Daily News Clips for July 19, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

The BluVu: Week of July 19, 2013
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu
The horrors surrounding the Trayvon Martin case continue to grow, Gov. Rick Scott is accused of exploiting teachers and Great Floridians, and Progress Florida’s Damien Filer says sleaze continues to permeate the governor's campaign contributions as political reality comes your way!

FEATURED STORIES

After days of avoiding Capitol, Gov. Rick Scott meets with protesters
By Steve Bousquet and Kathleen McGrory
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
After keeping his distance for three days, Florida Gov. Rick Scott raced back to Tallahassee on Thursday night and met for about 30 minutes with a group of young protesters who are occupying the Capitol to seek repeal of the state's "stand your ground" law.

Scott addresses talk of boycott
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday recounted the steps he has taken to help Trayvon Martin’s family and repeated his sorrow over the family’s loss, all in response to a growing backlash against the state and threats of a tourism boycott stemming from the acquittal of George Zimmerman.

Politics and Justice in Florida
By Ian Tuttle
National Review
Angela Corey, the state attorney who has become a household name as the prosecutor in the Zimmerman trial, has a reputation: for overcharging, withholding evidence, and retaliating, professionally and personally, against critics.

Florida DCF head David Wilkins resigns
By Carol Marbin Miller and Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
David Wilkins, Florida’s top child welfare and social services administrator, resigned Thursday amid an escalating scandal over the recent deaths of four small children who had a history of involvement with child-abuse investigators.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

"It's Working" For Rick Scott, Not Teachers
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
It should be a universal assumption in Florida by now. If Rick Scott is willingly in front of a camera and it doesn't involve questioning from reporters, it's likely for his benefit in some way.

Florida GOP says those who can donate $50,000 (!) come from “all walks of life”
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
“Qu’ils mangent de la brioche.” In other words, “Let them eat cake.”

Why Stand Your Ground Is Central To George Zimmerman’s Case After All
By Nicole Flatow
Think Progress
The Stand Your Ground law that gained notoriety in the wake of Trayvon Martin’s shooting became central to the case again last week, when written instructions advised the jury that found shooter George Zimmerman not guilty to take the law’s central provision into account.

Florida GOP to blame for popular boycott movement against state economy
By Gimleteye
Eye On Miami
If the point of an economic boycott of Florida is to waken Florida voters who empowered the radical right, Eye On Miami says, "Boycott On!"

The Voting Rights Act in Florida 1982-2006 and language minorities
By Kartik Krishnaiyer
The Florida Squeeze
In 2006 before the Congressional re-authorization of the Voting Rights Act (which US Chief Justice John Roberts thinks is unnecessary) Civil Rights.org  produced a report regarding Florida and the Voting Rights Act’s implementation since the 1982 redistricting process.

FLORIDA POLITICS

RPOF "violated the public trust" with pro-Scott teacher video, Democrat says
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott should scold the Republican Party of Florida for using interviews with Teacher of the Year finalists at a mansion event for a political-style video without their permission, said Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, D-Maitland, on Thursday.

GOP revives empty chair website
By James Call
Florida Current
The Republican Party is taking a page from one of its nemesis’ playbook to attack the former Republican-Governor-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist.

Rubio should worry about ‘Blue Hairs’ instead of ‘Blue Angels’
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
I think I can help U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

Buckhorn, citing Brown scandal, orders slumlord crackdown
By Kevin Wiatrowski
Tampa Tribune
Starting Sunday, code enforcement crews will begin street-by-street sweeps through northern and eastern Tampa aimed at finding code violations and ticketing the violators.

POLITICAL RACES

Buchanan raises $394K for re-election
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan still doesn’t have a Democratic opponent for 2014, but that isn’t stopping donors from giving to his re-election campaign.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Natural treasures
Editorial
Ocala Star-Banner
There was a time when protecting and preserving Florida's natural treasures was a proud piece of our state's public policy.

LGBT

Gay married couples, still single in the eyes of Florida law, sort through court's DOMA decision
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
The recent Supreme Court decision tossing part of DOMA, the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, gave gay and lesbian married couples in 13 states and the District of Columbia complete legal and financial equality with their straight counterparts.

EDUCATION

Don’t keep tinkering with school grades in Florida. Junk them.
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett and members of the state Board of Education know that school grades are a hoax.

Many laid-off teachers rehired full time
By Joe Callahan
Ocala Star-Banner
Superintendent of Schools George Tomyn announced Thursday about half of 160 teachers who were laid off in May have been reinstated full time to fill vacancies created mainly by teacher retirements and resignations.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Early-bird report shows no change in joblessness
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's unemployment rate held steady at 7.1 percent in June – unchanged from May – as the state added about 9,300 jobs, Gov. Rick Scott's office said Thursday as it released the numbers a day early.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Democrats Fight Back on ACA
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
After weeks of bruising attacks on the Affordable Care Act by House Republicans and other opponents, Democrats Thursday retaliated with a one-two punch.

Politics Behind Cut to Research
By Bob Lamendola
Health News Florida
Florida legislators this year diverted state money from medical research studies in order to give $30 million to cancer centers, no-strings-attached, says an architect of the state research program.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida-based religious organizations line up behind immigration reform
By Victoria Macchi
Naples Daily News
Religious groups serving the undocumented community are on the front line of immigration reform, and they are coming out in force to back federal policy changes.

Florida Homelessness Declines Dramatically But Numbers Don't Tell The Whole Story
By Nick Evans
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida’s Department of Children and Families counts homeless individuals at the end of each January.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Juror: We talked Stand Your Ground before not-guilty Zimmerman verdict
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Related: Senate Democratic Leader: #HearTheBills amending Stand Your Ground
Related editorial: Zimmerman trial shows why ‘Stand Your Ground’ law should be rolled back
Jurors discussed Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground self-defense law before rendering their not-guilty verdict in George Zimmerman’s trial, one of the jurors told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law Under Fire
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, protesters and public figures around the country are asking Florida lawmakers to do away with the state’s “stand your ground” law.

DOJ: Don't return gun to George Zimmerman while we're investigating
By Rene Stutzman
Orlando Sentinel
Following a request from the FBI, the Sanford Police Department reported Thursday that it has halted its plan to return George Zimmerman's gun and other pieces of evidence used at his murder trial.

No decision in round two of Docs vs. Glocks in federal appeals court
By Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Lawyers representing Florida doctors sparred with state government attorneys Thursday in Miami federal appeals court over whether physicians have the legal right to ask their patients about gun ownership during medical consultations.