The Naples-based hospital chain Health Management Associates rushed Friday to try to defend itself against a critical story that the CBS News show "60 Minutes" is expected to broadcast Sunday about hospital admissions of emergency-room patients.

State regulators Monday approved allowing Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy Florida to collect nearly $300 million from customers next year to help upgrade decades-old nuclear plants and to take steps toward building new reactors.

The state Public Service Commission unanimously approved the proposals, which will lead to FPL customers paying about $151 million and Progress customers paying about $143 million.

Settling a federal lawsuit that involved questions about the school's "secular purpose," state education officials will allow students at a Central Florida Christian college to be eligible for a popular grant program.

Florida Christian College filed a constitutional challenge this year that stemmed from the state's refusal to allow students at the Kissimmee school to receive money from the Florida Resident Access Grant program.

Florida Power & Light says customers will benefit in the future because of "certainty." Critics say, not so fast.

But as state regulators weigh a controversial settlement proposal that would lead to a $378 million increase in FPL's base rates in January, they also will have to consider hundreds of millions of dollars in additional rate hikes that would come later for new power plants.

While the summer and early fall might have been off-season for lawmakers, that didnt stop lobbyists from doing business -- and collecting millions of dollars in fees.

Newly filed reports show that three legislative lobbying firms topped $1 million in fees from July 1 through Sept. 30, while eight others collected at least $500,000. Another 10 firms pulled in at least $250,000.

House Appropriations Chairwoman Denise Grimsley's campaign for a Senate seat this year has received relatively little attention.

Except in one way: Grimsley, R-Sebring, collected $914,348 in contributions, making her the top fundraiser in Tuesday's legislative elections.

Candidates faced a Friday deadline for filing finance reports that offer the final snapshot of how much money has been flying into campaigns.