U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said on Thursday that immigration reform is dead for 2014. Diaz-Balart is a vocal proponent of immigration reform. While he praised the help he got from the other side of the isle, the Florida Republican took shots at the Democratic leadership and President Barack Obama, saying they did little to advance the issue.

A new poll shows U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., running better in Florida against former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton than two potential Republican presidential candidates from the Sunshine State. The poll of registered Florida voters from WFLA and Survey USA finds Clinton, the heavy favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, leading Paul within the margin of error. Clinton takes 46 percent while Paul garners 42 percent.

A new poll from WFLA and Survey USA finds Gov. Rick Scott with a small lead over former Gov. Charlie Crist, the favorite in next months Democratic primary despite having spent most of his political life as a Republican. Scott takes 45 percent in the poll of likely voters while Crist takes 43 percent. While 7 percent back other candidates, 5 percent remain undecided. A Survey USA poll released on June 24 had Scott with 43 percent and Crist at 42 percent. The poll of 558 likely Florida voters was taken from June 30-July 2 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percent.

Former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre endorsed former Florida Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich for governor on Wednesday. After an underwhelming bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, Ferre crossed party lines to endorse Republican Rick Scott in 2010. Rich is an underdog against former Gov. Charlie Crist in next months Democratic primary.

Florida TaxWatch showcased airplane manufacturing in the Sunshine State in a report released on Thursday. "Florida is a great place to do business, and the state's commitment to investing in aircraft manufacturing is ensuring that Florida's economy continues to benefit from this important industry sector," said Dominic Calabro, the president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch, on Thursday.

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) unveiled a new ad on Thursday entitled "The Better Governor," and the ad contrasts Gov. Rick Scott with former Gov. Charlie Crist. The new ad focuses on the two governors records in Tallahassee, honing in on the sharp rise in unemployment under Crist.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi nabbed the endorsement of the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police on Thursday. The Florida State Lodge FOP pointed to Bondi shutting down pill mills, cracking down on human trafficking and investigating Medicaid fraud as some of the reasons it supports Bondi in her bid for re-election.

According to the state Division of Elections website, state Rep. Travis Hutson -- who represents House District 24 which includes Flagler County and parts of St. Johns and Volusia counties -- filed paperwork this week to seek another term in 2016. The Elkton Republican is running unopposed this year. Hutson and eight other House incumbents, as well as 12 Senate incumbents, are already planning to run in 2016. Filing the paperwork allows candidates to begin raising money.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates Charlie Crist and Nan Rich are scheduled to appear this week before a gathering of newspaper editors and executives, but not at the same time. The Florida Press Association and Florida Society of News Editors will hold a convention Thursday and Friday at The Biltmore in Coral Gables. Crist is scheduled to speak at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, while Rich -- who wanted to debate Crist during this event -- will be speaking at 9 a.m. Friday. Republican Gov. Rick Scott is not expected to appear at all.

Most voters strongly believe the debate about global warming isn't over yet and also disagree with the decision by some major news organizations banning comments from those who don't believe global warming is a problem. According to a new Rasmussen Reports poll, only 20 percent of likely U.S. voters believe the scientific debate about global warming is over, while 63 percent say it's not. Seventeen percent say they aren't sure.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and a possible Republican presidential hopeful in 2016, called upon President Barack Obama on Wednesday to crack down on the Maduro regime in charge of Venezuela. Rubio wrote Obama, asking him to free the assets of Venezuelan leaders and prohibit them from entering the U.S, due to their continued actions against protesters.

The Republican Party of Florida filed another ethics complaint against former Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday, this time accusing Crist of "cutting legal corners" by avoiding transparency on his personal finances. According to an email, the complaint filed by Sarasota GOP chair Joe Gruters outlines: (1)Crist misrepresented his financial interests by not reporting details of assets and liabilitiesreported by theMiami Herald.

Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., noted on Wednesday that former Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, was calling for the impeachment of President Barack Obama and claimed his efforts to remove the president from the White House were gaining momentum. West, who has left the door open to a political comeback in 2016, called for Obamas impeachment last month. Sarah Palin joined tens of thousands of conservatives when she called for the impeachment of Barack Obama, West emailed supporters on Wednesday. This movement is far from over ... it's gaining speed!

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., who sits on the U.S. Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, pointed to reports from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and HealthCare.gov which found major flaws with President Barack Obamas health-care law.

On Tuesday night, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who sits on the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, weighed in on President Barack Obamas request for $4.3 billion to provide humanitarian aid for immigrants crossing the border and for aiding wildfire operations. Crenshaw did not close the door on supporting Obamas request, saying the committee should review his proposals. But Crenshaw said the blame for the increase of illegal immigrants should fall on Obama.