With little more than two weeks to go in the Pinellas County special election for an open congressional seat, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launched a new television commercial on Monday, contrasting Republican David Jolly and former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate, on President Barack Obamas federal health-care law and the need for a federal balanced budget amendment.

A national poll released this weekend shows American adults continue to believe public schools are not doing enough to discipline students. A Rasmussen Reports poll unveiled Sunday shows 78 percent of American adults believe its tougher for teachers to maintain discipline in the classroom compared to the past while 62 percent of those surveyed believe public schools are too easy on discipline. Only 5 percent think public schools are too tough on discipline while 19 percent think its about right.

Late last week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., released a video responding to President Barack Obamas plans to cut Medicare Advantage (MA) and use those funds for the federal health-care program.

Good for the National Organization for Women (NOW), which obviously pays no attention to who's in or out at Emily's List. NOW has asked Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Rich to give the keynote address at its annual Susan B. Anthony luncheon. The luncheon, set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday, honors Lori Berman, Democratic deputy whip in the Florida House. Berman represents District 90 with an office in Boynton Beach.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar Association are teaming up to back a bill ensuring high school students in the Sunshine State are required to take a financial literacy course, nicknamed The Money Course, before graduating. More than 40 legislators are behind legislation which would require the course with Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, leading the charge in the Senate while Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers, and Rep. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, back it in the House.

Already facing criticism over their crackdown on protesters demanding more democratic reforms, the Venezuelan government kicked CNN and CNN en Espal out of the nation. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the Venezuelan regime on Friday.

Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that Azalea Health has selected Gainesville for a corporate expansion, creating 10 new jobs over the next year with a capital investment of $30,000. Azalea is a leading provider in cloud-based electronic health records software, practice management software, and revenue cycle management services. Scott pointed to Azalea's expansion as merely part of the thousands of jobs created since he took office in 2011.

Billionaire Tom Steyer -- who inked headlines in recent days for his pledge to raise and spend $100 million in the upcoming election condemns the mechanism that allows him to do it. There have been some legal decisions, some court decisions, which I absolutely disagree with, like Citizens United, which have led to this explosion of money, Steyer told MSNBCs Chuck Todd on Friday.

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott announced that Technology by Designs Partners (TBD Partners LLC) will be relocating its headquarters and expanding operations in Flagler County.

Needless to say, I've read a lot of stories about Charlie Crist. Even Charlie Crist's story about Charlie Crist. But never have I seen a piece as well-crafted, as close to the bone, as entertaining and precise in tone and substance as Ben Terris' "Survival of a salesman: Former Fla. governor Charlie Crist tries to get back where he was" in Wednesday's Washington Post.

Gov. Rick Scott said on Thursday that he was pleased that state House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, said earlier in the day that reducing fees was on his legislative agenda. One of Scotts main priorities in the upcoming legislative session is cutting $400 million in vehicle registration fees enacted back in 2009.

On Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott said online jobs are booming in Florida. Scott cited Help Wanted OnLine numbers showing more than 282,000 job openings in Florida last month, an increase of 5.1 percent from January 2013.

Veteran Brian Gibens announced on Thursday that he was ending his bid for the Republican nomination to replace former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., in Congress and was endorsing Florida Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacusito, R-Fort Myers, in the primary next month.

On Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott spoke out on the current unrest in Venezuela asprotests escalated against President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government. "We need to stand with the people in Venezuela who are working for democracy and freedom," said Scott. "As Americans, we are blessed to live in the greatest nation in the world that cherishes liberty. It is our obligation and calling to support those striving for freedom in places like Venezuela and Cuba who are struggling under oppression.

Florida's Stand Your Ground law caused controversy last year after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the death of Trayvon Martin, but the self-defense law resurfaced in headlines again in February after a Florida jury found Michael Dunn not guilty of first-degree murder for shooting a teenager after an argument over loud music.