David Jolly, Republican candidate and former aide and counsel to the late C.W. "Bill" Young, announced his team for his campaign for Florida's 13th Congressional District. Jolly's campaign team consists of seasoned consultants and advisers from around the state. Nick Catroppo will serve as Jolly's campaign manager. Catroppo most recently served as representative and grassroots coordinator for Congressman Richard Nugent, and previously served as campaign manager for the "Rich Nugent for Congress" campaign during the 2012 election cycle.

The Republican Party of Florida criticized former Gov. Charlie Crist's economic record on Friday, after a new report from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity showed the state's unemployment rate dipped to 6.7 percent, the lowest it has been since August 2008.

With Executive Order 13-328, Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday suspended Idella Glendora Scott, mayor of the Panhandle city of Monticello. Mayor Scott, no relation to the governor, turned herself in for arrest Thursday night on one count of forgery, one count of grand theft and one count of uttering a forged instrument.

U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., has checked into rehab a day after he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine in Washington, D.C. The Fort Myers Republican found himself in hot water after he was arrested at the end of October for possession of cocaine. On Wednesday, Radel pleaded guilty to the charges in court and announced he'd be taking a leave of absence from Congress.

Florida Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, has been named 2013 Philanthropist of the Year by the Nature Coast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In its announcement, the AFP said, "In 2011, Wilton Simpson and his wife Kathryn made an unprecedented $250,000 gift to the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation that resulted in the naming of the breast health center at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills."

Gov. Rick Scott announced Thursday that health care product provider Covidien will establish a medical-device manufacturing facility in Hillsborough County. The project will create up to 165 new jobs and $18 million in capital investment by 2017. The company has pioneered a number of medical advances over the years, including pulse oximetry, electrosurgery, surgical stapling, laparoscopic instrumentation, and embolization devices.

The Florida Board of Governors has chosen a new chair and vice chair to help lead the StateUniversity System. Mori Hosseini, who currently serves as vice chairman of the board, will replace Dean Colson as chair. Colson's term ends in January.Colson will remain a member of the Board of Governors through 2017.

A tirade by Democratic CFO candidate William Rankin was instrumental in getting Tamarac Talk reporter Brooke Knight and attorney Marc Reiner banned from Tuesday's AFL-CIO meeting in Riviera Beach.

It's official: Marshall Criser III will be taking Frank Brogan's old job as Florida's state university system chancellor. On Wednesday, the Board of Governors unanimously approved Criser to the position. After the board's vote, Criser spoke briefly about his plans for the future of Florida's 12 universities. He said he hopes to establish additional accountability measures to help demonstrate Florida's higher education system. Criser also thanked the Board of Governors and spoke highly of their work.

Reince Priebus took the lead from his Democratic counterpart, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who has vowed that during midterms, all her candidates will run on the health-care law, amid its series of problems. Priebus will hold Democrats feet to the fire on their pledge to do just that in 2014. In a press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters Tuesday, he invited those Democrats to make their case directly to their constituents.

U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession in court on Wednesday. He was sentenced to one year of probation. "I've hit a bottom where I realize I need help," Radel told District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert Tignor. News of Radel's arrest hit yesterday afternoon, and Radel said he struggles with alcoholism and will seek treatment and counseling.

The Florida Democratic Party is calling for the resignation of U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., after it was discovered he had been arrested in the District of Columbia for cocaine possession at the end of October.

Bad news for President Barack Obama. A new CBS poll released Wednesday showed the president's job approval rating has plummeted to the lowest of his presidency, and Americans' approval of his signature health care plan has dropped to the lowest it's been since CBS News started polling on the law. Thirty-seven percent now approve of the job Obama's doing as president, down from 46 percent in October. The president's disapproval rating is at a high of 57 percent.

U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., had a run-in with the law in Washington, D.C., where hewas arrested Oct. 29 for cocaine possession according to D.C. Superior Court documents. Radel was charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine on Tuesday and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

The Jeb Bush-backed Foundation for Florida's Future (aFloridaPromise) had warm words of praise for State Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan on Tuesday. Shanahan will be leaving her position at the end of December after serving eight years on the state board.