of Children and Families, stepping down
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
Amanda Prater is stepping down from her position as Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Federal funding for medical research and public health could be sequester casualty
By Seán Kinane
WMNF Tampa
The furlough of Florida National Guard members isn’t the only concern people have with federal sequestration; another is what across-the-board spending cuts could do to funding for medical research and public health programs.
IMMIGRATION,
CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
New poll of GOP primary voters say even with flaws, they support Senate bill on immigration
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
Yesterday respected conservative editors Rich Lowry and William Kristol penned an op-ed on the National Review's website where they declared that "passing any version of the Gang of Eight's bill (on immigration reform) would be worse than passing nothing."
New Law Cracks Down on Online Bullies
By Matt Horn
Capitol News Service
Statistically, Nearly 1 of every 4 teenagers in this room has been bullied.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Defense rests case in George Zimmerman trial
By Kyle Hightower
Associated Press
Related: Fla. cities on guard for any post-Zimmerman unrest
After taking less than a week to call 18 witnesses, George Zimmerman's defense attorneys rested their case Wednesday in the neighborhood watch volunteer's second-degree murder trial.
NAACP holds town hall forum on George Zimmerman trial
By Nadege Green
Miami Herald
As the George Zimmerman trial nears a verdict, the NAACP held a town hall forum in North Miami-Dade Wednesday night and frustrations were aired about the prosecutor's handling of the case and Florida's Stand Your Ground law.
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